"My God…"
They failed to land an effective hit on Lilith.
As the three stiffened in shock.
Charurururu!
The chains of the handcuffs around Lilith's wrists rattled.
Instead of being a device that restrained her, it became another weapon that extended to the three.
"Kgh!"
"Hmph!"
"Ugh!"
The chain wrapped around everyone's necks and pulled them upwards. The tips of their toes groped for a floor to tread on, only to flail mid-air.
Lilith opened her mouth in a snarl.
"I'm tired of playing with you guys. So I'll call it a day."
"…"
"Alright, lowly humans, which of you will be the first to be beheaded by my scythe?"
"…"
"What? No volunteers? Then there is nothing we can do."
The demon's eyes, glowing with excitement, turned towards one person. Her choice was universal.
"After all, the healer is always first, right?"
"…!"
The face of Hilde, a skinny girl with pale platinum hair, turned ghastly white.
Lilith deliberately raised her scythe very slowly. It only took a moment for fear to flood Hilde's eyes.
"I-I don't want to…"
With a thick layer of water formed over both eyes, the scythe that casts a shadow over her head blurred.
'Help. Help me, please.'
She didn't want to die.
She desperately hoped that someone would save her.
So she called out the name of the person she always hoped would reach out to her, even if just once, even though she knew it would be futile.
"Sister Odellit…!"
Shwwwiiiii!
Lilith's scythe fell like the blade of a guillotine.
"Ms. White Wizard!"
"Miss Hilde!"
But right then.
Ka-aaang-!
A heavy screech of metal shook the air.
"What the…!"
Lilith barely managed to hold on to her scythe as a tremendous backlash threw it back. The arrogant Succubus Queen's face was stained with astonishment.
"You, you…!"
Lilith's frightened voice rang out, stunned.
"How…"
Frintz and Raywin's eyes bulged out.
"Huh…?"
The layer of tears in Hilde's eyes broke and her vision cleared to reveal the back of someone's head, pink hair flowing down a straight back.
The savior standing before Hilde opened her mouth, exuding a cold sense of intimidation.
"Starting with the healer? You really know your stuff."
"…"
"I'm a healer too, so you can start with me."
A huge Grim Ripper Scythe and a snake-like whip-sword clashed violently.
Just as she tried to execute me, I began the process of hunting her down.
"The Vanquisher of Evil…!"
"Yes, why are you calling me? Sister."
"You made my blood boil for the first time in a long time! This is the first time since Anaxia!"
"You know that? Everyone before you disappeared after saying those same words."
I responded unimpressed and put my strength into both hands holding Serpens. A short spasm briefly passed from my wrist to my shoulder as I threw her scythe far away.
'The strength alone is amazing.'
But the movement was just as big. I extended my left hand to Lilith's unguarded stomach.
At this moment, my palm replaced the long-ranged bolt, and electricity that ran from my hand extended and touched Lilith's abdomen.
"Divine Punishment."
BZZZZZ!
It was a direct hit.
"Kuagh…!"
The body of the Succubus Queen was thrown away and stuck on the wall, scythe and all.
While I was leisurely waiting for the dust in my vision to settle, a voice rang out from my pendant.
It's almost an instantaneous casting, right?
"Divine Punishment is my main skill. I got the hang of it because I used it often."
Since the last Battle of Hellkaion, I have practiced using divine power skills during close combat.
Shurururu.
I stretched out my whip sword, swinging it lightly like a whip, I approached Lilith.
"Sister, I have one question."
"What is it, Vanquisher of Evil?"
Lilith got up from the rubble and answered reluctantly. It may be her intention to buy time, but it doesn't matter. Because the gap is clear.
I took my time to ask my question.
"You are a succubus, right? Why are you not acting cute like usual?"
"It's narrow-minded of you to assume that a succubus will always engage in lust or coquetry."
"You don't? Is the Queen any different?"
"Curious?"
"Yes."
Lilith's eyes flashed.
"That's because it's enough to act cute in front of Anaxia!"
Ta-kt!
The sound of her boots stomping on the floor was deafening.
When Lilith seemed to have had enough, she lunged at me. I parried her attack lightly. Then, as I was preparing to counterattack….
"Wow."
Wow.
Agnes and I both let out an ecstatic gasp at the same time.
[System Warning. 'Fatal Hypnotic Temptation' is activated.]
"Hahaha, what do you say, Vanquisher of Evil, do you think you can attack me like this?"
Cornered, Lilith resorted to a trick.
Using the Succubus Queen's power, she changed her appearance to someone I knew.
"Unbelievable."
And the one Lilith is now mimicking is….
"Bi-Lady Bianca?!"
Frintz shouted in panic from a distance.
Yes, the sly and cunning Lilith had taken on the form of Bianca Gillette, my friend from whom I had parted ways at the age of twelve.
And that too, not as a child, but as a grown-up version! It was a fatal situation. My arm holding the sword suddenly lost strength.
"Wow, is this what happens when our Bia grows up? It's pretty…"
As expected of Leya's granddaughter…
I'd heard that succubi were good at facial recognition, but they also had a knack for creating grown-up versions?
I was amazed at how they knew about Bianca's adult form, which even I didn't know about.
As I stood there in awe, a message from the gods popped up.
['The Eyes that Watch Over the Chaos of All Things' says is a good copy, but is dissatisfied, saying that the real Bianca was prettier.]
['The Critic who adjusts the balance' clicks his tongue, wondering what happens when you fall for the enemy's trick.]
Lilith, who noticed that my fighting spirit had weakened, was elated.
With Bianca's face.
"How is it? I've turned into the woman you want to protect the most. You can't attack, right?"
"Ugh."
Lilith's scythe swoops down on me. I only reacted defensively.
"Hahaha! You can't even aim your sword!"
['The Scales that Judges the Soul' is angry that such a typical cliche is being directed to the main character.]
['The Eyes that Watch Over the Chaos of All Things' is satisfied that your true love and heroine is Bianca.]
['The Critic who adjusts the balance is baffled as to why you're suddenly gobbling up sweet potatoes if you are a cider pass.]
['The Troubled Architect of the Tower of Trials' beats his chest in frustration, saying that this is why you had to kill her before she mimicked the heroine.]
['The Spoiler Inspector' disapproves of your uncharacteristic frustrating performance.]
"Hahaha! Vanquisher of Evil! In the end, you are just another mere human being with weaknesses!"
"Ugh."
"Foolish one who is deceived by the reflection in your eyes! Die! Prove your friendship by dying!"
['The Eyes that Watch Over the Chaos of All Things' raise their eyes, saying it is not friendship, but love.]
Lilith launched her body in the air threatening to land a heavy hit on me.
"Ellet!"
"Eli!"
I raised my sword amidst the urgent calls of Raywin and Frintz.
Kwaaangg!
A shock like an explosion struck my entire body.
I somehow managed to stop it and was currently lying on the floor taking on Lilith's scythe.
Her bluish-black hair fell from above and brushed against my cheek.
"You are helpless, Vanquisher of Evil!"
That was when Lilith craned her neck and sneered at me.
"Okay, finished my appreciation."
"…What?"
"Thank you for showing me our Bia. I will be especially polite towards you."
"Huh?"
I declared while raising aura all over my body.
"Lilith, I'll deal with you with my eyes closed."
"…!"
There was no time for Lilith to respond.
Kwaaaaang!
I exploded my aura to shake Lilith off my body.
I closed my eyes and absorbed the sensations around me. The tip of my sword, which was slowly drawing an arc, was fixed in one direction.
"Found."
I immediately dug into the place where Lilith was.
Kwang!
A dull sound rang in the air and a feeling of contact transmitted to my arm.
Even without sight, I can picture the scene in my mind.
The tip of the Serpens was blocked by the scythe.
I immediately let out a murmur from my lips.
"Divine Hymn."
Divine power that strengthens the body permeated my limbs. I spun at a markedly increased speed and delivered my next blow.
My target: Lilith's neck.
"Hic!"
It seemed like she barely dodged it.
I immediately took a step, caught up with her, and whispered in a soft tone.
"Can you please stop making weird noises with our Via's voice?"
"…!"
A startled Lilith pulled away from me.
I had no intention of letting her go, so I jabbed a Divine Punishment into her abdomen once more.
"Cough!"
Taking advantage of Lilith's stumble, I caught up to her in an instant and slashed with my sword exactly where Lilith was.
"Ugh!"
The sensation of slicing flesh passed through my fingertips. But it was shallow.
Immediately, I used aura to extend Serpens' blade to slash the spot where Lilith had just dodged to.
Surururu!
The whip-sword snapped like a vicious snake, cutting into Lilith.
"Argh! Ho-How the hell!?"
Even with my eyes closed, I could picture Lilith's expression.
"How is this possible!?"
"…"
"It's no different than having your eyes open!"
The reason was simple.
"That's because you are much weaker than me."
"…!"
No answer came back.
Well, it must be a silence of understanding, right?
Before long, Lilith was driven against the wall by my flurry of sword strikes.
"Do you think I'll let you just push me around like this?! Dream on!"
Lilith was on the verge of reaching a dead end with her back, but I could feel tension and a different energy coming from her.
Ellet.
I know without you having to say it, Agnes.
Lilith's scythe swung in a huge arc, spewing out demonic energy.
Kwaangg!
Having narrowly avoided the blast, I retreated far away and immediately straightened Serperns, pumping up aura in the blade.
Lilith's magic energy that had been rushing towards me was canceled out when it met my aura.
"Hah, hah, hah…"
Lilith, who had succeeded in shaking me off and increasing the distance, was gasping for breath. The sound of her ragged, harsh breathing mixed with the sound of her scythe blade scraping against the floor.
She took on a fixed stance with the head of her scythe pointing downwards, her fighting spirit was much more refined.
And that told me that Lilith plans to strike with all her might.
"Okay, try it."
I immediately cast my ultimate barrier. A silver citadel was raised to protect the others and I also raised my Aura.
It ends with this one last exchange.
I stretched my right arm in a straight line and raised the whip sword high above my head.
Lilith cried out in spite.
"Die, Vanquisher of Evil!"
As the scythe is swung, a friction sound of ripping air was heard. I also stroke my sword down. The long, slithering blade stretched and pounced, ready to bite Lilith like a predatory snake.
Quagwagwagwang!
Even with closed eyes, I could feel it clearly.
My aura clashed with Lilith's demonic energy and.
Piing-.
It pierced through.
With a clear sound, the white light extending from my whip sword pierced one point. My aura dug into the demonic energy and pierced into Lilith's heart.
Kwajiji.
After the simultaneous sounds of destruction, the surrounding area fell silent.
"…"
I slowly opened my eyes.
At the center of my vision was Lilith, frozen in place.
There were four sword marks, that looked like long fingernail marks, on the floor and wall behind her.
Agnes explained the situation.
The moment she was attacked, she used her scythe as a shield to disperse the power.
"It was a pretty good move."
Yes, it was pretty good. But…
Clang.
The giant scythe fell from Lilith's hand to the floor.
Lilith, who had returned to her original form, dropped to her knees.
"You win, Vanquisher of Evil."
"…"
There was nothing to reply to this obvious outcome.
The Succubus Queen's body began to shatter like glass from the edges. As she died beautifully, she lifted her head towards the ceiling.
"Lady Anaxia…"
A will flew out of her purple lips while her moist eyes traced a presence that would be seated in the highest place in the castle.
"Carpeios, that bastard is no good…"
Passasasak.
Lilith's body was instantly shattered into pieces and the powder was fleetingly scattered in the air.
Chapter 30. A reunion I hoped for, a reunion I didn't want.
[Skill 'Queen's Might'
The three great powers of a Succubus Queen are charm, stamina, and power.
Among those three, this skill captures the essence of power.
Temporarily grants you as much strength as Lilith.]
It's been a while since I've had a skill that's been so useful. Now there will be no need to be pushed back in a power struggle.
After finishing a happy looting time, I neatly inserted Serpens into the scabbard and turned around.
"Is everyone okay?"
Most of the familiar faces were looking at me with half-stunned expressions.
Among them, I waved my hand at Frintz.
"Brother, long time no see."
Frintz suddenly came to his senses and spat out a series of questions.
"Are you really Eli? What happened? Why are you here?"
"You know The Chosen One, who decided to participate in the subjugation as a representative of the Church this time?"
"Yes."
"That's me."
"What…?!"
Frintz's light blue eyes, which resemble our father's, were about to pop out.
I continued my explanation with an awkward smile.
Only my mom and grandpa knew that I could use Descent of Divinity, and I confessed it to my dad during my last vacation, but my brother wasn't home so I couldn't tell him.
"In the meantime, I didn't have a chance to use Descent of Divinity because I was only living inside the castle. So I didn't have a chance to tell it to my father and brother."
In truth, I was concerned about hiding the penalty more than the Descent in itself, but that part was adapted accordingly.
"I'm sorry I didn't get a chance to tell you before this whole mess started, and I hope you don't feel too bad about it…. Hey, brother. Are you listening to me?"
"My younger sister is a Saint…She is not just any saint, but the Chosen One…"
"…"
Hmm, it looks like the shock was severe.
"Brother, get a grip."
"My younger brother suddenly said that she is a High Saint of the Church. Put yourself in my shoes. If I suddenly told you that I was the prince of a country, would you be immediately convinced…?"
"Of course I would be shocked, but you need to get a grip because I still have some important things to confess."
"Wh-what is it? Is there anything else….?"
"Actually, brother is similar to royalty, because brother and I are the grandchildren of Prince Hispenril."
"…What?"
Frintz looked as if his brain had shut down.
Since his brain couldn't process what his ears were telling him, Raywin summarized for him.
"If you think about it, The Chosen One is the granddaughter of Prince Hispenril, so it was said that she would come representing both the Church and the Principality."
"…"
Frintz blinked wildly.
I continued because it felt like he was urging me to hurry up and finish explaining.
"Well, it's not like you never met, you know our grandfather who usually comes to the castle every Thanksgiving to eat turkey? He was none other than Prince Hispenril."
"…"
"It's a well-known fact that the relationship between Prince Hispenril and the princess was so bad that the princess ran away from home, so I'm sure brother can probably guess that princess is our mother."
"…"
"Well, actually, I was going to keep the secret until Mom told Dad and Brother first. But looking at the current situation on the continent, I thought it would be difficult to just hide it. I feel sorry about intercepting Mom, but I need to borrow some of Grandpa's power…Huh? Brother? What's the matter? Wake up!"
"…I think it would be better to explain it again later."
"I guess so. Jeez, what to do with this brother."
I placed Frintz, who had a limp body as if his soul had escaped, against the wall.
Deciding to give my brother time to recover from hearing the secrets of his birth, I turned to face Raywin, who had just spoken.
I smiled and greeted him.
"It's been a while, Little Duke Wallenstein."
"Uh, Km–Hum! Yes, it's been a while."
Raywin accepted the greeting with a slight flinch, avoiding eye contact.
"Unlike my brother, the Little Duke doesn't seem to be too surprised?"
"That's because back in the Obsculia Dungeon, I sensed that your divine power was very high…. When it was rumored that a Saint had appeared, I thought it might be you."
"Ooh."
Come to think of it, with Raywin and Ash's skills, it was natural to feel that my divine power was at the 8th rank.
"Actually, I can't overcome the surprise that you're the granddaughter of Prince Hispenril. I couldn't have guessed that the Duke you knew back then was the Duke of Hispenril."
"Haha."
While I was laughing awkwardly, Raywin asked in surprise, as if something had suddenly occurred to him.
"B–By any c–chance, was I rude to you back then?"
"Not really. If it weren't for your natural poise, I don't think I would have even known that you were a noble. You're so well-mannered."
"Thank goodness. That…If you want, I'll use honorifics from now on."
"Really? Can you do it?"
"As you wish."
The sight of him solemnly clenching his fists was very funny, but I decided to stop there.
Because Raywin was not the type of person who could understand jokes.
"That's fine. You're my brother's friend. Please treat me comfortably."
"…Then you too."
"Me too?"
"Khh-hm. You can call me Raywin instead of Little Duke."
I didn't have time to reply, because Frintz snapped out of his daze and intervened.
"Have you two ever met? How do you know each other?"
Completely different from when he heard his little sister's secret and the secret of his birth earlier, his eyes were sharp and full of vigilance.
Raywin explained.
"During my knight training journey, I was once in danger after falling into an S-class dungeon, and your sister saved me, so to speak, my…km-hmm, I guess you could say a lifesaver."
"Wait a minute, Raywin."
"Why are you like this, Frintz?"
"Perhaps, earlier that…"
"Earlier?"
"The person you saw in the mirror…?"
"Uh! Oh, t–t–that…!"
Suddenly, Raywin's face turned bright red and he didn't know what to do.
"What mirror?"
I was curious so I asked.
"That's strange…whomp!"
"Oh, that, that was! Nothing! Don't mind him!"
['The Scales that Judges the Soul' props her chin with both hands and watches with interest.]
At this point, I started to think about something other than the conversation from earlier.
'What are these two doing?'
Raywin, who always keeps his distance from others, is covering Frintz's mouth with his right hand.
The fact that this kind of casual contact is possible is a sign of….
"You two look pretty close, don't you?"
"…"
"…"
Only then did Raywin take his hand back, flushed with embarrassment.
"I-I'm sorry, Frintz. I got a little carried away for a moment."
"That's all right. Let's talk about it later, Raywin. About the person reflected in the mirror earlier."
"…Ah, okay."
At this point, Frintz was giving off a harsh aura, unlike his usual gentle personality.
On the other hand, the Little Duke, who was supposed to be confident in everything, seemed to have some kind of weakness.
What? Didn't the two become friends?
['The Critic who adjusts the balance' wonders if Frintz was actually a good cadet in the military academy.]
['The Scales that Judges the Soul' says that's a reasonable suspicion because the Rofan-type brother is bound to have duality.]
'Hey, what are you talking about?'
How nice my brother is! There's no way he would do that.
…but I'm a little worried.
"Brother, be nice to the Little Duke. He is a person who has gone through a lot of hardship."
"Huh? Uh, yeah."
"Little Duke, please take good care of my brother."
"Huh? No, on the contrary, please take care of me."
I absent-mindedly mediated the friendship between the two. I was optimistic that there wouldn't be any problems in the future since they weren't people who would give an answer I didn't like.
Just then, my necklace rang.
Ellet, you need to pay more attention to that right corner.
"…Ah."
I almost forgot for a moment, but there was one more person in the room besides me, Frintz, and Raywin.
When I turned around, there was a shivering girl with her arms wrapped around her knees.
"Are you okay?"
"…"
"Hello?"
It seemed like the shock of encountering a strong demon right in front of you was great. Worse still, her throat was almost cut by that scythe.
"White Wizard, it's okay now."
"Miss Hilde, it's all over. Calm down."
The worried, soothing voices of Frinz and Raywin gave me information.
"You must be Hilde Marcellion, the White Mage."
An unfortunate supporting character, abused by the Marcellion family and exploited by Princess Odellit.
In the 17th timeline, she was destined to die during the last Hellkaion subjugation battle, but it seems that she survived thanks to my active destruction of the original work.
What? Is she also a Marcellion?
Recognizing the negative connotations underlying Agne's question, I retorted briefly.
"This one is a little different."
I saved any further explanation so as not to make people around me feel suspicious.
Agnes looked at Hilde as if she had decided to abandon her prejudices and said.
Hmm. This girl named Hilde seems to have quite strong divine powers. It would be 7th rank.
As expected of Agnes, there is no better combat power radar than her.
For reference, a white wizard is not a real wizard but refers to a citizen of the Magic Republic of Ragneif who has awakened divine power.
In order not to lose healers to the Church, the Magic Republic covers their eyes and pretends not to know.
I sighed while lost in thought.
'What should I do with her?'
She's barely able to walk properly.
Since it would be impossible to move with her, would it be better to give her enough food and leave her in the Mid Boss's room?
"Huh?"
I felt a tug in my sleeve.
When I lowered my gaze, I saw Hilde's trembling hands.
"Pl-Please, don't leave me behind."
"…"
"Ju-J-just a moment. If you give me just a little time…I'll pull myself together…I'll do better…I'll be good….."
…Oops. I just remembered something I'd forgotten.
Hilde is quick to notice.
Especially when it comes to women of an age where they can overlap with the Odellit and it looks like I'm narrowly within that range.
I put one hand into my subspace inventory.
When it came out again it was filled with chocolate, candy, and caramel. I handed it to Hilde.
I may be treating a grown girl too much like a child, but right now, I can't find any other good tricks to use.
"Eat. If you eat something sweet, you'll feel better."
"…"
Hilde, who had been looking at my hand in a daze for a long time, finally stuttered a reply.
"Th-Thank…you…"
A pair of neatly clasped hands gingerly took the sweets from me.
Meanwhile, her skinny wrists were exposed between the loose sleeves of her robe.
Why is she so skinny? It looks like she couldn't even get oatmeal porridge. Even the Order Church would feed her better than this.
I know, Agnes. Just seeing that is making me angry.
I heard that white wizards are treated poorly in the Magic Republic, but this is really bad.
That's because, to add insult to injury, she was abused by the Marcellion family.
After listening to Agnes' words up to this point, a thought crossed my mind.
'Well, shall I take her with me?'
It's not just about sympathy.
I'm also a healer, but when I'm on the offensive, it's good to have a Heal Shuttle or rather a precious fellow healer.
Furthermore, Hilde's value as an addition to our total power output does not stop at the fact that her sacred power is at the 7th rank. She was a talented person with a 'Threat-Immune' constitution. No matter how many heals she pours, she doesn't have to worry about aggro.
To be honest, she is a mouth-watering talent.
"Hilde."
"Yes?"
"Don't you have any thoughts of seeking asylum?"
"Ah…Eh?"
"…No, forget it."
I realized I'd said something impulsive and retracted it immediately.
Hilde has never had a choice in her life. This was not a topic worth mentioning lightly.
It seems like Hilde has regained quite a bit of her composure, so we'd better get ready to move on.
I turned to everyone and said.
"Come on, everyone. Attention, please."
"Yeah."
"hmm."
"Yes."
"Now that we've defeated the Mid Boss, this room should be safe. You can stay here and wait until Anaxia is subdued."
"Eli, what about you?"
Frintz and Raywin looked at me with serious faces.
"I'm going to go catch the boss with my paladins, brother."
"You want to catch the boss? How many paladins are there in your order?"
"Five people including me."
"What? The hell…"
"What nonsense are you talking about? How can you do that with so few people? It's too dangerous!"
Raywin suddenly cut off Frintz's words and shouted apprehensively.
When Frintz and I, who were surprised, looked at him with stunned glances, he stammered an apology. However, Frinz seemed to agree with the content itself.
"I think so too. Even if we exclude the Chimera Researcher because we have qualms about him, wouldn't it be better to join Marquis Lecandro and fight the boss together?"
"No."
I was adamant.
"My paladins are in danger right now and the clock is ticking. More than anything, there is a problem with following my brother's suggestion."
"Problem? What is it?"
"Finding and joining the Chimera Researcher and the Marquis of Lecandro will be difficult. They're probably stuck somewhere they can't get out of right now."
According to the original work, Morifis and Marquis Lecandro would have been trapped in a water mirror in the basement of the castle. Even if we go to rescue them, we have no choice but to wait for them to escape on their own.
By the time I see their faces and exchange first words, I will be in a situation where I cannot guarantee whether my group will live or die. In the first place, I had no intention of borrowing the power of the Marquis and the Chimera Researcher to defeat Anaxia so I don't want to waste time.
I glanced at the three and opened my mouth.
"Brother, Little Duke, Miss Hilde. From now on, I am going to fight the dungeon owner, Anaxia Pelhemstein."
The sound of dry swallowing could be heard here and there. It seemed like my tone was unnecessarily solemn, so my last words were accompanied by a light chuckle.
"Now, if anyone wants to come with me, raise your hand now, and I'll give you a special treat."
At that time, the paladins accompanying Ellet's doppelganger were well on their way up the tower.
"You-you're…! Aaaah!"
One of the demons guarding the room was torn apart in an instant.
Breaking through was bound to be easy because the being wearing Ellet's shell was none other than the owner of the dungeon.
There was no way the vassals, who were absolutely subordinate to their master, would dare to attack her.
The party's current location was the 7th floor, the top floor of the Castle of Mirrors, and soon to be the Boss Room.
Ellet's doppelgänger, Anaxia, who was leading the way, was currently suppressing the corner of her mouth that wanted to turn into a smirk.
'Just a little more, just a little more and we will arrive.'
To her newly renovated Boss Room, the Fourth Demon King's Throne Room.
Her entire body tingled with pleasure at the thought of entering it.
The four lowly and foolish humans currently accompanying Anaxia must have believed with all their hearts that she was the Vanquisher of Evil.
Under those circumstances, what if they finally arrived at the destination room just to discover the boss was not there?
And what if I leisurely walk across the room and gracefully sit on the throne?
And what if I arrogantly look down on them and reveal my true identity?
What faces would the shocked humans show in this sequence of events!?
'Ah, just imagining it is thrilling!'
Anaxia's pupils were torn vertically due to extreme excitement.
Without The Vanquisher of Evil, these four human men were not much of a threat to her.
Still, their faces were pretty, and it would be fun to play with them like a toy doll. Among them, the silver-haired paladin who had a slight resemblance to 'Newborn Chaos and Evil' was particularly her favorite.
Let's make him a tattered mess by doing a lot of unholy things that cannot be done to 'Newborn Chaos and Evil'.
Then, when the Vanquisher of Evil arrives, I'll throw away the bodies of the four men one by one at her feet, as a show of pride.
Since ancient times, wailing and screams have been the most popular songs in the demon world.
'Vanquisher of Evil, I will play to Reed the aria of despair you will sing at the top of your lungs!'
While contemplating her ambitions to entertain her distinguished guests, one demon and four humans reached the end of the hall.
The place where the five pairs of feet stopped was in front of an arched iron gate with a complex embossed pattern.
"What? This door won't open on its own?"
"It's big and fancy. It seems different from the rooms we've been through so far, maybe that's the boss room."
"Well, I'm sure our leader, Miss Ellet has a plan. What are you doing tanker? Open it quickly, Thesilid."
"Okay."
There was no need for Anaxia to instigate things. Everything was smooth until the end.
'Hahaha! Stupid things! You can't even imagine what's going to happen from now on!'
It's soon to begin.
It won't be long before I see these humans shaking in shock and fear as they see me reveal my identity.
The silver-haired paladin pushed the door.
Kkiiiiik-.
The hinges, which had not been oiled on purpose, let out loud and beautiful ear-piercing screams.
'Come one! Hurry!'
The door cracked open.
Accordingly, Anaxia's face became flushed and her breathing quickened.
'Behold! The empty boss room!'
The moment when the throne room was finally revealed.
"You're here? I've waited a long time."
"…Huh?"
There was someone in the boss room, which was supposed to be empty.
"Eh?"
"Hum?"
"Huh?"
Ephael, Hestio, and Ash made dumb noises with dazed faces.
At the gorgeous throne located in the deepest and highest part of the throne room, a woman was sitting with her chin resting arrogantly in her hand.
The pink color of her long, flowing hair was familiar.
A moment later.
"Ellet?!"
"Two sisters?!"
"What the hell! Why is the boss looking like our leader?"
The three looked at the real and the fake Ellet alternately, with faces full of confusion and astonishment.
Ellet, who was sitting on the throne, fixated her gaze on the person who had stolen her appearance.
She turned to the fake and said.
"This was the only chair I could find, so I sat here and waited. It took quite a while for you to arrive."
"…!"
That appears to have been an effective provocation.
"How dare you!"
Fake Ellet's pink hair shot up in anger.
"How dare you sit on my throne!"
Swiiiih!
Two chains sharply extended from the back of the fake Ellet, rushing straight into the face of the real Ellet, who was sitting on a throne of gold and jewels.
"…"
She sat back on the throne, motionless and relaxed.
The moment when the chains were about to pierce her defenseless body.
Kaan-!
Two knights appeared from blind spots on her left and right and knocked off the chains one by one.
It was Frintz and Raywin.
Ephael, Ash, and Hestio were still confused.
"What's going on here?"
"N-No way, the sister who brought us here is fake…?"
"Crazy! Nonsense!"
Just then, Thesilid walked away, leaving the three of them alone.
"Eli."
He raised his head and his gaze fell on the Ellet of the throne. With a smile.
"I was worried."
There was no hesitation in his steps as he walked on the carpet and approached the real one.
"I'm glad you're safe."
"Terry…"
Ellet's expression, which had been looking down at the group so coldly that they wondered if she really was the final boss, only then relaxed a little.
"You recognized me."
"Of course."
"I knew it."
Ellet was just about to feel thrilled when Thesilid's gaze flicked toward the two knights standing to her left and right.
"By the way, what are those two next to you? Maybe…."
"Huh?"
"A familiar?"
"…What!"
The exasperated voice erupted from the two cadets who had just been treated as familiar spirits.
Ellet hastily intervened.
"Let me introduce you. The pink-haired knight cadet on the left is my older brother."
"…Excuse me."
"Kh-hum!"
"And the knight cadet on the right is…"
Ash, who had fully grasped the situation through a series of conversations, hurried forward.
"Long time no see, Brother Ray!"
"…The Little Duke Raywin Wallenstein."
"Huh? I can't believe you weren't just a simple brother."
"Why are you here, assassin?"
"I was hired by my sister."
At this point, it was clear who was fake and who was real.
Anaxia no longer had any reason to steal Ellet's appearance.
"How dare you ignore me…!"
A ring of light swept through Anaxia, starting at her toes and ending at the crown of her head.
The Chosen One with pink hair was erased and replaced by an alluring beauty with purple hair.
"Do you think it's time for a leisurely exchange of greetings?!"
Whoarurururu!
Demon energy surrounded Anaxia like a burning flame. As she revealed her true colors as the dungeon's owner, a message appeared in Ellet's system window.
[System Dungeon owner, 207th in the Demon World ranking, 'Anaxia, Duke of Mirrors' has appeared.]
[System Warning. Due to the influence of 'Newborn Chaos and Evil', the power of the dungeon owner is growing stronger. The ranking increases in real time.]
Anaxia's blood-red eyes flashed and she let out a roar.
"Come forth, my vassals!"
Six mirrors were summoned to the left and right of Anaxia and spread out like a folding screen.
Something black oozed from within.
The sewage-like substance soon took the form of creatures large and small who filled the throne room.
We are your slaves, Lady Anaxia.
Lady Anaxia, please give orders.
A legion made up of demons and fiends bowed in respect before Anaxia. As she stood in the center of the room, as if commanding every living thing, her power weighed down on the air.
She was truly a high-ranking demon boss with pedigree.
Sharply forged nerves warned of greater danger than during Hellkaion's subjugation.
There was no time to be overwhelmed by the countless enemies and the boss's pressure.
Ash, Ephael, and Hestio immediately moved toward the throne platform where I was sitting and joined Thesilid, Frintz, and Raywin.
A total of six allies lined up in front as if guarding me.
They know their position well.
With Thesilid at the center, Frintz and Raywin were at the forefront, with dealers Ash and Ephael in the middle.
And finally, Hestio…
"Kh-hm."
"Yes. Welcome, Hestio."
"Please keep me safe."
"Of course."
Our fragile and precious supporter stood close next to me.
Now was time for a little strategy meeting. For convenience, I kept my words short.
"Terry and I will hold Anaxia down. As for the others, please deal with the vassals quickly. Hestio, sing the sacred hymn well, watch the battle situation, and let me know if there are any injuries."
"Yes."
"Understood."
"Aye."
"Once the surrounding area is cleared, focus on providing cover and checks. Can you see the mirrors lined up behind Anaxia? Just blocking the chains pouring in from there is a big help. There is no need to overdo it and attack Anaxia."
Everyone except me is a melee type.
Moreover, Anaxia was not a large boss with overflowing hitting places like Hellkaion. During combat, it may be difficult for melee dealers to approach Anaxia.
Melee dealers have no choice but to fight in one-on-one relays. It's almost like a two-man job for you two.
Thesilid and I expressed our approval of Agnes' words with a wink.
"I have to focus on damage and healing, so of course Terry is the tank. And there is a very important caveat."
Seeing that everyone was focused on my words, I said.
"You must never…."
"What?"
The faces of my allies were full of questions, but not because they couldn't hear.
"Uh, hm, then, will the leader do it?"
"Of course, I should."
I emphasized again.
"If you do, you'll die and I don't mean it as a threat, I mean literally."
"Re-Really? That's what you meant."
"O-Okay."
"I will be careful."
My 'slaves', who were exempt from the rule of ⅓ of tributes, and the assassin mercenary who had a wanted bounty and had nowhere to go, did not complain.
Frintz and Raywin also nodded, as if long years of knighthood and military academy life had made them accustomed to protocol.
Now that I got my point across, it would be a good idea to end it on a warm note.
"Then lastly, everyone, please don't get hurt."
"…"
For a moment, it seemed like there was a special bond of camaraderie between us.
['The Troubled Architect of the Tower of Trials' agrees that this is a necessary reminder because the more you heal, the less you can deal damage.]
['The Critic who adjusts the balance' asks in surprise if you told your colleagues to die rather than get hurt because of Deal Loss.]
['The World-building God' gets angry at those malicious interpretations.]
At the same time, Anaxia was also giving orders to her legions.
"Vassals."
Yes. Anaxia.
"Offer to me the deaths of those humans. Anyone who cuts off their head will be set free."
…!
The morale of the vassals was immediately boosted.
Liberation! Liberation!
Free from the fate of slavery!
The head of the guy in the lead is mine!
Anaxia was a fairly good commander.
Gathering momentum, she shouted.
"Go, my vassals!"
I also shouted at this.
"Return fire!"
The battle has begun.
Our allies clashed with the slave vassals of Anaxia.
Every time a blade carrying aura drew a colorful trajectory, black shapes were torn apart. Allies steadily expanded their territory by cutting down demons.
Hestio was also busy.
In addition to showering blessings on our allies, he cast extensive curses on his enemies to weaken them.
In some ways, Hestio was more threatening to demons than other dealers.
I shouldn't touch Anaxia until Thesilid raises the threat level to a stable level.
So, I decided to join in cleaning up the surroundings.
Now was the right time to use wide-area skills as our dealers had not spread out yet.
"Divine punishment."
A barrage of lightning opened on my left and right.
Kuagwagwagwang!
A horizontal bolt of lightning swept across the left and right sides of the room. Two huge straight tracks appeared on the floor of the throne room.
In an instant, about a third of the enemy's power was wiped out.
"Wow, sister…"
"As expected, our leader!"
"Now that's a Saint!"
"Ellet, you've gotten stronger since I haven't seen you…"
"My sister is a saint…. My little sister is…."
Next, I lifted my finger and drew a line.
"Vanquish of Evil"
The trajectory that I created in the air was immediately transferred to the canvas of my vision and tore apart the souls of the demons.
As the number of demons dwindled, Anaxia was revealed in the center of the enemy lines.
"Not bad, Vanquisher of Evil!"
She called me by the same title Carpeios used. Perhaps that is my moniker in the demon world.
Anaxia stamped the floor, holding a chain with a sharp iron point in each hand and six floating mirrors followed close behind her like escorts.
She approached at high speed and leaped high into the air in front of the steps of the platform.
Dozens of chains shot toward me from her mirrors.
"Get off my throne!"
But right then.
"Your opponent is me."
"…!"
Thesilid was now close to Anaxia's right side.
He struck Anaxia horizontally in midair.
Bang!
Anaxia's body veered in a completely different direction, making you wonder if her trajectory had defied the laws of physics.
Instead of flying toward me, her body flew to the left and landed in the wall. Cracks spread through the four-story throne room wall.
Butsu.
When a silhouette, along with the stone fragments, slipped to the floor.
Shwuuiii!
Some of the chains that tried to attack me but failed turned towards Thesilid, but he cut them all down with his holy sword.
Anaxia walked out through the dust and opened her mouth.
"Ok, fine."
"…"
"Silver hair. I will start with you. I will rip you into pieces and display them in front of the Vanquisher!"
Thesilid brilliantly succeeded in provoking her.
"Wait a bit, Eli."
As if he wanted to make Anaxia's interest more persistent, he urged me to wait.
Let him do his own thing for now.
Thesillid used the edge of the throne room, which I swept away with 'Divine Punishment', as his battlefield.
His legs quickly hit the floor along the wall.
Anaxia's chains shot out fiercely, narrowly missing his body and becoming embedded in the floor and walls.
"Are you just going to run away?"
There were countless chains.
As time passed, they came closer and closer to brushing against Thesilid's heels.
He wasn't satisfied with just running against the wall, so he started running along the wall.
Thesillid ran up on the 4-story wall, gaining altitude as he went.
At one point, Anaxia got fed up.
"I'll pierce you open."
She swung the chain weapons in both hands in quick succession. The hardened ends of the chains rushed toward Thesilid.
Kwadudududu!
The chain sliced through the air and embedded itself deeply into the wall by a narrow difference.
The power of this attack was nothing compared to the chains that poured out of the mirror.
Soon, huge cracks appeared all over the wall, revealing an abyss-like darkness.
"If I get a direct hit, this body won't be able to withstand it."
These were the words of Thesilid, who was hanging near the ceiling.
He was bleeding from his left shoulder and right thigh, as if slightly grazed by the chains.
When I stretched out one hand, his injuries were completely healed in no time.
Anaxia did not look towards me.
Then, with a relieved look on his face, Thesilid jumped straight away.
The place where he landed was on a chain that Anaxia had not yet retrieved and had been nailed to the wall.
Chwarurururu!
He quickly approached Anaxia, gliding on her chains as fast as he could. Anaxia's face was on the edge of his blade.
However, there was no tension in her calm expression.
"Until there."
She did not allow the Thesilid to approach.
Churarara!Charara!
Chains came at Thesilid from all directions. The purpose was not to attack, but to bind.
"Did you think you could reach me?"
"…"
The tip of Thesilid's sword stopped like a perfectly done painting right in front of Anaxia's nose.
For it was quicker for her chains to entangle his entire body and stop his movements than for the Holy Sword to pierce Anaxia's head.
"Thesilid!"
"Older Brother!"
"Sir!"
While our allies looked back at Thesilid, who was bound and tangled in chains, shouting in urgency, Anaxia approached him, leisurely moving aside the sharp tip of the Holy Sword.
She held his chin with one hand and looked around his face.
It was a degrading act of appreciation.
"You do look like Reed, after all."
"…"
"Now that I think about it, what was your voice like? I think it looks a bit similar. Speak to me again, silver-haired brother. Hmm?"
"…"
As Thesilid remained silent, the chains began to tighten around his body.
The smile disappeared from Anaxia's face as she commanded with ferocious force.
"Speak."
"…"
"Wailing and screaming."
"…"
"Howl in pain! Now!"
"…Cof."
The shape of the chain was deeply etched into his skin. At this rate, his entire body might be crushed.
Thesilid finally opened his mouth.
"Blue…Torch."
Hwarururu!
He ignited the sacred flame, not even bothering about burning his own body as well.
"Funny, only 6th rank?"
However, he was blocked by Anaxia's demonic energy and was unable to inflict even the slightest blow on her.
Right when his expression crumbled slightly.
"…!"
Anaxia quickly moved away from Thesilid and left her position as if she had felt something.
Kwadududu! Kwajijic! Kwang!
Holy lightning struck through the ceiling of the throne room and hit the floor where Anaxia had been standing just a moment ago.
Then, my whip sword swung and broke all the chains that bound Thesilid.
"Eli…"
He sighed in relief when he saw me coming up to his side.
Anaxia, who had widened the distance, looked at me and smiled.
"You've finally moved your heavy ass, Vanquisher."
"Indeed. I was hoping to keep sitting in your chair because it was comfortable."
"I'm going to throw it away because it's uncomfortable having used goods, so take those leftovers as much as you want."
"Thinking about giving your loot even before a match. You're a good boss, aren't you?"
The conversation was an agreement to give fair maintenance time for both sides.
I tended to Thesilid's injuries while Anaxia repaired her broken chains.
Thesilid spoke softly.
"I'm ashamed to say this, but I don't think I'll be able to stand on the front line on my own. I can't keep those chains in check."
"Don't be discouraged. It would have been the same if any of us had tried because there is no Aura Master."
The problem is the chains that move freely, like individual entities, giving extensive cover to Anaxia.
Dealing with her now would be like fighting against an Aura Master such as Eleon O'Drek or greater.
I surveyed the battlefield.
Our allies were steadily reducing the number of slave vassals. If we hold out just a little longer, we will be able to take care of those troublesome chains with their cover.
Until then, I'll have to provide cover.
"Let's give it a try, Terry."
"Okay."
Thesilid stood before me.
Anaxia's eyes narrowed slightly as she recognized the role assignment.
"Are you putting a weaker man ahead of you? You're more cunning than you look."
"Don't give me demonic praises. This is a tactical necessity."
"It's a shame you aren't using him as a meat shield. As expected, a demon shouldn't lose to a human in cunning."
Anaxia said as if she was going to show something and two of the six mirrors floating behind her reflected human figures.
The two people were roughly dragged out of the mirror, each wrapped and dangling by chains.
"Agh!"
"Kgh!"
A young man and woman with platinum hair.
It was Frintz who confirmed their identities.
"Your Highness the Princess, Your Highness the Prince!"
The royal family of Vinchester looked fine as if they had not been treated particularly harshly.
Everyone on our team tensed as the situation unfolded.
It was unlikely that Anaxia had brought the royals out just to show us that the hostages were safe out of pure goodwill.
Looking back and forth between the princess and the prince, she declared.
"There is no need for two hostages…"
Charuru!
"Ahh!"
The chain held in Anaxia's right hand wrapped around Princess Celestide's body and just like that, Anaxia took a stance as if she was going to slam the chain against the wall.
"I'll give you one back!"
"Aaaahhh…!"
Celestide's body, hanging from her chains, was flung into the middle of a four-story high wall.
"Your Highness!"
"No!"
Frintz and Raywin's screamed in shock.
Princess Celestide was a perfectly ordinary person who had never mastered one of the three great powers. If she crashes, she will die instantly.
Ellet!
My body was already moving when Agnes called.
Kuaaaang!
"…!"
My body took the impact that Celesteed should have received.
A sharp pain shot through my back as I was violently pinned against the wall, but not even a groan escaped me.
"Sister!"
"Eli!"
"Ellet!"
I wanted to make sure that Princess Celestide, whom I held in my arms, was okay. But there was no time for that.
"Yes, that's how you should behave."
The chains of Anaxia that tied Celestide tensed up and gained strength. The next moment, the chain pinned us against the wall and started dragging us.
Kwadududududu!
"…!"
I wrapped my arms around Celestide and endured the grinding on my back. Although the pain was so intense that it took my breath away, healing was focused more on Celestide than me.
She was an ordinary person, and just from the amount of impact being inflicted now her bones might be on the verge of shattering into pieces.
Ellet, you won't last long!