Episode 15. Protecting the Earthly Spirit (5)
“Master, is it really okay?”
Maria, who was flying beside me with her wind magic, asked.
“The second place in the ranking means that you are very strong. Is it okay if I leave it to Tina and Iris?”
“Are you worried even though I explained on the way? Do you think they will die?”
I asked without stopping. I walk through the forest watching the blurry passing trees and grass. “A little,” Said Maria. She replied timidly and looked around her.
“Don’t worry. I didn’t send it without thinking.”
The forest we are digging into was not created by nature in the beginning, but was created by Orient using the power of the World Tree by twisting cause and effect.
It is not an illusion as I personally witnessed the reappearance of the forest that had once disappeared due to Peremus’ attack.
And there was a special effect as much as it was made by twisting cause and effect, which was that it had the power to take away the demon’s energy.
Magi is the equivalent of human mana to demons. No matter how high the rank of the Demons without Magi is, depending on their characteristics, their strength is often low enough to be able to deal with A-class adventurers. And that Peremus was no exception.
Even if he was based on the body, it would be difficult to deal with the hero without magic.
Since there was also a contract with the spirit kings, they will cover the heroes’ complacency. If done well, he might even show off the image of defeating Peremus.
Of course, the best thing was to have Orient hide until the end and rescue him without an encounter, but since he had already appeared, that was only wishful thinking.
In the end, all I could do was put my life and death on the side with the highest potential on the board that Orient had laid out.
After explaining that fact to Maria, she stared straight ahead as if she was a little relieved.
“And one more contingency plan was put in place. If things go according to plan, we can surely stop Peremus.”
“Ah, the relics you talked about before you broke up, right?”
I nodded.
“I see.”
“And they aren’t the only ones to worry about.”
The demon we are going to face in the future, called Pero, will be much more troublesome than the clumsy Peremus.
Pajak.
It was just as Maria and I were about to step on the branch and move forward.
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A lot of white doves took off from the grass. We flinched and reflexively stopped our steps.
“Come all the way there.”
Atop a tree, a clown mask in a tailcoat was looking down at us.
“I watched you approach from start to finish. With each step I took, my emotions ran high, and I couldn’t contain my excitement.”
At the unexpected speech, I put my hand on vengeance. Even in Maria’s grasp, wind magic began to gather.
“Who are you?!”
“Nice to meet you, humans. My name is Ferro, the magician of black light.”
“That bastard is Ferro…… ?”
Ariel’s eyebrows narrowed when he saw Perro, who was dressed unbecoming a demon. You seem to be asking if it’s really true.
“From now on, I will be polite and guide you to the world of magic.”
The pupils inside the clown mask with his hat slightly moved and his head lowered were sparkling red.
* * *
“Did you just ask me to come in? You’ve become arrogant because you blocked it once. Let’s see how far that pride goes.”
Iris gave a low voice, not taking her eyes off Feremus, who slammed her fist into the palm of her own.
“…… Orient-sama, right?”
“Uh, huh?”
Orient let out a bewildered noise because the suddenly appearing white fox recognized him at once.
“Master has asked for something.”
“Master? Are you asking?”
“Master retrieved the sword stuck in her sanctuary and told her to bring it to herself.”
“The center of the sanctuary. How do you know?”
Sanctuary.
It meant the area protecting the root of the world tree.
A special space created so that no one can easily come in and out.
The sword embedded there was intended to prevent anyone except Orient from discovering or approaching the root of the World Tree.
“That is not something that can be saved. How could something made to protect the roots of the World Tree be given to humans…… !”
“Master expected Orient-nim to say that and added it. Do not think that the roots of the World Tree will be safe just because the sword is stuck. If you maintain a defensive posture forever, you will not be able to protect what you want to protect. You said that you already know that feeling.”
“Who the hell is your master—”
“Who are you talking to in front of?!”
Peremus kicks the ground. She approached Iris at once and stretched out her fist.
Kaang!
Iris’s sword and Peremus’s fist met. As the powers of the two beings collided, a roar resounded as if exploding through the forest.
Tizzling.
Iris’ hand trembled. Despite using the ‘Absolute Defense’ skill, Iris felt a tingling sensation in his wrist. Iris knew what this meant.
‘It is stronger than my strength. This demon.’
It was none other than pure physical ability alone, exceeding his own abilities.
“There is no time to hesitate!”
“The more I look at it, the more amazing it is. Until now, no one had received my fist so calmly. But to think that a young prisoner took my fist. Give me a little more power.”
“Please make a decision quickly!”
Kang! Kang! Kang! Kang!
The ground cracked and trees were uprooted from the shock wave that came along with a huge hit. The scenery of the forest changes again.
As the terrain changed, Iris glanced at Orient behind her, feeling impatient.
Orient is prepared to meet the eyes of a white fox who doesn’t move a single step in front of her.
‘Since I showed up anyway, there is a high chance that the location of the world tree’s roots will also be discovered. There is no room for worry. Besides, the person in front of me…… Probably a hero.’
“…… It’s borrowed forever.”
“Okay.”
“Who can I deliver it to?”
“A human male with black hair who is currently in the forest. His name is Prause, and his characteristics are…… You are handsome!”
Looking at the fox who emphasized the word handsome, Orient made a ridiculous expression.
“… All right. Please bear with me for a little while.”
Peremus kicked the ground after seeing Orient use teleport to disappear.
“Where are you going, Orient!!”
Iris stood in front of Peremus who shouted like a roar.
“You said your opponent was me.”
Boom!
“Get out of the way, bug-like fox!”
“You can’t get out of the way!”
In the end, when Orient completely disappears, Peremus screams. She was furious that the spoils she was supposed to bring to the demon king had disappeared.
“I will kill you!!”
His arm muscles enlarge. It fires at Iris with more power than ever before.
“「Destruction—Couple Strike」
Kakakakakakan!
Before the sound of clashing swords and fists stopped, the next attack was heard in succession.
“Awesome!”
After blocking all of his attacks, Iris let out a moan for the first time.
‘I feel like I’m going to break my wrist…… !’
Iris is much stronger than she thought, so it was not easy to manage her expression.
But even if she didn’t bother to manage her expression, she was doing much better than Prause expected.
Even if it was in a state where the demonic energy was able to escape before it even accumulated in Peremus’ body, she was the one who occupied the top rank with only her physical ability.
Even so, she was not pushed by his power and followed him, so if the other demons were watching, she would have unconsciously exclaimed.
“Muscular strength that is not pushed by my strength and dynamic vision that accurately reads the trajectory of the fist. Almost everything seems to be complete. He reached great heights at a young age. And-“
Peremus’ eyes rolled sideways.
He was more wary of Tina while dealing with Iris. The reason he cut off his toe perfectly was because she knew it could do a lot of damage to him.
‘This kid…… What speed did it come back to?’
Pheremus, who hadn’t seen any movement until he thrust the sword into his own throat, raised the corner of his mouth.
He was not an aristocrat who felt fear, anxiety, fear, etc. That he felt right before he died. Currently, the only emotion he feels as his life is threatened is a sense of triumph.
Kang!
Pheremus clenches his fist and strikes the red sword upwards into his neck.
Tina’s body floated up as her forearm was bent behind her. She clenches her teeth and overcomes the tingling feeling in her forearm as she grips her sword.
‘I almost missed the sword… !’
Tina tried to reposition her in the air as her huge fists surged in front of her. Peremus moved faster than Tina’s.
“Die!”
With a voice full of joy, her fist was about to touch Tina’s body.
Suddenly!
“!”
His right wrist was cut off and his blue hand cut through the air. Blue blood spurts out.
“Did you think I would have approached you without thinking?”
Tina grinned. Before I knew it, Tina had a sword in each hand.
The sword that was thrust into his neck a moment ago was not the sword of all things, but a plam made by the fire spirit king. Anticipating that he would beat Flam, he cut his wrists with both ends, aiming for the timing to be attacked in reverse.
“It’s quite the way. But I have two fists.”
Seeing Feremus sticking out her left hand, Tina took her defensive stance. However, Tina, whose defense was not as good as Iris’s, would be sure to mortally wound her if he struck him.
“Naiad!”
Along with Iris’ cry, the wave pattern on the back of her hand glowed blue.
Kaang!
Momentarily catching up with Feremus’ movements, Iris blocked Tina’s fist. Even though she was able to target Peremus, she chose to prioritize saving Tina.
“As long as I am here, Tina will not be able to lay a hand on her.”
‘This kid…… Are the movements faster?’
As soon as his gaze turned to the back of his hand as he watched his pure white hair gradually turn blue, he couldn’t help but feel agitated.
‘I made a contract with the water spirit king…… ? This kid?!’
Seeing the pattern on the back of his hand that is said to only come out to the Spirit King’s contractors, Peremus was briefly shaken.
“I see. You…… It was a ‘warrior’. Ha ha ha…… ! Did they say pheasant instead of chicken in human language? If you kill the hero instead of the spirit king, the demon king will surely be happy!”
Looking at Iris in front of Feremus who burns will, she reveals her greed. At that, Iris laughed provocatively and punched her fist.
“Wrong. It’s not us who die here, it’s you.”
Niad appeared at the same time as the energy of water wrapped around Iris.
“To make them face the worst demons from the first appearance. Is this also the fate of the spirit king, or the fate of the hero?”
“Sorry. I had to borrow some strength.”
“Of course you should call me. That person is not someone you can handle right now.”
Naiad’s appearance in an improved hanbok was no different from when he met him in the Northern Glacier. If there was a difference, it was that his expression was cold enough to feel the cold on his face.
“Are you Naiad, the water spirit king? Hot hahahaha! Good. Come with full force.”
He restores his hand without hiding his excitement. It was a super recovery that was activated after absorbing mana in the air and replacing it with demonic energy.
“I will kill them all!”