Episode 19. Operation to exterminate the gangsters (11)
“As expected, the power I saw then was not an illusion.”
I listened to Harbito’s words and stanceed. There was no time to talk to me.
It was only one minute soon.
Even if the body became Iris’s for a moment thanks to the copycat effect, the essence did not change.
When the effect ends, excessive recoil comes.
Since I imitated the power and movement of Iris with the body of a normal person, much more intense pain would strike my body than when I possessed Phasma.
So before the effect ended, I had to subdue Habito who appeared.
Gathers mana in the sword. Now that demonic energy has been erased, even Harbito can inflict a fatal wound.
“…… Don’t go there.”
“!”
He said with his hand outstretched towards me. A clot of dark red blood gathered in his grip.
“Even if you are a hero, your body… is it the limit? You say the pain is expressed on your face?”
“…… So?”
“My purpose is to keep Stella alive.”
“My goal is to kill Stella no matter what.”
When I immediately retorted, he smiled.
“If you want to kill Stella, I will use the demons planted in the Empire and Kingdom to slaughter people indiscriminately. No matter how strong you are, you won’t be able to save all the humans on the Physis continent. Isn’t that what you, the hero, don’t want?”
“… ….”
I slowly lowered my sword.
I didn’t get off because I wanted to get off. While I was hesitating, the visible mana and demonic energy disappeared from my sight.
The copycat skill effect was over.
My forearm feels numb. The recoil started to come. I desperately endured the pain that felt like cutting through my muscles with a knife.
I prevented the expression from distorting into arrogance. Of course, at times like this, the facial expression management skill is unlocked…… !
“You must have been more communicative than I thought. It would have been better if you had been on the side of the demons, not the humans.”
Harbito splattered his blood into the air and wrapped it around himself and Stella.
“I promise the next day we will meet. Then it won’t go over like it is now.”
A voice is heard from beyond the barrier made of blood.
“Until the day I kill you, I will be watching.”
The blood barrier gradually got smaller and disappeared without a trace. Harbito and Stella, who were inside the barrier, also disappeared.
“Kuhak!”
[PRAUS!]
Only then did I collapse. He coughed up blood and lay down on the ground. I barely looked up at the sky with blurred vision.
It wasn’t long before I saw the faces of Iris and Ariel. Iris was calling me desperately with her groggy eyes.
This time I really felt like I was going to die.
I lost the strength to even take out the potion, and I passed out after suffering pain that felt like breaking my fingertips.
* * *
“Iris!”
At some point after Prause passed out.
Belatedly, Tina and Maria showed up.
The two were taken aback when they saw Iris and Ariel desperately trying to restore his body.
“What… Master why…… ?”
“Iris, what’s up? Why is Master bleeding and lying down?”
“It’s okay. There won’t be any damage to your life. Because I won’t.”
Utilizing Naiad’s water magic and potions, he absorbed mana while maintaining his body’s strength so that it did not escape.
Bleeding organs recover from the shock, and broken bones stick together. Tendons and damaged muscles, which were on the verge of breaking due to momentary overuse, gradually returned to their original state.
“… ….”
Tina and Maria hunched over Iris as she couldn’t take her eyes off Prause with tears in her eyes.
It was that Iris didn’t just have feelings for Praus as a teacher.
When they wished for a hug, the two vaguely anticipated Iris’ feelings. But she just pretended not to know because she couldn’t say anything with her individual feelings.
Actually, Tina knew that too, so she was attached to Prause until she wrote the wish ticket. She didn’t show it on the outside, but she was very sad when she heard Prause say that he would take her Iris back.
A few minutes pass after a strange atmosphere begins to flow between the three heroes.
Iris and Ariel took their hands off Prause’s body only after seeing that Prause’s breathing returned to a steady state and her expressions eased.
“…… Why are you so late?”
“I couldn’t teleport, and Tina was hurt.”
“Huh? Where are you hurt?”
“A little.”
Tina said, covering her arm slightly. Iris grabbed her Tina’s arm.
“It’s okay, so take a look.”
“…… You were slightly injured by the Magi explosion.”
Tina said, showing her biceps reluctantly. Seeing her arms stained black from the rotting of her skin, Iris raised her mana again.
“I will restore you right away. Wait.”
“No, that’s all right. I tried to heal her with Maria’s magic, but it didn’t work.”
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“I can’t let that happen.”
“It’s okay to leave it alone. I’m getting better little by little thanks to the purification stone my teacher gave me. It stings, though.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
That was the end of the conversation.
Though they thought they had to say something, all three refused to open their mouths. Iris reproached herself when she felt awkward in the unusual atmosphere.
“I guess we can’t help either.”
It was Ariel who was most agitated by her words.
She looked at Prause who was lying on the ground and bit her lower lip to keep from uttering unnecessary words.
‘It’s because of me… …. Because I let the mana of the barrier I set up be used against me, my trauma…….’
As soon as she saw Feremus, she almost lost her temper and lamented herself.
“…… Surely.”
“Ariel.”
Maria, who was still, called out to Ariel.
“Ugh, huh?”
“Are we really warriors?”
“…… That’s right. Undoubtedly, the three of you are warriors.”
Ariel said four years ago, she remembered the three people who had awakened as warriors.
“But why is Master more like a warrior? No, rather, Master should have been born as a hero.”
“I’m sorry. Instead of helping Master, you’re only holding on to his ankles.”
Looking down at Prause, who had been lying on the soft grass, Iris groaned. She was crying because she was angry with herself.
“…… Because you are the master.”
Seeing that, Ariel said quietly. The eyes of her three warriors turned to her.
“If the disciple showed an ugly side, wouldn’t it be the teacher’s job to correct it?”
Ariel seemed plausible to comfort the warriors, but in fact she knew better than anyone that she was in no position to say such a thing. She couldn’t help her
Because of the constraints of her causal law, and she felt so resentful of her own position that she was indebted to her.
“If you did that yourself, Prause will laugh and move on, no matter how many mistakes you make. Of course, I didn’t see him smiling very often.”
No.
In fact, Prauss intended to fully rely on the hero.
He hated being sick, and his true intention was that he didn’t want to do anything, but he couldn’t let the hero die, so he moved.
For those who did not know such selfishness, they had no choice but to rate Prause quite highly.
“Whatever… No one gets stronger from the start. You can become stronger by making mistakes and getting beaten up like that. Then, for sure, one day you will surpass Prause and become a true hero that will be remembered for a long time.”
While she was talking to the three warriors, Ariel was determined inwardly. She decided to stop acting no longer as she only looked at Phasma and she didn’t sign the contract.
‘Sorry, Phasma. I decided never to sign a contract with you, but……. Please forgive me for this.’
Hearing Ariel’s words, Iris wiped her eyes with her sleeve. Her eyes were still red, but her eyes were back as usual.
“Then…… What we have to do now is to settle the situation before the Master wakes up.”
Iris and Maria actively agreed with Tina’s words.
The atmosphere between the three was still strange, but they decided to think of one purpose.
“Let’s clear this place quickly and go to the palace.”
“Yes.”
* * *
I opened my eyes slowly. The ceiling with a special pattern along with a small chandelier caught my eye.
“It is a luxurious ceiling.”
I raise my body in small admiration. When I put my hand on the bed, my hand was buried. It was a really soft bed.
“Your body seems fine… ….”
The pain she felt before passing out had completely disappeared. Her fatigue was completely relieved as she had been in the sauna for an hour.
As she was tasting her refreshed mood, she saw a hologram floating in front of her eyes.
[The skill [Expression Management] Is temporarily canceled.]
“…… ?”
Why is this still floating?
I pressed the hologram hard while puzzled. But it only penetrated my finger, there was no reaction.
It was around the time I was looking at it with a frown.
“Su, master.”
Startled at Tina’s voice, I looked to her side. There, two spirit kings and three warriors were watching me.
Oh, I didn’t know it existed…… !
A silence passes between me and them.
“Ah…… How long have I been lying down?”
In the end, unable to bear the silence, I smiled awkwardly and scratched my head.
“Huh?”
“Eh?”
Others reacted bewildered to my words.
“Su, Master?”
“What should I do, I must have hurt my head!”
“Don’t make a fuss, Tina. That man has had his head injured since he was born.”
“…… Because it is not.”
“Saying honorifics to me? Is that Prause?! He must have hurt his head too!”
Why are you saying that with a shocked expression…….
The warriors put their hands on the bed with the momentum to rush at me. He stuck his face in and looked at me. I felt embarrassed and smiled awkwardly.
“Why, why?”
“Su, Master doesn’t speak so kindly!!”
Tina screamed.
Ah, look at me!
Are you asking me to do a Prause cosplay, what the heck!
“But…… I also like the warm-speaking master, Joe.”
“I also like that Master’s tone of voice is more friendly now.”
“Ahahahaha… …. Okay?”
As usual, I casually stroked the warriors’ heads and smiled.
“Still, the smiling teacher is the best…… !”
I pressed lightly on Tina’s cheek as she spread her thumb toward me and pulled it. I was talking. It was a feeling I could feel thanks to the breast meat still not falling out.
While healing for a while, I remembered what had happened at the viscount’s house.
“Ah! Right! By the way, how was the situation, how was the situation?!”
“I handled it well.”
Ariel stepped forward and said.
“So don’t worry about that. Will you listen to my proposal first?”
“A suggestion…… ?”
“I really can’t get used to honorifics.”
“Oh, stop talking nonsense. What is a proposal?”
As I hurriedly asked, Ariel briefly turned her gaze to Phoenix. Phoenix shrugged his shoulders. As if to do whatever you want.
“Prause, make a contract with me.”
“…… Yes?”
What is this again?