“Haa… haa…!”
Forcing her trembling legs to move,
She ran forward while focusing only on what lay ahead, even as her vision blurred with tears.
Her poor stamina had already left her gasping for breath.
Thud.
“…Ugh! …Ahh…!”
Then she tripped over a rock and fell.
A sharp pain surged from the deep cut on her arm, and she barely managed to clutch it with her other hand.
The pain was unlike anything she had ever felt before, and she wanted to collapse right then and there.
But there was no time for that.
The fear that overwhelmed all reason made even the pain fade away.
――!!!
The monstrous shriek from behind forced her already exhausted body to move again.
She had to get as far away from that creature as possible.
I don’t want to die….
Luckily, she had managed to put some distance between them.
Even though she was nothing more than the insignificant Third Imperial Princess, she was still royalty.
Thanks to the expensive portable protection artifact she carried, she had barely escaped from the creature.
Please… anyone…!
As she fled, she desperately examined her surroundings.
But all she saw were countless trees filling the path ahead.
Other than herself and the source of that terrifying shriek behind her, there was no one else here.
When she realized this once again, her mind became flooded with despair.
Is there really no one…?
Why is this happening to me all of a sudden?
Am I really going to die like this?
She had finally escaped from that hellish palace.
She had finally gained the freedom to do what she wanted.
I don’t want to die such a meaningless death…!
Wiping away her tears, she steeled her resolve.
Yes. As long as she kept running from that monster—
Crack—!
“…Huh?”
Had she been too focused on what lay ahead?
The branch she had stepped on, thinking it was solid ground, snapped beneath her and an unwanted sensation of weightlessness engulfed her.
When her gaze dropped downward, a steep cliff-like slope unfolded before her.
“Kyaaah—!”
It was already too late to stop.
Her body pitched forward uncontrollably.
She tumbled down the slope and crashed into the rough terrain before her body broke under the impact.
“…Ah, aagh… A-Ah, it… hurts…”
The excruciating pain made it nearly impossible for her to form words.
Her arms and legs had fractured from the fall, and her head injury left her dizzy.
Cough— A violent cough escaped her lips, bringing with it a mouthful of blood.
I… have to… run…
But her body refused to move.
Her mind grew hazy, and her vision blurred further with each passing moment.
She struggled desperately to survive, but her limp body showed no signs of responding.
The sound of the monster’s footsteps behind her grew steadily louder.
P-Please… someone…
――!!!
The sound was now right behind her.
The monster had drawn so close, yet she couldn’t even turn her head to see it.
Tears streamed down her cheeks as the terror of impending death consumed her.
In the fading grasp of consciousness, a single figure kept resurfacing in her mind.
The man who had protected her in the palace, where her life was constantly in danger.
Memories of him grew faded and distant with time but they flickered before her eyes at this moment.
Was this what they called one’s life flashing before their eyes?
Did she still have lingering regrets about him after all?
…A… Ain…
.
.
.
Fwoosh! Boom―――!!
―!!
A sudden explosion erupted, accompanied by a scorching gust of wind.
At the same time, a pained groan burst from the monster.
“―Ra! Wen―― Stay with me―――!”
“……..”
Then, a voice that didn’t belong to the monster rang out.
But her dazed ears couldn’t make out the words clearly.
Before she knew it, someone had turned her over from where she had been lying face down.
As her gaze shifted toward the sky, the face of a man came into view.
Beyond her blurred vision, a familiar impression took shape.
…A…in?
Why?
She hadn’t even gotten a clear look at his face.
Considering their current relationship, there was no reason for him to help someone like her.
And yet, for some reason, she was certain the man before her was him.
The moment that certainty settled in, the tension that had held her body rigid suddenly drained away.
Even as her consciousness teetered on the edge of breaking, an inexplicable smile crept onto her lips.
***
“Ah, damn it…!”
[Looks like she’s passed out.]
The princess in my arms was in terrible shape.
Who knew how many times she had stumbled and fallen while fleeing? Covered in dust and dirt, she was now hanging by a thread between life and death.
If I left her untreated, she wouldn’t last much longer.
I can’t use holy magic right now…
With both Lilith and demonic power present, wielding holy power which was its natural opposite was difficult.
So, as a temporary measure, I used healing magic to treat her injuries.
Compared to holy magic, its effect was minimal, so it couldn’t heal all her wounds. But at the very least, it would keep her alive for now.
Once the emergency treatment was finished, I propped Hela against a tree behind the rock.
I wanted to prioritize her treatment, but there was an obstacle in the way.
――!!!
Boom!
A violent explosion erupted in the direction where I had blasted the creature away.
And through the swirling sandstorm, the monster emerged.
…Unbelievable. I hit it with a sixth-circle spell, and it doesn’t even have a scratch.
A being shrouded in mystery. It exhaled an eerie mist through the gaps in its helmet and its entire body looked as if it were drenched in black ink.
It was dragging a huge black greatsword along the ground, and it slowly advanced toward me.
[…A Death Knight. A troublesome opponent.]
“Tell me about it. Of all things, why did it have to be that?”
[Be careful, child. It seems to be quite high-ranking.]
“Yeah.”
It had taken a direct hit from a sixth-circle spell without so much as flinching.
If I had to gauge its level as a knight, it was at least high Expert-rank.
Higher than the hero Ren and on par with Adel, who had escorted me all the way to the academy.
It’s not using an Aura Blade, so it hasn’t reached Master rank yet…
Even so, the gap in skill was overwhelming.
Aura alone wouldn’t be enough to face it.
―――!!
With a thunderous roar, the Death Knight leaped forward.
Despite the heavy armor and the huge greatsword it carried, its speed was far beyond expectation.
In an instant, its blade was upon me.
…Blink.
Thud—!
A short-range teleportation spell. Blink.
Fortunately, I had anticipated the attack and prepared my spell in advance, allowing me to evade without much difficulty.
The greatsword struck the spot where I had just been, sending a sharp shockwave echoing through the air.
I need to lure it as far away from Hela as possible.
I guided the creature’s movements, continuously leading it in the opposite direction of Hela.
Simplistic as it was, the monster moved exactly as I intended.
[At least it doesn’t seem to be one of the ones that retained its intelligence.]
“That’s a small blessing in this mess…!”
Boom!
Once again, I evaded its leap with Blink.
Its speed was tremendous, but its movements were far too predictable, making it easy enough to dodge.
For all its solid exterior, the creature was hollow on the inside. It was an empty shell.
Despite its extraordinary rank, it lacked the ability to wield its strength properly.
The problem is… how do I actually take it down?
Without a weapon, using Aura wasn’t an option.
And brute force alone wasn’t nearly enough to break through that thick armor.
Magic won’t work either.
At my current level, the highest spell I could use was sixth-circle.
Given enough time, I could employ a trick to cast a Seventh-Circle spell, but there was no way that mindless brute would give me the chance.
Ultimately, with my current abilities, there was no way for me to kill it alone.
…Strictly speaking, there was a way, but the repercussions were far too severe.
So I decided to go with the easier option.
“Lilith.”
[Are you sure? If I manifest in this state, your curse will only get worse.]
“That much is fine. The point is, it’s possible, right?”
[…There’s a slight lack of demonic power, but it should be possible.]
“I’m counting on you.”
[Hmm. Since we need to use it as efficiently as possible, you’ll have to keep it occupied in the meantime.]
“Understood.”
I took a deep breath and sprang into motion.
At the same time, I channeled my mana.
Strength, Haste.
Woooom!
Alongside basic buff spells, I also infused my body with Aura.
The synergy between the two pushed my physical abilities beyond their usual limits.
It was one of the key advantages of a magic swordsman.
―――!!!
The creature lunged at me once more.
Again, I used Blink. But this time, to close the distance.
Boom!
The Death Knight’s greatsword crashed into the ground, missing its mark, while I reappeared above its head.
A perfect opening.
I aimed for its unguarded skull. I clenched my fist and gathered a surge of Aura.
“…Hmph!”
Baang!
I struck its helmet with all my strength.
Though it didn’t fall, it began to stagger from the impact of my attack.
Now was my chance.
Bind.
Swish―!
The spell unfolded, and blue chains coiled tightly around the Death Knight’s body.
Fearing it might break free immediately, I cast Bind repeatedly in quick succession.
Countless chains wrapped around the creature.
But I couldn’t stop there.
Gravity.
Thud! Crrrrk!
A sixth-circle gravity spell pressed down on its body.
Only then did the stubborn creature finally drop to its knees.
It won’t hold for long, but this should be enough.
I wiped the cold sweat from my face and signaled to her.
“Lilith! Now!”
[Understood.]
.
.
.
Fwoooosh―!
As soon as she responded, the book in my arms began to glow.
Almost instantly, a purple mist spread thickly across the surroundings.
From within the haze, a figure emerged.
Tap.
A being with bat-like wings that were elegantly flapping. Horns and sharp fangs that only added to her allure.
A high-ranking demon powerful enough to keep even a Death Knight beneath her feet.
The Succubus Queen.
[…It has been far too long since I last breathed the outside air.]
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