Tsuyokute New Saga (LN)

Book 4: Chapter 18

It was, in the truest sense of the word, an ocean of blood. Arms and legs scattered everywhere, organs splattered against the trees, several heads with the brains and eyeballs drooping out, you could count at least 30 corpses if not more, all turned into worthless lumps of meat, lying around. The stench of blood drifted in the air, leaving Lieze and Urza pale.

Oh, we have fresh players, it seems. People of the humanfolkyou must be a demon, and a dragon even.

A single demon stood in the center of this ocean of blood. He had two cow horns growing from his head, but he wasnt too tall and didnt emit that much pressure either. Put simply, he gave off a friendly impression, and if you wanted to be negative, he seemed mighty suspiciousand his smile didnt help with that.

What an odd group Ive encounteredAh, my name is Targ. It is a pleasure to meet you. Targ completely disregarded his initial impression, simply showing a polite bow.

He might seem a normal person youd encounter on the street, but this politeness of his seemed even eerier in this sea of blood.

Hes the demon who came to visit recently. No doubt about it. Irumera commented, showing a cautious stance.

You bastard! Did you kill humanfolk?! You should know the Demon Lord-samas orders to not kill if not absolutely necessary!

Ah, so you are the subordinate of the Demon Lord-samaNo no, this isnt actually in my control. It was merely self-defense. And, didnt the Demon Lord-sama say to not kill if absolutely necessary? Targ showed a troubled expression.

Who are you, and what is your goal. Kyle pulled his sword but still kept his distance so that he was ready for any possible attack.

Any careless approach towards a demon who committed such slaughter could prove fatal after all.

I wouldnt even so far as to call it a goalI simply wanted to act as an ally to the dragons. Targ glanced over at Irumera, explaining. I have been told by Zeurus-san about Ghrud-san, and it seemed to me that he was controlled by humansThis is why I came here to help him. After, I had barely missed him, which is why I planned to chase after him, when these people got in my way, and justAhh, how troublesome.

Targ simply continued to talk like he had nothing to hide. This massacre here most likely originated from the Mera cult followers going for a final struggle to earn time. Kyle didnt know how effective that was, but since Ghrud was nowhere to be found, that seemed to have worked out quite well.

So, things finally calmed down, and I was planning on helping Ghrud-san, when you arrived. Yesso, what brings you here? He truly spoke with the idea of I told you everything, so be honest with me as well.

Our goal is the same, namely to bring back Ghrud. That would force us to fight the ones controlling himso I guess we are competing for that. Shildonia glared at Targ without hesitation.

Ahh, as I thoughtOur goal most certainly has alignedHow troublesome. Targ scratched his head. Well well well! I am fully aware that I am asking for a lot, but wont you leave this to me? It is my duty to uphold the friendly relations with ourselves and the dragonsand if I were to save Ghrud-san, Im sure Zeurus-san would be delighted. Targ continued to bow.

You say that after deceiving Zeurus.

Deceive? Ah, are you talking about my facilitation by any chance? It is true that I do not move under direct orders of the Demon Lord-sama, but I am not deceiving anybody.

That is Zeurus fault, so I dont plan on blaming youThe most interesting question is under whose orders you act.

Following Shildonia, now Yuriga began to question Targ.

I see how it is. Three-Arms? Flame-Eye? Maybe Thunder-Breath? Whose pro-war faction is it?!

These names Yuriga dropped just now most likely belonged to the demons rebelling against, or maybe even hostile towards the current Demon Lord.

Ahhh, my sincerest apologies, but I cannot allow myself to answer that questionso please forgive me. Targ lowered his head, but his attitude was aloof as always. Still, this is quite troublesome. I also have my own circumstancesso could I ask you to fall back? Please, I can only ask you. He kept on bowing to the point it could probably break his spine.

Naturally, Kyles group could not afford to pull back either, and Targ most likely understood this. Targ anticipated this and brought up an idea.

Then, at the very leastan alliance, by any chance? I have absolutely no problem working together with humans, and I will do my utmost to assist you. Once again, he lowered his head.

Seeing a demon lower his head towards people of the humanfolk was quite an eerie sight.

I decline. Kyle didnt hesitate at all with his answer, showing that this offer of an alliance wasnt even worth considering.

Is that because I am a demon after all? I believe that lady next to you is one as well, and you seem perfectly fineAh, is it because of these people here? They were our common enemy, and one that you would have had to erase yourselves at some point, no?

I dont plan on acting like buddies with a demon, nor do I blame you for killing these people. The problem lies far deeper. You seem far too suspicious.

When Kyle dropped that word, everybody else in the group nodded along.

AhhhWell, I cannot blame you for that. I am quite confident I would be regarded as someone suspicious. Targ put one hand on his forehead, sighing. It cannot be helped then, I shall

Before Targ even finished his sentence, he disappeared. In the truest sense of the word, he vanished. The next moment, Seran reflexively pushed away Yuriga, who had stood next to him. This happened entirely because of his intuition, but not even a second after Yuriga had moved, Targ appeared with his bare hand swung down like a sword. His hand gave off a faint black shine, and everybody with some degree of knowledge in magic could tell that it was filled with mana. It could most likely cut through an armor of steel like it was paper.

Oh my, what a wonderful reaction. Targs voice was filled with surprise, as he let out his first genuine praise.

A teleportation ability?! Everybody, dont freeze up! Scatter and take your distance!

With Shildonias order, everybody acted accordingly, as Yuriga stood up herself, taking her distance.

TeleportationOr rather, instantaneous movementThere is supreme-grade magic [Teleport] which allows for such movement, buta demon possesses this as an ability?

Only three people in the entire humanfolk are able to use such supreme-grade magic. Encountering a demon who was on the same level out of nowhere like this had Shildonia flash a painful expression.

Bastard Yuriga grit her teeth, glaring at Targ with evident hostility.

Well well well, my sincerest apologiesIt would be very troublesome if you were to report this to the Demon Lord-sama, so I saw no other option but to silence you here. Following that statement, Targ glanced at Seran. I have to say, managing to counter my surprise attack despite it being the first time you saw it, this is a fresh feeling for me. He threw his honest impression at Seran.

I love to use these types of attacks myself, after allI know that attacking after kneeling on the ground is highly effective.

I dont think you should brag about that Lieze commented, but her eyes were still fixated on Targ.

Ah, this is actually a feud between demons, and I do not plan on fighting humanfolk or dragons alike, so dont misunderstand, okay? Targ seemed flustered, as he looked at Irumera. And, despite me offering to work together, theyve rejected me with no remorseso I hope you understand.

It seemed like Targs words worked just fine. Then again, Irumera never had any intention of participating in this bout, so she just looked at Targ in silence. The group surrounded Targ in a circle, and while his eyes were glued to Targ, Seran called out to Kyle.

Kyleyou go on ahead. Ghrud is heading for Rinecol, right? Gotta prioritize that.

Got it, Im leaving this to you.

Kyle hesitated for a moment but realized that Ghrud had utmost priority right now, and let Seran handle things. After he warned everyone, he headed to where Irumera was waiting, with Shildonia following him.

Are you sure?

Irumeras duty was to be an observer. There was nothing she could do, and she couldnt become allies with either side. Of course, out of preference, she would have sided with Kyles group, but she herself wasnt even aware of this.

If Seran said so, then they will be fine.

What profound trust you haveGet on.

Ahhand there they go. Targ would have loved to chase after Kyle, but Yuriga and Seran in front of him wouldnt allow for that to happen, so he could only see Irumera take off.

However, he didnt seem too dejected by this, as he simply shook his head, and turned towards the two.

Now then, Ill be your opponent Seran turned towards Targ when he felt another presence approaching.

Oh myit seems like we have more visitors. Targ looked in a certain direction.

Damn it, what awful timing Seran aggressively clicked his tongue.

Several human presences approached from there, most likely a group of the Mera cult, and they most likely aimed to slow down Targ.

Perfect timing. Lieze, Urza, take care of those peeps. I do not want them to get in the way over here. Seran said.

Eh? But

This one over here is far more dangerous. He answered without looking away from Targ. Then let me change my way of phrasing itYoull only drag us down. Seran said without a second of hesitation, as a cold sweat spread on his face. Sorry, but Im not confident enough that I can protect you while fighting.

It was hard to imagine that Seran, a master at fighting, would utter such weak words. It was the first time Lieze heard that at least.

Got itBe careful. Lieze and Urza did as they were told, and moved away.

Now thenYuriga, you should be fine, so lets do this together.

I told you not to give me orders.

You should know that trying to fight this guy alone will only get you killed.

Seran knew how strong Yuriga was, and yet he said so with full confidence.

Just think of it as using meNot to mention that I just saved your life, so just hear me out this once.

Yuriga clicked her tongue but knew that Seran was absolutely right.

Are you done talking? I have to say, that human woman and elf woman are also quite a bother and vexing, but if they intercept our new guests, then I have no complaints.

It seemed like hed rather let the two girls go before dealing with the Mera cult followers.

If you interrupted them, itd definitely be taken as an attack towards us, Seran commented, which instigated a smirk from Targ.

I understand fully well that you people are the most dangerous. With the close aide of the Demon Lord-sama, and the human holding that sword, I cannot underestimate you.

Oh, so you know about this sword? Seran looked down at his beloved sword, the Holy Sword Rand.

Yes, although it has been three hundred years. I did not think I would see it again, however.

The Holy Sword Rand was used three hundred years ago to strike down the previous Demon Lord, receiving its name from the Hero Randolph. Yuriga was Yuriga as always, showing a complicated expression that she failed to recover the holy sword.

So, let me ask you again. Cant we resolve this peacefully? My only enemy to fight is that demon, but I have no intention of starting a war with humanfolk at this point in time. Targ emphasized his disinterest in fighting Seran.

You dont think I would actually agree to that, right? Seran showed a grin, pulling out a wry smile from Targ.

What a shameit would have been the best for you humans. Targ sighed and disappeared once againwhich signaled the beginning of their fight.

Whatis with these people? Lieze commented after smacking her right fist into the side of a Mera cult followers head.

That usually would be enough to knock out any normal person, and yet the follower kept on walking ahead with a blood-drenched head as if they didnt feel any pain at all.

Salamander!

The Fire Spirit Salamander summoned by Urza spit flames over a large area, wrapping up the approaching opponents, making all of them burn up as a result, and even though half their bodies turned into crispy coal, they kept on walking towards Urza. In the end, it took the Earth Spirit Gnome to blast them away, and knock them unconscious.

In the end, the incoming attackers were from the Mera cult and immediately assaulted Lieze and Urza upon spotting them. Urza and Lieze were used to fighting humans like this, but this was an entirely different territory. Attacks that should have knocked out a normal human in one fell swoop now seemed to not even show any results, and the fear of death seemed practically non-existent with these opponents.

When it came to actual skill and experience, Lieze and Urza were clearly above their opponents, but they were having a hard time in these circumstances. Finally, Urza caught onto an omnnous smoke being carried towards them with the breeze, and frantically covered her mouth.

This ispoison?!

Dont breathe it in!

Lieze immediately reacted thanks to Urzas warning. Breathing in a bit surely wouldnt leave much damage, but if it had been a full, deep breath, nobody would know what kind of effects it could have. Usually, you wouldnt use such a dangerous weapon in an area like this. Using such a huge amount of it would then drag in your allies as well. As expected, the smoke attacked the Mera cult followers, and many of them began to collapse. However, they didnt bother much with the sacrifices made and kept on heading towards Urza and Lieze.

I cant break through them

Lieze sent more fists flying towards the Mera followers, but right after defeating one, another appeared, making it seem like there was no end to it. Even as she tried to force her way through, somebody might attack her from behind. In order to buy even a small amount of time, they were ready to throw their lives away.

UrkIf I could summon Sylphid!

Right now, Urza had summoned the Fire Spirit Salamander and the Earth Spirit Gnome. They were both talented in attack and defense respectively, and adding them to the fight definitely paid out. However, there was a drawback to that decision. With the Wind Spirit Sylphid, she might be able to blow away this poisonous mist. Right now, Urzas limit of simultaneous summons were two, and even if she erased one of them to summon Sylphid, it would take some time before she could summon the other again, and she didnt have that time at her disposal.

As the Mera cult didnt care for their own lives, they slowly but steadily began to corner Urza and Lieze. Finally, they started to run out of breath. Right as they were in grave danger, an explosion occurred. Two, then three more explosions followed, blowing away the poisonous mist. The distinct scent of gunpowder made it evident that this wasnt caused by magic, but by a physical explosion. Eventually, the smoke passed, and silence followed. Lieze and Urza carefully raised their heads, spotting a single woman standing in front of them.

Dont relax just yet. As long as they have some Death Soldiers left, they will come for us again.

Minagi, clad in what was called shinobi attire, explained to the two girls.

You wereMinagi, right. Urza let out a perturbed comment.

They hadnt seen each other since the first time Kyle introduced her to his group.

Huh? But, why are you here? Lieze tilted her head.

I dont get the whole gist of it. That question is something Id like to ask. Minagi sighed, taking out a small throwing weapon called a shuriken, throwing it at a vital point of a still-breathing Mera cult follower.

The reason Minagi here was simple. It was an absolute coincidence. She looked into the identity of a suspicious man she spotted in Rinecol, and understood that he was a Mera cult follower. As he seemed to be a stonemason, he worked on tempering with building stones, carrying and transporting goods. Following him, she spotted more and more Mera followers. She even found out the motive of the Mera cult for coming to Rinecol, and why all followers present in the town were gathered for this.

Minagi was surprised to see their numbers, but after seeing how all of them were moving, she decided to tag along. Finally, she came to this sea of blood and found Urza and Lieze fighting. Thats why she fulfilled her duty as a guard and protected them.

Couldnt you have used a better method of saving us? Urza complained because she received damage from the previous blast, but she knew that this was a necessary evil.

You really saved us though Lieze thanked Minagi, who focused her gaze on a single point.

Theres fighting going on over there as well, whats the situation? Minagi threw a severe gaze towards Seran and his own battle.

Um, were currently in a three-way battle against the Mera cult and a demon! Lieze glanced over there for a moment as she explained, but obviously, Minagi didnt understand what she was talking about.

Huh? Demon? W-Where is Kyle? Minagi was utterly bewildered.

He most likely is fighting a dragon right now! Urza responded with a serious tone.

D-DragYou know what, never mind. I give up on trying to understand everything, so lets take care of these guys.

She knew that they werent joking or lying, but getting a headache in this situation wouldnt benefit Minagi in the slightest.

For crying out loudI was supposed to protect you from the Mera cult, and yet Im fighting them head-on like this. Minagi grumbled and pulled out two daggers for a two-handed style.

Minagis special explosive blew away more than ten people of the Mera cult. Even so, at least twenty of them were left, regrouping, and moving towards the three girls again.

Ill teach you how to fight these Death Soldiers. Whats most important is to kill them in a single attack. Cutting off an arm is nearly not enough, so either send their heads flying or pierce their heartsand if that doesnt work, then mess them up to the point they cant even fight anymore. Minagi said, lowering her center of gravity, and ran towards the Mera followers.

She drew a beautiful curve, flashing almost unreasonable movement, as her defensive posture turned into a fake attack. The Mera followers were deceived, and as she slipped by their sides, she swung her blades. After this attack, three separate heads dropped to the ground.

Well, just go ahead and try, Minagi said with a light tone, but the two girls could only shake their heads.

Wellcutting them off will be impossible, so well go with crushing instead, Urza ordered Gnome and made it stand in front of her.

Alright, Ill work on smashing then. Lieze smacked her hands together, showing her motivation.

I know I was the one who brought it up, but you people are crazy. Minagi sighed.

The three girls now faced the horde of Mera followers, utterly crushing them for good this time.

Around that time, the fight of Yuriga and Seran against Targ turned into an awfully one-sided battle. The two were assaulting Targ to the best of their ability, with Targ was fighting a defensive battleand yet somehow cornered them.

Damn it, an ability to pass through spacethats cheating, Seran complained as his body was riddled with wounds all over, once again attacking Targ.

Its an ability not many of us demons possess. Yuriga was equally injured here and there, and yet continued to slash her claws at Targ.

Haha, I am very delighted to hear such praise from you.

No matter how fast one moved, you would still be able to trace the opponents movement to some degree. However, teleportation happened instantaneously, which allowed him to appear at their backs. As this teleportation could even be used to evade attacks, most of their attempts to hit Targ only ended up hitting empty air.

The only saving grace was that he couldnt immediately activate his teleportation instantaneously after casting it. It showed that not even instant movement was unparalleled. This time frame also influenced the teleportation distance, as he could frequently teleport smaller distances, but he had to wait for a longer cooldown when it came to longer distances.

As a result of that, Targ mostly used his teleportation as a means of evading, and after dodging the attack of the two, he then moved in for the counterattack. Normally, Targ would have preferred to use his teleportation ability to finish the two in one fell swoop, but the relentless attack of Seran and Yuriga made that impossible. Instead, he focused on evading Serans killer technique attacks at hairs breadth without any change in his facial color, throwing in a counterattack from time to time like he remembered that he was fighting them.

His counterattack was sharp as always, and his hand slash attack had enough power to cut through any defensive tool. So that he couldnt use this on the offensive, Serans and Yurigas only option was to keep on attacking so he wouldnt be able to find an opening. It was basically a fight of 50 attacks from Seran and Yuriga, followed up by one or two counterattacks from Targ. However, continuing this forever would soon prove impossible, as now Seran and Yuriga ended up as the ones cornered.

Urgh!

Finally, Seran couldnt dodge one of Targs counters in time and suffered a severe injury. Yuriga wasnt that much better off when it came to her own wounds. So, both of them temporarily moved away from Targ, hiding inside the thicket of the forest.

I have to say, it has been at least three hundred years since Ive encountered such a human.

It may have been on a whim, but Targ didnt chase after them immediately, simply speaking with a polite tone.

You sure seem relaxed despite us holding you down here. Seran was sweating profusely because of the pain, and still kept an arrogant tone.

Buying time will only work so long for you. And, that human alone will never be able to stop Ghrud-san.

A human could never stand their ground against a demonthis was common sense even for a demon like Targ.

Huh? What are you on about? Kyles already done with the dragon, and on his way back. Dont you doubt him.

Hearing how confident Seran was left Targ a bit bewildered.

Well, I guess this is enough time we can buyLets finish this. Oi, I got a favor to ask of you. Seran took out a thick bandage usually used for emergency treatment, calling out to Yuriga.

Huh? For a moment, she failed to understand what Seran even just said.

However, the second she grasped his intentions, her eyes opened wide in shock.

A-Are you sane?

Were in tatters, while hes still in top shape, right? If we dont take a risk here, we wont be able to change the flow of the battle.

Realizing that Seran was serious, Yuriga felt a shiver run down her spine, her face growing pale.

Youre willing to go that far

Well, Im counting on you. Seran flashed a devious smile, like a predator about to go on the hunt.

Are we done playing hide-and-seek?

The first one to jump out was Yuriga. She sent out a full-force attack of her claws aimed at Targs face. It was an attack with no spin or twist, but it was packed with impact and speed. However, Targ once again evaded it at the very last moment, attempting to ram his knife hand strike right into her abdomen. Yuriga used her inherently high reflexes to barely twist her body in time, evading the direct impact.

She still received a wound on her abdomen, and as blood splattered around her, Yugira moved away from Targ, when Seran appeared behind her, slashing at the demon. If this had actually been somewhat coordinated, Targ may have been more careful of this possibility, but as they were both individually fighting him, it looked just like a consecutive attack. However, Targ felt an odd sense of discomfort coming from Serans brandished swing.

He couldnt put it into words, but he felt like he had seen this before. That being said, Serans swing was in the territory of humanfolks highest peak, so Targ couldnt afford to be careless. He didnt think too deeply about it and simply stepped back to evade it. It was an attack slicing through the air itself, most likely with everything Seran could physically offer, which is why his balance was all over the place, full of openings.

A wonderful attack, but sadly not enough to reach me.

This was genuine praise from Targ. Even as he went through his own memories, he could not remember a swordsman of Serans skill. There was but one person that came to his mind, but suffering emotional injury mid-battle was something he wanted to avoid. Finally, he would be able to finish off this humanTarg thought, only for his smile to vanish completely, his body frozen stiff. He realized that, from his shoulder down his chest, even reaching his abdomen, a long line appeared on his body. Right as he saw blood starting to quill out, it suddenly exploded into a fountain of red gushing from his body.

Its not as deep as I wanted it to be, butWell, this ones gonna hurt for sure. Seran gasped for her, as he exclaimed confidently.

ThatsimpossibleI was sure I evaded that

Targ lost all his composure, staggering backward, as he looked down at his own body.

You would judge the distance between yourself and your opponent, evading the attack at a hairs breadth, and counterattack. Thats your fighting style. At the same time, you dont evade with much margin between you and the attack. It would destroy your rhythm after allThats why, if I mess with the distance a bit Seran said, making it sound like he raised the length of his sword.

Unable to process this, Targ looked at the Holy Sword Rand. And then, he caught on to this feeling of discomfort that had plagued him. Seran held the Holy Sword in his right hand, but his left hand also held it.

Dont tell meThis is how you shortened the margin?! Targs face grew pale.

Serans right hand held his left arm that had been cut off at the elbow. This left hand tightly held the Holy Sword, fixated with the help of bandages. Although his reach was raised only by about a single palm, it was more than enough. This one palm is all Seran needed to deceive Targ.

I had Yuriga lend me a handUhhh? No, I lent a handbut to myself?

Who cares about that right now Yurigas face was about as pale as Targs, throwing a retort at Serans badly-timed play on words.

When Seran asked Yuriga to cut off his hand, she thought he had gotten completely crazy in the heat of battle, but hearing his plan behind that made her shudder in terror. Learning of how determined Seran was to win this battle, she could only look at Seran in bewilderment.

Well, it sure does not matter, yepMore importantly.

Seran raised his sword, undoing the bandages around his left arm with his mouth. He threw that arm of his away to a nearby grassy place, and properly grabbed his sword with his functional right hand, pointing the blade at Targ.

Lets continue, shall we. Were about equal when it comes to injuries, but its two versus one, so I wouldnt complain if you surrendered right about now.

Seeing Serans arrogant and overly-confident grin had Yurigas back straighten in fear. At the same time, it felt like Targs mask had finally broken to pieces, as his friendly expression disappeared, replaced by his true feelings.

How fascinating! Its been three hundred long years since Ive last met a human like you! To think you even held this swordIs this fortune, I daresay?! Targ showed a smile that felt like it came from the bottom of his heart, as he clapped his hands together while laughing loudly.

The owner of this sword was Randolph, right? Did you fight him before?

Well, something like thatSo, I shall admit defeat here. Fighting any more than this wont benefit anybodyand as the loser, I shall retreat peacefully. Targ accepted his defeat, and stood up.

Its good that youre done fighting, but do you think wed just let you escape? Seran pointed out with a sharp tone.

No no, as a reward for me admitting my defeat, I shall explain one thing to youThe names of the pro-war faction and I are unrelated. It would be fair to say that the pro-war faction has no involvement in this.

What did you say? Then under whose orders are you acting! Yuriga raised a shocked voice, fully assuming he was related to the pro-war faction.

I sadly cannot tell you that muchAh, but, I would suggest you be careful with this sword.

Careful? What do you mean?

Targ didnt answer Serans question, showing a faint grin, and vanished with a final Then if you would excuse me.

Didnt think hed just hit the legs like that.

Seran was hoping to give him another beating, so he felt dissatisfied with this result.

I was thinking about this before when the girls fought you, but demons actually are pretty quick to admit their defeat, huh?

Of course notAlso, if he has been alive since the war three hundred years ago, he is a veteran. Its unthinkable that he would admit defeat this easily.

I guess soSeeing you or that twisted demon Kyle defeat a while back, I was already feeling this way, but I didnt think a trained demon like that could be such a chore, Seran said. Guess I have to reconsider my evaluation of you peeps. Well, that just means I was a tad bit stronger thanAhhhh! My left hand!!

Seran ran for the left arm of his he had previously thrown away. Seran had absolutely no intentions of living but with one hand. He simply could rely on this strategy under the assumption that using regeneration magic or magic medicine, he should be able to attach it again.

Found it, found itPhew, the cut is so clean, it should fit perfectlyI hope

I really cant tell if youre amazing or crazy Yuriga sighed and shook her head.