Chapter 206: The March of the Coward

A steel arrow pierced through the miasma. The monster raised its swollen left arm to take the hit. Despite groaning in pain and contorting its face, the steel arrow quickly melted away in the scorching blood.

The monster raised its right hand and hurled a fireball it had conjured at Lutz and the others. With a booming sound, as if fired from a cannon, the fireball flew towards them.

There was no time to shout “dodge.” Lutz and the others desperately and clumsily tried to evade.

The fireball shattered the wall, causing a momentary delay before a massive explosion. The entire cult temple trembled, and dust rained down from the ceiling.

“This is bad,” Kasim grimaced, his cheeks twitching. It had become even more powerful than what he had seen before. Kasim, who had dodged to the side, tried to stand up, but his legs trembled, and he couldn’t stand properly.

…Am I scared? Well, it’s too late to lie to myself now.

While still afraid, Kasim didn’t run away because it would look uncool. He turned his face forward with determination, glaring at the monster. He managed to stand up somehow, his legs shaking.

Although the invaders’ positions were disrupted, the monster didn’t pursue. Instead, flames swirled again in its right hand. It intended to attack them safely and surely from a distance.

“Fine, die forty-nine more times!”

Kevin quickly aimed his crossbow. However, this time, the monster was faster. Realizing that only one person had a crossbow, the monster targeted Kevin and threw a fireball.

Shoot or dodge? Kevin made a snap judgment and managed to dodge. The fireball passed terrifyingly close, just thirty centimeters in front of him. The arrow hit the ceiling, falling down emptily.

How long are you going to let the monster like you? Even Lutz’s actions were swift. As the monster threw a fireball, he readied his beloved sword, ‘Kyouka suigetsu,’ and charged forward.

It should take some time to create a fireball. There is no certainty. He attacked the demon with the determination to throw himself into the valley floor.

A thick, powerful sword was cut down from the upper level. It was a blow of such spirit that even a bear would have been cut in two.

The monster swept with its grotesque right arm. A sharp sound of metal clashing echoed. Sprays of blood showered on the cobblestone, leaving scorch marks.

He slashed, but it was shallow. The boasted right arm seemed to be reinforced.

Lutz tried to jumped back once to get some distance. The monster tried to step forward, but an arrow pierced its left shoulder, letting its prey escape.

The monster’s expression twisted again, this time not in pain but in frustration. Seeing this, Ricardo snorted.

“Heh, surprisingly expressive. Quite cute.”

“Let me see how you handle crying next time,” 

Kevin replied, loading the next arrow. However, he couldn’t release it due to the incoming fireball. He was avoiding it for now, but mentally, he was steadily worn down.

They couldn’t keep dodging forever. Sooner or later, they would get hit. The fear of that possibility was etched deep into their hearts. Kevin maintained a confident smile on his face, his hands steady. But his heart pounded fiercely, and blood rushed through his body at high speed.

The battle was a constant back-and-forth. As if fed up, the demon raised both arms.

“Uooooo!”

It roared tremendously, a thunderous sound that made the air vibrate.

“What, suddenly shouting? Frustrated, huh!?”

Ricardo teased, but he actually wanted to deny the upcoming “something.” Unfortunately, today seemed to be a day where only bad premonitions came true.

There was a sense of movement from behind, and it was significant. Since they couldn’t take their eyes off the monsters, Kevin briefly glanced backward. It was enough to feel despair.

“…This is the worst.”

How many times had he said those words in the last few days? What appeared from behind were the remnants of adventurers who died in the labyrinth—undead.

Whether they hated the living or kindly invited them to the world of the dead, it was inconvenient for them to show up at this timing.

Kasim looked like he was about to vomit. However, what he spat out wasn’t breakfast but words of courage.

“I’ll handle this. Lutz, take care of the monster!”

Shouting, he gripped his nameless sword and charged into the horde of undead.

Memories of being strangled by the undead just days ago resurfaced, and a gasp caught in his throat. Even so, Kasim’s legs didn’t stop.

Don’t be afraid. Laugh at the chance for revenge!

Kasim swung his sword in a diagonal slash. Unlike the previous encounter, the weapon didn’t bend or break, tearing apart the undead and scattering their rotten blood. He kicked the stumbling undead away and prepared for the next attack.

“Hey hey, what’s this? This is great, really great. This is the ecstasy of battle!”

He tried to whistle, but that was a failure. Truly, it was Kasim.

A good weapon gave courage to its wielder. After a long life as an adventurer, Kasim now truly felt it.

…If I survive, I’ll definitely officially claim this. If I complain, saying, “I did well, right?” maybe I’ll get it, probably!

While saying this with a troubled expression, he could imagine Lutz, who agreed with a smile, knowing that he was that kind of man. Although their association was short, Kasim understood him to be that kind of guy. He wouldn’t ignore the hard work of his comrades.

Kasim, with an increased number of battle objectives, felt a slight ease in his heart and relaxed his shoulders. Swinging his sword horizontally, he sliced through the undead’s bellies. Indeed, he was getting addicted to the sharpness of his blade.

The movements of the undead’s lacked finesse, but their strength and agility were formidable. Their simple yet troublesome fighting style involved charging, grabbing, and biting.

Although Kasim was successfully cutting down his opponents, he gradually found himself pushed back by the oncoming horde of undead. However, Kasim himself was unaware of this.

Suddenly, a hand reached out towards Kasim’s arm from the side.

…This is bad, about to get grabbed!

If dragged down by the undead, he would be devoured alive. The worst imaginable scenario flashed through his mind.

“Hey!”

With a powerful kick, the undead was sent flying. Standing there, bathed in a silvery glow from his sword, was the hero, Ricardo.

Good, I’m glad you came, thank you for helping. However, there was something else on Kasim’s mind.

“Hey, Ricardo-chan! What about dealing with the demon!?”

“I left it to Lutz; if I try to slash it, my sword will just melt!”

“Well, but…”

“If you want to go for support, then let’s finish off these guys first!”

Undead kept coming one after another. Ricardo calmly suggested dealing with all of them.

…Is this guy an idiot? No, if he weren’t, he wouldn’t be here.

Although it didn’t provide any explanation or resolution, Kasim strangely found himself agreeing.

“…I used to hate you. You were always so shamelessly cheeky with just words.”

Ricardo muttered.

“Used to, huh? What about now?”

“I trust you enough to entrust my back to you.”

Ricardo and Kasim stood back to back, both wielding their swords. They couldn’t see each other’s faces, but there was a certain conviction that they were both smiling.

Previous chapter | TOC | Next chapter