At the ear-splitting shriek, Claire’s hollow eyes turned forward. It had the appearance of a pig and walked on two feet, similar to the other monsters. However, its height and bulk seemed more than twice that of the others. It was the type of monster the Expeditionary Force often called a mid-boss. Claire was facing such a creature.
— Kwe-e-e-eng!
The creature leaped with an agility that didn’t match its heavy bulk. A fire shield of about 4 meters unfolded around Claire, but the creature’s fist punched through even that and shattered the ground where Claire had been standing.
*Kwa-a-a-ang!*
As Claire retreated, she covered the creature’s fist in flames and transformed her fire shield to fire it back, but she also lost her balance from the shock that shook the ground. Another fist slammed down on that spot.
*Kwa-ang!*
She barely avoided it by wrapping her body in flames and rolling on the ground. However, she couldn’t completely dissipate the impact. Claire’s body was thrown far away, tumbling helplessly across the ground.
“Cough…….”
From her weakened body, blood spurted out.
— Kwe-e-e-ek!
Of course, the monster that put Claire in that state wasn’t fine either. Claire, who was prepared to end up like this, had driven a spear of fire into the creature’s temple. In that brief moment it swung its fist, she fired a fire spear from an invisible angle. As long as her Magic Power didn’t cut off, it would stay embedded in the creature’s head and completely burn its insides.
— Kwe-e-e-e-ek!
Letting out a scream full of pain, the pig monster rushed at her. Thumping its heavy bulk of over 4 meters, it ran and poured all sorts of attacks toward Claire.
*Kwa-ang!*
*Kwa-a-a-ang!*
She blocked, and sometimes when she couldn’t dodge properly, she was sent flying by the impact, but she barely managed to maintain the skill while counterattacking.
— Kwek…… Kwe-e-e…….
Eventually, clutching its melting head, the monster collapsed.
“Huff, huff……..”
Lying on the ground, Claire didn’t even have the mental capacity to check it. Her head felt dizzy, and her vision was spinning. She just took ragged breaths while looking straight up at the sky where rain had begun to pour.
Having fought for several hours, her Magic Power had long since hit bottom, and there was no need to even mention her physical strength.
*Swaaaa — * The pouring rain shattered into pieces as it hit the ground. The resulting splashes of water clung to Claire’s face as she lay there.
“Haah……..”
When she turned her head slightly to look aside, she saw the ruined houses — no, the ruined city — and beyond that, the royal castle and the Cathedral, which were still holding out. The Sanctuary was there, so Hibernia’s elite would be guarding it. At the very least, they wouldn’t fall right away, since she had personally stepped forward to focus on eliminating those earthquake monsters.
But.
*Flicker — *
The light blinked. For a few seconds, the world was plunged into darkness before it was brightly lit again.
Claire didn’t fail to understand what that meant. Something must have happened to the Holy Maiden who was maintaining the blessing. Whether it was an external factor or an internal one.
As if to prove Claire’s thoughts right, the Divine Blessing repeated a cycle of flickering out and reappearing. The Holy Maiden must be doing her best to hold on. But eventually, it would collapse. The moment it disappeared, the massive Abyssal Depths that would swarm in would devour the human spirit and destroy their flesh. It meant they could no longer endure.
“Haha…….”
It was going to end up like this. She knew it. She knew she couldn’t do anything alone. She knew she wasn’t a hero, nor did she have the necessary ability. Despite knowing that, why did she remain here, lying on the ground, waiting for death alone while getting hit by the rain?
“Master!”
In that situation, why was Hamelot running toward her?
“Master! Master!”
Even if he could see her flames from afar, there was no way he should have been able to make it here. The fact that Hamelot, who should have been protected in the safest place, the royal castle, had come this far meant two types of despair. First, the royal castle had been breached. And second, the monsters were too distracted by more appetizing prey than Hamelot. Unless those two situations coincided, there was no way Hamelot could have reached this place.
Sure enough.
“Master! T-the castle…… You must escape at once!”
Shouting that, Hamelot arrived at Claire’s side. He saw Claire lying on the ground and the numerous monster corpses piled around her. There were small embers flickering as if they were about to go out.
“M-Master…….”
Hamelot, seeing her state which looked terrible even at a glance, quickly knelt down beside her.
“I’ll help you up, so please stand. We have to escape while they are distracted by the Cathedral.”
Despite Hamelot’s words, Claire lay there without moving. Where would they flee, and how would they escape? The flickering frequency of the Divine Blessing was getting shorter and shorter. Like a snake waiting for its chance, the Abyssal Depths was creeping in. So, staring blankly at the pouring rain, she spoke to Hamelot.
“Hamelot.”
Without even blinking, she just muttered to herself while looking at the sky turning to darkness.
“Why did it turn out like this?”
How did it get to this point? Where did it all start going wrong? If she traced it back, there was only one thing.
“I should have been the one to die.”
She should have saved Hio no matter what. Even if it meant she died, if only he were here, the situation would have been much better.
“What do you……! Master is a hero! Everyone in the castle said so! So don’t say such weak things and let’s go! The monsters will be here soon!”
She didn’t move an inch despite Hamelot’s urging. No, it would be more accurate to say she couldn’t move. Her body, drained of Magic Power and physical strength, would no longer move. Her mind, which had lost its will, did not grant her power beyond her limits.
How ridiculous was this? A hero who gets frustrated and collapses at just this level. Where in the world was there such a hero? So, she shook her head.
“No. Hamelot.”
There were so many things wrong that it was hard to even speak.
“You don’t know. What a real hero is.”
Her physical state was wrong, and Hamelot’s words were wrong. Vitalianus’s words that she was Hio’s final arrangement were also wrong. Her choice to remain until the end while knowing it would turn out like this was also wrong.
At that point, Hamelot also screamed out. His words, shouted while water dripped from the tips of his soaked hair and chin, were tangled with all sorts of emotions.
“To me, Master is a real hero! Not some fake hero I’ve never even seen! A real hero who saved me and planted hope in the city and the people!”
The sky, which had been flickering noisily, was suddenly swallowed by silence. The Divine Blessing, which had been trying its best to stay unfolded, finally vanished. The thick Abyssal Depths that had been surrounding them rushed in as if to stifle their breath.
“What is it then! What is this real hero that you’re so sad, regretful, and pained about all by yourself!”
The sky where darkness began to settle. The pouring rain. The screams that were gradually disappearing, perhaps buried by it.
*Kwa-a-ang!*
A bolt of lightning suddenly began to strike.
“Just what is that ‘real hero’ you keep talking about…….”
Hamelot’s eyes were deeply tinged with pity and sadness. However, Claire couldn’t see them. Her hollow eyes were toward the sky, and her mind was toward her memories of the past.
“What is it, you ask……”
What indeed. How could she explain it? It was light and hope. It was the Blue Flame that always appeared whenever the world was shrouded in darkness. it was the bright thunderbolt that stood against evil.
*Kwa-a-ang!*
Just like the thunderbolt striking now through the Abyssal Depths.
“It’s someone who takes the path no one else will.”
Someone who intentionally headed toward the path everyone else avoided. Someone who was never afraid to stand against anything. Someone who lived for others more than themselves.
“And yet, someone who never lost their smile.”
Not a flame that only a single person like Hamelot saw. Someone so brilliant that thousands, tens of thousands — no, everyone on the Continent saw it and held it in their hearts. Someone who gave such bright hope to everyone.
At the most dangerous moment. At the moment they were most needed. Someone who appeared. That was it.
“That’s a hero.”
*Kwa-a-a-ang!*
Even as the world momentarily brightened with the flash of lightning, Hamelot didn’t understand Claire’s words. Because he had never seen such a thing. Thus, he opened his mouth once more to protest.
“What does that mean…….”
But he couldn’t continue. Even though he didn’t fully understand Claire’s words. Even though he didn’t know that a mere thunderbolt shouldn’t be able to shine in a sky already covered by the Abyssal Depths. He could tell simply by Claire’s expression.
It was because he could guess just from that dazzling smile and those shining tears, the likes of which he had never seen before.
“…….The real hero.”
He had come.
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