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Translated By Arcane Translations

Translator: FusionX

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If you stay still, you'll at least be average.

That had been my motto, but this time, staying still would have put me at a disadvantage.

I would have been caught in the fight between the true demons and the Royal Knights.

It would have been like a shrimp getting its back broken in a fight between whales.

So I chose my opponent and immediately withdrew.

Of course, a blood demon wasn't an easy opponent either, but it was still preferable to getting caught in a fight with the true demons.

Before the other members could hear, I quickly took on the blood demon and left the frontline.

Although I was worried about the other members, I believed in them.

They would surely be able to win.

That was why I used time acceleration to leave the area.

Using the power of time acceleration, I broke through the castle wall and moved as far away as possible.

"What tremendous power. I couldn't possibly resist it."

"Huff, huff."

"But it seems the price is quite steep?"

"Shut up."

It seemed my choice had been correct.

There was no way a true demon-level being wouldn't be able to resist time acceleration.

However, he seemed relaxed for some reason, chuckling and pointing at me.

Certainly, as he said, my situation wasn't particularly good.

Although I had been able to somewhat mitigate the penalties through training since acquiring time acceleration...

Using time acceleration still caused internal injuries.

It was fortunate I had only used it briefly.

If I had used it longer or more frequently, I would have experienced my organs twisting like before.

"What exactly is your goal?"

The only reliable thing I had was time stop which was still on cooldown.

In that case, all I could do was buy as much time as possible.

I asked the question directly.

He smiled and answered.

"The complete annihilation of the Royal Knights."

"You say that so casually."

"Well, we're putting our lives on the line too, you know."

"Putting your lives on the line?"

"Yes, the two who came here with me are among the strongest of the demon race."

So it was as I thought.

Their auras were all formidable, but the same was true for our side.

We had Commander Yuren and Cluna, who were among the strongest in history, not to mention the Royal Knights, and there were enough members to support them.

It wouldn't be an easy fight, but I didn't think they would lose.

So, I too had to do what I could.

"You're quite greedy. Weren't you satisfied with annihilating the Royal Knights last time?"

"Please don't be so harsh. We're taking quite a risk right now too."

"If you hold too much in your hands, you might not be able to gain other things."

"That's good advice. That's why we've rushed our plans, even if it's reckless. To kill you all."

This demon was unexpectedly cooperative in answering.

Thanks to that, I was able to buy as much time as possible, but at the same time, I was suspicious.

He was being too cooperative.

What exactly was he plotting?

"Hey, you. Why are you answering so readily?"

"Oh, that's because I like you all."

"You like us?"

"Yes~ Of course!"

The way he nodded with his hands clasped together was like watching a woman in love.

His tone, his behavior, it was strangely creepy.

He continued speaking with a smile.

"How can I not applaud your determination to struggle despite clearly seeing the outcome?"

"You're insane."

"That's why I like to hear directly from you and remember as much as I can. When I see you, it feels like I've stepped into a novel!"

Was this provocation? Or was he being sincere?

Either way, it didn't really matter.

I wasn't originally from this world, so I had no reason to get angry at such words.

Rather, I was grateful for this approach.

I needed to buy as much time as possible due to the time stop cooldown.

This was why a mere blood demon wouldn't do.

I laughed inwardly.

"So demons read novels too, it seems?"

"Of course! We are intellectual gentlemen, you know?"

"In that state?"

"My~ That's too harsh."

Although his manner of speaking was quite disgusting, his unexpectedly friendly attitude wasn't bad at all.

Thanks to it, I was able to greatly reduce the cooldown.

I pointed my sword at him and said,

"I think this is enough for your reconnaissance, isn't it?"

"I'd like to know a bit more though?"

"I'm not that interesting of a guy."

"No, no. You're plenty interesting."

"You're much more persistent than I thought."

"Well, I've never talked this long with a human before."

It was getting to the point where it gave me goosebumps.

That was the kind of atmosphere he had.

For a mere blood demon, he seemed surprisingly relaxed, but I guess it made sense since his opponent was me, not the other Royal Knights.

He could afford to be like this.

Thinking that, I immediately moved my body.

I tried to save time stop and time acceleration as much as possible.

He was just a blood demon after all, so I should be able to handle him with all the cards I had...

At that moment, my breath was suddenly cut off.

It felt like I had fallen into water.

I blinked.

This was undoubtedly the feeling of time being stopped, but why had it suddenly activated?

However, I soon realized the reason.

A blood-red spear that had sprouted from the ground was aiming for my heart.

I immediately threw myself to the side.

At the same time, I released time stop.

"Bravo! You didn't die in one hit? As expected of the Royal Knights' commander!"

"You crazy bastard!"

"You're certainly living up to your name! Show me more!!"

I hurriedly observed his movements.

It seemed he was the type that could control blood.

However, I couldn't tell where the blood was coming from.

He wasn't directly bleeding...

But I soon figured out the principle.

Everything that touched his body was being converted into blood.

Grass, trees, soil, pebbles, everything without exception.

This was insane, how was this possible?

No matter how I thought about it, it didn't make sense.

According to the settings, only true demons should have such godlike powers.

But this guy was a blood demon, no?

At that moment, he clapped his hands and said,

"Come to think of it, I don't know your name?"

"I don't know yours either."

"Ah, right. I was interrupted earlier? Then let me introduce myself again!"

"What are you suddenly..."

"My name is Blood Demon. I humbly lead my group."

"..."

He placed one hand on his chest and bowed his head to me.

Setting aside his excessively polite behavior, what did I just hear?

No, no, no, I must have heard wrong.

"Your name is Blood Demon?"

"Yes."

"Really?"

"Of course."

His attack stopped.

Perhaps because I showed disbelief.

Well, setting aside the cooldown issue for now, I needed to confirm this fact.

I desperately continued speaking.

"Is it the Blood Demon I know?"

"I think the meaning is similar."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, where should I start explaining from?"

This fucking bastard, he used the blood spear again while talking.

This time it came flying at my back where I couldn't see.

If it weren't for time stop, my heart would have been pierced right then.

"Oh! You even dodged that! Amazing!"

"..."

"Are you not angry?"

"You're the enemy. It's something you can certainly do."

"Excellent! You really are different from the others!"

Damn, I really couldn't let my guard down.

Even using everything I had built up so far, I could barely dodge his attacks.

At this rate, I might end up using time acceleration until I die.

"Let's see, I should first talk about my values, right?"

"Values?"

"Yes, I can't just ignore those who are pitiful."

"Well, aren't you a saint. So what?"

"It's simple, I give them power."

This was another unexpected bout of nonsense.

Give them power?

What does that have to do with your name?

I couldn't continue speaking.

Once again, the blood spear was aiming for my life.

Shit, I couldn't tell him to stop because we were enemies.

I had no choice but to focus on dodging his attacks as much as possible while concentrating on the conversation.

Blood Demon spoke as if he was talking to a friend.

"So that those poor souls who know nothing can achieve their goals, dreams, and ideals."

"A demon giving power to others?"

"Yes! Of course! Comprachico, doppelgangers, they're all demons completed in this way."

"Then Blood Demon is..."

"It started with them calling themselves blood demons out of respect for me. Well, those now called lower demons were once called slaves or minions."

So, those who received power from him escaped from being lower demons and came to be called Blood Demons?

And the reason that they called themselves that was out of respect for him?

"Then what exactly are you?"

"Though unworthy, I've been crowned as their king."

"..."

Judging by his attitude, he wasn't the type to hide it.

Rather, he was the type to proudly reveal it.

Then, was he trying to introduce himself earlier?

That his name was Blood Demon?

He was someone who could directly create Blood Demons.

Moreover, he had the power to turn anything he touched into blood.

There was no way such a being could be a mere Blood Demon.

He was definitely 100% a true demon or higher.

And yet the name of such a true demon was Blood Demon?

Hahaha.

Motherfucker.

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[=Chapter 88=]

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Translated By Arcane Translations

Translator: FusionX

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Blood Demon loved conversation.

Through dialogue, he could learn about his opponent in detail.

Filling his mind with many stories and savoring them slowly was his hobby.

In that sense, he really wanted to have a proper conversation with the new commander of the Royal Knights.

However, as he faced him, Blood Demon began to feel an inexplicable sense of discomfort.

He was one of the top three strongest among the true demons.

The fact that he was known as the king of all blood demons spoke to his strength.

But even he couldn't fully read the new commander's movements.

No, forget about reading his movements.

That attack at the beginning, what on earth was that?

'The moment it touched me, I couldn't even move my body. As if time itself was pressing down on me...'

Even to himself it seemed like it was an absurd comparison, but he couldn't help but think that way.

In his mind, the most absolute and irresistible force was time itself.

And that sense of discomfort grew stronger as he watched the commander dodge his attacks.

There was no sign of him evading, it meant that even he had missed the enemy's movements.

But in normal times, he didn't show such quick movements.

Was there a penalty for using this power?

No, he used it too frequently for that to be the case.

'There's no point in overthinking it.'

First, he needed to find out the enemy's limits.

Blood Demon merely twitched a finger.

With just that, the blood spears that had devoured dozens or hundreds of knights rose towards him.

It was a perfect blind spot.

An attack that no human, or even a demon without hundreds of eyes, could see.

Yet this human dodged it far too easily.

But Blood Demon didn't get angry.

Rather, he felt his mouth water.

For a mere human to be this strong?

Then he must have an incredible story.

"My, I'm getting too hasty without realizing it."

He wanted to end the fight quickly and hear this human's story.

From a human perspective, it was similar to wanting to read a novel.

Blood Demon moved more intensely.

At first, he had intended to capture him alive if possible but now his mind had changed.

He would blow off his arms and legs and now that his attacks had a clear purpose, they yielded results.

"Guh?!"

Spears that rose from the ground and air cleanly severed Hans's right arm.

Ironically, because it didn't affect his life, time stop didn't activate.

That was why he lost an arm in an instant.

It was fortunate that he was in the process of changing his stance, so he wasn't holding the sword in his right hand, but the momentum inevitably shifted.

This could be called a weakness of humans.

While demons could regenerate severed wounds given enough time, humans and other continental races couldn't.

He smiled.

"The tide has turned. How about surrendering now?"

"...Then will you spare my life?"

"Of course. I'll guarantee it."

Usually in these cases, people didn't beg for their lives.

Rather, many would tell you to kill them.

Blood Demon couldn't understand this.

Of course, he understood the concepts of pride and honor, but...

Isn't everything meaningless once you're dead?

And the opponent's death wasn't particularly good for Blood Demon either.

He wouldn't be able to hear any more of their unique stories.

So, up until now, Blood Demon had rarely killed opponents with his own hands and even then, most of them had died because they were weaker than expected.

Therefore, begging for one's life wasn't a bad thing to Blood Demon.

Rather, he would welcome it with open arms.

It meant he could hear more stories.

"In exchange, tell me more stories. Oh, if you want, I can even reattach your arm..."

Blood Demon, who had been rambling excitedly, suddenly stopped speaking.

He felt a sensation as if his spine was being pierced.

Blood Demon unconsciously stepped back.

What was that just now?

At that moment, Blood Demon could see it.

The sight of his severed right arm slowly disappearing.

His arm turned to dust in an instant, bones and muscles vanishing.

There were cases where severed body parts disappeared like that, but those were special cases.

It was the first time he had seen something disappear in less than a few seconds like this.

"What on earth...?"

"Shut up and die."

"?!"

The man who had been kneeling suddenly stood up and charged.

Had he not given up?

Even if it was troublesome, he'd have to blow off one of his legs.

Blood Demon made his judgment and was about to move, but his body wouldn't move properly.

More precisely, his body wouldn't respond as he thought.

To use an analogy, it felt like he was floundering, buried in sand.

It was a terrible feeling.

In contrast, the man's sword was incredibly fast.

It felt like that sensation from the beginning, as if he couldn't possibly resist.

Eventually, Blood Demon's neck was cleanly severed by the sword he swung.

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My arm... was cut off...?

I stared at it blankly.

The thing flying through the air, spraying blood, was unmistakably my right arm.

Perhaps because I realized this fact, a searing pain accompanied it.

It felt as if someone was branding the area below my right shoulder with fire.

I felt nauseous.

I felt like I was about to vomit at any moment.

Because of this, I couldn't endure and collapsed to the ground.

Until now, time stop had activated automatically because my life was in danger.

But this time, it didn't activate.

What was the difference?

However, I soon realized the difference.

It was the difference in aim.

Until now, Blood Demon had attacked carelessly.

As if it didn't matter where he hit.

But that would have been fatal for me.

After all, I would die if I took even one of those attacks.

However, this time he had aimed for my arm to capture me alive.

Thanks to that, my life wasn't in danger.

So time stop didn't activate.

I gritted my teeth.

Was this the price for relying too much on time stop?

Now all that was left was acceleration...!!!

[If you use it like that, you'll die too.]

"...Ha."

She appeared.

A girl with white hair and heterochromatic red and black eyes.

The one who called herself Time, like some chuunibyou character.

She was smiling in front of me.

"I have no choice but to use this now."

[No, you have other options, don't you?]

"What are they?"

[Making a deal with me.]

"A deal? With you?"

No matter how I thought about it, the only deal I could think of with this one was that time acceleration from before.

Even that time acceleration had such a severe penalty that I had to use it risking my life.

[I want you to live for a long time.]

"..."

[But this time your opponent is really difficult, isn't he?]

"Just get to the point."

[Give me your right arm. How about it? It's a simple trade, right?]

I glanced at my arm.

For a very brief moment, because my mind had been distracted, I hadn't felt the pain, but with those words, the pain started to return.

I frowned.

"...Then will you spare my life?"

[Of course!]

I nodded.

Her mouth split as if torn, the corners of her lips reaching her ears.

At the same time, my severed right arm turned to dust and moved towards her, or more precisely, towards her right arm.

Her arm was still that of a delicate girl, but I instinctively knew.

That her right arm had been replaced with mine.

As expected, a deal with this one was...

No, now wasn't the time to worry about such things.

I had to somehow defeat that true demon in front of me.

Fortunately, the power gained through the deal was an incredibly helpful ability.

I gripped my sword with my left hand, the only one remaining.

I only had one eye and one arm left, but the power I received from that girl was strong enough to offset the penalties and then some.

Was that why?

I ran forward confidently.

I didn't use time stop.

This was insurance I was keeping in reserve.

As I moved, Blood Demon immediately reacted.

As expected of a true demon.

I wouldn't be able to touch him with just tricks.

When I faced Comprachico or the doppelganger before, I could somehow exchange blows even without using time stop, but the Blood Demon in front of me was on a completely different level from those scraps.

Well, he said he created all blood demons, so I suppose it's natural.

That was why the power I just received from that girl had to come into play.

Time acceleration was a spear that pierced through everything.

The slash of accelerated time allowed even me, with my insufficient skill, to cut down the opponent decisively.

Of course, the price for this overpowered attack was the pain of my internal organs being eroded.

Compared to that, the power I gained now was the ultimate shield.

A power that thoroughly slowed down the opponent's time, making it so even a newborn baby could dodge while yawning.

The name of what I gained by sacrificing my right arm was...

Time Deceleration.

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[=Chapter 89=]

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Translated By Arcane Translations

Translator: FusionX

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Weak.

Untalented.

For that reason, to stay behind... he had already done so much.

At least until he stepped down as commander, he absolutely could not run away from the enemy.

That was the promise he made to himself.

Fighting was terrifying.

He just wanted to run away, but if he ran away here... everything he had accomplished so far would crumble.

If he lacked talent, he just had to use what was in his hand right now.

He possessed the ridiculously overpowered weapon of time stop.

But he wouldn't be able to survive on that alone.

Therefore, he had focused on the basics.

He put effort into gaining practical experience through sparring.

Of course, he tried to learn the Thunder Dragon Sword Technique like Helia, but it was too much for him.

The opponent was a true demon.

Among demons, it possessed top-tier strength.

In the game, it had a difficulty level that made players curse.

However, this was the first time he'd seen this particular one.

Of course, he already knew from the game and its lore that the name "Blood Demon" held a different meaning.

But he never imagined he would learn about it this way.

Calm down.

He had to resolve this somehow.

He'd managed to survive until now thanks to time stop.

If he used all of his remaining cards, he could kill this guy.

He desperately racked his brains for a solution.

First, in the game, true demons usually had up to three phases.

The first phase was a disguised form, the second was full power, and the third was a desperate struggle.

While attack patterns differed, the phases were similar.

He glanced at the demon's state.

After its head was cut off, a flood of blood poured from its body, which had maintained a human form.

Judging by its reaction, it seemed to be in its second phase.

Soon, it revealed its true form.

A monster stood before him, as if it had shed all human skin.

However, instead of skin, flowing blood covered its muscles.

He spoke.

"Didn't you say you wanted to hear my story?"

"Yes, that hasn't changed. However..."

"However?"

"You seem to be on a different level from the ones I've faced so far."

If the Blood Demon had merely been flicking its fingers until now, it was now moving its entire body with clear intent.

It closed the distance and threw a punch.

The demon's fist didn't connect.

Despite that, the surroundings turned gray.

Even without direct contact, was it possible to die from the shockwave alone?

He quickly moved back.

At the same time, he released time stop.

As expected, from the shockwave alone... everything in that spot was obliterated, leaving only dust.

Taking advantage of the opening, he swung his sword at the Blood Demon's back.

Thud!

However, his sword simply bounced off.

It was already difficult enough to attack with two hands, let alone one.

But he didn't have time to lament.

The demon had noticed his presence.

Time stop activated once again.

The fact that he had nearly died sent chills down his spine, but he couldn't afford to stop.

Moreover, even dodging was difficult.

Now that he had lost an eye, his blind spots had increased, leaving him vulnerable to fatal attacks.

That was why time stop kept activating.

In other words, using time stop offensively was impossible for him in his current state.

He had too many blind spots, and the slightest lapse in concentration would lead to a fatal blow.

Then, were time acceleration and deceleration his only options?

However, he couldn't use time acceleration recklessly.

He would suffer severe internal injuries.

Nevertheless, the only way to land a decisive blow on this demon was time acceleration.

He had no choice but to create an opening using time deceleration, which had a lesser penalty, and then land a fatal blow with time acceleration...!!

Having quickly reached this conclusion based on his experience, he immediately moved.

Time stop was still on cooldown after using it to avoid a fatal blow.

So, first, deceleration!

"..."

"This."

Perhaps it had adapted to its slowed state because in the meantime, the demon quickly prepared itself.

It took a defensive stance despite being slowed down.

However, its movements were slow due to time deceleration.

He could see the opening.

He lunged towards the Blood Demon as if gliding.

However, time stopped once more.

Why now?!

He had even used time deceleration!

But he soon realized the reason.

The answer lay in the pool of blood beneath his feet.

He had thought it was just a puddle of blood, but the moment he stepped in, it attacked him like a trap.

Crazy... he had actually set a trap like this? Should he continue the attack from here?

No, that was a bad idea.

He couldn't predict what tricks this demon was hiding right now.

As long as time stop was on cooldown, he couldn't attack unless it was a guaranteed kill.

Quickly making up his mind, he retreated and deactivated time stop.

"Setting a trap... You're more meticulous than I thought."

"How did you know?"

"It's obvious."

"As expected, you're very experienced! I want to hear more!"

"I've told you everything."

Time deceleration wore off.

At the same time, a splitting headache struck him.

Apparently, the penalty for time deceleration was a headache.

Compared to time acceleration, it was a cute penalty, but still...

The headache from time deceleration hindered his fighting.

He couldn't help but frown, but Blood Demon misinterpreted his expression.

"You don't seem to be in a good mood?"

"Of course not. I'm fighting someone like you."

With all its facial skin melted off, its eyeballs and facial muscles moved grotesquely.

His weak stomach churned, wanting to look away, but he couldn't.

The moment he took his eyes off the demon, who knew when or where he might die?

Just then, time stop activated once again.

This time, blood-red spears and axes materialized behind him, aiming for his neck.

Damn it!

This opponent was no pushover.

The slightest mistake would mean death.

Every single movement was extraordinary.

Not only did he push his own movements to the limit but he also flawlessly avoided fatal blows.

Blood Demon unconsciously clicked his tongue when the commander evaded his best attack.

But then he was startled by his own reaction.

He had never felt anxious in any situation until now.

Backed by his overwhelming power, he had always held an absolute advantage.

Yet, for some reason, the more he fought against this commander, the more anxious he became.

However, Blood Demon didn't consider this a negative change.

On the contrary, he welcomed it.

He desired new stories, new sensations and this commander was providing him with that fresh experience.

That was why a smile crept onto Blood Demon's face.

More stories.

More experience.

To become his sustenance.

Shedding countless drops of blood, Blood Demon charged forward.

The commander reacted accordingly.

Blood Demon was pleased to see the commander move exactly as he expected.

Should he just kill him now?

No, he dismissed that thought.

His opponent was the commander of the Royal Knights.

A formidable being capable of pushing him to his limits.

He was likely one of the strongest individuals among all the continental races.

Trusting in that, Blood Demon drew upon his full power.

The countless traps laid beneath his feet, the hidden trump card veiled by his seemingly careless movements... how would the commander overcome them?

Blood Demon was filled with anticipation, and the commander lived up to his expectations.

A gigantic wave of blood, unleashed from his hand, swept away everything in its path.

However, Blood Demon could tell.

He could sense that the commander had not been swept away by the crimson flood.

Avoiding every single trap, he stood before Blood Demon.

With one remaining eye and arm, refusing to back down, he fought like a true warrior.

The commander's sword, swung like a flash of light, once again sliced through Blood Demon's neck.

However, even as his head was severed, Blood Demon wore a smile.

◇◇◇◆◇◇◇

[=Chapter 90=]

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Translated By Arcane Translations

Translator: FusionX

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Was it over?

I focused my gaze on the Blood Demon whose head had fallen.

I had cleanly severed his neck, but I didn't think a true demon would die so easily.

There had to be a hidden trick.

As expected, the severed head easily returned to its original position.

Blood gushed from the cut, forming a new head.

Regeneration was a given, I suppose.

The question was the limit of his regenerative ability.

Could a true demon still die even with regeneration if its head was cut off?

After all, there were cases where they wouldn't die even if vital points like the neck or heart were repeatedly struck.

And unfortunately, it seemed this opponent belonged to the latter category.

No wonder he was so relaxed even with an enemy right in front of him.

That was the reason.

But there was something else I didn't understand, his attitude.

The Blood Demon had said he gave his power to those who were pitiful.

The war between demons and the continent had been going on for a long time.

At first, I thought he gave his power to them after the demons descended, but listening to his tone, something felt strange.

"You talk as if you've been giving out power all along."

"Of course. I've been here from the beginning."

"Don't be ridiculous. You guys descended to the continent, right?"

"Hmm? Ah, right. That was the setting, wasn't it?"

"What?"

"No, it's nothing. This is an important matter."

Whatever else, one thing was clear.

He said that on purpose.

If he really didn't mean to say it, he wouldn't have reacted that way.

So what did it mean?

Blood Demon was giving me some kind of hint.

I didn't know why, but for now, I could only do what I could.

I tightly gripped my sword.

Even with only one hand, I could compensate for lack of power with time acceleration.

However, the biggest problem was how to kill him.

He wouldn't die no matter how much I cut him.

"It seems... time's up."

"Time's up?"

"Yes, actually, I'm just a clone."

"... A clone?"

He sent a clone to attack Lionheart Fortress? Was he serious?

Seeing my disbelieving look, Blood Demon laughed and nodded.

This crazy bastard.

"To send a clone in this situation... You're insane."

"It's a rational decision. If I die, the demons lose a significant amount of power."

"..."

I unconsciously nodded.

Blood Demon was his name, but it was also the name of a mid-ranking class of demons and he said he created all Blood Demons.

In other words, if I killed him, there would be no more new Blood Demons.

That would be a huge loss for the demons and there was another reason.

"You judged that sending a clone would be enough."

"Yes, because you are not the Royal Knights of your glory days."

"..."

"But I never imagined you would be this strong."

He was right.

If I hadn't drawn him away... wouldn't the three true demons have wiped out everyone else?

He was that powerful.

I didn't know about the others, but Blood Demon who I was facing, even as a mere clone, possessed such power.

But there was one thing I didn't understand.

"Why are you telling me all this?"

"Because time's up."

"What? Time?"

"My clone has a limit to its regeneration and it has just reached that limit."

Indeed, although he had initially maintained a human form, his body was now swaying as if on the verge of collapsing.

So, could I win if I just stalled for time?

No, it wouldn't be that simple.

As proof, his body was slowly swelling, like a rubber balloon.

It took less than 3 seconds.

In that short time, his size had already become comparable to Lionheart Fortress.

The moment I saw that, I realized what he was aiming for.

"It was more enjoyable than I expected. Let's have a better time next time."

"Damn it."

"Of course, if you survive this."

My head felt like it was splitting, as if someone was scraping the inside with shards of glass.

But I gritted my teeth and used my ability.

I had no choice.

If I didn't...

Everyone would die.

It exploded.

The blood-red storm that appeared simultaneously tried to engulf everything, but time slowed to a crawl due to time deceleration.

I could hold on like this.

The explosion wouldn't last forever.

I'd maintain time deceleration until the explosion ended, but it wasn't easy.

I raised my hand and wiped my nose.

Unable to bear the strain, blood continued to flow from my nose.

I frowned.

My headache was gradually worsening but I couldn't back down now.

Just a little longer...

Even if I collapse here!

Helia was the first to react.

In the distance, she saw a blood-red storm rotating abnormally slow.

She instinctively realized that her teacher was suppressing it.

The slowly swirling bloodstorm was a monster of greed that seemed to devour everything.

Helia shouted with all her might.

"We don't have much time. We have to finish this quickly!"

"What are you talking about... What is that?!"

"That's the direction the commander took the Blood Demon."

While deflecting a demon's attack, Cluna quickly grasped the situation but at the same time, she was slightly surprised.

She didn't expect Helia to notice it faster than her.

Objectively, Cluna was superior to Helia in both skill and experience.

The reason Helia was able to notice it first was simple, all she had been thinking about was...

Her teacher.

She was here because of her teacher and she fought against the demons because they were his enemies.

She had forgotten all her past memories and experiences.

Her teacher was her only reason to live now, but even Helia didn't want to lose the connections she had made here.

At first, she didn't care.

Yes, that was definitely how she felt.

How did things end up this way?

Helia's body moved like a lightning bolt.

Only her speed was at a level where she could dare to challenge a true demon.

That was the power of the Thunder Dragon Sword Technique, but for now, that was all it was.

"You're quite skilled for your age."

"Tsk...!!"

The speed of the Thunder Dragon Sword Technique was beyond imagination.

She could move at a level comparable to a true demon despite her young age.

That alone was enough to dispel any doubts.

However, the biggest problem was herself.

She was still inexperienced and lacked power.

She couldn't get rid of the trash in front of her, even with the power her teacher had bestowed upon her.

At least that was what Helia believed.

But Rebecca, the true demon she was facing, was inwardly impressed.

She was only a human child...

She was slightly weaker, but she never imagined she could keep up with her to this extent.

She would definitely become a major threat to the demon race in the future.

So, she had to eliminate her here and now.

"I won't let you!"

But it wasn't easy.

The two elves had been constantly interfering.

However, even for them, blocking Rebecca's movements was a herculean task.

Rebecca's spear of swiftness struck Clara and Cluna.

They barely managed to defend against the attack but soon realized it was a trap.

The distance had increased.

It wasn't a thrust aimed to kill, but an attack meant to push them away and they had fallen for it perfectly.

Now, there was no one to protect Helia.

"Die!!!"

"..."

A true demon's attack.

It was a power comparable to the grim reaper.

It couldn't be dodged or blocked, or so it should have been.

But Helia could see all of her movements clearly.

[I'm going to step down as commander.]

Helia had felt a chill when he said that.

Maybe she had sensed it all along.

That one day, her teacher would leave and it was true.

Hans' top priority was to return to his original world.

Of course, Helia hadn't figured that out, and she probably never would.

But she had read the atmosphere.

Of course, she intended to follow her teacher forever.

But what if he went somewhere even she couldn't reach?

No. She didn't want that.

So, she had to hold him here.

"You have to defend, you trash."

"What...?!"

Rebecca had the upper hand in speed and everything else.

Helia was even lacking in experience, getting pushed back with every clash.

But that was all part of Helia's trap.

Accurately predicting the enemy's movements.

Dodging by a hair's breadth and counterattacking.

It was an unavoidable counterattack.

For a brief moment, Rebecca saw it.

Helia's sword, which had been moving so slowly, suddenly accelerated as if it had been boosted.

Thunder Dragon Sword Technique Second Sword: Thunder Dragon's Ultimate Guard

Soon, the thunder dragon devoured one of Rebecca's arms.

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[=Chapter 91=]

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Translated By Arcane Translations

Translator: FusionX

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A technique realized through talent that surpassed even the heavens.

Helia had instinctively sensed it—the power of her teacher.

Admiration.

The desire to follow.

The yearning to become as strong as her teacher.

A burning passion that made the impossible possible.

The terrifying aspect of time acceleration was its absolute offensive power.

No one could outrun time and no one could withstand accelerated time.

However, it was a power originally reserved for those chosen by time itself.

Yet, Helia had succeeded in partially replicating it.

Naturally, it was a maddening experience for the one facing it.

Her power and skill were clearly far inferior, yet...

Suddenly, she had surpassed her and even severed her arm with a speed that sent her crashing to the bottom.

An ordinary being would have been caught off guard and allowed the next blow, but...

Rebecca's years of experience allowed her to react in such a situation.

Her body was severely strained.

There wouldn't be another counterattack like that, but the same applied to her.

Having quickly made her judgment, Rebecca chose to retreat first but even that wasn't easy.

The two elves were clinging to her like glue.

"You think we'll miss the chance Helia created?!"

"Tsk...!!"

That young elf, she was nothing special when she wielded a sword, but with a bow in hand, she was a completely different elf.

It seemed like she was predicting every single movement.

Every arrow she shot struck Rebecca's body.

'She's one of the best archers I've ever met... among all elves, no, all beings.'

To Rebecca, archers were nothing more than insignificant pawns.

There had never been an archer who could hit her at her overwhelming speed.

At least not until today.

Of course, her experience and skill were still lacking.

She was so focused on hitting her target that she had given away this much distance.

Just as Rebecca, having successfully lured her in, was about to swing her spear...

A chilling killing intent struck her from behind.

She almost lost her remaining arm.

Rebecca spun her body in the air, dodging the attack that came from below.

"You're surprisingly agile for trash."

"It's been a while, Guardian of the Forest."

"I gave up that title long ago."

"Well, it wasn't a fitting title for you anyway."

Their voices were friendly enough to make it seem like they were exchanging pleasantries, but behind those words lay a killing intent aimed at each other's throats.

The clash of weapons echoed.

However, Rebecca was gradually being pushed back.

They were evenly matched even when she had all her limbs.

Now, she was at a disadvantage, outnumbered by her enemies, and with one arm severed.

If Cluna had aggressively attacked with the intention of abandoning her comrade instead of fighting defensively to protect her, Rebecca would have lost her head long ago.

Crack!!

A total of dozens of arrows pierced her body.

Even while fighting in close quarters, Cluna had continued to land her arrows.

As a result, her knees buckled, and she couldn't dodge the attack.

It was too late to dodge.

Then, she could only offset it with a similar attack!

The spear thrust she unleashed from her unstable stance clashed with Cluna's sword.

Naturally, Rebecca was overpowered, but...

At least she was able to protect her neck.

Rebecca let out a deep sigh.

She thought she had won the battle against the monsters, but other monsters had been growing stronger in the shadows.

"I made a mistake. I should have brought more forces, even if it meant mutual destruction."

"It seems you suffered heavy losses from the battle with the Royal Knights."

"Yes, that's right. There's no need to hide it."

Rebecca readily admitted it.

They had succeeded in annihilating the Royal Knights, but the demons, especially the true demons, had also suffered tremendous losses.

Even Blood Demon himself had been severely injured...

He had no choice but to create a clone and send it.

Some true demons had even died in the battle against the Royal Knights.

It was because they had been arrogant, believing they could easily win outside the barrier.

But a cornered rat will bite the cat.

Thanks to their desperate resistance beyond imagination and their unyielding fighting spirit... even the true demons had suffered near-annihilating losses.

Originally, they had planned to focus on recovering while slowly executing the strategies they had prepared, but... for some reason, everything had been thwarted by the new Royal Knights.

[If this continues, we'll lose our influence.]

[We have no choice. We must eliminate them, even if it means taking losses.]

[They're only remnants... but we can't be careless.]

So, after much deliberation, the true demons made a decision.

They decided to use the trump card they had been saving for the Holy Kingdom to completely annihilate the Royal Knights.

That was the current situation.

The veil of shadows.

It was a power that weakened presence, a power that demons had applied to creating monsters.

Thanks to this, monsters, unlike demons, especially true demons, could ignore the barrier of the Holy Kingdom and operate freely.

However, it was impossible to apply the veil of shadows to other demons.

The amount of power consumed depended on the strength of the demon.

To apply the veil to a single true demon...

At least 3 other true demons had to risk their lives.

Naturally, the stronger the true demon, the more sacrifices were required.

That was why the pointless war of attrition had continued.

But demons weren't fools.

After countless efforts and trials and errors, they had finally succeeded in applying the veil of shadows to the land itself.

Of course, they could only maintain it for an hour...

But they thought that was enough.

The new Royal Knights had only dealt with monsters, lower-ranking demons, and those who barely qualified as Blood Demons.

So, they believed that true demons could easily handle them.

But that was a miscalculation.

Rebecca raised her head.

Time was almost up.

The trump card hidden by Blood Demon's clone had been successfully blocked by that commander.

What kind of person was he?

"I have no choice but to retreat."

"Who said you could just leave...?!"

"Wait, Clara. Let her go for now."

"Mom?!"

"...A cornered rat will bite the cat."

"You know it well. As expected."

Cluna bit her lip.

She understood that they had somehow erased the true demon's presence from this place.

It wasn't a normal method.

There must have been a significant limitation to that method.

Cluna had fought against countless true demons, including Rebecca.

Thanks to that, she could immediately tell.

Rebecca had been fighting them with the intention of returning alive.

But what if she fought with the determination to die?

Someone would definitely die here.

Unfortunately, that wasn't what Cluna wanted and it wasn't what the commander would want either.

"It's good that you're retreating on your own."

"Excellent. The Royal Knights have gained a new asset."

"Damn it, we have to let that bastard go...!!"

"Don't be so upset, young elf. Your time will come."

"Would you please just shut up and leave?"

Rebecca laughed and turned her head.

At the same time, her body burned with black flames and disappeared.

Cluna let out a sigh of relief.

This was over for now.

"Mom! What are you doing?! We have to help them!"

"Ah, you don't have to worry about Yuren."

"Huh? Why?"

"Because she can't lose in a battle of pure strength."

Not to mention Commander Yuren, even Ruby and Bayard had become strong enough to fight evenly against most true demons.

It was thanks to the commander's influence.

No, it was true for all of them.

[Are you guys hanging out at the Royal Knights? Training, training, and more training.]

[There's no rest. Are we in any position to rest?]

[War is not a game! Swing your swords with all your might!]

The commander had firmly held onto their discipline, which could have easily crumbled.

Of course, it was a bit too harsh... if it hadn't been a wartime situation.

It was a wartime situation.

Moreover, hadn't the Royal Knights already been defeated once by the demons?

The morale of the defeated soldiers would have naturally plummeted even if they did nothing.

Perhaps because the commander knew that, he had kept them training almost non-stop, rarely giving them breaks.

The few breaks they did get were given as rewards.

That was how they had trained...

And after going through countless incidents, they had reached this point.

But now, the commander was saying he had fulfilled his role and was trying to step down.

How could...

"Cluna."

"Helia? Your wound..."

"It's fine. The plan comes first."

"You're right."

Cluna nodded.

The plan she had initially opposed but eventually had to accept... Helia was now trying to put it into action, risking everything.

I will never let you go, Teacher.

Helia's eyes burned bright red.

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