Chapter 207

Chapter 207. The Traitors (8)

For the past 500 years… no, even before that, the conflict between heroes and demons has continued.

The long, bloody history has engraved a common perception in the hearts of heroes.

Demons are not human; they are monsters wearing human masks.

The power brought by such “perception” was strong.

Just like how, when you see a shrimp or crab with a grotesque appearance, the first thought that comes to mind is not disgust but “it looks delicious.”

It greatly reduces the reluctance to fight and kill demons.

But.

What if the target is not a demon?

What if it’s the blood of another human being?

“Ah, uh…”

Yurina trembled as she looked at the blood on her sword.

The face of the woman behind the Fox Mask.

She stared blankly at the face of the woman whose faint breath had finally ceased.

‘I killed someone.’

With her own hands, with her own sword.

She took a life.

Of course, she knew they deserved to die.

They used the people of the slums as errand boys and brutally killed those who didn’t obey their orders.

But.

“Haa, haa…”

Blood, blood, blood.

The blood pouring from the split stomach.

The blood dripping down the blade.

It was no different from her own.

“Cha-haat!!!”

The Rabbit Mask charged at Yurina, who stood frozen.

Yurina stared blankly at the sharp dagger swung at her.

“Yurina!”

Kaaang!

I swung my sword at the Rabbit Mask, blocking her path to Yurina.

Ash Fire Sword.

First Form: Ash Cut.

Whooosh!

The burning ash fire shattered the Rabbit Mask’s dagger and engulfed her body.

“Kyaaak!”

The Rabbit Mask writhed, wrapped in the ash fire.

Soon, the Rabbit Mask, now charred black, collapsed to the ground.

“…Dale.”

Yurina looked at me with a pale face, staring at the fallen Rabbit Mask.

“……”

Seeing her trembling, memories of my past life naturally came to mind.

The time when I worked as a mercenary after graduating from school.

The memory of killing a guy who pointed a sword at his comrades to steal their reward.

Though a long time had passed, the memory of my first kill was still vivid.

‘Back then, I vomited and made a mess.’

Now, whether it’s a hero or a demon, I have no hesitation in taking someone’s life, but back then, I reacted just like Yurina.

No, perhaps I was even worse.

At least Yurina isn’t vomiting.

“I, I thought… they were demons….”

Yurina stammered with a pale face.

I looked at her and quietly closed my eyes.

It wouldn’t be hard to comfort her now.

You didn’t know, so it couldn’t be helped.

Considering what these guys did, it’s no different from killing a demon.

You’re not bad.

You didn’t do anything wrong.

So.

Forget the blood on your sword.

‘But.’

What’s the point of such comfort?

“Yurina.”

“Da, Dale…”

“What are you doing? There’s still one left.”

“B, but…”

“Did you forget what you said earlier about fighting alone? Or should I fight for you now?”

“N, no! I, I… I’ll fight.”

Yurina bit her lip and tried to grip her sword.

Tuk.

The sword slipped from her hand and rolled on the ground.

“Ah… S, sorry, Dale.”

Yurina hurriedly picked up the sword.

I looked at her and…

“Tsk.”

…clicked my tongue in disappointment.

“Forget it. I’ll fight.”

“Da, Dale…!”

Yurina grabbed my arm.

“I… I can fight. Really.”

“Even if the opponent is a human, not a demon?”

“……”

“Can you kill another person with your own hands?”

“Th, that’s…”

Yurina’s expression stiffened.

“Th, those people… they’re bad people, right? So…”

“Ah, so if they’re bad, it’s okay to just kill them?”

“Th, that’s not what I meant!”

“Yurina.”

I continued in a calm voice.

“Stop trying to make excuses.”

I pointed to the blood on her sword.

“The blood on your sword isn’t from a monster or a demon.”

It’s the blood of a human, just like her.

“Knowing that… can you still swing your sword?”

“……”

Yurina looked down at the sword in her hand.

The blood flowing down the blade.

Suppressing the nausea that threatened to make her vomit, she gritted her teeth.

“…I can do it.”

Yurina gripped her sword and stepped toward the Wolf Mask.

While she was talking, the Wolf Mask had been swinging his greatsword at the surrounding ash fire to create an escape route.

“Tsk.”

The Wolf Mask clicked his tongue as he saw the ash fire remain intact despite his full-powered strike.

“…Is there no other way?”

He wanted to avoid using the power given by “that person” as much as possible, but in this situation, there was no other choice.

‘First, that girl.’

After glaring at Dale, who stood still, the Wolf Mask turned his gaze to Yurina.

Though she looked quite young, her swordsmanship was far superior to his.

‘But combat isn’t just about swordsmanship.’

Remembering how she had killed the Fox Mask and was now trembling with a pale face, the Wolf Mask slowly raised his greatsword.

And.

Clash.

Kaaang! Kang! Kagagakang!

The fragments of aura created by the clashing swords overturned the surrounding ground.

“Ugh…!”

Yurina frowned at the heavy impact transmitted through her hands.

‘Incredible strength.’

Even with her monstrous amount of magic power, she could barely withstand it.

‘Where did such a hero come from…?’

This wasn’t an ordinary ranker.

This was a top-tier ranker, at least within the top 20.

With such strength, he could receive the highest treatment anywhere on the continent, so why was he wearing a strange mask and operating in the slums of Valhalla City?

“Who are you…?”

“Is there anything more foolish than asking someone wearing a mask for their identity?”

Swoosh!

The Wolf Mask lowered his body and swept his leg across the ground.

“Ugh…!”

Yurina hastily jumped to avoid the attack.

And then.

Whooosh!

The greatsword, wrapped in burning aura, swung with terrifying force.

A slash from below.

An unavoidable sharp strike while in mid-air.

Thud!

Yurina focused magic power on her toes and stepped on the swinging greatsword, leaping into the air once more.

“Kuh…!”

In an instant, Yurina was behind the Wolf Mask.

It was the perfect opportunity to cut off the Wolf Mask’s breath.

But.

“Ugh…”

Yurina’s sword, aimed at the Wolf Mask’s back, stopped mid-air.

“As expected, you’re still clumsy.”

A low chuckle escaped the Wolf Mask’s lips.

He turned his body and swung his sword at Yurina’s neck.

Kaaang!

“Ahh!”

Yurina barely blocked the greatsword and was pushed back, screaming.

“Let’s finish this quickly. After you, I have to deal with that gray-haired one too.”

The Wolf Mask’s dry voice echoed in her ears.

‘Deal with Dale…?’

It was such an absurd statement that she almost laughed.

But naturally, such an imagination came to mind.

‘What if… Dale wasn’t as strong as he is now?’

If she had to protect Dale.

If she was too afraid of getting blood on her sword and let the enemy live, and because of that, Dale got hurt…

“…Ha.”

Yurina’s expression twisted fiercely.

Dale, lying on the ground, bleeding.

Imagining that, an uncontrollable rage boiled up from deep within her chest.

Whooosh!

A silver light burst from Yurina’s left chest.

With an overwhelming release of magic power, her body floated into the air.

“What the…!”

The Wolf Mask’s eyes widened in shock.

Without using any special technique, just the pure release of magic power, she was floating in the air.

It was like a person flapping their arms to float in the air.

“Hoo.”

Yurina exhaled softly as she floated in the air.

The silver sword aura formed at the tip of her sword swam freely in the air like fish released into water.

Dozens, no, hundreds of sword auras formed a huge circle.

A silver sphere made of sword auras.

It looked like…

“…The moon?”

The Wolf Mask unconsciously stepped back at the immense magic power emanating from the silver sphere.

And then.

“Moonlight.”

Yurina swung her sword down.

Kwaaaah!!!

The hundreds of sword auras forming the silver sphere poured down like a waterfall toward the Wolf Mask.

“Kuh… Keuh!”

The Wolf Mask swung his greatsword to deflect the falling silver sword auras, but he couldn’t stop the waterfall of auras and collapsed.

“……”

As the silver light emanating from her entire body slowly subsided, Yurina landed gracefully.

She walked toward the fallen Wolf Mask.

Her hand holding the sword trembled slightly.

“…Dale.”

Yurina unconsciously looked back at Dale.

Dale, as if telling her to decide for herself, crossed his arms and took a step back.

“……”

Yurina’s gaze turned to the fallen Wolf Mask.

He was breathing heavily, but he wasn’t dead yet.

‘I have to… kill him with my own hands.’

This was different from killing the Fox Mask.

Even knowing he wasn’t a demon, she had to kill him with her own hands.

‘You don’t need to feel guilty.’

He was a heinous villain.

No, beyond being a villain, he was an “enemy” who swung his sword to kill her.

What need is there to feel guilty about cutting off the breath of an enemy who sought your life?

So there’s no reason to hesitate…

-Stop trying to make excuses.

Suddenly, Dale’s voice echoed in her head.

-The blood on your sword isn’t from a monster or a demon.

Right.

No matter what reason you give, she is now taking the life of a human, just like herself.

By her own will.

With her own sword.

-Knowing that… can you still swing your sword?

Yurina took a short breath.

At school, she was taught not to swing her sword except when fighting the Devil God’s minions.

That was the iron rule and belief she was taught as a hero.

But the world outside school was different.

There were times when she had to swing her sword even when not fighting the Devil God’s minions.

The “enemy” wasn’t always the Devil God’s minions; sometimes, they were fellow heroes.

And probably in the future.

This situation will continue to repeat.

If you hesitate to get blood on your sword each time, you’ll eventually lose something precious.

“Dale.”

Yurina gripped her sword in reverse.

The trembling in her hand holding the sword had stopped.

“This is my answer.”

Thud.

Yurina’s sword pierced the Wolf Mask’s heart.