I Possessed the Villain’s Childhood Friend – Chapter 115

“…So, this is how it ends, huh.”

Es sighed and looked around.

Vita, Roxy, and Arc were already collapsed on the floor.

The only ones standing were himself, Ed, Charlotte, and—

“Are you alright, Dean Charlotte?”

A woman with black bobbed hair and a white streak interjected.

“It was dangerous, but I’m fine. Well, it would have been easier if you hadn’t been late, Michelle.”

“I-I’m so sorry! I got lost on the way…”

“It’s not too late, so I’ll forgive you this time.”

It was Michelle Basil.

“Alright. Thanks, Michelle.”

After receiving healing for all her injuries from Michelle, Charlotte relaxed her body.

“By the way, are you staying behind because you have something to say to that guy?”

Charlotte’s finger pointed toward Ed.

Of course, Charlotte knew everything that had happened on the Southern Front, so she had a rough idea of what Michelle had said to Ed back then.

With Charlotte’s consideration in mind, Michelle looked like she had a lot to say, but—

“I’m fine.”

In the end, she shook her head.

“Miss Sophia also said that now isn’t the time to dwell on the past.”

“…Yeah. What matters isn’t the past.”

Hearing Michelle’s response, Charlotte shrugged her shoulders and looked at Es.

“What are you doing? We need to start again.”

“Seriously. You took down three people in ambush, and now you look so bold?”

“I’ve been handling five alone until now, so cut me some slack.”

“Yet you casually leave me and my brother behind and suggest we start again. What a thick-skinned person.”

“That doesn’t mean I’m just going to sit back and give up, you know?”

In the face-off with Charlotte’s unyielding stance, Es sighed once more.

“Neither my brother nor I can use our abilities. My right arm is still in perfect shambles. And you want me to face off against a monster like you… It sounds like it’ll be a hell of a lot of fun.”

A fierce grin appeared on her face.

And looking at Es, Charlotte spoke.

“…Students seem to know when it’s time not to dwell on the past better than I thought, but I tend to be a bit more foolish.”

“What?”

“Stop chattering and quickly engage, you brats.”

With her brows knitted and her eyes glaring at them.

“Ready, brother?”

“…Yeah, Es.”

The two stepped forward almost simultaneously.

“I liked you, you know. If we had met differently, could we have become friends?”

Es asked Charlotte while grasping her fading consciousness, as Ed had already collapsed.

Charlotte replied with an emotionless expression.

“Sorry, but I absolutely detest people like you.”

“…Well, I guess that’s fair.”

And with those last words, Es lost consciousness.

★

“Give up. And in the end, I hope you’ll acknowledge my victory.”

Cron slowly approached Helen and Atal.

Helen and Atal tried to get up as best as they could, but their bodies stubbornly refused to budge, having reached their limits.

“Hah. Now that I can’t use the spear, I’ll have to fight barehanded.”

Cron lifted a red spear that was on the ground momentarily, then threw it away without any hesitation.

“Well then, I’ll start with you.”

Standing in front of Helen, Cron raised his left hand high.

And at that moment.

“Well done holding on, Helen.”

“…San, village?”

A sharp strike swept across Cron’s body.

If he had reacted even slightly slower, that attack would have pierced his heart, but he barely dodged it by a hair’s breadth.

“…Who are you? Why are you obstructing the rights of the victor?”

“Sorry, but you see, she’s quite a precious niece to me.”

A man with disheveled gray hair and glasses exuded a rather weary vibe.

“Atal. Where are Aike and Reina?”

“I’m, huh?”

As Atal turned his head slowly in response, Sophia and Leon were standing there.

“Aike and Reina went into that cave a while ago…”

“Are they okay?”

“I…I’m not sure.”

Reina had promised to bring Aike back immediately upon finding him.

But since they hadn’t come out yet, Atal thought they were definitely in a crisis.

“Understood. Then Sophia and I are planning to head into that cave. Is that alright?”

“Yes. Please leave this to us, Your Highness.”

The man quietly nodded at Leon’s words.

After Sophia used light healing magic on Helen and Atal, they dashed into the cave without hesitation.

“Are you sure it’s alright not to stop us?”

“Are you telling me to divert my gaze in front of someone like you? At a time like this?”

In response to the man’s remark, Cron sneered.

Originally, Cron would have naturally tried to stop Sophia and Leon from entering the cave.

But now he realized it was daunting just to face the man in front of him.

“…What about that arm?”

“It’s the masterpiece crafted by your precious niece. Impressive, isn’t it?”

Cron’s right arm had completely vanished without a trace.

It was the result of the final blow struck by Helen and Atal combining their powers.

“To break the armor of magical beasts with just one punch… you certainly are talented.”

“…Well, that’s true.”

“In that case, this will probably be my final battle as well, so may I hear your name?”

In response to Cron’s question, the man answered with a neutral expression.

“…I am Arvain Oberon.”

★

“…What on earth happened, Aike?”

Sophia asked as she used healing magic on me.

“Is it that serious?”

“…Yes. To put it frankly, I’m already at my physical limit. To heal completely, I’d need at least a week.”

In the original story, Sophia’s most crucial role was, as can be guessed from the title, healing magic.

It was said that her healing magic surpassed that of dozens of priests from the Martires Order.

Hearing that even someone like Sophia found my condition difficult to heal instantly told me all I needed to know.

While I certainly didn’t feel much pain, my arm continued to tremble slightly.

“Still, it shouldn’t cause problems in fighting right away.”

Quietly loosening my body, I turned my gaze forward.

There, Reina and Leon were fighting against Rex.

Rex, even without his left arm, was not being pushed back as he faced off against the two.

Indeed, sitting still was not an option.

“…Hah.”

I let out a big sigh and slowly took a step forward.

My left side throbbed a bit.

Noise emanated from my right leg and left shoulder.

The tremors in my arms showed no signs of stopping.

I was in the worst possible state; still, there was no room for hesitation.

I firmly believed this was the final hurdle, and I dashed onto the battlefield.

“…Is that the Holy Sword that was rumored about?”

Naturally, Rex’s left arm did not regenerate.

What is the Holy Sword?

A sword said to contain the power of the stars.

Simply possessing it boosts various abilities of its bearer.

Automatic healing, physical enhancement, protection magic, confusion immunity, and more.

But the Holy Sword’s most crucial ability wasn’t any of those.

The reason it was essential in the original story to fight against Avatarara was—

“The power to purify the blood of magical beasts.”

As that phrase suggested, it existed to purge the blood of magical beasts so that the executives of Avatarara could not use their abilities as demons.

The biggest reason why the executives of Avatarara were seen as threats was indeed because of their magical beast abilities.

However, among them, Rex was the only exception.

He had once been called the strongest even without the magical beast abilities in the original story.

And as evidence of that—

“…This is interesting.”

He was now not being pushed back at all against my and Leon’s attacks, even with his left arm missing.

With just his right arm, he wielded a massive greatsword, showing no openings whatsoever.

Even when aiming for the side that had to bend down, he effortlessly dodged with light footwork.

Even knowing he was a person like us, I felt entranced by his movements that were on an entirely different level.

“Don’t underestimate the pride of a millennium!”

Rex swung his right arm wide.

Just that alone generated a powerful gust of wind, forcing Leon and me to stagger back.

“Reina!”

“Yeah!”

Reina, as if she had sensed what I wanted to say, extended her right hand toward Rex.

Immediately, silver chains shot out from the air, binding Rex’s limbs.

The “Sky Cage,” one of the wind attributes of magic.

Instead of weakening the opponent, it literally immobilizes their movements.

With the recent increase in Rex’s activity, this was the most apt spell to use.

“Woooaaahhh!”

However, Rex simply shattered it with raw strength accompanied by a battle cry.

“What kind of nonsense…!”

Reina gasped in shock at the absurd sight.

Typically, the way to counter such magic is to increase one’s magical power and disrupt the flow.

To push it away using only brute strength?

Indeed, it was an unbelievable spectacle.

However, the opponent was the strongest in Avatarara.

I had no choice but to accept that as a possibility.

But what’s more, thanks to that, a slight opening was created, so this was enough.

“Miss Sophia!”

“Yes!”

The pure white light that flowed from Sophia engulfed me and Leon.

With a feeling of increased lightness, we dashed forward.

If we could just seize the opportunity, it would have been perfect, but Rex was certainly not that easy of an opponent.

“Hya!”

As we charged, Rex did not retaliate and quickly stepped back, driving his sword into the ground.

Even with one hand, an enormous thunderous sound rang out, deeply gouging into the earth, and the debris created obscured our front.

But—

“Spirit of Water, grant them protection!”

At the precise moment, a watery barrier emerged in front of us, stopping the debris.

The rubble that had obstructed our view fell away in an instant.

And there, waiting for us, was—

“Come!”

Rex was in a fierce combat stance, emanating an intimidating spirit.

★

“Come!”

The debris created from hitting the ground was blocked by Reina Rozelia behind.

The bodies of Aike and Leon, charging forward, were enveloped in the light of the support magic employed by Sophia Eris.

And finally, I caught a proper glimpse of Aike’s eyes.

Contained within them was an unwavering determination to never give up.

‘This is interesting.’

When simply comparing the gap in combat power between Aike and Rex, it was despairing.

But in conclusion, who was currently being pushed into a corner?

Objectively speaking, it was undoubtedly Rex.

It was a result achieved by Aike refusing to give up, enduring, and holding on.

Some might call it luck.

However, the one who grasped that luck was none other than Aike’s ability, Rex could assert.

And undoubtedly, it was this desire that had altered his lord’s thoughts.

Rex thought unconsciously about that.