My Disciples Think I’m Strong – Chapter 248

“Ugh!”

After the remaining minute ended, the backlash of the mimic hit me.

First came the muscle pain, followed by a creaking in every joint. I bit my lower lip tightly against the pain radiating throughout my body.

Ultimately, I couldn’t withstand the spasms and dropped the broken iron sword.

Clang!

I glared at the fallen sword in fury. I was so close…!

I had exhausted all uses of the All-Cutting Sword, and my Glass Sword had broken ages ago.

Struggling, I lifted my head.

Before me, the landscape had changed completely, with the ground caved in, littered with the corpses of countless demons and trees.

Seeing it in person, the term “sea of blood” felt all too real as the ground glimmered crimson.

However, life still remained atop that gruesome scene. I grimaced at the sight of hundreds of demons still left alive.

Could I not persevere after all?

Should I have joined the heroes without pushing myself? Dying would render this fight meaningless…

Damn. Is this it…?

As I was about to resign with my eyes closed, I suddenly snapped them open.

“No…!”

How did I come this far…? I can’t give up!

Enduring the pain with each movement, I shifted my hand to my pocket. If I drink a potion, I could at least lure the demons with High-Speed Movement.

And just as I thought that while pulling a potion from my pocket, one of the demons charged at me, swinging its weapon.

“Damn…!”

“‘Wind Buster’!”

With the familiar voice echoing above me, the limbs of the demon rushing at me were torn apart.

I looked up at the sudden gust of wind.

In the air, a blonde woman in a green fairy outfit was reaching out toward me.

“Praus! Are you okay?!”

“Yes, how did you….”

She supported my collapsing body with wind and landed softly on the ground. She immediately rummaged through my pockets to retrieve a potion.

“Oh, no.”

As I opened my mouth, she poured a life potion inside. As I swallowed it, the pain that had spread throughout my body subsided, as if I had been anesthetized.

“Thanks, Ariel. But why are you here?”

“I came after seeing that the other Spirit Kings had descended into the Human World. Why are you alone pushing yourself?”

“Did you use causality…?”

“The World Tree told me that if I intervened, causality might be consumed, but I couldn’t just sit still.”

“If causality is consumed, the Demon King could become stronger. Knowing that—!”

“It’ll be fine. This much. Besides, protecting you comes first, after all.”

Her words were rational, yet honestly, I was truly grateful that Ariel had saved me. If she hadn’t been there, I would’ve died at the hands of the demon just now.

No matter how much insurance I had, I didn’t want to die in vain.

“More importantly, Praus! The other Spirit Kings said the situation isn’t good and that they need your help!”

“What?”

The situation isn’t good? That was definitely a statement that shouldn’t be uttered.

“What do you mean by that?”

“There didn’t seem to be time for detailed explanations. They just asked me to bring you.”

What on earth is happening up there?

I had been generally informed about Blas’s behavioral patterns. Could it be that he used a pattern I was unaware of?

Recognizing the gravity of the situation, I desperately tried to come up with the next move. But my frozen mind refused to cooperate.

At that moment, Ariel placed her hand on my shoulder.

“So leave this to me. I can take care of this many demons even with the allowed causality. You head up to the Demon King’s Castle and save the heroes. The wind will guide you to where the heroes are.”

As Ariel touched my body, the wind enveloped me gently, leading me toward the Demon King’s Castle.

No, even if I go, what can I possibly do?

I don’t have a single artifact on me right now.

I’ve used up all the uses of the Glass Sword, and my mimic’s duration has long expired. My weapon is even broken.

Even if I reach the Demon King’s Castle, could I be of any help?

My answer was no.

“The heroes can’t defeat the Demon King. He’s beyond causality.”

“What do you mean by that…?”

“The World Tree specifically told me to convey that to you.”

They can’t win…?

Then… all my efforts up until now were for nothing.

What do they think I’ve been running around for over the past five years?

If my fate was to die anyway, I should have just spent the money Paroco had gathered for me for ten years instead. I shouldn’t have stubbornly insisted on clearing the game.

“…I honestly don’t understand what the World Tree meant by saying that.”

Ariel spoke while gazing at the demons.

Of course, she wouldn’t know. She’s merely a piece on the board moving according to the World Tree’s will.

“But… aren’t you also beyond causality, Praus?”

“!”

She was looking at me now.

“You are a ‘Player’.”

I don’t know why.

The moment I heard her words, my heart began to race. It certainly wasn’t excitement about the situation.

The situation was already going downhill, and I still hadn’t found a solution.

Then why…?

…No, these questions didn’t matter.

I’d rather not sit here in useless resentment.

I was determined to find a way back to the heroes, no matter what. This was something I had decided even before entering the Demon World.

Even if I killed the Demon King and achieved a happy ending, it wouldn’t mean anything if the heroes died. A happy ending without the protagonist isn’t a true conclusion.

“Ah… come to think of it, I quite still don’t understand what ‘Player’ means.”

Ariel awkwardly smiled, as if she felt a bit embarrassed.

“…It means someone who plays a game.”

“Huh?”

“A Player is that.”

“A game…?”

Not replying to Ariel’s surprised question, I turned my body.

“Three minutes.”

“Three minutes?”

“I might call you to kill the Demon King. So handle it within three minutes.”

“…Weren’t we friends, Praus? This commanding tone is a bit much. Well, it does feel reassuring since it’s so ‘you’ though.”

She grumbled.

“It’ll be the last time.”

“Uh?”

“I’m speaking to you like this because—“

I wasn’t entirely sure, but I started to get the gist of what I had to do from here on.

“Please, Ariel.”

“Don’t worry.”

I took a deep breath and gathered strength into my trembling legs.

“‘High-Speed Movement’.”

*

Clang! Clang! Clang!

“Are you seriously fighting with your trusted sword? Why are you struggling?!”

Every time Blas swung his sword to strike the Guardian of the Sanctuary, Iris was unilaterally pushed back, unable to stabilize her center of gravity.

Each time she nearly fell, she would barely hold herself up with her reflexes, but even a child could tell that the fight was heavily lopsided.

‘Just maintaining Absolute Domain is draining my mana, and I don’t have enough leeway to cover my body. Plus, this Demon King is precisely targeting the weak spots in my defense.’

Clang!

“Is that all you’ve got? You can’t win just by defending!”

After blocking Blas’s descending sword with Absolute Defense, she twisted her body to create space.

“‘Phantasmal Cutting Strike’!”

Clang!

“Is that all you have?”

Iris’s thrust was lightly blocked by the Demon Sword Dystopia.

“Is that all you have?”

“Not yet!”

She thought she needed to start cutting down blades bigger than her own and adjusted her stance. She gripped the All-Cutting Sword tightly.

“Ugh. This is becoming boring.”

Blas also changed his stance.

“Was it like this?”

And then, with a cold expression, he murmured.

“‘Cutting Strike’.”

Boom!

“Gah!”

A massive burst of magic pierced through Iris’s left side.

“Agh… ugh…”

Tears began to flow from Iris’s eyes due to the unbearable pain. Her breathing became ragged, and blood spewed from her mouth, soaking the ground.

“Cough!”

Though she trembled, she tried to get up somehow, but her entire body felt drained of strength.

Having lost her sword, Iris clutched her ruined side. However, it was futile to seal the enormous hole in her body. Blood poured out like a waterfall, staining the ground where she slumped down.

“Did you turn your body to avoid instant death at that moment? But still, you weren’t able to escape a fatal injury.”

Iris seized the All-Cutting Sword she had dropped, determined to retaliate no matter what.

‘Even if I die… just lowering his health a bit… then my… my brother will surely… kill the Demon King…!’

“You still think you can resist? How pathetic.”

Blas raised his sword high.

“Die now. Hero. Your level is only this much.”

Without hesitation, he swung his sword toward Iris’s head. As she watched the sword falling toward her, she squeezed her eyes shut.

‘Brother…!’

And then, it happened.

“‘All-Cutting Sword’.”

Swish!

Blas’s hand holding the Demon Sword Dystopia flew away.

Both Blas, who had swung down without hesitation, and Iris, who had silently awaited death, could hardly comprehend the situation.

“…Hey. What are you doing to a child?”

In an instant, a black-haired man approached Blas and swung his leg.

“Y-You…!”

Thud!

With Praus’s spinning kick, Blas was thrown forward and smashed into a wall.

“P-Praus…? B-Brother…?”

Iris desperately reached out toward Praus. With her body losing warmth from the blood loss, she longed for his warmth.

“Don’t say anything, Iris.”

Praus lowered himself and placed a hand on Iris’s side. Though his hand became stained with her warm blood, he didn’t mind.

“‘Heal’.”

A turquoise light of mana emanated from Praus’s palm, and the hole in Iris’s side began to mend. Naturally, the bleeding also stopped.

“You lost a lot of blood, so you’ll feel dizzy. Drink this and stay still.”

He placed a potion before Iris and picked up the Guardian of the Sanctuary, drenched in blood.

“Oh, Brother….”

“I’ll borrow your sword.”

In Praus’s other hand was the All-Cutting Sword used by Tina.

“Praus…! Praus!!”

Blas emerged from the dust, roaring. Praus coolly looked at him and said with a chilling tone.

“Let’s finish this. You’re a character not meant to be in the end I want to see.”

With his posture ready to charge at Blas at any moment, Praus’s vision was filled with numerous holograms of words.

And at the top row of those holograms, a single sentence was written boldly.

[Skill “Expression Management” is completely released.]