The NTR Hero Knelt Before the Demon King – Chapter 78

The person standing before my eyes.

She stands with a massive scythe, as if she’s about to slice the moon itself.

With her crimson hair flowing, she stands as noble as ever, an embodiment of strength and indescribable beauty.

At the same time,

to her,

for Eliza,

she is the most precious person in the world.

The ultimate target that she has always yearned for.

As she gazes at that person…

Eliza draws her dagger, slowly approaching her mother, Elias, who is standing on the stage…

“I never expected to see you here, my daughter.”

“…”

With Eliza’s appearance, Elias shows her usual warm smile.

However, as Eliza sees this, she only adjusts her stance in silence.

“Are you thinking of starting right away? Don’t rush it, my dear; if you act too hastily, you might end up getting hurt.”

“….”

Elias speaks in a gentle voice, seemingly unbothered by Eliza’s readiness to unleash her magic and attack.

In response, Eliza feels a surge of emotions as she realizes that the woman right in front of her, her own mother, shows no seriousness whatsoever against her.

Then…

“!”

-Swoosh!!

In a moment, Eliza merges with the shadows, launching a formidable strike.

The attack, coming with such speed that it was hard to follow with the naked eye, lands precisely on Elias, who quickly moves her scythe to barely block it.

“… Even so… isn’t this a bit harsh for your mother?”

Elias comments with mild dissatisfaction.

Yet,

Seeing her still smiling, Eliza passionately declares, “Don’t hold back, Mama! Right now, I’m… truly serious! I will definitely… definitely defeat you and resolve things between you and that man!”

“!!”

Eliza’s words, laden with sincerity.

Suddenly, the calm expression on Elias’s face is overtaken by deep confusion.

“E-Eliza? Wh-what are you talking about…?”

As she asks, the grip on her hand that was blocking Eliza’s dagger loosens.

Simultaneously, Eliza, fueled by her emotions, pushes forward, shouting, “Don’t play dumb! I already know. Mama is in love! And every chance she gets, she’s meeting that man alone!”

“Ugh!…”

Elias, unable to retort against Eliza’s sharp words, struggles to maintain her composure.

But shortly after, she pushes away Eliza’s assault, and with a trembling gaze, cautiously asks her, “Uh… how did you know?”

“Of course, I can tell at a glance! You’re so obvious about it. Did you really think I wouldn’t notice?”

“…Haah…”

Elias sighs heavily at Eliza’s words.

Then, she explosively releases the power in her hand, forcefully pushing Eliza back.

“Tch!”

Eliza slightly stumbles back from Elias’s action.

Immediately after,

Elias, as if resolved, speaks with a more serious voice while looking at her daughter, who stands before her.

“Well then… with this, there’s no point in excuses anymore.”

Bitterness.

A hint of acceptance.

And within it, a sense of resolve can be felt in Elias’s demeanor.

She looks at her precious daughter and continues with a determined voice.

“Yes, as you said… I do have someone I love, someone I’m seriously considering remarrying.”

“!…”

Elias declares firmly, as if she has already made up her mind.

Seeing this, Eliza feels a piercing pain within her heart as she lowers her head, trembling as she says, “…Why… why him? Why that man?”

“El…iza?”

“Why him? Honestly, you never got along with him since the first time you met! Why now, of all times, do you choose him? Why… why!!”

Eliza screams, tears streaming down her face.

At the same moment, she charges at Elias, swinging her sword mercilessly, as if her emotions had gone into a rampage.

“!”

In a split second, she stands her ground as if the shadows of the ground were blades, rushing towards Elias with a new attack method that was drastically different from before.

Elias instinctively feels surprise at Eliza’s new combat style and hurriedly readies her defense.

And as a result…

-KABOOM!!!

A sudden, loud explosion echoes.

The noise and shock begin to sweep through the area as if dozens of metal rods were crashing down, and the dust created by the blast obscures their vision in an instant.

*

In the midst of this fierce battle scene and the obscuring dust clouds, I start feeling a mix of surprise and confusion.

‘Not only merging with shadows, but also manipulating them physically… it’s clear that she’s grown stronger compared to the battles we fought before.’

From a combat power perspective, it was evident that she had improved enough to receive praise.

However, aside from that fact, I couldn’t help but feel intrigued by Eliza’s intense emotions that had surfaced during the fight.

‘It doesn’t seem like the distance is affecting the sound much, but it looks as if they’re actually arguing about something? What on earth are they discussing to be acting like that…’

It was natural for a daughter and mother to bicker over various issues.

The problem was that this bickering was happening in the middle of a national tournament.

Considering that, I began to think differently about the Demon General and the Elite Guard.

‘Ignoring their surroundings and saying what they want, huh? Well… if both Eliza and Elias are that strong, I suppose they could engage in a verbal duel with someone like that Samson without blinking an eye.’

Seeing Elias, who had faced the fearsome Samson without flinching, reminded me once again of her tremendous spirit, which was truly impressive, regardless of her delicate appearance.

As I was lost in these thoughts, waiting for the dust before my eyes to settle, I heard it.

“Aah…”

The next moment, Samuel’s voice filled with despair reached my ears.

In an instant, I realized why such words would spill from her mouth.

Before my eyes lay the scene.

It was…

Elias, bleeding and pierced all over by Eliza’s shadow attack,

and at the same time, embracing Eliza tightly in that ruined state.

*

“M-Mama… wh-why?”

Eliza’s mother, Elias, tightly hugs her.

In an instant, diverged by rage during her attack, Eliza could only feel deep confusion.

In that fleeting moment, Eliza saw.

Elias, who could have easily countered the attack, choosing instead to embrace her.

‘She could have retaliated… if she wanted to. It was a moment where she could have easily overpowered me. But instead…’

However, at the last moment, Elias chose to hold her close instead of countering.

With her mother covered in blood, Eliza felt a shock as if cold water had been poured over her.

And,

While watching Eliza, Elias gently strokes her head and speaks in a calm voice.

“…Does it really bother you that much? That I love that man… that man is going to be your new father…”

“…”

Despite her body riddled with wounds, Elias never loses her sense of calm and continues speaking to her daughter.

Her words hit Eliza like arrows, piercing deeply into her heart.

But still, Eliza fights against her mother’s overpowering affection, struggling to respond.

“…I don’t want to… really… just the thought of you being with him… it hurts so much right here. Why him… out of so many people… why did you fall in love with the Hero?”

“…Huh?”

In response to Eliza’s words, Elias looks at her with a blank expression.