The NTR Hero Knelt Before the Demon King – Chapter 85

“…Hmm…”

“Ehem… So, it turns out that Samuel, who was originally a participant in this duel, ended up withdrawing due to the aftermath of a terror incident, which means the winner of this match is Eliza.”

Eliza found herself unintentionally grasping victory without doing anything.

But in relation to this, her heart was boiling not with joy but with a slight irritation and confusion.

‘What on earth is happening here?… I’m already a bundle of nerves over becoming a Hero, and why did that guy Samuel withdraw…?’

This was no ordinary contest; it was the Narcil Selection, tied to the reputation of the strongest warrior of the Demon Kingdom.

Declaring a withdrawal in a match associated with a once-in-a-lifetime glory was no easy feat, and naturally, Eliza couldn’t help but feel puzzled.

‘Speaking of which, that guy… he went off with the Hero to catch those terrorists earlier, right? Could that be related to this…?’

At that time, Eliza was still in shock over the fact that she had completely misunderstood the situation regarding her mother.

Because of that, she had been unable to take action right after the terror incident occurred, but she managed to recognize that the Hero and Samuel had moved together.

Of course, she knew very well that jumping to conclusions about this was a bad idea.

Having already made a huge misunderstanding regarding her mother, she had to remain cautious until she saw clear circumstances.

‘But still, something’s definitely bothering me… In that sense, I’ll keep this in my mind at least.’

Feeling a twinge of disappointment that the anticipated duel with Samuel had ended without even starting, Eliza soon realized she was now facing the finale, coming closer to the name written there.

‘! H-Hero? The Hero is my next opponent in the finals?!…’

Honestly, she had been looking forward to it all along, yet at this moment, she was suddenly enveloped in intense tension.

‘W-What should I do… It’s become a reality that I wished for, but… this is way too nerve-wracking…’

A rare opportunity to face off against the one she has a crush on with swords drawn.

In relation to that, Eliza felt stiff, realizing that even being confused felt more flexible than what she was experiencing now as she climbed onto the stage where the Hero was waiting.

To put it plainly, Eliza was very aware that she couldn’t possibly be the Hero’s match.

Having witnessed the Hero’s accomplishments from the sidelines countless times, this was quite obvious.

But even if defeat lay ahead, Eliza was prepared to accept it willingly.

No, rather, being defeated by the Hero, someone she acknowledged, would be a welcome outcome from her perspective.

‘Honestly, considering the incident with Mama and Samuel, up until now I’ve just had ambiguous matches that didn’t feel like real battles… But with the Hero, I won’t have to worry about that.’

Thinking that, Eliza donned her helmet and stepped forward.

In that moment, she was poised to pour out her full power and drew her dagger towards the Hero.

And upon witnessing this, the Hero drew his great sword, ready to face her.

“Then I’ll go, Hero!”

With that declaration, Eliza charged toward the Hero with astonishing speed as if blending into the shadows.

Unlike Elias before, who had unconsciously put on the brakes due to mental burdens, the Hero had no hesitation in facing Eliza, clearly a stronger opponent.

However…

-Slam!

The full-force attack from Eliza was easily blocked by the Hero.

Thus, exactly as Eliza had anticipated, a smile began to form on her lips.

‘Just as I thought, the Hero… I knew this level of attack wouldn’t faze him!’

With that thought in mind, she swiftly maneuvered backwards and once again attempted to exploit any opening for an attack.

However, the Hero simply let her attacks flow past him as if they were water.

At a glance, it appeared as though Eliza was relentlessly pushing the Hero into a corner. In reality, all her attacks were being completely thwarted by him.

It felt as if she were up against an insurmountable castle wall.

Regardless of this situation, Eliza didn’t feel despair or disappointment.

No, in fact, right now, her heart was swelling with intense joy.

‘The Hero is accepting my attacks… This surely means… he wants to see my full power in front of him!’

Even though the Hero could easily dispatch Eliza with a swing of his sword, he chose not to counter, instead standing firm like a great divine statue.

And observing this, the Hero boldly declared to Eliza, “Feel free to keep coming. I will accept any attacks you throw my way!”

“Ah!”

The Hero’s words, filled with confidence and superiority as a warrior.

The moment she heard that, Eliza found her heart pounding uncontrollably.

‘He says he’ll accept everything I’ve got…’

To put it straightforwardly, it was a simple taunt suggesting “Come at me if you can.”

However, Eliza, who harbored feelings for the Hero, interpreted this completely differently.

“What… is this… It feels like… a confession from someone I love…”

To hear the man she admired call out to her to unleash everything was quite capable of being taken that way from her perspective.

Thus, feeling a strange softness wash over her, Eliza found that this turmoil began to adversely affect the speed of her attacks.

-Slam!

“!…”

*

Eliza’s attacks, flying in like torrential rain, were imbued with horrifying momentum.

With her nature as an assassin, she possessed stats honed almost entirely for speed, making her velocity truly impressive.

Yet even so, for me right now, blocking Eliza’s attacks wasn’t particularly difficult, and I had plenty of leeway to counterattack.

That said, having reached the finals, I felt it would be lame to let a serious result play out without giving it any meat, which was the reason I devoted my attention solely to defense for a while.

‘Even though I’m not interested in fan service, I guess I should give her something… I’d certainly be displeased if I had a flop at this final showdown.’

I was demonstrating overwhelming strength, clearly showcasing my power.

However, the main goal for me participating in this tournament was, without fail, to instill a positive impression of the Hero among the people of the Demon Kingdom.

If I were to end this match in a single blow out of sheer annoyance, it would rather create a backlash, hence I thought it best to diligently block Eliza’s attacks while ending things at an appropriate juncture.

Yet…

“Feel free to keep coming. I will accept any attacks you throw my way!”

A taunt that meant little, slightly intoxicated by the atmosphere of the finals directed at Eliza.

However, just afterward…

“…”

‘Huh?’

The next moment, Eliza’s attacks, which had been coming with vigor, suddenly slowed down drastically.

In response to this, I could only feel deep confusion.

‘W-Why? Just seconds ago, she was attacking fiercely, so why are her strikes so sluggish now?’

The relentless barrage that was like an unyielding arrow suddenly felt weak, as if the bowstring had slackened.

And regarding this…

A sudden thought occurred to me.

‘Could it be that her mental state cracked just from the realization that despite pouring everything into her attack, defeat was certain? She always seemed a bit weak in that regard…’

From past experience, I knew Eliza was not an especially resolute person.

She often displayed signs of frustration and vulnerability, matching her youthful appearance.

To me, that struck a somewhat endearing sibling-like chord, but in this situation, it wasn’t a feeling I particularly welcomed.

‘Though I merely had her in mind as a little bit of fan service by only defending… for Eliza, it might be considered a deep insult. An extreme humiliation that exposed her pride as a warrior…’

No matter how much effort was given to achieving a goal, if that effort bore no fruit at all, particularly when they had prepared themselves to give it their all against an opponent they knew was stronger, the sense of despair would inevitably grow.

And…

My actions, taunting her despite already being aware of such profound disappointment, would likely deliver a decisive blow to Eliza’s already shaken mental state.

‘Though her face can’t be seen thanks to the helmet… I bet she’s crying in there, isn’t she?’

Knowing how hard she had trained for this Narcil Selection only made this truth resonate more strongly within me.

In conjunction with this realization, I reached a certain decision in my heart.

It was as if I were comforting a little sister who was sobbing and tapping her big brother on the shoulder.