The light shot forward as if to ignore the declaration.
However, the young kobold, who was bound to the ground, was enveloped by a red light.
“Argghhhhh!!”
The mass of soil was like a wall, but the white light blocked it entirely, and then caused it to explode in every direction.
“He tore off the bindings!?”
“Noies! The surrounding light!”
This was all familiar to him now. The wall of light sealed off the area in the wasteland, creating a dueling ground for him and the Hero. While the other party members were astonished by the sight, Sheto watched calmly as he spoke to Saliashe, the goddess who was his partner.
“Salia. How is, the other god?”
‘Aye. I promised that I would not use any additional protections, and they agreed to not reject the duel. They must have been confident…I was worried at first.’
“The Heroes you gods make. Very unfair. And so, I want to know all. What they can do, what they cannot.”
After Zephalis’s Hero, who had perfect defense ability, was defeated, it seemed that more and more Heroes would target Sheto every day.
And most of them did not have power as great as Zephalis. Heroes from lesser gods. Still, they could not be underestimated.
That was why he had to put himself forward, and observe their abilities, and fight. That was the best strategy for a small monster without friends.
“I expected as much from the servant of an evil goddess. It did all of that to test our strength.”
Said the dark-skinned man. His swift sword and power to control spirits made him good at defense.
“The wound seems to have healed too. This is not going to be as easy as it looked.”
The knight with the shield and armor. Sheto knew he was acting as healer now, as he had previously treated the poisoned sorcerer.
“And he uses strange abilities. There is no way that dirt would be able to block the light from Shuto’s sword.”
Said the female warrior. She had good instincts in battle, and tried to stay within striking distance.
“The god is telling me now. If I lose here, I’ll be sent back to my original world.”
The Hero said with an anxious expression as he clutched his blade. He wielded a sword that shot light, and wore a breastplate that was strong against magic and physical attacks. However, he did not rely on these like Zephalis’s Hero. He had learned to move in coordinate with the others.
‘You cannot take the chief first. They will have to be broken down first.’
“Salia. Is there any place to hide around here?”
‘The Anoshtat Plains are a wasteland of rock and sand. Even if you fled for ten thousand steps, there would be no cave in sight.’
“Got it.”
Sheto said as he crouched low. At the same time, he glanced at the spirit user at the far back.
Their eyes met, and the man shouted.
“Don’t let it get away! Grind! Ammie!”
The armor and shield charged wildly at him. To his side, the woman also moved forward. Sheto could not escape to the right or left.
However, Sheto just held his ground and nocked an arrow.
The arrowhead flashed with white light.
“Tsk!”
It shot towards the knight’s raised shield.
“Gah!?”
Sparks flew violently as it bounced off. But the next arrow was unleashed without delay, and it exploded loudly on the warrior’s armor.
“Ahhhh!”
The attacks were more powerful than expected, and the two stumbled back. The shield was burned black, and the wooden arrow was peering through the armor.
“You are too sloppy, Gring. Did you even pray to the god?”
“If you can talk like that, then you can still continue on.”
After that fight, they had all raised their protection power. That was why they could be a little reckless now.
‘Sheto, the falcon is moving!’
“Both of you, retreat! We’ll strengthen our defenses and surround it again!”
“You, won’t get away!”
The arrow followed after the armor that moved back, but its momentum was killed by wind that slammed in from the side.
The spirits user had unleashed it, and the two armors were enveloped in a wall of wind.
‘Sealing off arrows! This is your chance, Sheto!’
“Aye!”
The spirit protection would block all ordinary arrows. But this gave him the perfect opening.
He nocked the arrow, it was imbued with the blue of protection and the white of attack, and then lastly, a red light.
“Go!”
The bowstring quivered, and the arrow flew towards its prey.
The glowing arrow shot straight towards the wall of wind, and easily tore through the protection.
“Ammie!”
Realizing that something was wrong, the man pushed the woman to the side.
“Gaah!”
The wooden arrow went deep into the knight’s shoulder. And his body rolled onto the ground.
“Basstaaard!”
“Stop, Ammie!”
The female warrior ignored the spirit used and charged at the kobold. Sheto was unmoved as he nocked the next arrow and unleashed it into her knee.
“Guuaaah!”
The armor fell to the ground with a loud crash. The kobold slipped past her and ran towards the Hero.
“Run! Shuto! This one is dangerous!”
“But, the other two!”
As if to end the argument with motion, the spirit user raised his sword and turned towards Sheto.
“You broke through the wind wall! Are you a sorcerer!”
“I, not use magic. Salia’s divine power.”
“That is some trump card. Damn it!”
No matter what kind of resistance it had to certain weapons, once sleep, paralysis or bind was used, the kobold should be disabled in an instant. In order to make up for this weakness, Salia had used the majority of level up protections to give him the power of ‘Art Break.’
It erases the effects of any arts cast on you, and if you put it on weapons, it could break through any magic defense. That red light was now shining on the arrowhead.
“This power is too risky! You run away first, and we’ll follow!”
The spirit user moved forward and attacked without hesitation. Sheto jumped back as far as he could. The sword slashed through empty air, leaving a trail of liquid and mist in the air. It had a sharp smell.
“Poison. Yabukagami and kazuradama.”
“How wretched. You can see through that…even…”
“I, hunter. Use poison traps too.”
A mixture of snake and grass poisons. With enough coating an arrowhead, you could even take down a bear.
‘That one is likely a former bandit or assassin. He is unpredictable, so stay on your guard!’
With the short sword in his right hand, his other hand was hidden behind his back. He was in a low stance, but still in the perfect position to protect the Hero. Whether it was to advance or retreat, attack or wait, he would be able to react.
“What’s wrong, Hero! Aren’t you going to run!”
The figure looked stunned behind the spirit user.
“Here that will kill the Demon King! A joke! One weak kobold, you should hunt alone!”
“Don’t listen to it! It is strong! You cannot win against it!”
If this was some random mercenary, Sheto might be dead by now.
However, he was a friend of the Hero. And that gave him the biggest opening.
“Coward! Spineless Hero! Run back to home! Drink your mama’s milk!”
“You…!”
“Don’t fall for these cheap tricks! Just go and…”
Interrupting the spirit user’s words, Sheto’s instincts alerted him of the danger.
Without turning around, he threw himself to the ground, just barely dodging the knight’s attack from behind.
In his vision, there was the spirit user holding the short sword with a backhand, and the Hero, who was no longer behind the human shield.
His hand let go of the arrow, and with a grown, it shot towards the Hero.
“Shuuuutttoooo!!”
In an instant, the spirit user moved forward, and the arrow pierced his chest. But even as he was falling down, Sheto’s right hand was moving towards his quiver.
“Arghhhh!!”
The knight swung down with a mace. Sheto’s right arm thrust upwards.
They crossed, and then there was a scream.
“Gaaahhhh!”
The blessing on the wooden arrow caused it to pierce through the armor, and it dug deep into his stomach. Before even confirming this, he rolled past the knight.
“Look what you’ve done!”
Blades of light shouted with a scream.
One of them hit the hatchet that Sheto pulled out, shattering it to pieces.
“You bastaaard!”
The Hero’s blade was unleashed in succession. Vertical, to the side, sideways. He dodged, jumped back, parried and charged.
“Stay back! Stay away!”
But there was no one to stop him now, and Sheto easily reached the young Hero.
“Go back to your world, Hero.”
The hatchet slid into the human’s stomach, and then slashed it open.
The golden light shattered in front of Noies.
As the entrails spilled out from his stomach, the boy began to disappear. It was probably the most strange, and yet, somehow beautiful death he had seen on a battlefield.
The arrow in his chest made a pretty deep wound, but his vital organs were fine. And so he was able to pull it out.. That’s when he noticed the kobold was staring at him, while aiming with his bow.
“Shuto. What happened to him?”
“…Not dead. Supposedly.”
There was no hostility in the kobold’s eyes now. Eventually, the shattering light became smaller, and only the armor and sword remained. There was no other trace of the human who had been there.
“When die or finish their role, Heroes, return to their world. Salia said so.”
“I…see…”
It did not sound like a lie. Shuto had been a Hero. He received power from a god and was sent down to this world.
Amule and Grind finished treating their injuries, and they now stood up. But they did not know what to do.
“You. Will you get revenge now?”
“Revenge…”
For some reason, the word sounded sad. He tasted the sweet heat and pain in them, and then shook his head.
“No. If our master is gone, then there is no need to work. As mercenaries, our lives are more important than gold or honor.”
“Noies…!”
Amule shouted while reaching for his weapon. But Noies blocked him with his arm.
“If I’m being honest, I would like to kill him right here. Even if I can’t, I would take another arrow for Shuto. However, if we die here…what will happen to Nordia?”
The sorcerer who wawa waiting for their return. Upon hearing this, the female warrior held her tongue and groaned.
“Tell me… Why did you kill the Hero.”
“It’s obvious! Because he’s a monster!”
She shouted angrily. And then Grind opened his mouth.
“But you didn’t kill us. Even though you had the chance. Why is a kobold like you able to fight like that anyway? What kind of goddess do you serve?”
“My village, destroyed by a Hero. He killed my family, friends…everyone I, loved.”
A dark fire appeared in the kobold’s eyes.
The words of hatred that came out, seemed to make his body appear several times larger.
“That…the kind of person the Hero was. Salia, gave me power.”
“A goddess who aids with revenge… No wonder she is called evil.”
“Evil?”
The darkness faded from his eyes.
Then, the kobold laughed with a surprising gentleness.
“…Mmm. Yes. A scary goddess. A nice, evil goddess.”
The monster went out of his battle stance and turned away from them.
“I, kill Heroes. No need to kill others. That’s all.”
And then without turning around, he disappeared into the wasteland.
“A nice, evil goddess. Huh?”
A dry wind began to blow. The sun was already falling to the west, and they could feel the coming chill of the barren land.
“Let’s go.”
Grind said. Amule nodded and picked up the remaining items.
“Just take the sword. The armor will just slow us down.”
“But…but…”
Amule rarely looked like this, but she now leaned against her lover’s chest. Grind stroked her chestnut color hair and muttered.
“Hey, Noies.”
“What?”
“What…was all that…”
He did not know how to put it into words, but the other man understood.
The days they traveled with the Hero. The small monster who put an end to that story.
No poets would sing about this. It was just a sudden, whimper of a conclusion.
“What did we do wrong?”
That they thought the enemy was merely a kobold? That they overestimated Shuto’s ability? Or were they fooled by the words of that god?
‘Excuse me, old man. Are you mercenaries?’
‘Who are you calling old? You damned brat. We don’t take babysitting jobs. Get lost.’
‘Um… But, I am a Hero.’
‘A what?’
‘I’m going to go and slay the Demon King… So, uh, could you join my party?’
“…I think…”
“Think?”
“…No.”
He swallowed his words and looked up at the sky.
“Even I don’t know.”
Mercenaries were hired swords. It was a business.
There were no dreams or ideals. Such things were kept out.
Or…so he had thought.
But as he looked up at the beautiful stars in the sky, the assassin turned mercenary muttered something that no one else could hear.
“That I accepted the job to work for you. It wasn’t a mistake for me, Shuto.”