Vol 1 Chapter 16: I’ll Fight Alongside You Too (Great Labyrinth Arc)

My opponent is an Earth Dragon as massive as a mountain.
Meanwhile, I’ve got nothing but a single sword and a body that’s been trained just a bit.

Fighting it is nothing short of a fool’s errand—worse than any dare an idiot would attempt. It’s an act even less tolerable than a petty thug brawl.

But there’s no choice. I have to fight. I have to defeat it, drive it back—and only then will these two long years of endless battle finally be over.

At this point, there’s no time for second-guessing. I take a deep breath, grit my teeth, steady myself, and channel all my strength into my legs—no signal needed.

I only need to ask my longtime partner:

“――Are you ready, Asterion?”

Then, I charge straight in. From Grutton’s perspective, I must look like nothing more than a rat scurrying toward its mouth.

It parts its jaws, lined with teeth like chipped boulders, and from the depths of its abyss-like throat, red-black flames flicker.

But I don’t dodge. I don’t run. There’s no way I could slice through flames coming from such a colossal mouth.

So instead, I simply raise Asterion and roar with all my might.

“Enchant! 【Cliff Edge Sword】!!”

As I scream—spitting blood—I could have sworn I heard Asterion bellow,
“I don’t give a damn if you die!”
but I couldn’t care less. If that’s what he’s saying, my reply is simple:

“Just get on with it.”

Whether he understood or was merely exasperated—I don’t know—but in that instant, rocks began to engulf Asterion.

Like water flowing from a mountain peak to the lowest depths, stone poured in around Asterion, piling high all the way to the ceiling.

Like a mountain meeting a mountain, an irregular mass of rock surged from Asterion’s blade, stretching far overhead, supported by a body etched with dark magic.

“Getting serious, huh?! If we don’t hurry, we’ll drag each other down—You braced yourself too?!”

Just before flames could burst from Grutton’s mouth, I bashed his face with a massive chunk of rock that seemed ready to burst through the ceiling.
To be precise, I merely swung it down—that’s all I could do.

This thing is too heavy—even with Asterion’s power, I can’t really swing it. At best, I can only roughly choose its falling direction.

Yes—straight into that absurdly huge mouth, just as it was about to unleash fire.

“Taste your own damn flames!”

The ground trembles as the 【Cliff Edge Sword】 comes crashing down—not just on Grutton’s mouth, but squarely on his face.

His gaping mouth is forcefully shut, never to open again, and the flames meant to burst outward instead explode and backfire inside.

Grutton’s enormous body twists in agony. The 【Cliff Edge Sword】, having reached its limit, shatters, and from his open mouth erupts a roar that shakes the very air.

His blood-red eyes finally fix on me, as if he’s only just realized I’m his enemy.

“Hah!”

By now, the searing pain in my body and the soul-sapping magic have my senses in disarray, so Asterion is buffing me beyond my limits to keep me from blacking out.

At this point, it’s a contest to see if I can finish him off before my mind and body give out.

“Next move! Enchant! 【Sky Cleaving Sword】!!”

I leap into the air with every ounce of strength in my buffed legs, cloaking Asterion in 『wind currents』.

Swirling like a tornado and imbued with magic, the 『wind currents』 unleash shockwaves capable of slicing the very sky.

I bring them down upon Grutton’s massive form from above—over and over, each swing sending shockwaves that rip into his colossal body.

But it seems his enormous frame and scales, as enduring as millennia-old stone, are not just for show. Blood sprays, yet none of the wounds prove fatal.

Now, it’s my turn to be in danger.
As soon as I land, his enormous body shifts, and his tail—looming high—swings down like a guillotine.

I can’t enchant in time. I don’t even know if my battered body can endure this…

Before the tail reaches me, protective barriers and countless stone walls are summoned right before my eyes.

They hold Grutton’s tail at bay for a few precious seconds—just long enough for me to leap aside.

Then, I hear Yu’s voice:

“If it’s come to this, I’ll fight alongside you too!
Kaim, focus on attacking! I’ll handle defense and support!”

Due to my unfamiliar strength, I misjudged my landing—but I’m grateful for the determined tone in Yuu’s voice.

The only companion I gained after fighting alone for two years is an Ancient Elf, even called “Calamity.” Whether that title was deserved or not, she certainly had the power to back it up.

Then, I decided I’d have her stick with me until we reach our limits. I’m already at mine—but Yuu isn’t there yet.

She hasn’t gone all out yet. So, a crazy idea popped into my jumbled brain.

“Yuu! How long does it take to cast that myth-level magic you mentioned earlier?!”

“Huh… You mean you actually want me to use it?! No way! The shock would be so intense it’d blow this entire room to bits!”

“Then do it already! That way we can kill this freak! Besides, you’ll be able to protect yourself! And you’d better set up your barrier, too!”

“B-but…”

I was about to yell, “Just do it already!” when a clump of blood erupted from my mouth. I dropped to one knee, panting hard. My heart pounded uncontrollably, my vision blurred, and it felt like my blood was boiling.

Even so, I resolved to push on—no, I’d push past my limit and then beyond that.

All for you, Nio… Everything is for you…

“I’m doing this to repay you! To thank you for getting me out of that damn village, I’m risking my life! Hey, Asterion!! Even though the one who’s protected you for so long is right here, are you planning to end things now?! Or is this your limit?! If not, then trust the Kaim you approved! Lend me every bit of your strength! Otherwise, I’ll be laughing at you like a worthless blockhead in the afterlife!”

Not knowing what I was even saying, I roared—and Asterion blazed, wrapped in black magic as its blade shone brilliantly.

Light. Hope shining in the midst of darkness.

My body moved; I felt as light as a cloud, and power surged through me. Yet my pounding heart and boiling blood remained unchanged.

The drawbacks couldn’t be erased. If Asterion had once been wielded by Nio—the demon, that is—this black magic surely isn’t meant for a mere human to handle.

Still, I could move. I could still be reckless—still fight. No, I’d carve out the future until it’s over. And the final blow, I’d leave that to Yuu.

If what Yuu said was true, all I had to do was hold out long enough for her to unleash that shockwave.

Then…!

“Yuu! How long does it take to cast that myth-level magic?!”

“Eh… Are you really going to make me use it?!”

“Just answer me already!!”

When I roared, Yuu—wearing a defiant scowl—raised both her palms toward Grutton.

“Give me six minutes!”

“Six minutes, huh! Then you focus solely on unleashing your myth-level magic!!”

Soon, an unfamiliar surge of magic gathered in Yuu’s palms.

Grutton, sensing crisis, shifted its attention from me to Yuu, angling its massive body toward her.

“You’re ignoring me, huh… Listen up, as I said: We’re going all out for just six more minutes… Asterion!!”

Gripping Asterion with both hands, I activated the enchantment that could buy us six minutes—【Thunderous Sword】.

Violent lightning raced along the blade and surged through my body. I could no longer feel the pain as I leaped onto Grutton’s body with the agility granted by the Thunderous Sword—the agility even I, the one wielding it, now possessed.

Using every bit of my strength, I plunged the Thunderous Sword into Grutton’s rock-like scales and channeled lightning deep within.

“Gwaaaaaarrrrr!!!!!”

Grutton’s roar echoed. Of course—no matter how huge it is, this guy is a dragon. I’d read that almost every living creature’s body contains water. And that’s exactly what the lightning was hitting.

Grutton’s massive body went numb, paralyzing it completely. Trembling, I spat out a taunt as my body shuddered.

“Hey, big guy… Let’s see who gives up first in this endurance contest, huh?!”

Naturally, my body was also electrified. Still, Asterion held on desperately, and no matter how many times my consciousness nearly slipped away, I refused to let go of the hilt.

Could Grutton, who’s lived for thousands of years, really endure? Does a beast that rampages purely on instinct have the resolve to fight for someone else?

Even if I’ve become a monster myself, I’m still a monster with intelligence, reason, and a soul—a monster that endures by will. Which would win? The instinct-driven beast or the one that endures through sheer will? I couldn’t tell anymore.

Yuu had said six minutes. With this body that defies limits, how long have I endured? Or have I not endured even a minute—maybe not even ten seconds?

“…Guh.”

My grip on Asterion weakened. My unwavering consciousness teetered on the edge of darkness.

At this point, both my body and Asterion had given everything. I had done all I possibly could.

I’d exhausted my ability to endure, surpassed my limits, and spent every last resource.

For a moment, I thought—if this is it, then I have no regrets. I truly did everything I could. Even though the Demon King still remains, I’ve done all I can.

More than anything, I tried to use an enchantment to block the shockwave of that myth-level magic—but it just wouldn’t work… or maybe I couldn’t even activate it.

This is it. But surely, Yuu will save Nio and, together, she’ll defeat the Demon King.

She will tell the world the truth.

And just as my hand was about to slip from Asterion, a white palm covered it.

“Yu…?”

There, with a resolute expression, Yuu stood—gripping Asterion alongside me. The very Ancient Elf who once fought to end all conflict now supported me.

“I teleported us here with my magic. Don’t worry—by the three-minute mark, the attack-type myth-level magic has finished its incantation and is waiting above for my signal.”

“Three minutes, huh…? Then what about the remaining three?”

“They’re for activating the defense-type myth-level magic that will shield this entire room—and us—from the shock. So please, stay still a little longer… I beg you! Hang in there, Kaim!!”

Looking into her hazy eyes, I noticed that the palm with which Yuu supported Asterion wasn’t emitting that repulsive black magic.

Ah, right—Nio said the same: unless you’re a real scoundrel, you can wield it.

So Yuu was qualified, too. Even without a contract, she could wield it—perhaps because she was holding onto my hand.

Anyway, with Yuu holding on with me, I couldn’t let go either. Her grip on my hand only grew stronger.

“I entrust you with all my remaining magic… So, Kaim—I believe in you!”

“Yeah… Let’s do this. We’re gonna win…!”

Yuu’s magic merged with the lightning coursing through Grutton’s body.

As Grutton let out a roar unlike any before, thrashing wildly, I clung on desperately—and then, the moment came.

“Now!! It’s coming from above!! Pull out Asterion!!”

“—OOOOOOOH!!!”

With my final burst of strength, I roared and pulled Asterion free. At that very moment, Yuu wrapped her arms around me and activated her teleportation magic.

In an instant, we teleported high above Grutton, and a gigantic blue mass crashed down on him, crushing him before exploding in a burst of brilliant flashes.

I quickly covered my eyes as Yuu shielded us—and the entire chamber—from the impact.

After what felt like both an eternity and a mere instant, Yuu and I found ourselves standing on cracked stone pavement.

Before us lay what seemed like the scattered remnants of Grutton—its fangs and scales blown away.

“W-we did it! We did it, Kaim! …Kaim?”

“…Sorry, but I’ve really hit my limit…”

With those final words, I collapsed to the ground.