Vol 1 Chapter 25: Yuu and Nio’s Foolish Ruckus (Great Labyrinth Arc)

At first, I suggested that Kaim and I escape together. However, I hadn’t fully grasped the situation—and it was also a chance to see just how much Kaim had changed over the past two years.

The result was a tremendous success, and I truly felt relieved that I had entrusted Asterion to him.

Next, I planned our escape with genuine intent. Once I understood the situation and realized there was no other option, I decided to teleport with Kaim to make our next move quickly.

Yet, Kaim ended up flinging me over to Yuu while spouting something utterly absurd.

With no alternative left, I resigned myself and persuaded Yuu to go along with the method I’d rather not use.

I had a feeling I might as well get killed for it, yet my persuasion succeeded—even though Yuu listened to my proposal with a slightly strained expression.

Ah, yes—what a foolish act. A reckless plan. It’s the kind of absurd, stupid strategy that’s unlike me—the man who once led demons with both cunning and strength while constantly on the run. A real foolish uproar that might earn me the label of musclehead.

However, it turned out quite well. For starters, I succeeded in temporarily retrieving Asterion from Kaim’s grasp.

By transferring the state of “openness” from Yuu’s palm to the “closed” grip of Kaim’s right hand—which was clutching Asterion—I managed to let it go.

Not wanting it to be snatched away again, I had Yuu keep her hand open, and as Asterion fell, I caught it. It was remarkably simple.

In exchange, the dark magic that had once repeatedly gnawed at my body now coiled around me—but it also allowed me to harness Asterion’s power. Thanks to that, I can use teleportation as many times as needed. It won’t last long, but it’s enough to take on Grain as well.

Together with Yuu.

“How do you even come up with a method like this? Even I, an Ancient Elf, couldn’t have thought of it…”

“Who knows? Maybe it was inspired by some fool!”

With a grumbling Yuu by my side, I teleported behind Grain and swung Asterion down at him.

With that empowered strike, Grain figured he couldn’t dodge in time and deployed a defensive wall.

While Asterion clashed with his wall, I had Yuu cast magic around the area to prevent Grain from escaping.

Surrounded by top-tier magic and with me standing right before him, Grain clicked his tongue.

“You! Are you planning to settle our duel once and for all?!”

“Take a guess, Demon King?”

“You insufferable woman…! Don’t think you’ll always be the same as you once were!”

Grain reinforced his defensive wall and even sealed it with magic that poured down from the ceiling.

Taking advantage of the opening, he put some distance between us—but we quickly teleported to catch up.

Then I swung Asterion down again, with Grain barely managing to block it.

After two, three, four… repeated attempts, Grain’s irritation became evident.

“Are you taking me lightly?! Do you think you’re just playing around?!”

“That’s why—just take a guess. Back in the day, you couldn’t even win a battle of wits, but now that’s different, isn’t it?”

“You bastard!!”

Ha, see? He’s angry now. That cool, composed attitude he had just moments ago was nothing but a façade.

After all, he’s just a small fry. With such high pride, even the slightest provocation brings him to this state.

“Do you really think you can win by brute force?! Do you suppose that teaming up with that elf will give you the upper hand?! Or are you simply relying on the power of that sword?! Either way, it’s all futile!!”

“Too bad—every one of those is off. Right now, the me who’s merely overdoing it can’t beat you; even adding Yuu won’t let me win, and even with Asterion’s power on my side, I still can’t overcome you. Can’t you change your perspective? If not, then let me teach you that a seasoned fighter sees things from every angle.”

“You insolent, worthless walking corpse!!”

He grew even angrier. Though his power increased accordingly, his attacks became all the more monotonous.

It became easier and easier to predict his moves, and teleporting with Yuu made dodging them a breeze—while Grain ended up squandering his magic pointlessly.

Perhaps taking that into account, Grain laughed off my efforts.

“Foolish woman! No matter how much you try to escape, it’s clear you’ll tire out long before I do! Above all, that sword grants its true power only to those it deems worthy! In other words, even if it were to absorb your slashes, there’s absolutely no way it could kill me! No matter how much you endure the pain it inflicts, my magic…!”

“Sorry for interrupting your long speech, but that means you’re also getting worn out, doesn’t it? Consider that a confession!”

He got angrier still. Though he seemed to be targeting us, his aim had become all over the place, and his defensive wall had completely stopped working.

Truly, he’s nothing but a petty weakling. I can’t help but wonder what became of the demons who were once under his command.

Worried about our former leader yet feeling that the time was right, I patted Yuu on the shoulder.

“Are you ready?”
“…Are we really going to do this?”
“If we don’t act, we lose. If we do, we might just win.”
“Losing is not an option… well, let’s have faith. After all, we’re just the opening act.”

That’s right—we’re nothing more than the opening act. The one who defeats the Demon King, the secret ruler behind the scenes, is always the hero who carries the hope of the people.

Since it seems that hero has become a pawn of evil as well, we’ll leave that task to him—the Sword Saint, Kaim.

However, even a Sword Saint has his limits with just one arm. Not only does he lack a sage or comrades to fight alongside him, but he’s also overworking that one arm to the point where even his healing magic can’t keep pace.

Given the situation, we must patch up any gap that appears. Yet the only ones capable of acting for his sake are Yuu—the true heroine—and me.

I let out a wry laugh and confirmed, “Let’s go.”

When Yuu nodded, I teleported—weaving through the turbulent magic—to close the distance to Grain.

Our figures began to appear everywhere, and a seething Grain started firing magic recklessly, clearly perplexed by our elusive movements.

Seizing that brief opening, I teleported behind Grain. I managed to do it before he could erect his defensive wall, but he immediately tried to leap away to avoid my slash. However, that was all anticipated.

I strained and teleported twice in succession. Next, I wouldn’t aim for the very center of his body—

“The target is here!”
“What!?”

I raised Asterion and swung it down with all my might—and my aim wasn’t Grain’s neck or head, where his defensive wall was focused. It was the base of his right arm. The well-aimed blow managed to drive the blade squarely into that spot.

But as Grain had warned, Asterion hasn’t granted me its true power. Even a deep cut at the base couldn’t sever it.

Grain’s face contorted in pain; he must have thought I’d missed my mark. As he attempted to flash a twisted smile, he shouted,

“Yuu!!”
“Got it already!!”

The “cut” effect produced by my strike transferred, unchanged, deep into the adjoining area, while the part that remained uncut was instead imposed upon me.

“This is… no way!!”
“It is exactly that!!”

The area beyond the cut created by my strike became imbued with the ‘cut’ state by Yuu’s magic. As a result, my arm nearly tore apart, while every intact part of Grain’s right arm vanished.

In other words, there was nothing left to support Grain’s right arm—it was severed.

It was a transfer of only the painless elements, but this was exactly the Ancient Elf power I’d been counting on as a method to strip away one’s fighting ability.

Grain’s right arm fell with a dull thud and was immediately retrieved. Before any counterattack could come, Yuu and I teleported away.

We weren’t fleeing, nor were we targeting his other arm. There was only one destination for our teleportation. And our task was singular, too.

“Sorry for the wait.”
“All set!”

We teleported to Kaim, and with Yuu’s power, we reattached the severed arm.

I feel bad for him, but it’s Grain’s—well, a demon’s arm, anyway.

This is the “foolish plan” I came up with.
But thanks to it, Kaim—the Sword Saint—finally had both arms restored.