Chapter 18: Thus Spoke the Prophet

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Huff, huff… My whole body hurt. It felt amazing. Just moving a single step sent searing pain racing through my entire body. Pain, pain, it felt good, it felt good. Since there wasn’t a single fatal wound, I could savor it without worry, and that made it the best. This was unbearable… In the best way. 

Violet, look at me more! Worry about me! Don’t worry, I won’t die, so worry about me! 

Moving a broken arm felt way too good. Walking on a broken leg was my absolute favoriteeeeeee!!!!!!!!

…………Phew. No, no, this was bad. I was so blissfully happy I was about to go beyond the bounds of a fetish. My extreme masochism was strictly a fetish of mine. As a Gold-rank adventurer, and as someone entrusted with a noble young lady, eliminating threats and protecting companions took priority above all else. Personal proclivities came second… No, far below that. Besides, this time it was unavoidable. If I had let go of Violet back then, she would have died without question. There was no way I’d allow someone to die within my reach.

──Three years ago, I had been immature. I failed to respond to an ambush, the people I’d teamed up with were killed, and I barely managed to protect the few who escaped instant death. Even that was generous to call “protecting”—the enemy had simply been enjoying tormenting me, so no one else was targeted as a result.

Well… We had ridiculously good compatibility, though… Getting my abdomen gouged out, my organs dragged free and crushed right in front of me… Combined with the feeling of “there’s no going back now” and “I’m excited by the fact that I’m enjoying this”—I had nearly crossed over to the other side from pleasure alone.

But with people dead, I couldn’t openly revel in it… It was one of the top three experiences of my life. It felt incredible, but because so many people died, it was carved into me as a bittersweet memory. If Marianne and Astrea hadn’t turned the tables back then, who knows what would have happened. I definitely would’ve died.

“Stay back, Violet.”

“Ah………… O-okay……”

Because my joints—shoulders, knees, and the like—had been precisely destroyed, movement was difficult, but I’d already mastered body control while injured. By forcibly moving my muscles, I could operate without any inconvenience.

First, I kicked away the shield lying nearby to secure footing. The mace had already been blown away, so I didn’t bother with it. I stripped off the shattered armor piece by piece, leaving only my hands and feet still covered. Not being able to use my left eye was troublesome, but if there was a blind spot, I just needed to perceive it without seeing. Simple enough. This level of handicap meant nothing.

I was on the weaker side, after all. I’d trained myself to do whatever I could. Even with shattered bones, controlling muscles was no problem. Actually, that was all I could do. My mentor had even told me I had no talent, so I should just focus on that.

I took one step forward. Ow. Just being able to move hurt. It felt good. Another step.

Oh!! ♡ The vibration traveled up my back!! This was bad!!♡ There was definitely damage to my spine!!♡ This was unavoidable, unavoidable!! I couldn’t show Violet a pathetic sight from behind. I needed to stand straight and walk intimidatingly, and the price was just full-body pain.

Ugh… Even though I was injured, enduring it and showing a cool back… Man, I was shining at my best!

Oh…… Ah, uh…… Huff, hoo, hoo, ah, oooh, oh, oooo!!!♡ No, that’s enough, that’s enough!! I’m going to cum, I’m going to let out sounds…! The young lady I’m supposed to protect will hear a grown man enjoying himself—ohhh!!

…………Phew.

When I got close enough to look down at the monster, it was right in the middle of grimacing in pain and trying to stand up.

“As expected of a monster. Impressive endurance. You make me jealous.”

“Guuuuuh…! GRAAAAAOOO!!”

A leaping kick. Before it could strike my face, I touched it with my hand and let the impact flow through without resisting. From hand to elbow, elbow to shoulder, shoulder to waist, waist to knee, knee to toes. The shock passed through me, sending blinding pain racing through my body. But I clenched my teeth and endured it…. In more ways than one.

────GHHHH!!!!

The ground split apart. Just deflecting it caused this much damage. Taking it head-on would have been fatal.

“GAAAAAAAARRRRR!!!”

A barrage like the one I’d deflected with the shield earlier was coming at me.  Let even one through and it’d be instant death, but there was no technique behind it. Just brute force-driven, sloppy attacks. No matter how many came, I wouldn’t mess up. Even if they were launched at speeds too fast for the eye, there were countless ways to perceive them.

With my nose, my ears, my skin. I could only fight using this body… Which meant that in close combat, I was well within a domain where I could fight properly.

Gah—DOGAGAGAGAGA!!!

I deflected everything using both hands. Naturally, I made sure to redirect all impacts away from where Violet was. Excluding the area behind me that I was shielding, the surrounding ground cracked, eroded, and blasted apart.

Ah, it hurts, it really hurts, but it feels good! My knees are breaking! My elbows are breaking!!!

“—!! UOOOOOO!!”

A downward smash with both hands clasped overhead. You panicked when all your attacks suddenly stopped landing, didn’t you? If it hit cleanly, I’d die. I took the blow with my left hand, letting the force travel into my elbow, then shoulder, and twisted my body smoothly. Rotation was key. I moved so not a single bit of force escaped, so none of the power was wasted.

After a half turn, with the monster’s arms diverted, balance broken, and body wide open… I slammed it in with everything I had! Target: the torso, no exceptions! The strike born from the monster’s proud brute strength…! A wonderful blow I’d love to receive myself… 

Go and take it all!

─DO… GOBASHHH!!!

With a thunderous roar, a hole opened in the monster’s torso. The merciless strike cleaved its upper and lower body apart, even dissolving the blood and flesh it should have scattered into the air. Brute-force monster attacks were terrifying. An enemy that wouldn’t even flinch at my attacks could be rendered combat-ineffective by just one hit of its own power.

That’s exactly why it was worth fighting…! Kill or be killed! Which would prevail—me dying, or you dying?!

I endured relentless punishment, constantly waiting for the chance to counter and flipped everything with a single move! An enemy I could never beat under normal circumstances! A small, insignificant human like me was actually killing it! The pleasure of betting everything on a gamble where death could come at any moment (and actually winning) felt better than cumming!!

Ahh!! Taking on the role of a wall meat is the best!!

The best job where both my kink and my work were satisfied. I couldn’t quit this now! After glaring at the corpse that didn’t twitch at all and confirming it was well and truly dead, I relaxed my stance. No follow-up attack. It seemed only this one had come for me. Another one might’ve been fun, but with someone to protect, it was better that none came.

“Violet, give me a potion.”

“……………………”

“…Violet?”

When I turned around, Violet was staring at me with her mouth half open. I didn’t think she was hurt. I’d deflected everything properly. There shouldn’t have been any damage to her.

I approached her—Ah, even getting closer felt painfully good! When I waved my hand in front of her face, she finally noticed and flushed bright red.

“Ah, ah—w-wait, hold on, just a second!!”

“Sure, but give me a potion.”

“Y-yes!!”

She threw the whole pouch at me, which I caught.

Oh!!!♡ My right arm hurts!!!!♡ You’re good at follow-ups. Let’s get married.

I took out a potion and shoved it into my mouth.

“Ugh……”

Yep, my organs were definitely damaged. I’d taken too many hits, so I was injured evenly all over more than usual. I’d need Marianne to heal me properly later or it’d linger. My flesh healed with a squelching sound. And the pain that surged… Being able to enjoy intense pain even while healing was truly the best. Twice the pleasure in one hit.

I’d visit the temple later just in case. My kink required full-body care. To repeatedly enjoy pain, I had to keep my body healthy on a regular basis. My organs being weakened was unavoidable. I could only be glad I’d survived being toyed with back then.

“Phew… Aright. You’re not hurt, are you?”

“Yeah… I’m not hurt.”

“I see. I’m glad I protected you.”

I gave her a smile. It wouldn’t be great if this turned into trauma and she couldn’t fight anymore. Anyone who could ask to be abandoned in that situation was promising. I wanted her to grow stronger from this. I wasn’t the strongest, but even without talent, you could manage this much. I didn’t want her to use me as a model, but I did want her to learn the importance of effort.

After her gaze wandered around, she glanced at my body briefly, then—face bright red—she spoke.

“Y-yeah… Uum… Thank you…”

“Sure thing. You’re welcome, young lady.”

“Oof.”

Hm? She was making a strange noise and covering her face with both hands, but she wasn’t injured… Oh. Right. My body. Since I was left with only my innerwear, it must be awkward for her to look at me.  My stomach and legs were exposed. But there was nothing I could cover myself with…

…………

Showing my body to a noble young lady… Ah! How irresistible…! This was legal! Totally legal! It was unavoidable, so it couldn’t be helped! Just as unavoidable as running into someone during a bath!

Uhyohyohyo!! I’m showing a noble young lady the body of a lowly commoner~!!

『You’re seriously disgusting when you’re being earnest.』

Yes. Sorry. I got carried away. The excitement after battle lingered. That wasn’t my true intention. I was a gentleman. I’d never think something so perverted. By the way, when I ran into Carla during a bath, we just bathed together normally. I totally snuck glances, but Carla didn’t react at all and stared at my naked body. Apparently in the eastern countries, mixed bathing was normal. It was a terrifying culture. I trembled from the bottom of my heart.

Unrelated, but I thought I’d like to live in the eastern countries. No ulterior motives. Really. I just thought culturally, I’d fit in. Definitely no ulterior motives at all. 

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“Hm. They’ve arrived.”

“Good work. Looks like you’re safe.”

At the rendezvous point, Carla and Astrea were already there. Even with my pervert-style outfit—innerwear and armor only on my limbs—they didn’t particularly care. Chloe and Lucille? They were frozen stiff. Heh. Guess this was a bit too “stimulating” for young ladies.

“Hey, you… Did you break your armor again? How many times is that this year?”

“About the fifth time. Haha, money really flies away.”

“That’s not funny! Take better care of your body!”

It’s not like I break it on purpose… The enemy’s just strong… It can’t be helped. It wasn’t my fault.

“Well, if you think of the armor as saving Finn’s life, it’s a cheap price to pay.”

“That’s true, but… Honestly, you’re impossible.”

“I’ll earn more money again. More importantly… Astrea, where’s Marianne?”

“Over there. She’s close.”

When I looked where she pointed, sure enough, Marianne and Her Highness were approaching. When I waved, Her Highness waved back cheerfully, while Marianne did so with a slightly strained expression. One reason I hadn’t panicked was Astrea’s presence.

As long as the wind carried sound, she could pick it up from quite far away. I didn’t know her exact limit, but if she wanted, she could probably survey the entire Rubble Mountain Range. She always said it was tiring and annoying, but during combat she used that ability without holding back, which helped immensely.

And on top of that, she was ridiculously strong. Obviously, she was many times stronger than me. That unfairness reminded me of my mentor. So if things really got bad, Astrea’s support would’ve come flying. And if the others were in trouble, she would’ve gone to help them first. The fact that no support came to me meant they thought I had room to spare or I’d finished it before she could intervene.

After waiting a bit, the two joined us. Her Highness glanced at me briefly like the other girls, narrowed her eyes slightly, then looked away.

“Is everyone safe?”

“Of course. There’s no way I’d lose to such weaklings.”

“I agree. It seems the Sword Saint was underestimated.”

“My opponent was strong, but we had good compatibility. That level of enemy was no problem for me.”

It seemed everyone had been attacked, yet they were all this relaxed. Uninjured Carla. Uninjured Astrea. Uninjured Marianne. And me… Armor shattered, bruised and battered. Yeah… The gap in status. A slight inferiority complex stirred within me, but that too felt good.

Ahh!! Being looked down on as a shield who leeches off three beautiful adventurers…!

I was respected now, but someday they’d realize that compared to them, I was weak!

『Huh, senpai…Are you actually weak…?』

The four from Lily Garden would notice, and their treatment of Finn Debyura would go downhill

『Well, you’re just a shield who can only use your body, so of course you should push yourself to protect us, right?』

And eventually they’d abandon me, a shield who could only act as a shield…

…No, that isn’t right. They aren’t that awful. Scrap that.

“I’ll heal you now. 【High Heal】.”

Ah! No questions asked! But since my organs had already been treated with the potion, it wasn’t a big deal. The fractures were already healed too, so the heal just eased the bruising pain. My body suddenly felt light.

“Thanks, Marianne. Sorry as always.”

“N-no… I’m happy I could help you, Finn.”

Cute. But then Marianne’s smile clouded, and she looked down.

“Um… I’m sorry. Actually, I let one escape…”

“…That couldn’t be helped. It was a pre-prepared teleport.”

Ah… I see. The ringleader was over there. Was the real target Her Highness? I thought they’d come to kill all of us.

“My opponent was a wind user. I crushed them instantly.”

“Ours was a monster that split when cut. It couldn’t use language though. Just a weakling with that one ability.”

“My opponent had resistance to 【Holy Smite】.”

“Mine was just a lion that punched and kicked.”

“Then it was a prepared escape. It couldn’t be helped…”

Judging by the trend, they’d prepared countermeasures properly. Normally, you’d think smashing a shield with more firepower was enough. I understood that monster’s point.  But I happened to be a good match for that type of enemy, so all I could say was they were unlucky.

“If one escaped… Do you think they’ll come again?”

“We should report it to the guild. That’s enough for now.”

“…Yes. I’m sorry for my incompetence.”

“They teleported before you could stop them, right? That’s not your fault.”

The enemy had the upper hand. We were ambushed to begin with. Letting one escape was entirely possible. They even prepared escape measures beforehand.

“Don’t worry about it. If they come again, we’ll finish them for sure.”

I rubbed her head. Marianne narrowed her eyes, as if she was feeling ticklish, and nodded.

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“So the Lion King was defeated…”

The one who escaped. Wisdom, muttered in a safe house after teleporting. “Lion King” was a name given by the Demon Lord. A monster that had ruled as king in the southern tropical regions, subdued by the Demon Lord and granted a name, evolving as a result. Many monsters were named by the Demon Lord, ranging from powerful beings like the Lion King to low-level monsters incapable of speech, with vast differences between them.

Among the strongest, numbers were assigned. Managed from 1 to 100, they were called the Numbered, with smaller numbers indicating greater strength.

The Lion King bore the mark VIII—8. A monster that could trade blows with even a Hero head-on, boasting the Demon Lord Army’s greatest physical power. That monster was one of the strongest in close combat.

“To kill a Variable… Higher-tier abilities are required.”

If the pinnacle of physical force wasn’t enough, then another approach was needed. Losing a valuable asset was regrettable, but there were countless ways to replenish forces. There was no need to rush. That was what Wisdom thought.

As future visions reflected in his eyes and he attempted to teleport again..

“────【Holy Sword Draw】.”

──GOOOOOOOOO!!!!

Trees were mowed down, the earth carved apart, and an aurora engulfed Wisdom. He hadn’t believed the Lion King would lose. Because he had never observed a future where the Lion King lost. Just like three years ago, he’d only seen futures after victory. Without seeing defeat, there was no way to prepare.

He thought the change would occur through fighting the Variable, Finn. After Finn defeated the Lion King, and the future changed just now. And so, he failed to notice. No. By the time he realized, it was already too late. From the moment he became involved with Finn, his future sight had become incomplete.

Wisdom died without seeing his own end. The monster governing future sight died because it interfered with something beyond future sight’s reach.

“…How was it?”

“Direct hit. Reduced to ashes before he could teleport.”

“Nice! As expected of the 【Demonic Archer】!”

“You were the one who finished it, 【Hero】.”

The Hero sheathed her shining sword and smiled. Meanwhile, the Demonic Archer frowned, feeling uneasy.

“To think a Numbered was inside human territory… What’s going on?”

“Hmm. He felt like a strategist… Maybe he was interfering with the nation?”

“That would be incredibly troublesome…”

The Demonic Archer sighed.

“Master, do you know anything?”

“Unfortunately, not much. My knowledge isn’t complete. Alicia’s theory seems most likely, though…”

The one called Master was a woman with silver hair and bronze skin. Her ears were pointed like an elf’s. After crossing her arms and thinking—emphasizing her ample chest—she shook her head.

“We’ll know once we return. Worst case, the king’’s been replaced. Let’s stay on high alert.”

“Ugh… I wish the enemies were only monsters.”

“Infighting is humanity’s specialty. Give up.”

“Nooo… Humans can shine brighter, they’re precious!”

“You’re really twisted…”

At Alicia’s exasperation, the Hero replied.

“I’m not twisted. I just know. The true meaning of running toward hope…”

In the Hero’s mind appeared a single boy. Born in the same village, raised in the same environment… But unlike her, he lacked talent. No matter how much pain he endured, no matter how crushed by reality, he never stopped walking…. So that the girl called Hero wouldn’t be left behind. Spitting blood, screaming that he’d stay with her.

That he’d catch up no matter what. That he’d challenge again and again. That he’d never let her be alone. The one precious person who said that she’d never be alone….

…The sole hero who saved one girl.

“…Hehe. I can’t wait to see you again, Finn…”

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