My Childhood Friend Told Me to Go Marry the Most Beautiful Woman in the Kingdom, So I Seriously Started Improving Myself—and Somehow Ended Up Making Women Fall Hard

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Chapter 82: Friendship and the Trump Card

The captains of the Third Knight Order kept cutting down demons, even as blood flowed from their own wounds.

My arms had gone numb.
My throat was burning dry.

But my legs never stopped moving.

The moment I stopped—someone would die.

If Captain Oren’s back gave out, I would fall with her.

“…Only a few left!”

Captain Oren exhaled sharply.

Her claw blades were soaked dark red.
Her armor was scratched and dented all over.

Even so, she stepped forward.

I raised my buster sword like a shield and caught the bone scythe of the last demon. The impact shot through my arms into my shoulders, my teeth clattering from the shock.

“Wind Cutter!”

The instant the gust knocked its blade off course, Captain Oren’s claws flashed in from the side.

Zarik.

The twisted throat split open. Its wings twitched violently—then the demon collapsed.

As the battlefield noise began to fade, another sound cut through the air.

Something tearing apart.

Like thick cloth being ripped in half.

My gaze was pulled toward the Second Unit’s barracks.

Commander Snake and Vice-Commander Daitaros had entered an entirely different phase of battle.

Commander Snake’s segmented sword no longer reached.

Around Daitaros, a transparent membrane of magic shimmered.

Black scales covered his entire body.

His face remained human.

But from the neck down—

He had become a monster.

“…Damn it, the Commander’s getting pushed back.”

Commander Snake was forced backward.

The stone pavement cracked beneath his feet.
The tiles he braced against shattered under the pressure.

The force he was taking was insane.

The wings on Daitaros’s back gleamed along their blade-like edges. A black cutting gust tore through the air.

Commander Snake blocked it with his segmented sword.

He blocked it—

—And still got blown back, sword and all.

Daitaros, now fully transformed, was overwhelming.

Captain Oren broke into a run.

So did Captain Uragar.

Captain Falcon as well.

They had each been fighting in different places—yet without hesitation, they converged.

All the captains gathered before Daitaros.

“We’re backing you up!”

“You can’t take a demon-possessed opponent alone!”

“Ufufu, shall we dance as four?”

Commander Snake bared his teeth.

“Stay outta this! You idiots… don’t die. That ain’t Daitaros anymore. He’s something beyond human.”

The four attacked at once.

Captain Oren’s claws tore in at close range.

Captain Uragar’s sword sliced forward with razor precision.

Captain Falcon’s blow came down hard enough to crack the pavement.

Commander Snake’s segmented blade slipped through every tiny opening.

Their coordination was flawless.

And yet—

Daitaros was smiling.

The black membrane stopped their strikes.
The scales made their blades slide off.

The perfect teamwork of four captains was being nullified by a demon’s body.

When Daitaros casually stretched out a hand, the air exploded.

Captain Oren was blasted away.
Captain Uragar skidded across the ground.
Captain Falcon’s feet lifted off the pavement.

Commander Snake dug his segmented sword into the stone.

He held his ground—

—And still his knees sank.

“Damn it…”

Even all four together couldn’t bring him down.

My back turned ice-cold.

If this continued, those four would die.

And after them—

It would be us.

“…Gemini!”

I was already shouting.

Gemini, gripping his twin swords, turned toward me.

“Hort!? You’re still alive!?”

“I need your help! I’m going in!”

“What are you saying!? Even those monsters are getting crushed! What the hell can we do!?”

Gemini’s face tightened.

I sheathed my sword. I had prepared a trump card—just in case we faced demons.

“Trust me!”

Gemini stared straight at me.

“…Seriously. When this is over, you better introduce me to a cute girl!”

“I promise. We’ll invite a pretty one out for food. My treat.”

“You swear…!”

A friend you could joke with in the middle of battle—

That kind of guy was rare. And dependable.

“I need time. Ten seconds… no, three is enough. Just give me one opening.”

“Three seconds is enough?”

“Yeah. I’ll do it—even if it kills me.”

Gemini grinned.

“Having guts is fine—but don’t actually die. I don’t feel like dying either!”

“Yeah. I’m counting on you, partner.”

“Hort, you really do talk big.”

“Not as much as you.”

“Heh. True enough.”

We ran straight toward Daitaros.

Gemini’s twin blades sparked as he cut down the remaining demons in our path. Two leapt in front of me.

Gemini dropped one.

The other came for me.

I raised the buster sword like a shield, blocked it—then smashed it back with the sheath.

Focus.

Inside the sheath—

Light was gathering.

A pure, crystal-clear power.

“…Hort! The path’s open!”

“Yeah. I see it.”

I pulled the sword free.

The day Captain Brigitte forged this buster sword and sheath for me—

Sister Natasha had infused it with purification.

Because we knew we would need it against demons.

Brilliant white light—like the morning sun sealed inside steel—filled the blade.

Gemini was shouting something.

But I couldn’t hear him anymore.

I took my stance.

Daitaros noticed me.

Natasha… I’m counting on you.

Purify the demons on this battlefield.

“S-Supreme Purification…!”

My voice trembled.

But I didn’t stop.

“Holy Cross!”

A cross of light burst from the blade.

Blinding—

Yet it didn’t hurt my eyes.

Blazing—

Yet it didn’t burn my skin.

The light spread across the entire plaza, carving a massive cross into the ground.

Black wings creaked all at once.

Demon scales bubbled and hissed.

The black membrane around Daitaros wavered—then began to peel away.

Commander Snake noticed.

He bared his teeth.

“…Womanizer! I’ll reward you for that!”

The demonic power wrapped around Daitaros was being stripped away.

I clenched my teeth.

As long as this light shone, their attacks would land.

From here on—

This was the captains’ domain.

But my job wasn’t over.

I wouldn’t let the light fade.

I refused to let go of the sword.

The captains seized the moment.

“I’m going in!”

Captain Oren stepped forward first. The claw blades on both hands growled like beasts.

Captain Uragar followed, footwork swift—sliding like the wind, aiming for vital points.

“Ufufu, now we can finally dance.”

Captain Falcon’s axe came down with enough force to shatter demon wings.

Commander Snake’s segmented blade shot out—slithering across the ground, springing up, targeting the throat.

This time.

Their strikes connected.

Holy Cross had peeled away the demon’s shell.

And for the first time—

Daitaros’s smile twisted.

“…I see. So a little trick like that can reach this far.”

A towering, icy voice turned toward me.

Daitaros spread his wings.

The blade-like edges sliced the air with a sound like tearing cloth.

Captain Oren’s claws closed in.

At that exact moment—

Daitaros flicked his hand.

The demon who hadn’t defended until now—defended.

The remaining demons threw themselves in front of him, forming a wall.

“…!”

The captains’ blades tore through demon flesh, shattered bone, blasted bodies away.

But their advance slowed.

Because the ones blocking them—had once been human.

Commander Snake clicked his tongue.

“Damn it…!”

Before his segmented sword could retract, Daitaros slid sideways like a shadow.

His target wasn’t the captains.

It was me.

He meant to eliminate the Holy Cross.

Daitaros’s gaze pierced straight into me.

“You. You’re the nuisance.”

My back froze.

It wasn’t that my legs wouldn’t move—

They moved a fraction too late.

His wings folded in.

The next instant, he leapt—closing the distance in a blink.

““Hort!!””

Captain Oren’s voice.

Gemini’s shout.

Something flashed past me.

Twin blades sparked—Gemini had cut in between us.

“Look over here, you foureyes bastard!”

Daitaros didn’t even glance at him.

His arm extended.

From beneath the black scales, a bone-like blade thrust out.

It pierced straight through Gemini’s stomach.

“…!”

Time stopped.

Gemini’s mouth opened, as if to say something. Blood slipped out with his breath.

Even so—

He smiled at me.

“…Three seconds… right…?”

His knees buckled.

“Gemini!!”

I don’t even know if my voice came out.

Daitaros’s shadow fell over me.

A blade of wind from his wing slammed into my sword. The buster sword groaned. For a moment, I thought my arms would shatter.

Then his fist drove straight into my chest.

My armor cracked.

The air exploded out of my lungs.

I heard my ribs break.

I hit the pavement on my back.

My vision flashed white.

It hurt.

It hurt so much the pain began to feel distant. Somewhere far away, someone was screaming.

Captain Oren tried to push forward—

But the demon wall blocked her.

Commander Snake’s segmented blade shot out—

But it didn’t reach.

Captain Falcon smashed demons aside—

But more replaced them.

Captain Uragar’s sword flashed—

But Daitaros’s wing deflected it.

I tried not to let go of my sword.

My fingers wouldn’t obey.

The taste of blood filled my mouth. My throat burned.

At the edge of my fading vision, Daitaros walked toward me.

Still wearing that gentle smile.

“You end here.”

No.

There’s no way I’m ending here.

But my body wouldn’t move.

Pain crashed over me like a black wave, grinding away my consciousness.

The last thing I saw—was a demon’s foot about to crush me.

Then—

A silver-white suit of armor blasted the demon away.

“Hort! Leave the rest to me!”

Crimson hair streamed through the air.

Ah…

If this person was here—

Then everything would be fine.

Relief washed over me—

And I let consciousness slip away.

Chapter 83: The Women Who Fell Into the Swamp (9)

Side: Adelheid von Graetz

A large-scale purge of the demon cult.

I had never imagined Hort Rubel’s covert mission would lead to something like this.

Did His Excellency the Marshal—my father—foresee all of it when he sent Hort undercover? While Hort developed bras and cheerful news spread through the royal capital on the surface, none of us expected such a massive calamity to erupt in the shadows.

“Bind! How’s your side?”

“Yes, Commander Graetz! This sector is secured!”

“Good.”

In front of me, I cut down a knight of the Second Order who had transformed into something no longer human.

I never thought demons would be hiding within the Second Knight Order itself.

But this ends here.

As Commander of the Second Knight Order, I completed the extermination of the demons that had infiltrated the royal castle.

Black blood splattered across the stone pavement, still faintly steaming. Torn wings. Broken bone blades. Fragments of what had once been human.

…The same sight was spreading throughout the capital this morning.

The resolve to cut down one’s comrades.

And the resolve to hunt demons.

“Commander! This sector is secure! Casualties within the Order are minimal!”

Within the Second Knight Order, we handled each possessed knight in teams of three. Because we were facing our own comrades, we proceeded cautiously—and that caution kept the damage low.

To begin with, the number of demons here had been smaller than what the Third Knight Order reported.

“Prioritize recovering the wounded. If evacuation of residents is delayed, notify the Third Knight Order—we’ll dispatch reinforcements from here as well. There’s still a chance demons are moving. Stay alert.”

“Yes, ma’am!”

My armor was stained with blood and dust. My breathing had grown rough.

But I could not fall here.

The Third Knight Order bore responsibility for the entire capital. If we had strength to spare, we would support them.

“I’m heading into the city. Bind, you take command.”

“Understood!”

Leaving the rest to my vice-commander, I tightened my grip on my sword.

The fighting still raged in the streets.

As I cut down stray demons and assisted wounded knights, a woman came sprinting down an alley toward me.

“L-Lady Adelheid, please lend us your strength!”

“Hm? You’re Gina, aren’t you? Why are you here?”

When I frowned, Gina bent over with her hands on her knees, catching her breath.

“Sir Hort is in danger!”

The moment I heard that name, something inside my chest twisted sharply.

“What?! What do you mean?”

I meant to ask calmly, yet my voice came out lower—and harsher—than I intended.

“There’s no time to explain! The Third Knight Order, Second Unit barracks! Please, Lady Adelheid—Sir Hort—!”

…So urgent that explanations could wait.

I swallowed my irritation and tightened my grip on my sword.

“Understood!”

Bootsteps echoed sharply against stone in the morning mist. Metal clashed in the distance. Magic burst. People screamed.

Demons blocked my path.

The royal capital had become a battlefield. I cut through alleys, slipped down backstreets, ran past an overturned cart.

…Hort! You’re alive, aren’t you!?

When I reached the plaza, what I saw—was the captains of the Third Knight Order fighting off a swarm of demons.

And at the center of a blinding light—

Hort.

A single massive demon stood before him.

Far beyond anything we had faced before.

And Hort stood against it.

The next instant, something moved within the light.

Bat-like wings.

Blade-edged tips.

A twisted monster wearing a human smile.

It flew straight toward Hort.

One knight leapt forward to shield him—

But he wouldn’t make it in time!

“Hort!”

The shout left my mouth before I realized it.

In my sight—

Hort raised his sword.

Like a shield.

But the giant demon’s fist crashed into him with merciless force.

His armor shattered.

I heard the sound of something human breaking.

Hort was blown back, slammed into the stone pavement, the air crushed from his lungs. He couldn’t move.

Inside me, something snapped.

Blood surged to my head.

It felt as though my vision turned red.

The composure I had always maintained—peeled away.

I had fought in countless battles.

Monsters. Demons.

As a knight, I had fought to protect the people.

For the kingdom—

But the moment I understood that the one lying there was Hort—

Anger came before reason.

I couldn’t stop it.

I didn’t want to stop it.

“…You bastard!”

The voice that left my throat did not sound like my own. It was low—almost a growl.

Rage warped my vision.

The demon kept that gentle smile as he looked at me.

“…Another one? How troublesome.”

Troublesome?

You injure Hort and call it troublesome?

I raised my sword. The single step I took cracked the stone pavement beneath my feet.

“Hort! Leave the rest to me!”

I shouted.

The tip of my blade thrust forward in a straight line, driven by nothing but fury.

On this battlefield, I wanted only one thing.

To kill this demon.

“Kuh! Who are you?!”

“Adelheid von Graetz, Commander of the Kingdom’s Second Knight Order. I am the one who will kill you.”

“Don’t get cocky, human!”

“You have it backward.”

“What?”

“Don’t get cocky, demon. Whatever your reasons, you turned yourself into a beast. There are countless dreams that cannot be achieved by strength alone. But the moment you sacrifice others and cling to borrowed power, you’ve already lost to those who fight to fulfill their wishes with their own hands. I will make you answer for that.”

Hort—

Even when he was weak, he challenged me with his own strength.

He did what he could and earned his place in the Third Knight Order.

With his own talent, he achieved feats worthy of recognition by the kingdom.

“You fell into damnation for your own desires—and now you dare trample others.”

“Shut up! What would someone blessed with talent like you understand?!”

“Talent? Do you think having talent means we do not work for it? I am not one of the Grand Knights. There are those above me. The moment you failed even to catch up to me, you should have accepted your limits.”

The demon’s claws and wings lashed toward me.

I cut through them all.

Even when they regenerated—

I cut them again.

The light Hort had released was weakening him.

“You injured Hort. Do not think you will be forgiven! With this strike, I will bury you!”

“Don’t think you can beat me!”

The last trace of a human face he possessed—

Was swallowed by demonic corruption.

So what?

Before he could fully transform, I took his head.

“Wha—?!”