S-Rank Adventurer Betrayed by His Fiancée in the Hero’s Party Sets Off on a Journey to Heal His Broken Heart ~The Strongest Betrayed Adventurer Ends Up Forming a Harem Party~ - Chapter 17: The Crimson Magic Sword

Chapter 17: The Crimson Magic Sword

The sudden shockwave forced all of us to leap back.

From the cracked ground emerged something massive, hidden behind a cloud of dust. It stood about five meters tall.

Through the haze, we could make out a rounded silhouette, contrasting sharply with its angular head and massive arms.

When the dust settled, the creature’s enormous claws and brown carapace came into full view.

“This thing… is it a ‘Moldrake’?”

Also known as the “Burrowing Drake,” the Moldrake is a type of sub-dragon, like a wyvern.

With disproportionately large arms and claws, it tunnels through the ground with ease.

Like the Blood Wolves, it’s a magical beast that shouldn’t be anywhere near this region.

“Did the smell of blood lure it here, right Frey?”

“Alright, alright, I’m sorry for flirting with Abel, big sis.”

“Y-You…! You better remember this tonight!”

“Yaan, Abel, help me~! Big sis might bully me!”

“Both of you, knock it off! A Moldrake is an A-rank magical beast! I’ve fought one before, but we can’t afford to let our guard down!”

“Haha…”

I ignored the sibling spat threatening to drag me into it.

The Moldrake’s stubby, round body might look harmless, but inside it’s all muscle and armor.

Its defense is incredibly high, and its massive claws can pierce through even metal armor.

“So, if it’s just the three of you, how would you take it down?”

I asked Elmie.

“Well… Moldrakes aren’t weak to lightning, so before we…”

“I’d distract it while Elmie and big sis target its weak spots, like its unarmored belly.”

“Exactly. The carapace on its back is too tough for either of us to break. Since it’s a sub-dragon with high defense, forcing our way through isn’t a smart plan.”

The Moldrake’s belly doesn’t have the same sturdy carapace as its back. Its skin and scales are still tough, but with Elmie’s 《Sword Saint》 skills or Frey’s strength, it should be possible to take it down.

If Maria creates openings for them, defeating it seems feasible.

…But, well, I have my own idea.

“Normally, this would be a tough fight… but with Abel here, it should be much easier!”

“Ufufu, maybe we’ll finally get to do something that feels like real teamwork~!”

Frey readied her halberd with an excited grin.

Elmie and Maria also looked confident, smiling even in the face of a formidable foe.

But—

“Sorry, but I’m taking this one on my own. I held back with the Blood Wolves, and honestly, I’d find the Moldrake easier to deal with solo.”

“What?! But it’s an A-rank magical beast! You can’t—”

“It’s fine, really. I just… want to show the three of you how much stronger I’ve gotten. Is that okay?”

I turned to them with a smile.

Against the Blood Wolves, my strengths weren’t suited for their pack tactics, so I held back.

But against the Moldrake, a solitary and powerful opponent, I could finally show my mentors the strength I’ve gained.

“Uuu… fine! If you insist that much, I’ll let you handle it!”

“That was easy…”

“Shh, don’t say that, big sis. Even we felt a little flustered just now.”

“I mean, yeah… I kinda got butterflies too…”

Grateful to Elmie for giving me the go-ahead and to the sisters blushing for some reason, I reached for the red magic sword secured to the sheath at my right hip. Unfastening the clasp, I pulled it out with a smooth motion.

“Awaken… Heedrise.”

A sword is just a sword—it doesn’t have a will of its own.

Even a magic sword, imbued with magic and mana, shouldn’t respond like a living thing.

But this one seemed to acknowledge my call, radiating waves of heat into the air around it.

It was one of the four magic swords in my possession—the red blade that commands flames.

The Scorching Flame Sword, Heedrise, had awakened.

“That’s…!”

“One of the famous Four Swords, isn’t it?”

“Wow, that’s incredible.”

The sight of Heedrise made all three of them fall silent in awe.

Elmie, as a swordswoman, and Maria, with her deep magical knowledge, were especially captivated.

“—《Flame Cloak》.”

With a single swing of the red blade, intense flames enveloped its surface.

I usually fight with two or more magic swords, but for a Moldrake, this one will be plenty.

“Alright… let’s turn up the heat—on both the battlefield and my mood!”

I filled my body with mana, pushing 《Body Strengthening》 and 《Diamond Body》 to their maximum efficiency.

As I stepped forward, the ground cracked beneath my foot, launching me straight toward the Moldrake.

A fight is all about spirit. If your resolve falters, you’ll never win.

Even when you’re on the verge of sinking, you’ve got to crank up the intensity!

“GYUOOOOO!!!”

The Moldrake, seeing a human recklessly charging toward it, raised its massive arm.

That colossal arm, built for burrowing through the earth, was as strong and heavy as solid rock.

As it swung down with the force of a wrecking ball, I had a simple solution:

Swing back just as big!

“Wha—wait, what!?”

“Abel!? No, that’s way too reckless—”

“Take this!!!”

The clash.

Heedrise, with its wide blade that flares out at the tip like an axe, is a large sword that can be wielded with one or both hands.

Its size and weight give it unparalleled destructive power among my four magic swords—it’s a beast of a weapon.

With all my strength and the enhancements of 《Body Strengthening》, I swung Heedrise to meet the Moldrake’s attack head-on.

“Gotcha!”

CLANG! 

A faint sizzling sound followed as I deflected the Moldrake’s massive strike.

“Wait… did he just deflect that? He did that on purpose, didn’t he? Does that mean he’s evenly matched with it?”

“And look at the Moldrake’s front leg—it’s got a cut! I couldn’t even manage that!”

“The wound looks like it’s melting… That must be the sheer heat of Heedrise’s flames…”

Maria was right—Heedrise is a magic sword that burns and slices through its target with heat.

The smell of seared flesh lingered in the air. Looks like it burned through the thick scales and carapace, right into the flesh.

“GYUGAAAAAA!!!”

“Hah, how does it feel to struggle against someone as small as me?”

Yeah, probably the worst.

Not only was it humiliated in its area of expertise, but its attack was outright deflected.

The stronger and smarter a monster is, the angrier it gets when provoked.

The Moldrake glared at me, swinging its other massive arm in a wide arc.

“Not falling for that one.”

I leapt once, and on the second step, used its head as a springboard to retreat into the air.

Anger clouds judgment. When fighting intelligent magical beasts, provoking them can be surprisingly effective.

I placed my left hand on the Breathslate at my right hip and used 《Wind Drift Step》 to “step” on the air, keeping me aloft.

Since my magic output is zero, I can’t release mana on my own.

To use magical tools like the magic swords or storage rings, I need to be in direct contact with them.

Even something as thin as a layer of fabric between me and the tool would render it unusable—a pretty inconvenient limitation.

“GYURUU… GUAAAA!!!”

The Moldrake roared, glaring up at me as I floated above.

Being a “Mole Dragon,” it had no natural way to deal with airborne targets—or so it would seem.

“Oh, I see. That’s your magic, huh?”

The ground around the Moldrake started to bulge and ripple… and in the next moment, it launched a barrage of earthen projectiles at me.

The term “magical beast” is a general term for animals with magical powers.

“Magical beasts” is a term for animals imbued with mana.

Weaker ones use their mana to enhance their bodies or adapt their behavior, but stronger magical beasts start using magic in battle.

It varies by individual, which can be a hassle, but this one isn’t particularly powerful.

I deftly avoided the flying debris, darting through the air with 《Wind Drift Step》, like I was skipping on the wind.

“He’s dodging in midair like it’s nothing…”

“Abel~? Humans don’t normally move through the air like that, you know~?”

“Yeah, well, I’m not flying—I’m running, basically!”

“Big sis doesn’t think that explanation makes it any better~!”

Hearing Elmie and Frey yelling at me from below, I couldn’t help but laugh.

Come on, any S-rank adventurer should at least be able to move in midair a little!

I’d gotten a pretty good feel for the Moldrake’s strength and toughness. Looks like it’s time to end this.

“Alright, time to wrap this up—《Wind Thrust Step》!”

Gathering the surrounding wind into a single point, I channeled it to push me forward.

At the same time, I poured mana into the Breathslate in my left hand and into Heedrise in my right.

The magic sword’s 《Flame Cloak》 technique ignited even further, increasing its fiery power.

The heat enveloping the blade isn’t just for show—it enhances its cutting edge. The hotter it gets, the more Heedrise can burn through its target.

With a surge of mana into 《Wind Thrust Step》, I accelerated even faster, plunging downward toward the Moldrake.

“GUOOOOO!!!”

The Moldrake opened its massive jaws to bite me as I closed in—but clink!

A miss.

At the last moment, I shifted the wind’s direction, twisting my body to dodge.

With its neck exposed, I swung Heedrise down from above and struck!

“—Explode. 《Blazing Ruin》!”

The superheated flames surged into the wound, vaporizing the edges of the cut.

As the strike continued, the heat caused explosions along the severed path.

Push, crush, explode, and slice.

Even the sub-dragon’s reinforced defenses couldn’t withstand it.

Heedrise sliced clean through the Moldrake’s thick, sturdy neck, severing it completely.

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Thanks for waiting!

I’ll work hard to release the next chapter sooner, so please look forward to it!

By the way, the magical beasts mentioned so far have unique traits and previously introduced names.