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 25: The Second Time...

Chapter 25: The Second Time…

The Demonkin was a wreck.

Out of its four arms, only two remained. Its legs were severed, and its body was scorched all over.

And yet—

“Gichi, gichi, gichi, gichi—”

The Demonkin clacked its massive jaws and trembled, but it wasn’t out of fear or panic.

“Weak… and yet…! Useless… annoying… noisy… painful… I’ll kill you—!”

It was rage.

“Elmie, Big Sis, come closer. The monsters have calmed down a little. 《Bolt Wall》!”

Maria created walls of lightning around us, keeping the monsters at bay. Maybe they were backing off because their leader was injured.

“It still looks ready to fight…”

“You’ve got to be kidding…? I didn’t cut it in half, but I did take off half its body!”

Just as Frey said that—

“GiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII—!!!!!!!”

The Demonkin let out a deafening roar, loud enough to split our heads open.

At the same time, its wounded arms and legs began to swell.

“No… way…”

“You’re kidding me…”

Even though we didn’t want to believe it, it was happening right in front of our eyes.

The flesh bubbled up, hardened on the surface, and sharpened at the tips.

The Demonkin’s arms and legs regenerated… and all our hard work was undone.

“Regenerating its arms and legs… that much life force?”

We gave it everything we had to wear it down… but if it can just regenerate like that, then—

“It’s useless. You’re weak, pathetic females.”

The Demonkin cruelly declared as it opened and closed its newly regenerated hands, testing their movement.

Despite its words, it made no move to come down.

“But… you’re dangerous. I’ve learned that now.”

As the crushing reality hit us, Maria spoke up.

“Elmie… look, over there.”

She pointed toward the town of Cahel.

When I looked, I saw a massive cloud of dust—hordes of magical beasts were charging toward us.

The monsters that hadn’t been drawn by that jerk Gerand’s blood were now heading straight for the town.

“No way… was it that roar earlier?”

Did that roar call all the monsters back…?

“So… my minions will crush you.”

Wooo, wooo, wooo!

“…That sound…”

In this moment of despair, we heard something even worse.

“That’s the emergency signal… telling us to return, right?”

“Does that mean… the town is…?”

I didn’t want to understand what their words meant.

No… it can’t be…

“As long as there are many… my strong minions will kill humans.”

Was it sending the rest of the monsters to attack the town?

“…Please, God, at least protect Abel.”

“No, stop… you can’t… Abel’s still there…”

Maria clutched her chest tightly, and Frey reached out with trembling hands.

But their prayers… their hands… couldn’t reach him.

“I’ll torment you… then kill you.”

From that moment on, we kept fighting desperately just to survive.

Even though the monsters were just D-Rank and lower, their overwhelming numbers were still a threat. No matter how many we cut down, more kept coming.

The Demonkin stayed in the air, out of our reach, and we couldn’t attack it. Our wounds piled up, and exhaustion started to set in.

Our focus began to slip.

“Haa… haa… ah—”

In the middle of fighting the monsters, something grabbed my leg… a goblin.

“No! Get away!”

Uncharacteristically, a surge of panic hit me, a flash of my worst memory. I desperately slashed at the goblin.

But that moment of panic made me stop moving.

“Wide open.”

“Oh no—”

By the time I realized it, the Demonkin was already in front of me.

“Ugh… gah—aaaaaahhh!!!”

“Finally… got you!!!”

I took a brutal hit head-on.

I tried to block with the flat of my sword, but I couldn’t hold it back. The Demonkin’s knife-like claws pierced through my light armor and stabbed into my stomach.

Even though I was fast, I didn’t have the power to withstand it. The blow sent me flying, and I tumbled across the ground.

“Guh… ahh…! Cough! Agh… kaah—!”

I struggled to get up and run to avoid the wave of monsters, but the taste of blood filled my mouth. I couldn’t stop myself from spitting it out.

“Kyaaahhh!!!”

“Frey!”

As I forced my legs forward, ignoring the blood dripping from my wounds, I saw Frey flying toward me with a scream.

Some larger mid-tier monster must have charged at her from the group of low-tier ones, sending her crashing through the air.

“Frey, are you okay!? Cough…”

“Hey, Elmie… this is a bit rough. My left arm… and a few ribs… are broken…”

“Don’t talk! We need to find somewhere without any monsters—”

I held her and tried to run, searching for a safe spot. But there wasn’t one.

Everywhere I looked, it was just more monsters…

“《Bolt Rain》!”

Lightning rained down, scattering the monsters.

“That’s… cough…”

Through my blurry vision, I saw the source of the magic—it was Maria.

Thank goodness. She was still there. If we could just reach her…

“Maria! Thank goodness, you’re safe—”

“Haa… haa… he…”

But no… she wasn’t safe.

Her body was covered in cuts and bite wounds, blood seeping from everywhere.

Her face was pale, and her breathing was ragged and shallow. She looked like she was suffocating.

It was obvious—she had run out of magic power.

“Maria! No… this can’t be…”

“Gigiiiih… took a while… but it’s over now.”

The monsters surrounded us, but they didn’t attack.

Was the Demonkin in the air holding them back? It was endlessly cruel.

Its face was mostly made up of compound eyes and giant jaws, so it was impossible to read its expression.

Yet the feeling coming from it was clear—satisfaction.

Like someone who had finally crushed a biting puppy underfoot and was now content.

“Once you’re all crushed and broken, I’ll eat you. After that, I’ll kill every human in that town.”

I held up Maria, but my body had no strength left.

Both she and Frey couldn’t move anymore.

We were surrounded by monsters, and the Demonkin was too fast to escape from.

Help wasn’t coming. That emergency siren earlier meant anyone outside had probably retreated to Cahel.

We couldn’t run away.

“This is the end.”

The Demonkin raised its hand, and I pulled Maria and Frey close, holding them tightly.

…It had been a long time since I felt this close to death.

My life had so many moments, but at this moment, all I could think about was him.

I realized, deep in my heart, just how much I loved him.

As tears welled up, I whispered one last thought:

Abel… I wanted to see you one more time…

Just then—

—BOOOOOOOM!!!!!!

A deafening explosion roared from the direction of Cahel.

It was a sound so massive that it froze every creature around us.

“…Huh?”

I turned to look—and saw that it was raining.

But it wasn’t ordinary rain. Monsters were falling from the sky like raindrops, torn apart and scattered.

Something—or someone—was coming from Cahel.

I couldn’t see through the wall of monsters blocking my view, but whatever it was, it tore through them, sending monsters flying as it approached.

It was like watching a massive beast charge through, flinging trees and rocks high into the air.

But no, this was different. The flying monsters were being cut to pieces.

Without giving us, the monsters, or even the Demonkin a moment to react, it charged straight from Cahel, slicing through the nearby monsters.

It wasn’t a monster.

“Ah… I’m glad I made it in time.”

Even through my blurry vision, I knew that voice.

He flicked two of his swords—swish, swish—clearing the blood from the blades, leaving red arcs in the air.

In the middle of the rain of blood and shredded monster parts…

Abel stood there, a relieved smile on his face.

“Sorry, I overslept a little. I came to save you.”

[Side: Betrayed Adventurer]

When I arrived, I saw Elmie and the others, huddled together and covered in wounds.

They were battered and broken, but they were alive. I made it in time. Relief washed over me.

Damn that Guild Master. “Wait just a bit,” she said. If I’d waited any longer, Elmie and the others might not have made it.

She said, “If you fight, it’ll be dangerous,”and “At least wait until the others on the front lines return.” Hah.

I managed to hold back for a few minutes, but I ignored her orders and rushed out anyway.

I might make a scene at the guild later… but whatever.

What mattered now was that the three of them were alive.

“Abel…!? You’re supposed to be resting… ugh.”

“Y-Yeah! What about your body…?”

“Haa… wheeze… Abel, you…?”

“Don’t worry. I slept for half a day, and now I’m completely recovered.”

Even though they were battered and broken, they still worried about me. I smiled to reassure them.

The reason I was here now was thanks to a special sleep method that combined healing magic.

I developed it during those three years when I didn’t have time to waste sleeping. The downside was that I’d sleep so deeply it was hard to wake up. But after 12 hours, I recovered from a week’s worth of exhaustion.

“This is… S-Rank power…?”

“It’s not about rank. I just learned this because I had to… But more importantly—”

I stepped closer to the three of them, careful of the swords in my hands… and pulled them into a tight hug.

“I’m so glad I made it in time…! Really…!”

They were covered in wounds, but they were alive.

Seeing them hurt like this pained me, but for adventurers, surviving was a victory.

I took out the highest-grade healing potions from my ring and handed them over.

“Drink it slowly, you’ll be fine after this. —This time, we’re not retreating. I’ll protect this place until the end.”

“Ah… haha, you came to save us again.”

“Of course. You saved me… twice, when I was truly at my lowest.”

I let go of them and turned around.

I noticed their hands reaching out, reluctant to let go, but this was something I had to do.

Because I was ready to lose myself in fury. Fury at the monsters who hurt the people I cared about… and fury at myself for letting it happen.

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Hi, this is Sora Akatsuki, with a bit of a thing for protective themes.
You thought the update would take a week!?

Good news! I pushed myself and got it done!
Let’s not talk about how I almost posted this yesterday…

If you enjoyed it, I’d be thrilled if you could show some support, leave a comment, or rate the chapter!
I also appreciate any reports of typos or mistakes!