Vol 4 Chapter 84: “Requiem” (Vol 4: The Otherworldly Battlefield Arc)

The day after arriving in Poliviti.

Having secured a clean and comfortable home, Sukui sent the merchants away, ate a proper meal, and slept like an ordinary person.

The next day, a battle with monsters coming from the Demon Lord’s castle was scheduled.

Since the exact time was unknown, Sukui left home early in the morning and asked the merchants to repair the property.

At the same time, he handed them several valuable pieces of jewelry from his belongings.

“These were for exchange. Sell them at a high price and use the funds for the repairs. Whatever remains, you can keep,” Sukui said.

Captivated by Sukui’s words, the merchants bowed deeply as they saw him and Horo off that morning.

Although the jewelry and other personal items in the house could easily have been stolen, such thoughts no longer occurred to them.

“And please stop calling me ‘Master.’”

“Understood, Aniki. Hehe.”

In reality, the ones who feared theft weren’t Sukui, but the merchants themselves.

They knew running away or stealing would mean certain death.

Afterward, Sukui borrowed a carriage and headed for the grand cathedral.

He could have spent a few more days exploring the city, but he was already drawing attention.

He decided it would be better to show his contribution to the city before strange rumors could spread.

Horo accompanied him but only as a spectator and would not participate in battle.

At the cathedral, the Holy Knights they had met the previous day were on guard at the gate.

“Good morning, Sukui-san,” they greeted politely.

Their interactions from the day before seemed to have earned Sukui a degree of respect.

He had offered generous donations, gifts, and had engaged in conversation with them before receiving the house.

No one saw him as just a shady wealthy man anymore.

“Good morning. I heard there’s a monster extermination today, and I’d like to help if I can,” Sukui said.

One of the Holy Knights smiled in surprise.

“That’s very kind of you, and you’re certainly early.”

“I wasn’t told the exact time. I’m also new to this, so I’d like to hear any explanations and maybe help with preparations, if possible.”

Sukui explained that Horo was there only to observe, which the knights agreed was wise.

Though Sukui’s neighborhood was relatively safe, leaving a young girl alone at home wasn’t ideal.

“Well, living near Parder-san does help with security, but this works out well. Thank you for offering your help. Please see the priest inside,” the knight said.

They opened the gate and welcomed Sukui.

Inside, the cathedral was one of the sturdiest buildings in the city.

It served as the headquarters for its leaders, a place where people gathered to prepare for battle.

It also functioned as a fortress, which explained its somewhat grand design.

Yet it wasn’t just about functionality; the cathedral’s grandeur also projected authority.

Titles like “Holy Knight” were part of encouraging people to follow.

Sukui greeted several Holy Knights as he made his way to a reception desk, where a priest stood behind the counter.

“Sukui-san, you’re here already,” the priest said with a gentle smile, free of any malice.

Sukui bowed slightly.

“I’m eager to get used to life in this city. I hope I’m not overstepping by offering to help.”

“Not at all. We’re often threatened by monsters, so we’re grateful for anyone with the skill to fight—especially two of you.”

“Oh, no. It’s just me. I brought Horo-san along because I couldn’t leave her alone.”

“I see. You mentioned she wasn’t in the best health. My apologies for assuming otherwise.”

They chatted casually as Sukui listened to the priest’s explanation.

“There isn’t much to it. I’m in charge of reception, and everyone goes to battle according to their roles. That’s about it.”

Each participant didn’t receive any special instructions.

Of course, the Holy Knights seemed to have some sort of plan, but volunteer fighters were basically told they could fight however they wished.

Sukui agreed that this was for the best.

Regardless of their abilities, they were a ragtag group. Forcing them to cooperate in complex maneuvers would only be a burden—especially if many of them were once criminals with notable skills.

In general, the fighters were divided into a close-combat unit that charged through the gate toward the Demon Lord’s castle, a magic unit that provided support from behind, and a support unit on top of the outer wall that prepared powerful spells requiring extra time.

Still, most ended up joining the close-combat force for a direct assault.

“Sukui-san, you’re joining the close-combat unit, right? It sounds dangerous, but you’ll be with the Holy Knights who have proper training. Please help us as much as you can without overextending yourself.”

“Ah, no. I’d like to stay on top of the outer wall.”

The priest, who assumed Sukui would be fighting up close because he was dressed more practically than yesterday, was cut off by Sukui’s words.

“The outer wall?”

Few volunteers went up there.

People on the wall typically prepared large-scale, combined magic, waiting for the right moment to fire.

It was strongly recognized as the Holy Knights’ territory.

“Yes, I have a few things on my mind,” Sukui said, somewhat evasively.

The priest tilted his head, momentarily glancing between Sukui and Horo. Realizing Sukui had a reason, he seemed to understand.

“Understood. You can head up those stairs. There’s a room over there if you need to get ready. We have some weapons, so feel free to use them if you’d like.”

After hearing the explanation from the priest, Sukui spent some time helping with preparations and looking around the grand cathedral. Eventually, he climbed to the top of the outer wall.

“It’s windy. Are you cold?”

“I’m fine. I have magic at my disposal.”

From atop the outer wall, Sukui gazed into the distance.

The wind was strong enough to tussle his hair, but he didn’t seem to mind, simply holding Horo’s hand and looking toward the Demon Lord’s castle.

“Onii-cha, that really helped.”

On the wall, people were preparing their magic.

They weren’t just casting spells; they had large wooden constructs for launching fire spells, hurling heavy objects like cannonballs, and more—measures to handle a swarm of monsters.

“No, it was good practice for me too.”

It’s often more effective to combine magic with something else rather than cast it by itself.

Sukui had only worked simple combat combos before. With better equipment, he could surely be more strategic.

“Looks like people are gathering down there. There’s still time, but want to head down, onii-cha?”

“No, I’ll stay here.”

Just as Sukui replied, he narrowed his eyes.

“Is something coming?”

At his words, several people looked toward the Demon Lord’s castle.

Though the castle was just a small dot on the horizon, they couldn’t see anything yet.

“Coming? What do you mean?”

Some tilted their heads.

Still, Sukui spoke with certainty.

“Two monsters just left the Demon Lord’s castle. They’re fast and they’re flying.”

“That’s impossible. Monsters arrive on a certain schedule. And seeing one that flies is rare—once in ten times, maybe.”

That was why those on the wall usually had time to prepare large-scale magic.

But before anyone could finish the thought, everyone could see the monsters rapidly approaching.

“This is insane! They’re coming way too soon. And what are those monsters?”

“Calm down! Even if there aren’t many volunteers, the Holy Knights are ready. Plus, thanks to Sukui-san, our preparations…”

“No, wait—is that a dragon?”

“And the other one…that dragon’s got multiple heads!”

Panic spread as people realized these monsters had arrived earlier than expected—and were stronger than they anticipated.

The unit on the wall rarely faced direct threats.

They weren’t used to seeing powerful monsters barreling straight at them.

“That color is strange. Is that a Gold Dragon?”

“It’s said to breathe fire that never goes out! Don’t joke around—this requires an all-hands response!”

“Wait, that multi-headed dragon…that’s a Hydra!”

“A legendary monster said to be immortal! We need the priest—someone get the priest! We can’t handle this!”

Watching everyone around him panic, Sukui calmly observed the approaching monsters.

The rest of the monsters on the ground would take more time to arrive, but the Gold Dragon and the Hydra, being able to fly, would reach them in no time.

They were clearly headed this way.

Perhaps they knew it was easier to attack the people on the wall, or maybe they just wanted to bypass it.

In any case, these monsters were said to have a certain level of intelligence.

“Could the priest defeat them?”

“Definitely! But…”

He won’t make it in time.

Before anyone could speak, the Gold Dragon and the slightly slower Hydra drew close enough to be clearly seen.

“A Gold Dragon that breathes fire said never to go out, and a Hydra rumored to be immortal.”

Recalling the image of a certain girl in his mind, Sukui slowly closed his eyes.

Noticing the sudden shift in Sukui’s demeanor, Horo quietly let go of his hand.

“I see.”

He opened his eyes.

Those were top-tier, legendary monsters.

Sukui turned his feet in their direction.

Lightly, almost as if walking, he leapt from the wall.

“Huh?”

Everyone, in the midst of confusion, froze for a moment.

They forgot about the monsters entirely, staring blankly at where Sukui had been.

“What are you doing?!”

Ignoring that shout, Sukui charged straight toward the Gold Dragon.

Deciding he was an enemy, the Gold Dragon opened its jaws wide.

“Much appreciated,” Sukui muttered.

In that instant, the Gold Dragon unleashed its supposed never-ending flame at him.

A huge mass of fire, far larger than one might expect from a mere breath, scorched the air and instantly raised the temperature all the way to the cathedral.

The heat and intensity made everyone break into a sweat in mere seconds.

Sukui evaded the flames in midair.

“That was a bit dangerous.”

In the air, Sukui accelerated the growth of a plant seed to create a paraglider-like shape, used it as a foothold to shift position, then discarded it.

He landed on the Gold Dragon.

Simultaneously, the Gold Dragon’s neck jerked away.

While dodging, Sukui had used his knife to sever the dragon’s neck.

Because of the blade’s short reach, it wasn’t done in a single slash. He used a cord wrapped around the knife, slashing multiple times.

It happened so fast, to bystanders it looked like the dragon’s neck had suddenly vanished.

“Now then…”

The Gold Dragon stopped moving briefly in midair, allowing Sukui a moment to pivot toward the Hydra.

But before he could react, the Hydra literally stretched its neck toward him—nine heads lunging from all directions at a speed normal people couldn’t even see.

“So you’re immortal too,” Sukui said.

He lightly backstepped off the Gold Dragon, falling away while avoiding the Hydra’s strike.

Though he didn’t know about its stretching ability or speed, there was a slight hint of movement before the attack—much like the wolves he had once fought.

At the same time, he lopped off all nine heads in one slash.

Just like before, he was attacking while dodging—a minimal-motion tactic he had honed over time.

Naturally, it was pointless. The Hydra, being immortal, instantly regenerated.

From within its newly regrown necks, flames appeared.

Without a sound, the Hydra seemed to cry out, and Sukui smiled.

“While I was slashing, I attached the Gold Dragon’s never-ending fire to those plants. Even if you’re said to be immortal, you can’t survive once you’re consumed by a flame that never goes out.”

A typical Sukui might have wondered if that flame could also harm him, but this time he didn’t think about it at all.

He simply watched from midair as the Hydra turned into charcoal, then ash, and vanished.

He slammed into the ground.

Though he used plants and break-falls to soften the impact, his entire body was covered in wounds, and his bones were fractured in many places.

He gave a slight laugh, noticing that nothing had changed.

“It seems I can’t manage to come out of this without a scratch,” he murmured, watching the flames above burn away everything until there was nothing left.

He then stood up once more.

【Author’s Note】

If this chapter feels unclear, please revisit Part 1’s final chapter and Episode 21 “Celebrity,” especially near the end.