What If the Strongest Villain from the Original Story Became the Protagonist's Ally? - Chapter 30 - Struggle, and Schemes

Iris ran across the ground.

When she closed in on the nearest monster, she swung her blade at its body.

Silver flashed brilliantly.

The monster, unable to catch Iris’s movement, had its head severed while showing astonishment. This made it the fifth one she’d defeated in total.

“!”

Almost simultaneously with the monster falling, Iris kicked off the ground. As she leaped backward, an extremely thick arm was swung down where Iris had been standing just moments before.

The sound of it hitting the ground was dull. It was a strike that might have surpassed Iris in pure arm strength alone.

As soon as she landed on the ground, Iris muttered as if complaining.

“There are so many…”

Iris had already defeated five monsters. Despite that, there was no change in the number of monsters surrounding her.

They weren’t multiplying. It was simply that monsters kept appearing one after another. With truly good timing, additional monsters appeared every time Iris defeated one.

“Why are there suddenly so many monsters… Could it be a nearby dungeon as Yuu-san said?”

What came to mind was one of the possibilities Yuguram had told Iris about—a dungeon.

Iris herself was still half-doubtful, but with this many monsters showing themselves, she couldn’t think of anything other than a dungeon.

The forest near the village was regularly patrolled by knights who defeated monsters. If monsters could increase so easily, no one would be able to live anywhere other than the royal capital.

“Or… I don’t want to think about it, but could it be by human hands…?”

What crossed her mind was the Empire, which repeatedly took hostile actions against the Kingdom.

According to Yuguram, there were countless Empire citizens who resented Iris. Considering that, she thought it was possible they might bring monsters as a roundabout way to destroy the Kingdom.

In Iris’s personal opinion, it was the worst of the worst, but if it was a strategy considering war, there was no more efficient tactic.

They could attack the Kingdom unilaterally without suffering losses themselves.

It was a convincing story.

However, there was no proof.

There weren’t any Empire soldiers nearby, and even if there were, she wouldn’t know where they were unless they showed themselves.

Even now, Iris desperately continued to exterminate the approaching monsters, but while the monsters increased, she still couldn’t see any human figures.

“Really… what is happening?”

While swinging her sword, she worried about Yuguram in her heart. Probably, by now Yuguram had found the dungeon.

He wasn’t returning, and Yuguram knew about various things more than she did. He wouldn’t reveal those secrets, and while he did show signs of hiding something… Iris believed in Yuguram.

She believed he would absolutely stay on her side. Conversely—when Yuguram became an enemy, Iris would be unable to do anything. The fundamental difference in their abilities was too great. No matter how serious she got, she couldn’t reach Yuguram.

She understood that well because she’d seen him up close.

“Yuu-san… if I’m ever in a pinch, you’ll come running, won’t you?”

And you’ll save me, won’t you? she muttered inwardly. Just like that day when they first met. Iris secretly hoped for that.

“Guruaaaaaaaa!”

“!”

The monster’s roar brought her consciousness back to reality.

A large bear-like monster was raising its arm.

She stepped sideways to avoid the attack. At the same time, she slashed the opponent’s torso with her sword.

The sensation of cutting flesh reached her hand, and the bear’s abdomen split open. The bear, flowing large amounts of blood, still didn’t stop.

Opening its large mouth, it tried to bite Iris forcefully. Then—

“Hah!”

Her right foot, enhanced with magical power, struck through.

Kicked in the jaw from below, the bear was downed in one hit.

That made eight.

The monsters still kept increasing.

If it was like this near the village, what was happening on Yuguram’s side?

As expected, only that kept crossing her mind.

“Yuu-san… I believe in you.”

Readying her sword, Iris kicked off the ground repeatedly.

To protect the place where Yuguram—no one else—should return to.

▼△▼

“—There we go.”

I blocked the crocodile’s straightforward charging attack with my sword.

The monster’s speed, which had been threatening in the narrow cave, was just a sitting duck in this open space.

Its attack power wasn’t much either. It could be adequately defended against with the magical power supplied by my magic core.

“Hehehe! Good, good! Keep cornering that man! After that, exterminate the villagers!”

“I won’t let you. Play with me a little longer.”

I imbued my sword with magical power and attacked the crocodile. I thought I could deal decent damage, but the enhanced monster had considerable durability.

Even after receiving my strike—

“Gugaaaaaaaa!”

—it roared as it was blown away, rolling around to regain its posture.

Its skin was barely cut. Tough bastard.

“What kind of synthesis makes something that hard?”

“Hehehe. Curious? I’ll tell you. The earlier story was interrupted, after all.”

The old man, whether scientist or Empire soldier, began gleefully talking about his experimental results.

Right about now… was Iris doing her best too?

This would be a good experience. I wonder if I could let her have the spotlight for a bit.