What If the Strongest Villain from the Original Story Became the Protagonist's Ally? - Chapter 53 - Murderer, and Counter

—The Black Death God.

There was a man called by that name in the story.

The man’s name was Jack. He was one of the Empire’s most notorious troublemakers, possessing the twisted nature of a pleasure-seeking serial killer who had murdered countless people.

What’s more, this monster had been connected to the Empire’s upper echelons all along.

The upper echelons could eliminate troublesome targets, while Jack received payment for killing people without being held accountable for his crimes. They had built such a mutually beneficial relationship.

However, Jack possessed an arrogant personality. He would never show respect to anyone, regardless of who they were, and couldn’t abandon his belief that he was superior to everyone else.

That’s precisely why Jack despised two people who stood out more than him.

One was Iris Rune Aldnoa, called the kingdom’s treasure.

The other was… naturally, Yuguram Albain Kushana, who stood at the Empire’s pinnacle.

Jack, who harbored overwhelming jealousy toward Yuguram in particular for being called the strongest, once went to see Yuguram’s face. It was part of confirming just how strong he truly was.

If possible, Jack thought he might even attack and injure him. But he couldn’t even approach Yuguram, let alone attack him.

“——”

His instincts understood.

Even from a distance, his cells trembled. His eyes widened, and he naturally broke into a sweat as he stepped backward.

His heart pounded. For the first time, Jack felt anxiety and clear fear. It was—a simple defeat as a living being.

He understood in just one glance. He could never, ever defeat that monster.

There was such an insurmountable gap in power between himself and Yuguram that he would be killed the moment he tried to raise his knife.

Jack was left with terrible trauma.

As a result of confronting his murderous impulses, he would later go on a rampage in the royal capital to erase the trauma Yuguram had carved into him.

But that’s another story.

▼△▼

To think… that Jack would end up standing before me through some twist of fate.

“? What’s wrong? You’re not frozen with fear—are you?”

Jack kicked off the ground.

With minimal movement, he rapidly closed in on me and swung the knives gripped in his left and right hands at high speed.

I avoided them by stepping backward.

—Jack was strong. Even in the story, he was a powerhouse ranking just below Yuguram and Iris. In terms of pure physical ability alone, he was stronger than the current Iris.

But even such a Jack had been overwhelmed just by seeing Yuguram’s aura. Normally, there’s no way he wouldn’t notice me.

So why was he attacking? The reason was simple.

Because unlike the original Yuguram, I wasn’t constantly releasing magical pressure.

The original Yuguram never suppressed his magical power to show off his strength. As a result, his intimidating presence was overwhelming at all times.

In comparison, I had erased my aura to prevent my identity from being discovered as much as possible.

Even Jack, who possessed sharp magical perception abilities, couldn’t realize I was Yuguram without the magical pressure.

That’s why he could speak so brazenly to the very person who had traumatized him.

“Come on, come on! If you don’t move faster, you’ll die!?”

Jack’s speed increased further. His glittering red eyes traced beautiful lines through the air as he circled behind me.

Despite using almost no magical power, he displayed this speed and athletic performance.

His mana efficiency was incredible. It was clear evidence of remarkably high control ability. He had swung his knives at my body even while moving, and if I hadn’t dodged, I would have been slashed multiple times already.

But I also blocked the strike from behind. I grabbed Jack’s arm and forcibly canceled his attack.

“Oh? You can keep up with that speed with ease. As expected of the princess’s guard. What wonderful ability.”

He said this in a singing voice, and immediately after, Jack’s knife emitted an ominous light.

Intuitively sensing an attack, I released my grip on him to guard against it. I immediately created distance and dodged the dark red flash that came flying from the knife’s blade.

“Haha. That one surprised me… how were you able to avoid it?”

“—Bloody Mary, was it?”

“!”

For the first time, Jack’s expression crumbled at my words. Though he had maintained a carefree atmosphere all along, he suddenly lowered his voice.

“…How do you know that?”

A natural question. That knife was Jack’s partner. A cursed artifact he had been using for a very long time.

Bloody Mary.

A weapon-type artifact that inflicted powerful curses on targets. Not only the flash, but even receiving attacks from the blade would poison you.

The poison wouldn’t affect me or Iris with our vast magical power, but I wasn’t sure about the curse. I probably wouldn’t be affected, but better safe than sorry.

Incidentally, Mary was the name of Jack’s mother. Naming a weapon after the mother he had killed himself—he was truly insane.

“Who knows? I just heard it through the grapevine. You talk too much.”

“Ridiculous! I’ve killed every enemy I’ve encountered so far!”

Jack kicked off the ground again and closed in. Moving with swift motions while swinging his knives, he ran freely around me in all directions.

He was certainly fast. His reflexes and athletic ability surpassed anyone I’d met so far.

But that was all. He fell far short of the story’s strongest final boss.

My hand reached out—snap.

“Hm?”

Jack’s arm was easily bent backward.