Chapter 17: Let’s Beat the Noble to a Pulp with All the Heroines!

“Why… Why must I suffer one misfortune after another!?”

In a mansion in the capital’s noble district, Earl Blazek clutched his head, spitting words of resentment in his private chambers. Two days ago, he’d intended to deal with an insolent upstart, only to be thoroughly trounced by a sword. Yesterday, he’d tried to get revenge on that upstart—Klaus—with poison and explosives, but they didn’t work. Worse, they backfired on him. Naturally, his exceptional vitality allowed him to survive by a hair’s breadth, but—

“This hatred will never fade! I must exact revenge on him!”

Blazek spat the words in a fit of rage. At that moment—

“Hmm, that’s quite a vivid shade of hatred,” a deep voice echoed.

“Who’s there!?”

In a room where only Blazek should have been, a man with horns protruding from his forehead and crimson eyes stood. From these traits, Blazek realized he was a demon.

“You, a demon! What’s your purpose in trespassing in my mansion!?”

“Such trivial matters are irrelevant. More importantly, don’t you have someone you want revenge on? I can help with that,” the demon replied.

“What? Help?”

“Indeed. I can grant you the power to achieve your revenge.”

“Power…”

Normally, Blazek would reject a demon’s offer without hesitation. But consumed by his desire for vengeance against Klaus, he had no room to be picky.

“Fine, I’ll take your offer! Hurry and give me the power!”

“A wise choice… Here you go.”

From the demon’s outstretched hand, jet-black mana flowed into Blazek. Feeling his strength surge, Blazek laughed.

“Fahaha! Perfect! With this power, I can kill him!”

“Excellent spirit. I’ll arrange the stage for you. Are you ready?”

“Of course!”

Blazek nodded firmly and stormed out of the mansion. Watching him go, the demon muttered softly, “I came searching for the rumored «Absolute Immortal Blessed Sword» transported to the capital, but it was a fruitless errand, and I was bored… Looks like I’ll get some entertaining amusement at last.”

The demon—none other than one of the Four Heavenly Kings, an elite among the Demon King’s army executives—«Gate Link of the Otherworld»—chuckled, anticipating the tragedy to come.

◇◆◇

At the royal castle’s Audience Chamber, Alden was attending to visitors as usual when a knight rushed in, visibly panicked.

“Your Majesty, an emergency!”

“What is it?”

“A mana signature, likely demonic, has been detected in the capital’s center!”

“What!?”

Alden’s eyes widened in shock. A demon attack—unknown in number but likely led by an executive if they’d infiltrated the capital. He needed to dispatch the knights immediately, but—

“Wait. Most of the knights, including the captain, are out on a mission this afternoon! Did they time this deliberately!?”

Anxiety gripped him at the absence of his main forces, but inaction wasn’t an option. Switching gears, Alden issued orders. “Use the units stationed in the capital—deal with it now!”

“T-That’s the thing, Your Majesty. A barrier around the mana signature is preventing knights from entering!”

“What!?”

A barrier strong enough to block skilled knights wasn’t easily cast. This alone hinted at the mastermind’s power. This was bad. As Alden hesitated, a blue bird of communication magic arrived at the knight.

“Additional report: the barrier has a special condition, allowing only those under eighteen to pass through!”

“Under eighteen…?”

Alden tilted his head, puzzled by the condition’s purpose. But someone else reacted differently.

“Under eighteen can pass through…”

At the entrance to the Audience Chamber, a girl who’d come to report an issue overheard the message and dashed toward the capital’s streets—

◇◆◇

“What’s happening!?”

A girl with blue, semi-long hair—Eleanor Cobaltleaf—tensed at the disturbance. While strolling the capital as usual, she’d sensed a massive mana surge. Weaving through the panicked crowd, she reached the scene, where buildings lay in ruins, marked by destruction.

At the center stood an unexpected figure. “You’re… Earl Blazek?”

Her uncertainty had a reason. Though his face and build were unmistakably Blazek’s, the mana he exuded was profoundly evil, unlike anything human—closer to a demon’s. As Eleanor pondered, Blazek turned his gaze on her.

“Hmm, so someone’s finally come to stop me? And it’s Miss Eleanor, no less.”

“So it is you, Blazek-sama! Did you cause this destruction!?”

“Indeed. If I keep wrecking the city, that justice-obsessed fool—Klaus—will show up eventually!”

“Klaus-kun!?”

His name clarified the situation for Eleanor. Two days ago, she’d witnessed Klaus overpower Blazek here. This must be his attempt at revenge. While his motive was clear, questions remained. How had Blazek gained such power? And wouldn’t the knights suppress him before Klaus even arrived?

“Hey, is it wise to daydream in front of me?”

“—Tch!”

Blazek closed the distance in an instant, exploiting her brief lapse. His speed far surpassed the Blazek she knew, leaving her unable to react. But at that moment—

“«Shadow Swamp»!”

“«Accelerating Arrow»!”

“What!?”

A black swamp suddenly formed beneath Blazek, swallowing his feet. Simultaneously, an arrow from somewhere struck his side. Using the opening, Eleanor backstepped, and two girls appeared beside her. Surprised, she questioned them.

“You two are…”

“I’m Marie. I don’t fully grasp the situation, but let me help… It seems yesterday’s punishment wasn’t enough (mutter),” said a black-haired girl in an oversized coat—Marie.

Her final words were too quiet to catch, but she seemed skilled and willing to assist. Then, the other spoke.

“I’m Chloe. That guy’s got a score to settle with me too. No way I’m missing this chance to pay him back, so I’ll lend a hand,” said Chloe Rosemist, a black-haired girl with a ponytail, holding a bow.

Chloe glanced back. “Anna! Get out of here with the others! Protecting you while fighting will be tough!”

“Got it! Don’t do anything reckless, Chloe!” replied Arianna, a girl with long, flaxen hair whom Blazek had accosted days ago. Seeing her, Eleanor understood Chloe’s grudge.

Refocusing on Blazek, Eleanor said, “I’m Eleanor. Thank you both for helping. His strength is real, so let’s avoid overdoing it and stall until the knights arrive—”

“No, that’ll be difficult, Eleanor,” a new voice interrupted.

“You!”

Eleanor’s eyes widened in shock. There stood a girl with long, silver hair—Sophia von Solstia, the kingdom’s princess. As the daughter of the knight captain, Eleanor knew her well. In Sophia’s hand was the kingdom’s treasured sword.

“Sophia, why are you here!?”

“To quell this disturbance, of course. Also, a barrier around this area only allows those under eighteen to pass,” Sophia explained.

“What!? Why such a specific condition…?”

“Duh, isn’t it obvious!?” Chloe interjected, pointing at Blazek.

“‘Cause that guy’s a total lolicon creep!”

“““…”””

Her outrageous claim silenced the scene. Given Blazek’s recent attempt on Arianna, it wasn’t entirely baseless, but—

(No, there’s something else bothering me.)

Eleanor turned to Sophia, fixating on something she’d noticed since her arrival. “Sophia, that thing in your hand…”

“This treasured sword? Given the situation, I borrowed it without permission. I’ll likely be scolded later, but there’s no time to worry about—”

“No, not that.”

After a pause, Eleanor pointed out, “That ring on your left ring finger—what is it!?”

An unmarried princess, not yet engaged, wearing such a ring raised questions. Sophia blushed. “That’s… I can’t tell even you yet, Eleanor.”

“I-I see… And you, Marie-kun, was it? Why are you suddenly getting close to Sophia’s ring…?”

“This aura… No, it can’t be. My Master wouldn’t do such a thing. Heh heh…”

Marie’s menacing presence overwhelmed Eleanor. As the three reacted variably, Chloe sighed in exasperation. “You guys, seriously? That lolicon creep’s about to snap.”

“““Oh!”””

As they remembered, Blazek roared, trembling with rage. “You lot! Don’t ignore me!”

Boom! Clad in jet-black mana, Blazek charged with terrifying force, his aura stronger than anyone present. Eleanor refocused on the enemy.

“We’ll talk later. For now, let’s work together to take him down!”

“Yes!” “Right!” “Got it!”

Thus began the battle of Blazek versus Eleanor and the three heroines.

Minutes into the fight, the battle was fierce.

Clang! Clang!

“Fahaha! What’s wrong, Miss Eleanor!? Can’t keep up with my splendid swordsmanship!?”

“—Tch!”

Empowered by dark mana, Blazek wielded his sword with strength surpassing seasoned knights. Recognizing she couldn’t match his power, Eleanor relied on superior technique to hold her own.

(He’s two levels stronger than the usual Blazek-sama. Even with my technical edge, his momentum will overwhelm me if this continues—but only in a one-on-one!)

As Eleanor dodged Blazek’s sword and leapt back, two voices called out.

“«Shadow Whip»!”

“«Spiral Arrow»!”

From the right, a black whip extended; from the left, an arrow spun toward Blazek, both bypassing Eleanor and hitting him directly.

“Guh, crafty!”

“Tch, not even a dent,” Chloe grumbled, frustrated that their attacks didn’t deal significant damage due to the power gap.

Still, their efforts distracted Blazek, especially Marie’s. “«Shadow Spear», «Shadow Slash»!”

“Tch! When did you get behind me!?”

Slipping through their awareness, Marie circled behind Blazek, unleashing magic. She focused solely on disrupting him, fighting like a seasoned assassin. Thanks to Marie and Chloe, Blazek paused, giving Eleanor an opening.

“Thanks, you two! Cobaltleaf Swordsmanship—«Dual Flash»!”

“Gah!”

Blazek groaned under Eleanor’s double slash. Apparently, only her attacks could harm him among the trio.

(If I keep landing steady damage, he’ll go down eventually!)

“Keep it coming—«Thunderbolt»!” Eleanor pressed her attack.

But then— “Too naive, Eleanor!”

“What!?”

Blazek abandoned defense, raising his sword high with both hands. Ignoring Eleanor’s direct hit, he prepared a counterattack.

(This is bad! I don’t have a technique to turn this around—)

With Marie and Chloe’s support too late, Eleanor braced for death. A memory from two days ago flashed—her mentor’s fighting form. Driven by it, she steeled herself.

(Only two days since then, and I’ve never succeeded despite rigorous training—but it doesn’t matter! Break your limits now!)

With resolve, Eleanor gripped her sword tightly, tracing the ideal form in her mind.

“Cobaltleaf Swordsmanship—Ultimate Technique «Starlight Sword Dance»!”

In 0.1 seconds, seventeen slashes created a cascade of blade lights, forming a constellation in the air as pure white streaks flashed. This dazzling dance of stars—hence «Starlight Sword Dance»—shattered Blazek’s aim.

“What!? My mighty sword, broken by the likes of you—Gah!”

Eleanor’s strike sent Blazek’s rotund body flying. Simultaneously, she dropped to her knees, reeling from the backlash of using her ultimate technique under pressure.

“Are you okay?”

“Hey, you alright!?”

“I’ll recover with rest. More importantly…”

Ignoring Marie and Chloe’s concern, Eleanor eyed Blazek. As expected, despite the attack, he was struggling to rise.

(He’s still getting up. Must be that dark mana’s influence…)

As Eleanor stayed vigilant, Blazek let out a creepy laugh. “Heh, too bad, Miss Eleanor. Regret this, for I have no choice now. Before he arrives, I’ll show you my full power!”

His dark mana swelled, its pressure greater than before. But Eleanor wasn’t fazed. “Sorry, Blazek-sama—your decision came a bit too late.”

“What?”

“Your turn, Sophia.”

Behind her, Sophia stood, eyes closed, holding the treasured sword aloft. Opening her blue eyes, she nodded. “Yes, thank you, all three. I’m ready now.”

Her sword, «Sword Guiding Hope», had the simple ability to gather and release mana from those nearby. While Eleanor and the others fought, Sophia had rallied the citizens within the barrier to share their mana. Now, she was ready to unleash it, surpassing Blazek’s dark mana.

“What!? A mere princess wielding such mana!?” Blazek recoiled, stepping back unconsciously.

The hierarchy was clear. Smiling faintly, Sophia thought, (Yesterday, I couldn’t have handled this much mana—but not anymore!)

Seeing her ring glint on her left hand, she recalled a certain boy.

“Take this—the people’s wrath!”

Swinging her sword, she unleashed a massive torrent of mana straight at Blazek.

“No way! To think I’d be defeated before facing him!”

Struck head-on, Blazek screamed and lost consciousness.

“…It’s over,” Sophia murmured, dazed, reeling from the backlash of using such mana.

“It seems the barrier’s lifted too. No doubt about it,” Eleanor said.

“Stronger than expected,” Marie added.

“That was a pain,” Chloe remarked.

Each shared their thoughts. Sensing the battle’s end, citizens peeked out.

“It’s over…?”

“They defeated him!”

“Thank you! We’re saved!”

Relieved, the crowd cheered the heroines, who felt a surge of pride. At that moment—

“No, no, it’s not over. The real show starts now.”

““““!””””

All eyes turned upward to the voice. Floating there was a man with horns and red eyes. Sensing his mana, Eleanor asked with certainty, “No mistake—you’re a demon! And you’re the one who gave Blazek-sama that power, aren’t you!?”

“Correct. I watched the whole fight. Sharp observation,” the demon replied, landing beside Blazek. “Now, I’ll take back the malice you gathered.”

Dark mana leaked from Blazek, flowing to the demon, who nodded. “Hmm, the fear of fleeing people—both quality and quantity are perfect. This should open a satisfying «Gate».”

Muttering, the demon was questioned by Eleanor. “What’s your purpose here!?”

“Hmm, I haven’t said yet, have I? Fine, I’ll tell you.”

He kicked Blazek lightly. “I lent him power to stir malice by wreaking havoc in the city.”

“Malice for what?”

“Obviously, to summon a monster. My unique magic summons beings proportional to the malice gathered.”

Spreading his arms, he declared to the stunned heroines, “I’m overdue for an introduction. I’m «Gate Link of the Otherworld», one of the Demon King’s Four Heavenly Kings. Using this malice, I’ll summon the most ferocious entity to destroy the capital.”