141. Cecilia Saten's Revenge (5)
She dominates all things she perceives as beneath her.
Whether they be people or objects.
The Demon King's ability to exert powerful force over anything she recognizes as inferior.
The Hero Party was struggling against Lenen, who possessed such an overpowered ability.
"Ugh...!! That's totally broken—!! I can't even get close—!!"
How are we supposed to beat that!
Every time Luna tried to approach Lenen, she had no choice but to move back.
She got up from the ground once more and charged at Lenen.
"I have no interest in you, Hero."
"Grrr—!!"
The result was naturally a failure.
Luna barely dodged the bricks rushing toward her head with a back flip.
Since attacks came flying whenever she entered a certain range, Luna couldn't easily approach.
Hare glared at Lenen alongside Luna, who had retreated.
"...Luna, it's not easy to get close. We can't approach."
"I know that! Everyone knows that! Isn't there some way?"
"We have no choice but to wait until she shows an opening..."
If we stay still without attacking.
She'll attack first, so that won't work.
As they briefly discussed this, Lenen levitated the bricks scattered on the floor.
"Move aside. Hand over that woman hiding behind you."
"I said no! Or why don't you try controlling us like those floating bricks!"
"Unfortunately, I can't see the Hero Party as beneath me, so that's impossible."
"Hmph, that's true. The Hero is higher than a Demon King!"
Luna shrugged her shoulders as if pleased.
But that was only for a moment.
As soon as she recalled the unconscious old man, her expression hardened.
"Still, Saten's dad. No matter how much I praise you, I won't go easy on you. I absolutely won't let you off lightly."
A cold warning.
Without any response to Luna's confident demeanor, Lenen answered with an attack.
Countless bricks floating in the air began pouring down toward the Hero Party like rain.
Estia hurriedly hid behind Luna's back in surprise to preserve her life.
"Eek! H-Hey, Hero! Hurry and save me!!"
"You only call me Hero at times like this...?"
"Q-Quickly deal with those bricks! Go, Hero!"
"Sigh..."
Luna exhaled and looked behind her.
Estia was hiding so tightly behind her back that she wasn't visible, and Saten was just staring quietly at her staff.
Luna pondered what she should do.
*Hare will manage on her own. So I...*
I need to protect these two idiots.
Though Luna, with her great strength, seemed to specialize in offense, she didn't think of offense as her specialty.
"Actually, I'm strong, but! The ability I gained from training with the old man isn't this!"
To survive the old man's attacks!
To train for a long time!
"I had to defend and protect my body! You idiot!"
Luna captured each falling brick with her eyes.
Which ones to destroy.
Which ones to dodge.
Based on her excellent dynamic vision, Luna made her judgments.
"How annoying! I have to break them all!"
Since all the countless bricks were targeting Saten behind her.
Luna tried to become an umbrella blocking all the rain, turning her Holy Sword sideways to strike down the bricks.
Her eyes spun rapidly, concentrating to not miss a single one.
Luna was stronger when protecting something.
"Haa... This is exhausting..."
"You're stronger than I thought, Hero."
Lenen was genuinely impressed.
Though she had underestimated her as a child, her skills far exceeded those of countless knights.
Even with immature aspects, she covered them with physical ability.
Even Lenen, who emphasized dignity, felt inferior to Luna's talent.
"Indeed, the world is unfair. Why are you protecting that trash when you have such power?"
"Because she's not trash to me! Well, she's not exactly kind...! But she has good parts too! She loves cats so much!"
"Mm-hmm."
Estia nodded in agreement with Luna's words.
"Saten does really love cats!"
Though she couldn't agree with the kind part.
Estia still held a bit of a grudge.
Displeased with the praise directed at Saten, Lenen frowned her cold face.
"You have no discernment. Since you're not at a level to converse with, I'll do things my way. Rise, my knights."
Hisss—
Lenen extended her palm and scattered demonic energy around.
The demonic energy seeped between the bricks and dominated the floor.
The Hero Party thought Lenen was going to attack with bricks again.
But the following change made them realize it wasn't bricks.
Rummmble—
"Hero! The bricks are moving! It must be another brick attack! Hurry and block it!"
"...No, this is a different attack."
"Then what is it!"
"Look at the bricks. They're not moving. What's underneath them is moving."
"Underneath?"
Swoosh—
Following Luna's words, Estia lowered her gaze.
At that moment, the bricks shot up into the sky, revealing what was beneath them.
"...Corpses."
The corpses of the Black Crow Knights who had been crushed to death when the ceiling collapsed.
Over forty corpses rose to their feet.
But Luna was relaxed.
Because the Hero Party had a Saint.
"This is easy for the Saint! Estia, it's finally your turn! Purify those corpses!"
"I didn't learn purification? It was too hard so I didn't learn it."
"...? But you have a teacher."
"Saints are good at healing! I didn't learn purification!"
"..."
We're doomed.
We're going to repeat time again.
"I don't want to die... This useless Saint..."
"It's okay, Luna! If you get hurt, I'll heal you! You definitely won't die!"
"Shut up! It still hurts the same! Don't talk to me!"
Sigh—
Luna exhaled.
Each knight individually wasn't a problem.
The biggest issue was that the dead ones would charge fearlessly.
Since the old man had taught her to be most cautious of undead, cold sweat formed on Luna's forehead.
"...Estia. This time I might not be able to protect you. Where's Hare?"
"When the corpses got up earlier, she grabbed the old man and ran away?"
"That thief! It's my fault for trusting her! I'll scold her next time I see her!"
I'll show the dignity of a Hero.
The moment Luna clenched her fist with determination.
Grrrr—
The knights gradually closed in, tightening their encirclement.
With dried blood on their heads, swords in their hands, and unfocused eyes that stimulated some deep fear within—
Luna swallowed dryly in tension and gripped her Holy Sword tightly.
"Two meters. When they reach that point, we'll run. Got it, both of you?"
"I got it! But Saten isn't answering? Maybe she fainted after getting slapped by Hare."
"...Whatever! I'm breaking through!"
Three meters.
Then two meters.
She was about to swing her Holy Sword to break through the encirclement.
Until the corpses suddenly burst with a pop— sound.
"...I'm sorry, I was thinking too long."
"What, she's alive!"
"My decision was delayed. It wasn't easy to sort out my feelings."
"...So, Saten. Have you decided what to do?"
"Yes, I've decided clearly."
Saten stared at Lenen with cold eyes.
Eyes that ignored and hated her.
Though her pupils trembled momentarily in fear, Saten didn't back down and raised her staff high.
"I'll kill that person, and then I'll entrust my fate to the old man."
Even if it's an uncertain future.
I can just find a new one.
"Even if I lose my purpose, it will arise again."
Saten's heart became much firmer with her firm decision.
Though it was still difficult to stand before Lenen, she could still stand firm.
Because she believed the old man would be by her side in the future.
"So, I will kill you and take my revenge. Head of Family Lenen of Cecilia. I will ensure your bloodline no longer exists in this world."
"I will likewise kill you, Saten."
"Try it, Lenen. I'm different from what you know."
Saten aimed the staff she received from the old man at Lenen.
Not the Blood Magic she usually used.
To combine it with the Non-elemental Magic she learned from the old man.
"Even without a heart, you can't move without blood."
Saten converted the blood of the knights flowing nearby into mana and contained it in her staff.
"Now then, disappear for the sake of my future. Father."
Father.
To move toward the future.
Having severed the shackles of the past, Saten poured formless blood-red mana toward the specter of the past.
"As if you could hurt me."
Lenen thought Saten was beneath her.
So she reached out her hand to dominate and use that mana.
However, contrary to her expectation, she couldn't control the mana.
That fact meant only one thing.
"...I'm beneath that woman?"
Contrary to her own thoughts.
The reality perceived by her eyes was different.
Though Lenen thought that magic was far beneath her, unconsciously and without realizing it, she had recognized Saten's magic as above herself.
Having deviated so far from her expectations, Lenen had no choice but to be hit by Saten's magic without any defense.
It was because she was too arrogant without a shred of doubt.