Chapter 56: Foolish Hero

Hearing that all too-righteous voice I gave Kouki a fed-up look.

Noticing my gaze Kouki started speaking his nonsense, "Sakai, Nagumo don't kill her. You have already defeated her, she can't fight anymore, and there is no point in killing her. Let's capture her and make her spill more information. What do you think?" Kouki says all that with desperation in his voice.

"..."

Cattleya laughed at hearing what this foolish hero said, "Hahaha... this is so funny, never in my life, I thought I would meet someone this foolish." Rubbing the tears from her eyes she continued, "You humans sure have a troublesome man on you."

Ignoring what Cattleya said, I looked at Kouki with an unimpressed look and shifted my gaze towards Meld, "Captain Meld," I called out.

"It seems you haven't taught him the most important thing about war,"

Meld understanding what I meant sighed and smiled bitterly, "Yes, it seems my hesitation of breaching that topic had caused trouble for you, I apologise for that." Meld Bowed at my direction.

"Captain Meld, you do not have to apologize. You hesitated because you understood that we were not just some weapons for war – we were just some normal kids who didn't know the first thing about war. You had trained us as much as you thought was right. You also tried to shelter them from the cruel truth of war, and I respect you for that. You are a good man. But currently, even you understand what needs to be done, right?"

Meld smiled bitterly "Yes, I know."

Kouki, listening to the conversation between Sakai and Meld, felt a foreboding feeling coming, with confusion he asked, "Meld what are you talking about."

Rihito, as I saw Kouki questioning Meld. I sense a small almost hidden magical signature emanating from Cattleya, no it's from her shoulder? Without hesitating I swung Muramasa and took out a bird-looking creature hiding in the plane sight. After it was dead, I analysed the bird and found it was preparing a teleportation circle.

Cattleya seeing her plan to teleport away failed, and clicked her tongue, "You people are really annoying," she looked at us with an annoyance-filled smile.

"Are those your final words," Hajime asked glaringly.

"My last words," thinking for a second, she said, "My lover will avenge my death," she said continue smiling.

Hajime smiling back said, "Well if that happens, I will also send him your way." Saying that Hajime pulled the trigger.

"DOPANn!!"

Kouki hearing the sudden gunshot looked in our direction with horror. Seeing the darkish brown blood coming out of Cattleya's head, Kouki didn't know what to say.

After Hajime dealt the final blow, I used fire magic to burn the body completely not even leaving the ashes. In a magic world leaving a dead body in the open is a disaster waiting to happen. Rihito will not make a rooky mistake like that, and he also knows about a certain someone who would have used Cattleya's body to contact demons, although she still hadn't made her move. It will be better to burn that bridge.

…

Shizuku seeing Cattleya's death looks at Hajime and Rihito with a complex look. As a modern person, she felt uncomfortable seeing someone's death happen right in front of her. She knew she was about to participate in a war, where many lives were sacrificed, and for that she prepared herself. She thought she was ready to take a life. But after witnessing a first proper death her determination has taken quite a hit, the way she currently is, she won't be able to handle the deaths in the war. Just thinking about that fills her with dread.

Shizuku shook her head determining a new to become stronger and to stand beside Rihito.

…

After cremating the demon's body I looked at Hajime, "We should get out of here." Hajime nodded.

I then headed in Shea and Shizuku's direction, standing in front of Shizuku, "It has been what? 3 months, you look a lot more determined than I remember, Shizuku." I said smiling.

"Apparently, losing someone close to you tends to do that." Shizuku retorted back, narrowing her eyes.

"..."

"Ah… yeah," hearing that I looked away not sure how to respond to that. Feeling the piercing glare, I decide it is better to just apologise.

"I'm sorry…" When I was about to apologise, I felt Shizuku hugging me, sobbing and complaining in my chest.

"You, jerk, dullard, half-wit, moron, idiot, imbecile…" Shizuku for a while called me names, the whole time she grabbed me and didn't let go, probably afraid of me disappearing again. To that, I hugged her back, which calmed her. However, now there is a new problem in front of me. Shea was glaring at me.

He tried to ignore that but he somehow was able to hear 'Stairrrr…' for some reason.

"..."

Just then a voice full of anger was heard, "That's enough, Kaori, Shizuku get away from them."

"..."

I let go of Shizuku and so did she, we then looked at Kouki, and then I shifted my gaze towards Hajime, who was standing with Kaori.

Kouki seeing Cattleya's death in front of his eyes didn't understand. Why did they have to kill her? Isn't there a way to talk things out?

To Kouki who has always solved the problem by talking things out, he didn't understand someone who solves their problems through violence. He didn't understand how are they acting so nonchalantly after taking someone's life, it didn't make sense to him. He felt anger seeing them act like they did nothing wrong, but it was bearable. However, when he saw them hugging Kaori and Shizuku he couldn't take it anymore.

"..."

"Shizuku, Kaori GET AWAY FROM THEM! they just murdered a helpless person." Kouki shouted.

"..."

"..."

"Pfft, hahaha…" Unable to hold myself I laughed out.

"Oii, hajime you hear that, we murdered a helpless person, hahaha…" I laughed at Kouki's face.

Hajime hearing that just sighed, and responded, "You are free to see it in whatever way suits you, I don't care. We are leaving now. If you guys want our help to get out of this place you should ready yourself."

Kouki sees Rihito laugh and Hajime's dismissal behaviour fills him with irritation, "You, do you not understand what have you done? You just killed a helpless person, and you don't even feel remorse for that. How could you."

Controlling my laughter I said, "Yeah, sure whatever."

Kouki seeing his words didn't have any effect decided to use his hero status, "If you two will be acting like this, I as a hero will never accept you guys as an ally."

Hiyama listening to Kouki's announcement also joined in, "Yeah, Kouki is right."

"..."

Rihito sees Kouki act like this and gives him a look full of disdain, as for Hiyama he doesn't even look, ignoring him completely, "Do you think we care about whether you see us as allies or not? If you do not understand let me spill it out for you, we don't care. Happy now?"

Kouki seeing his words weren't having any effect grabbed his sword impulsively, but before he could pull his sword, he heard a cold voice, "If you pull that sword out, I will cut you down right here."

Kouki hearing my words full of killing intent froze, he somehow lifted his gaze and saw Rihito wearing that white mask pointing his sword at his neck. The scene filled him with fear he hadn't felt until now.

Others seeing Kouki being threatened tried to help, but the next moment they felt the overwhelming bloodlust pouring out of Rihito, which stiffened them in their place.

Kouki feeling the point-blank bloodlust is still unwilling, he tries to say, "You…"

"That's enough Kouki," Meld cut him off.

"You have said enough," admonishing Kouki Meld looked at Rihito.

"Rihito please put away your sword. I will handle Kouki," listening to the request from Meld I was about to back off. But I noticed the unwillingness in Kouki's eyes. Thinking about the bullshit he would start to spout; I made my decision. Without showing any emotion I swung Muramasa and hit Kouki with its blunt side, on the back of the neck, knocking him out.

Everyone seeing the sudden attack from me, and Kouki passing out everyone panicked, "W-what did you do?"

Rihito Ignored the questions and walked away. However, he felt a sudden burst of hatred and killing intent on him which soon disappeared.

Meld checked on Kouki, sighed in relief upon seeing him alive, and informed everyone, "Don't worry, he's just unconscious."

Everyone sighed hearing that, but now most looked at Rihito with unkind eyes.

…

After we mopped up everyone, we headed back to the surface. On our way there on the 60th floor, we saw a familiar sight. The floor where everything happened. 

I stepped forward and said, "Oii, Hajime I gonna deal with the behemoth by myself, you guys wait here." without giving anyone to retort I vanished from my place and appeared in the middle of the bridge.

Shea seeing Rihito acting like this smiled wryly. while Hajime shook his head helplessly. As for Yue she just watched.

Shizuku listening to Rihito's words panicked, but before she could stop him, he disappeared, she was too late, she then looked at Hajime, "Nagumo you have to help him, he can't…"

"Yaegashi calm down," Hajime seeing the worried Yaegashi tried to calm her. "Worrying about that guy is the most useless thing you could do. In this labyrinth, there is nothing that has the power to kill him."

Shea standing on the side puffed her chest in pride and gave Shizuku looks with scorn.

Shizuku glared back at Shea and then looked at Rihito's direction with worry.

…

Rihito standing in the middle of the bridge observed the magic circles that appeared on both sides of the bridge. From the front, the behemoth appeared, and from his back skeleton knights appeared.

[Hmm… it seems this circle has some condition set on to it. Previously, the behemoth and skeletons have appeared on different sides from their current position. I wonder what will happen if two people from different sides walk towards the centre. Will there be two Behemoths and twice the number of skeletons.] while I was pondering, I noticed the skeleton running at me.

"Guess, I should clean this up," saying that he turned his back on Behemoth and pointed his right palm at the skeleton knights.

<Elemental Burst>

As soon as he chanted that, besides him, many orb-sized condensed elements appeared, fire, water, wind, earth, lightning, light, and dark. All seven elements, he pointed them at the skeletons and released them.

The elements released shot like bullets, they easily burn, break, freeze, shred, purify, and devour the skeletons. Leaving only the behemoth.

He then turned around and saw the behemoth angrily charging at him. Rihito smiled at it more to taunt it and gestured with his hand, 'Come at me'.

Behemoth noticing the taunt roared even harder and jumped reminding Rihito of the time when it attacked Hajime.

From the side, Hajime also noticed it and wanted to shoot at the behemoth, but decided not to cause he already knew what fate awaited it.

And just as he expected Rihito then pulled out Muramasa from <Item Box> and slashed the behemoth into bits, leaving nothing behind.

"..."

Shizuku seeing the display of might was agape not only her. But everyone from the hero's party including Meld opened their mouth in astonishment. At this moment everyone had the same thought, just how strong is this guy?

…

"Chapter end"

******************************************************************************************

(If you like my story, give me power stones. If you don't have power stones. Then please comment, and Rate my FanFiction. It will motivate me plenty to write more. Thank you.)

Join My Patreon. Currently, there are 4 advanced chapters present and soon more chapters will be uploaded.

link: p@treon.com/RoneMix71

Change @ to a