Vol-06 Ch 6 – Attack

Part 1

"Spear Saint! Scythe Saint!"

"Ehh?"

The unexpected words made me involuntarily turn my gaze back to Iris-san, and the half-naked man in the sky and the man in the ninja costume quietly shook their heads.

"…I do regret to inform you that we no longer hold that title."

"We are the Fallen Saints."

"Fa-Fallen Saints…?"

As I was tilting my head at the unfamiliar words, a boy with a different presence laughed in amusement.

"Hey~, that's terrible that you ignored me. Besides, unfortunately~ they're no longer the Holy that you know. They are the ones who have fallen to us and taken on new powers."

"Fallen…? Uh! Could it be?"

While Iris-san made a startled expression as she realized something, the boy in the sky deepened his smile.

"Did you finally notice it? Then let's get started~──the destruction."

The moment the boy's eyes glittered, the jet-black haze that I had seen in the past when I confronted Yuti and the Fist Saint erupted from the boy's body. Then, a loud sound of destruction could be heard from far away. The sound of destruction gradually got closer and closer, and finally, the identity of the sound appeared in the arena.

"What is that? "

"──Giiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!"

The sight made me stare in horror.

"What? This looks the same as what I saw at the shrine the other day…?"

A large number of what were known as "Evil Beasts" had rushed into the arena. The audience screamed and ran away from the sudden intruders, but the "Evil Beasts" attacked them without mercy.

"Ahahahahaha! The screams are wonderful!"

The boy who was probably the one who orchestrated this tragedy looked at the carnage around him with an ecstatic expression on his face.

"Stop it right now!"

Immediately, Iris-san unleashed a slash with divine speed towards the boy floating in the sky, but the slash was blocked by the black darkness overflowing from the boy's body.

"Don't be so impatient; let me at least introduce myself~."

He laughed like a fool and bowed condescendingly.

"I'm Quarro, the Shinigami, and I'm one of the Evil. It's nice to meet you～."

"!"

The boy who smiled in front of me… Quarro, told us that he is one of the Evil, the sworn enemy of Master Usagi, Iris-san, and Yuti. The hint of Evil overflowing from his body was real, and Iris-san's attitude also confirmed that Quarro really is an Evil.

Anyway, I hurriedly tried to move to help the audience, but the two men whom Iris-san had just called "Spear Saint" and "Scythe Saint" stood in front of me.

"…I'm sorry, but I don't want you to disturb us."

"That's right. Therefore, we need you to die here."

"What?"

"Yuuya-kun!"

Iris-san tried to help me when I was pressured by the tremendous spirit from the two of them, but Quarro stood in front of Iris-san's eyes.

"Hey, isn't it terrible that you're ignoring me? I came here just to mess you up. I mean, don't you want to run away or call your friends or something? Well, I'm not giving you any choice, though～."

"…Sure, the situation is bad, and I don't think I can handle it on my own, but I'm still a Holy, so I have to fight…!"

"Hmm. Well, why don't you come at me?"

"…Fuh!"

While sensing that Iris-san and Quarro had begun fighting behind me, I thought about how I should move against the two Fallen Saints in front of me. If what Iris-san said was true, then I would have to deal with two former Holy.

Besides, judging from the situation and the word Fallen Saints, there is a possibility that they have acquired the power of the Evil as a result of them falling to the Evil. That would mean that I would have to deal with two enemies at the same level as the Fist Saint I fought previously.

Even Master Usagi couldn't defeat the Evil Fallen Fist Saint, so how can I, in my normal state, win?

"When one problem is over, another appears. You really have a lot of troubles, don't you?"

"…It's not that I like having them, but…"

Kuro was also awake, and even though I don't remember, if I use the Evil's full power, as I did when I defeated the Fist Saint, I might be able to defeat them. However, suppose I used this power, it was still unstable and cannot be perfectly controlled. In that case, I will fall and become an Evil, just like Quarro, and I would become a target for the Holy to defeat as well.

But even now, as I'm struggling with this, the Evil Beasts were───.

At that moment when I thought about it,

"Gigi? Gii!"

"Giigigigi!"

"Gigyaaa!"

I saw countless arrows piercing through the Evil Beasts.

This arrow… Yuti? Also, following Yuti's arrows, I heard the voices of my dependable family members.

"Grrrr… wooooff!"

"Buhi, buhi~."

Night and Akatsuki defeated the Evil Beasts one after another and healed the injured audience. In such a scene, the men of the Fallen Saints opened their eyes.

"…What's with that little wolf?"

"It's not just the little wolf. That pig is also using a strange skill…"

Then, I noticed that Night, who was destroying the Evil Beast, looked at me for a moment.

He seemed to be saying, "Leave this to me," and so I nodded.

"Now I can fight you guys with peace of mind."

"Huh? Don't say anything crazy. Do you really think that you alone can win against the two of us?"

(──That's why I'm also fighting you two.)

"Huh?"

"M-Master Usagi!"

Master Usagi appeared out of nowhere next to me and quietly looked at the men in front of us.

(…Hmph. I thought that some of the Holy had fallen to the Evil, but… I didn't expect it to be you two. Spear Saint Ronus, and Scythe Saint Jin.)

Hearing Master Usagi's words, the half-naked man with the spear on his back… who was probably Ronus, frowned slightly.

"…The weak will be eliminated. I'm just following that law of nature."

(Hou? So, as a result of that, you became a servant of Evil? Fallen Saints, is it? How dare you call yourself that. You're just a slave to Evil, aren't you?)

"Say what you want. We gained new powers by submitting to the Evil. Those of the Holy who were eliminated were even weaker than us."

Ronus and the Scythe Saint, Jin, each quietly raised their weapons. Seeing this, Master Usagi opened his mouth to direct me as he, too, entered a battle stance.

(Yuuya.)

"Huh?"

(For the moment, I've given a brief explanation of the current situation to Night, Yuti, and the others. The king of this country is probably planning some sort of countermeasure as well. As for the safety of that little girl, Yuti and the one who was with her as her escort are enough to handle it. So for now, just concentrate on defeating the people in front of you.)

"Y-yes!"

It seemed that Master Usagi had made a move, and one of my concerns had been resolved. However, I was wondering what Ouma-san is doing… Well, Ouma-san seemed to be sleeping without a care in this situation, so there's no need to worry. I mean, he's so strong that it's ridiculous to worry about him.

Rather, I should be worried about myself, and I quickly redeployed my [Magic Attire]. Seeing me like that, Ronus swung his spear lightly and laughed with a snort.

"…Hmph. Did you finish your private conversation? If so, let's go this way…!"

(Yuuya! I'll leave that Ronus to you!)

"Yes!"

I immediately took out my [Absolute Spear] and clashed with Ronus' spear.

"…Huh! It seems that you want to die so badly that you are challenging me with a spear! If so, I will kill you as you wish. [Whirlwind Drill]!"

Ronus pulled back his spear and thrust it out with great force. A whirlwind of air swirled around the spear as it pushed forward, cutting the ground. It was deflected by [Absolute Spear] with a narrow margin in the same way that I had deflected Iris-san's attack.

"What… how can you deflect it?"

What was deflected was not only the spear but also the sharp whirlwind that was gathering on the tip of the spear, which made Ronus surprised. I didn't think I'd be able to catch the wind myself, so I was secretly surprised.

"…Kuh! Don't you dare make light of me!"

Then Ronus unleashed a raging wave of thrusts, piercing everywhere. However, I took a good look at them and carefully handled them one by one.

"…What are you…! You're not even a Holy; you're just a human being. How can you keep up with my techniques…!"

(Hmph. You can't compare him to any other human being. He's my disciple, after all.)

"…Usagi's disciple?"

Hearing Master Usagi's words, Ronus widened his eyes, while Jin took advantage of the opportunity to attack Master Usagi.

"It's a good thing you have the guts to look the other way…!"

(I can win even if I'm looking elsewhere.)

"Huh! Can you say the same when you see this power?"

At that moment, a black mist overflows from Jin's body, and he unleashes a powerful swing with his grass-cutting scythe at Master Usagi. However, Master Usagi calmly assessed the attack and delivered a kick to his temple, causing the attack to be deflected.

However, Jin had another grass-cutting scythe in his hand, which he swung to follow up. Master Usagi moved out of the way as a reaction to the first deflected blow. As I unintentionally followed his movements with my eyes, I received a reprimand from Master Usagi.

(Yuuya! If you have time to look at me, take him down quickly!)

"Ah!? Y-yes!"

When I hurriedly readied my spear again, Ronus was trembling tremendously.

"…You. Even though you are Usagi's disciple, you don't use his technique. Instead, you fight with a spear…?"

"Eh?"

I'm not just fighting him with a spear; I'm using it now because I can't find an opening to attack Ronus with a kick. Also, it's because it's easier to take chances with [Absolute Spear] rather than with [Omni Sword], but it didn't appear that way to Ronus.

"…Okay. I'll show you the difference between us."

Then, a black mist overflowed from Ronus's body, and the intimidation from him increased. Kuro inside me laughed amusingly at the scene.

"Hey, hey, the opponent got serious, but… what are you going to do? Do you want to borrow the power of the Evil like before?"

"…No."

"Hmm?"

"Even if I use the power of Evil here, the real Evil behind these opponents is still left. That's why I have to defeat this former Holy, which uses the power of Evil, without relying on the power of Evil itself…!"

For a moment, Kuro seemed surprised by my words, but then he laughed out loud.

"Hahahahaha! That's good! No, I can't believe you could say that about a Holy… Well then, I guess I'll just have to look at the bigger picture from another perspective."

"All right!"

After rounding up the conversation with Kuro, I took a step back from Ronus and immediately switched my weapon to the [Formless Bow] and shot at Ronus from a distance.

"…Haaaahhhhh!"

"Seriously…"

The next moment Ronus emitted a kind of spirit like a shockwave which spread from his body, and all of my arrows were repelled.

"…Die!"

"Uh!?"

Just like Iris-san, he approached me with a speed that made me think that he had moved instantly, and then he thrust out his spear as if to gouge my stomach.

"…[Rising Dragon Piercing]!"

An illusion of a dragon seemed to fly out of the tip of the spear and tried to chew through my stomach. I had no choice but to block this attack that was released from a close distance; I switched from the [Formless Bow] to the [Omni Sword] and swung the sword down to meet the momentum head-on.

"Guuuuhhh!?"

The shock was transmitted through the sword to my entire body. I knew that I would be defeated at this point, but I suddenly felt my body heat up. It was as if the magic circuit inherited from Sage-san… was heating up as if to show me that it existed.

"Haaaaaaaahh!"

"What?"

While receiving Ronus's attack, I prepared to unleash a spell, and when the spell became available, I unleashed the very first spell I had learned, a [Water Ball], at Ronus. It seems that he didn't expect me to counterattack while blocking the attack, and Ronus hurriedly interrupted the attack and tried to distance himself.

However, without missing a beat, I took a step forward with all my might, using the leg strength I had developed during my training with Master Usagi. With all the momentum I could muster, I slammed a kick into Ronus' stomach.

"Ohhhhh!"

"Guhoaaa!"

Ronus couldn't block my kick, and he took some serious damage. He stayed in the sky for a moment with his body in a crooked shape. Although I tried to give chase afterward, Ronus clenched his teeth and forced himself into a stance to unleash another technique before I could follow up.

"…D-don't mess with meeeeeeeee! [One Thousand Spear Piercing]!"

Ronus shot a barrage of raging thrusts at me again in the sky.

It's dangerous… There's no way to prevent it… The moment I despaired… Kuro, who had just said he would only watch, spoke to me in an amused tone.

"Hey, hey, it's no good having you die here, you know? Take a good look at him. You should know what that means."

"Take a good… look…?"

Although the tip of the spear was almost in front of me, I followed Kuro's words and watched Ronus's movements, the trajectory of his spear, and everything else. Then I found myself feeling as if the sounds and sights around me had been silenced. It was similar to the feeling I had when I watched the fighting tournament that had just taken place, but to a completely different level.

It was as if all unnecessary information were blocked out, and I could just see what was happening in front of me at a frighteningly slow pace as if my brain and body were absorbing all the information in front of me. I later found out that I was in the ultimate state of concentration at that time.

And as I watched Ronus' movements, I naturally moved my body.

"───!"

"W-what was that?"

I also released the same technique that Ronus had used, the [One Thousand Spear Piercing]. The [One Thousand Spear Piercing] I released had countered Ronus' [One Thousand Spear Piercing] one after another precisely.

"T-this is impossible! There is no way that my [Spear Holy Art] can be imitated…!"

Ronus shook his head to deny what was happening in front of his eyes and launched another technique.

"[Star Pile]!"

He grasped the spear in his opposite hand and swung it down at me as if it were a flag. When I saw the attack, I dodged it by rolling to the side and avoiding it, and Ronus's spear stood on the ground.

It was enough to shake the arena and cause the ground to cave in. But I wasn't even surprised by that; I just calmly looked at Ronus and attacked him with my [Absolute Spear].

"T-this is not how it's supposed to be… This is definitely not how it's supposed to be!"

When Ronus shouted that, he distanced himself from me with all his might and took a stance with his spear drawn back as hard as he could.

"Dieeeeeeeeeeeeee! [Divine Piercing]!"

I could tell at a glance that this was the most powerful attack he had ever made.

A whirlwind wrapped around the tip of his spear like the [Whirlwind Piercing] that he used before. This time it was so huge that it could be mistaken for a tornado, and the spear was coming at me so fast that it left everything behind.

This was why I also released it.

───The same technique as Ronus.

"[Divine Piercing]."

"Ah…"

My move did not create a raging wind like Ronus'. The wind and space were unrecognizable. I thrust it at him.

The moment my [Absolute Spear] and Ronus' spear collided… Ronus' spear shattered.

Part 2

The moment my [Absolute Spear] and Ronus' spear collided… Ronus' spear shattered.

"Gah───."

Perhaps Ronus had put all of his energy into this last attack, but after his spear shattered, he fainted and quietly fell to the ground. While looking at this somewhat unrealistic scene, the sounds and sights of my surroundings gradually returned.

"…H-huh? Ro-Ronus?"

"What are you dumbfounded about? You beat him, didn't you?"

Stunned by Kuro's words, I turned my attention to Ronus, who had fallen to the ground.

I… defeated him? When did that happen?

"Could it be that the Evil power has gone out of control again?"

"It's not that. Well, it's not entirely unrelated… but you definitely defeated the Spear Saint lying there with your own hands."

"What do you mean?"

"You may not remember, but your body remembers the feeling of the Evil when you defeated the Fist Saint. The only difference now is that you pulled the trigger for that power and defeated him."

"Trigger…"

"That's right. The power of Evil is a power that embraces everything. And maybe because you've activated it once, you've been able to control it subconsciously, albeit only partially. Well, even if you try to control it, you can only do so to the extent that it doesn't go out of control."

"Huh…?"

I'm not sure, but it seems that the reason I've been able to keep my Evil power from going out of control is not only because of Kuro's power but also because of my subconscious.

"Thanks to your subconscious control of the power of Evil, you have been able to utilize it on a limited basis. That's what's happening with your eyes."

"My eyes?"

I touched my eyes without thinking, and Kuro continued.

"Yeah. As I mentioned many times, the power of Evil is a power that embraces everything. It does not matter if it is tangible or intangible. It can even be used to strengthen and absorb techniques and movements…"

"That's…"

I somehow understood what Kuro was trying to say and was astonished as I felt him smiling at me.

"[Evil Den's Eye]… now you can absorb any movement with it."

I was just dumbfounded by Kuro's words. T-that kind of power…

However, the reason why this power was able to manifest itself was because I followed Kuro's advice and watched Ronus' movements. I stared at my hands without thinking, but then I remembered that I was still in combat.

"T-that's right! Master Usagi is───."

"It looks like he's almost done there too, huh?"

"Eh?"

When I turned my attention to the battle between Master Usagi and the Scythe Saint Jin, I saw Jin bleeding.

"N-no way… We already have the power of Evil, and we're still losing…!"

(Hmph. I was indeed defeated by the Fist Saint, who had the power of Evil. However, I polished my own power after that, without the power of Evil, and ended up defeating you like this. That's all there is to it.)

"I-I won't admit to it… I won't admit that we who have acquired the power of Evil are losing!"

Jin shouted as he crossed the scythes in front of his face, and swung them out. Master Usagi took a leisurely stance against the cross-shaped slash that was unleashed from there.

([The Three Divine Steps])

And as he muttered this, Master Usagi disappeared from the spot.

"What?

(──The first step.)

It might seem as if Master Usagi had disappeared, but he just leaned forward and plunged into Jin when he took his first step. But that's only because I was watching this from a distance. For Jin, who was actually receiving the technique, it would still look like he'd disappeared.

(Second step.)

Master Usagi then took advantage of his large first step and leaned forward some more. He rolled his body into a small ball from that position, and with a minimal rotation, dropped his second step over Jin's head in a forward somersault.

"Gah───."

The second step, delivered with tremendous force, was an extremely powerful heel drop that knocked Jin unconscious. Then, with a momentum from stomping on Jin, he spun in the air and landed. Master Usagi snickered.

(Hmph. I didn't need to take the third step, after all, did I?)

Master, how much stronger can you get? I don't think I can win against you…

I couldn't help but feel that way about Master Usagi, who had defeated Jin. As I look at Master Usagi with my cheeks twitching, he turns to look at me.

(What are you dumbfounded about? The next one is the Evil.)

"T- that's right! Iris-san is───."

Just as I was about to say that much, I heard the tense voice of Quarro from above.

"Arere? The two of them have already been defeated? They are so useless."

"Wha-?"

When I turned my gaze to the sky above, I saw the figure of Quarro, who had black mist spewing from his body and was freely moving it to attack Iris-san.

"Kuh…!"

(…This is not good.)

The black mist spewing from Quarro's body became countless sharp blades and poured down on Iris-san. Iris-san was desperately trying to deal with it with her sword. However, it seemed that she couldn't handle all of them and was in a difficult position as it appears.

"Iris-san! M-master!"

(Yeah. We're coming too…!)

While Master Usagi charged straight at Quarro, I took out my [Formless Bow] and fired a large number of arrows.

But…

"Too bad. That won't reach me."

Before the arrows could reach Quarro, they were all blocked by the black mist overflowing from Quarro's body.

"I'm not sure why, but you have a piece of us in you. Did one of us give you that power? If so, I should have at least heard about it, and more importantly, it's weird that you're fighting against me! What's going on?"

I'm not going to say anything, but instead I'm going to keep shooting arrows at him. They were also easily blocked by Quarro's black mist, but Master Usagi took advantage of the gap to close in on Quarro.

(How about this…!)

Master Usagi closed in on Quarro with speed I've never seen before and unleashed a kick at Quarro that makes the space roar.

I see! Because Quarro was a pure Evil, Master Usagi's stats had been released and doubled, so he's even more powerful than usual. As I was thinking this, Kuro inside me answered in a stern voice.

"…No good."

"Eh?"

"You don't even realize it, do you? If the Kicking Saint's stats can be released, then, of course, the Sword Saint stats should be released as well. That's what it is all…"

I heard Quarro's amused voice interrupting Kuro's words.

"As I said… you won't reach me."

(Wha… agaaahh!)

The black mist easily caught Master Usagi's kick, and as the black mist drifting around approached Master Usagi, it transformed into a sharp blade that went straight through him.

"M-Master Usagi!"

(I-I'm fine! Just stay away from me!)

"Eh?"

Master Usagi said to me as he stepped away from me, holding his slashed stomach.

(…If you get too close to me, you will fall prey to the power of that Evil. It's a surprise attack from one side, but if you came closer, you would have been surrounded and killed.)

"N-no way…"

(You should continue to attack from a distance with your magic or bow from there. Iris and I will somehow take advantage of the gap and launch a counterattack…!)

"Wait… Master!"

Master Usagi said only that and then went back to fighting with Quarro again. As for me, as Master Usagi directed, I fired arrows and magic from a long distance, but all of them were blocked by Quarro's black mist.

Isn't that black mist too versatile? How are we supposed to attack him…!

As I grew increasingly impatient, both Master Usagi and Iris-san received more and more attacks, and they were gradually pushed back.

Then, Quarro stretched out his hand and sighed boringly.

"Fuwahh… what a letdown. I've been told that Sword Saint is the strongest of the Holy, and I've also been told that Kicking Saint is also one of the strongest, and yet you're not strong at all. The two people I brought with me were also defeated. It would have been better if I had come alone."

Quarro then stretched out and gave the two of them a cold stare.

"I'm bored, so let's end this ── now."

"Usagiii!"

(I know…!)

As the black mist overflowing from Quarro's body suddenly thickened and increased in volume, the mist gradually gathered above Quarro's head to form a sphere. It gradually grew larger and larger, giving the impression that it would destroy everything… which was terrifying.

Even though I wasn't looking at it up close, my instincts were screaming facing the sphere.

That thing is… dangerous…!

Then Kuro, who was also inside me, said in a cold voice.

"…He's really going to finish them off. If that thing goes off as is… this city will be wiped out."

"No way!"

Anyway, I shot arrows, threw the [Absolute Spear], and attacked as much as I could, but all of them were completely blocked.

And…

"See you later."

At last, the black sphere was released at us.

Part 3

At last, the black sphere was released aiming at us.

"[Holy Sword Barrier]!"

([Holy Kicking Wave]! [Holy Ear Impact]!)

Immediately after the black sphere was released, Iris-san raised the sword in her hand and thrust it vigorously into the ground. Then, countless shining swords appeared from the ground and shot towards the black sphere.

Master Usagi also produced the same light as Iris-san's sword from his leg and shot it at the black sphere, followed by a flash of light from both of his ears.

The two lights from Iris-san's sword and Master Usagi collided with the black sphere.

"Kuh… Hahahahaha!"

"!"

And then, Iris-san's shining swords and Master Usagi's light rays obliterated the black sphere!

"Hah… hah…"

(Kuh… my body is…)

However, both Iris-san and Master Usagi were exhausted after that exchange. They no longer seemed to be able to move properly. Then Quarro opened his mouth, looking slightly surprised.

"Wow… I didn't think that only the two of you could prevent this… I'm not sure if this means I'm the weak one here, or would it be you, the Holy ones?"

"Hah… hah…"

"But it seems that stopping that was all you could do. …So, let's try it one more time♪."

"What-!?"

Quarro said that he would repeat his attack, and a black sphere formed over his head again.

"Ahahahahaha! Look, look! You have to defend against it once more!"

"Iris-san! Master Usagi! Kuh!"

No longer following Master Usagi's words, I immediately ran out and attacked Quarro with my [Omni-Sword] in hand. But before I could reach him, the black mist blocked my way.

"Get out of my way!"

"It's no use. You're not even a Holy; you wouldn't be able to even damage it, you know?"

As Quarro said, no matter how I attacked, the black mist didn't seem to take any damage and swarmed at me one after another. In addition, Quarro mercilessly directed the black mist at the tired and immobile Master Usagi and Iris-san.

Master Usagi and Iris-san responded with all their strength, but they were on the defensive and looked like they were struggling.

Kuro, who had been watching from inside me, opened his mouth.

"It is exactly what he said. The only ones who can defeat the Evil itself are those of the Holy who are recognized by this planet. Just give up."

"So what am I supposed to do?"

I shouted while desperately using my [Omni-Sword] and [Absolute Spear] to get rid of the black mist, and Kuro replied disinterestedly.

"That's right… I can only think of using a weapon that has the power of the Holy in it."

"A weapon with the power of the Holy?"

"When you first encountered the Evil Beast in the other world, the woman who was with you used a talisman to kill it, right? That was definitely one way to purge the power of Evil. Well, I don't think you have one of those, though."

"…No, I do have it. I'm sure it was…!"

"What?"

Kuro seemed to have given up, but I searched desperately in my item box while dealing with the black mist. It appeared that this situation could be overcome… by the use of a weapon with a similar effect to the one used by Kagurazaka-san.

As I searched for it desperately, Quarro stared amusedly at the black sphere floating above his head.

"Look, look, it's almost finished!"

"It's a real pity, but you should give up. You've done your best there, haven't you?"

"Kuh!"

I ignored Quarro's and Kuro's words and continued my search… and found it.

"This is it!"

"Hmm?"

"Yu… Yuuya-kun…?"

While the eyes of Quarro and the wounded Iris-san were focused on me, I had a weapon in my hand.

Then…

"[Heavenly Khakkhara]!"

When I first saw the effects of this weapon, I didn't understand what it meant. The description was so vague that there was not a single detailed explanation. But now, I can understand the effect of this weapon properly.

I hit the black mist with the khakkhara in my hand while ringing the golden ring.

"As I said, it's usele──."

Quarro was about to say that much when he noticed something strange. The black mist that I struck dissipated in an instant.

"What-…"

As expected, this phenomenon was unexpected, and Quarro rounded his eyes. There was only one effect on this [Heavenly Khakkhara], which I had found in my grandfather's warehouse. To exorcise. That's all.

…Thinking about it now, the only explanation for the effect was that it's a somewhat mysterious weapon, but if it has the power to exorcise, then it will affect the power of Evil… just like the talisman at the time, and that was my train of thought. But the results were just right.

I smashed all the black mists that surrounded me with the [Heavenly Khakkhara] and rushed straight to Iris-san and Master Usagi, and the black mists that assaulted them also dissipated.

"Are the two of you okay?"

(Yeah…)

"….."

Then, although Master Usagi's voice came back, there was no reply from Iris-san, so I hurriedly checked and found Iris-san staring at me with a dazed expression.

"Iris-san?"

"Huh? Ah… y-yeah! I'm fine."

"Good, then. I'll take care of the rest… so please keep an eye on it."

I told her that and turned to Quarro again.

"….."

(Hmm… it seems like you can't afford to not fall in love in this situation, huh?)

"Wha… T-that's not true! I-it was just that someone was protecting me… um… it was the first time for me…"

(Hmm… Well, now you know how outrageous my disciple is.)

"…Yes. I understand."

It seemed that they were talking about something behind me, but I didn't have time to listen in on it because I had already returned my full attention to Quarro. Anyway, I looked at Quarro and called out to Kuro, who was inside me.

"What do you think? Does this work?"

"…Hahaha! You're a hell of a guy; you know that? No problem, I'll lend you a hand!"

Kuro laughed in amusement, and a black mist flooded my body.

"…I'd like to ask you a question, can Kuro's power, which was just a piece of Evil, defeat the main body of Evil?"

"Hah! I'll lend you a hand. It's not about whether or not you could possibly win; it's all about winning."

"That's just crazy…"

"…Well, you and I are a good match after all. We can do it."

"Is that so?"

I smiled unconsciously at Kuro, who sounded somewhat embarrassed as he spoke.

Iris-san, who was behind me, raised an anxious voice at my appearance.

"What-… The power of Evil? Usagi, you…!"

(Calm down. I know what you're going to ask, but Yuuya is sane. For some reason, he has the power of Evil in his body, but it's not a problem.)

"Not a problem, you say…? What kind of reason would he have to have that power?"

(Originally, that power didn't belong to Yuuya but a disciple of the Bow Saint had it in her body. However, Yuuya took over that power, and now it's residing in his body.)

"T-took it over, you say…?"

(…He's really a big idiot, after all.)

Quarro was even more surprised and froze at the sight of the Evil overflowing from my body.

"Wait… what does this mean? It's just supposed to be a piece inside you… but its power is the same as mine no matter how I look at it… What the hell are you?"

I didn't answer his question.

Then, my lack of response seemed to annoy him as Quarro twisted his face in displeasure.

"You have the nerve to ignore me, don't you? ──Go."

"──Gigiiiiiiii!"

When Quarro hurriedly waved his arm, a black mist spread about, and several Evil Beasts appeared and attacked me.

"This is…!"

*Kiiiiiiin*

Just as I was about to dispose of the Evil Beast that was attacking me, that clear metallic sound reached my ears.

"G-gi..!"

The Evil Beasts that tried to attack me all fell to the ground.

Involuntarily I turned my gaze to Iris-san who was behind me and she smiled fiercely in response.

"…There are many questions that I want to ask you, but leave the Evil Beasts to me. Therefore… I'm asking you to take care of him, okay?"

"…Yes!"

I nodded vigorously at Iris-san's words and called out to Kuro.

"…Are you ready?"

"Yeah, leave it to me. But, it won't last long. Your power is too strong, after all…"

"That's just fine!"

In addition to releasing the Evil's power, I also deployed my [Magic Attire] and took a step toward Quarro. At that moment, the surrounding scenery was left behind in an instant, and the figure of Quarro was right in front of me.

"Wha──."

"Haaaaah!"

"Gaaah!"

I waved the [Heavenly Khakkhara] similar way to how I handle the [Absolute Spear] and slammed it onto Quarro's head. Then, Quarro, who could not react to the attack, was slammed into the ground.

In that gap, I pierced the black sphere that was accumulating above his head with the [Heavenly Khakkhara]. The black sphere pierced by the [Heavenly Khakkhara] gradually cracked, and light overflowed from it as it burst.

"No way… What the hell are you?"

Quarro, who was slammed into the ground, shouted as he staggered around in a dizzy state…

"I don't know!"

"What?"

Quarro was astonished by my answer.

I've been asked that question a lot today, but there's no way I know who I am. I'd rather be the one asking. All I could say was that I somehow got caught up in this battle between Evil and Holy, and I had to become stronger to feel safe. But it seemed that Quarro was not satisfied with my answer, and his face turned red with anger.

"St… stop messing around! You come out of nowhere and interrupt my fun… I'll kill you!"

As Quarro spewed a large amount of black mist from his body, they branched out into countless pieces and stabbed at me as sharp blades. While knocking them away with the [Heavenly Khakkhara], I gradually closed the distance between us.

"Don't come, don't come, don't coooooome!"

"!"

In the midst of his raging attacks, Quarro turned his palm toward me, and a small black sphere appeared, shooting a black flash of light at me. In response to the black flash, I took a step forward, keeping in mind the final attack Master Usagi had used against the Scythe Saint.

My body moved even faster than before, and the distance separating me and the black flash was already almost gone. In such a situation, I use the [Heavenly Khakkhara] to unleash the [Divine Piercing] still used by the Spear Saint Ronus.

"[Divine Piercing]…!"

The tip of the [Heavenly Khakkhara] pierced through the black flashes of light and finally struck Quarro's body.

"Gaaaah!"

Quarro's body was bent into a crooked shape, and his voice leaked out in anguish.

"No way… This is not how it's supposed to be…!"

Then, perhaps the effect of the [Heavenly Khakkhara] was activated, smoke rose from Quarro's body.

"This me is going to be destroyed! This is a lie… This is impossible…"

Quarro desperately grasped the handle of the [Heavenly Khakkhara], trying to escape from my thrust, but the smoke was even coming from his palms touching it, and he could not escape. Eventually, as the amount of smoke increased, and Quarro's body gradually began to disappear, he suddenly stopped resisting and spoke in a quiet tone, as if his resistance just a moment ago had been a lie.

"Hah… so this is really the end for me. It's a pretty anticlimactic ending, but… well, that's about it. It seems that the Evil Beasts have been defeated as well, and we've lost. I thought I could have more fun playing around."

Quarro said with deep regret and then turned a sharp look at me.

"…I didn't expect such an uncertain factor to be mixed in. It's out of my calculation."

"….."

"But well… now that we know about you, right?"

"?"

I tilted my head, not understanding the meaning of Quarro's words. However, Quarro did not show any sign of answering and now looked at Master Usagi and Iris-san.

"I don't know how much you know about us, but… we are one."

"Eh?"

(…What?)

Iris-san and Master Usagi did not seem to understand the meaning of Quarro's words. They looked at him with a dubious expression while he looked at them with amusement.

"Well then, try to do your best~."

And then, as Quarro's body completely disintegrated, the smoke finally dissipated.

＊＊＊

"───Quarro is gone?"

The young man Evil muttered quietly in the "World's Disposal Ground." Then, he gazed at the palm of his hand as if to confirm his own power.

"Fumu… I see. So it's integrated in this way."

"───What are you going to do?"

The other Evil in the place quietly asked the young man. The other Evil is a somewhat nervous-looking man who looks to be in his thirties.

"It's a pity that Quarro is gone, but there was also… the harvest."

"Is that an enhancement for you?"

"Fuh… it's that, but it's also something different."

"Then what?"

In response to the man's question, the young man's eyes narrowed as if he were gazing into some distant presence.

"I found it ── the outsider."

In the eyes of the young man, the image of Yuuya, who defeated Quarro, is clearly visible.

＊＊＊

By the time Yuuya had defeated Quarro, the Evil Beast summoned by Quarro had been defeated by Night and the others with the Regal Kingdom soldiers.

"Phew… I wondered what it was when it suddenly appeared… but I guess these are the Evil familiars…"

Luna murmured in front of the dead bodies of the defeated Evil Beasts. The Evil Beast that Yuuya and Kagurazaka defeated in the Earth was purified by Kagurazaka's talisman and disappeared cleanly, but the many corpses of the Evil Beast remained in this place now.

In response to Luna, Lexia, who had been keeping quiet, puffed out her chest with pride.

"As expected of my guard!"

"Hmm… Well. More importantly, how's Yuuya…"

While saying this, she looked towards Yuuya and saw Quarro just disappearing.

"…It looks like everything went well over there, too. This time, that Yuuya saved the country from a crisis… For the Regal Kingdom, Yuuya must be considered a hero."

"Aaahh Geez! Yuuya-sama was fighting so splendidly against the Sword Saint in the first place!"

"…You really can't be shaken, can you?"

Everyone was stunned and speechless by the earlier battle between the Sword Saint Iris and Yuuya up until the Evil attacked. For the Regal citizens, everyone knew that Iris, the Sword Saint, was strong. Still, the sight of Yuuya fighting on equal footing with her was a shock not only to the Regal citizens but also to Orghis and the others here.

In the meantime, when the Evil attacked and interrupted the battle between Iris and Yuuya while unleashing a large number of Evil Beasts into the arena, the entire venue was in an uproar, but the situation ended more easily than expected.

The reason for this is…

"Finished. No sign of the Evil Beast anywhere."

"Woof."

For Lexia and the others, the still mysterious Yuti, and Yuuya's partner, Night, have defeated almost all the Evil Beasts. And although Akatsuki didn't take part in the battle itself, he was also very active, using his skills to heal injured civilians and soldiers.

"Night, Akatsuki. Thank you for saving my life."

"Woof~."

"Fugofugo."

Luna patted them, Night seemed to feel good, and Akatsuki looked like he deserved it and was proud of it.

"Even so… he was really just sleeping…"

While Luna stroked Night and Akatsuki, she looked at the still sleeping Ouma with a dumbfounded look.

Then, Ouma opened one eye.

"What is it? You seem to have a problem with that?"

"You're awake?"

"I just woke up."

Ouma made a big yawn as he said that and then turned his gaze to Luna.

"I told you already. I am not interested in the affairs of humans. I'm not going to help."

"…I see."

Luna couldn't continue conversing with Ouma any longer. As Ouma said, as a legendary dragon he is not concerned with the circumstances of human beings; Luna also knew that. Even if there are people who are dissatisfied with the way it is, they cannot be bothered with it because Ouma has the power to wipe out even that… or even the planet itself.

Luna breathed a sigh of relief at having gotten through this situation, but then she noticed something.

"Hmm? Speaking of which… where is the royal family of the Regal Kingdom?"

"Huh? Sure, I haven't seen them… I even remember when they went to give orders to the soldiers, but…"

Although she looked around the entire arena, she couldn't see Orghis and the others, so Luna and the others thought that they had gone to give instructions outside the arena.

In the middle of all this, Ouma sighed again and turned his attention to the sky above the arena.

"…Hmm. Scout magic, huh? It won't work on me, but… Yuuya. You've finally been discovered, eh?"

Ouma said, laughing merrily, and fell asleep again.