Chapter 13: I’ll Smash Those Death Flags to Bits! …Or So I Say, But That’s a Death Flag in Itself

I could feel every cell in my body blaring a warning alarm.

Instinctively, I understood—I couldn’t fight that monster head-on.

"How dare you lay a hand on my lady—"

So, this was a reflexive action.

I didn’t think. I didn’t react to anything I saw.

Before I knew it, driven by terror, I grabbed Master under my arm and dashed sideways at full speed.

---

What kind of creature even was that?

Its massive frame made an elephant look tiny in comparison.

Its body was that of a four-legged beast, but its face was almost humanoid, covered in dark fur, with reptilian scales lining its belly.

In both my past life and this one, I’d never seen anything like it.

"Master, you alright?"

"Me…?"

My shoulder burned with a sharp sting.

Carrying that bearded old man must’ve torn up my flesh pretty bad. Dozens of meters from our ruined hideout, blood seeped into the ground.

In the heat of the moment, I must’ve scraped myself up good. My shoulder was bleeding freely.

"Get up, Master. You need to run."

"Wh-what the hell’s going on? Monkey, why am I collapsed here?"

"I saved you. Look where we were standing."

But this wasn’t the time to worry about minor injuries. Right now, we were fighting for our lives.

Cautiously rising, I scanned for any sign of the beast before glaring back at where we’d just been.

"The hell? That’s a crater big enough to’ve been made by high-tier magic."

And there it stood—right in the center of the gaping hole in the earth.

The shaggy monstrosity slammed its fists into the ground repeatedly, tilting its head in confusion at the lack of corpses.

If I’d reacted even a second slower, we’d have been splattered across the pavement like burst water balloons.

"The hell is that thing…?"

"Doesn’t matter."

At Master’s stunned muttering, the creature turned its gaze back toward us.

With a grin that screamed "There you are," it bared its teeth in a vicious, spine-chilling smile.

"Master, run. I can’t fight this thing while protecting you."

Now… what was the right move here?

Could I actually kill that thing? Or was it smarter to throw dignity aside and flee with everything I had?

I had no idea.

"…But at the very least, I gotta buy time for a commoner like Master to escape."

Noblesse oblige. A noble’s status is upheld by their resolve.

Leaving this thing unchecked would mean catastrophic damage. So, as a "noble," I had to face it.

…And there was a high chance this was the bastard who killed Sakura.

"Monkey. Can you win against that thing?"

"Dunno. Honestly, odds aren’t great."

"Then we running?"

"Can’t just leave it."

Before the words even finished leaving my mouth, the monster leaped again.

It soared straight for us, fists clasped together in an overhead hammer strike.

Blocking it meant death. I grabbed Master and lunged right.

————CRASH.

Another deafening explosion as the street cratered under the impact. Just jumping and punching the ground was enough to match high-tier magic.

What kind of brainless strength was that?

"…No time to be picky. Guess I’ll pull out my trump card spell."

"Hey, monkey. What should I do?"

This wasn’t the time to worry about close combat or hiding my magic.

I had to throw everything I had at this—high-tier spells included—to survive.

"Master, seriously, just run. I can’t keep protecting you."

"Then don’t."

I whipped my head around at those words.

Master—that man—was glaring at the monster with a face twisted in hatred.

"Master…?"

"I get it. I probably can’t even stall that thing. But I can bait its attacks."

"No, you—"

"Sure, I’ll end up squashed like a bug. But in that opening, you can hit it with your trump card, right?"

Whoa, whoa. This guy was seriously planning to die for a split-second chance.

"Don’t waste your life like that, Master."

"If it avenges my lady, I don’t care."

"I told you—the odds are slim. My trump card’s strong, but it takes forever to prep. A few seconds won’t change anything."

Yeah, that was the problem. Its power was undeniable, but the casting time was absurd. Combat magic assumed you had a frontline to protect you.

That’s why I’d focused more on body-enhancement magic than high-tier spells. In a real crisis—like a bandit ambush—which was more survivable? Mastery of high-tier magic or raw close-quarters combat?

High-tier spells needed about 30 seconds of uninterrupted chanting.

During that time, forget fighting—even dodging was near impossible. Lose focus, and you risk a misfire.

Honestly, the best shot was to send Master running, hide somewhere, and land a surprise hit. Trying to cast head-on? No way it’d land.

Assuming we could even escape this thing.

"Monkey, how many seconds do you need?"

"Huh? Uh… call it a few dozen."

"Got it. Leave it to me. Don’t worry about what happens to me—just make damn sure you hit it, Monkey Mask."

But Master was dead set. Wait, since when could you fight? Sure, you’ve got the build for brawling, but—

You’re not exactly young anymore. Maybe don’t push your luck—

────Killing intent.

Ah. This man wasn’t seeing anything anymore.

The sheer, overwhelming hatred radiating from Master told me everything—he was far past reason.

"Mooonkeeey!! I’ll buy you time—so get that trump card of yours ready!!"

"H-hey! Don’t you dare die on me!"

Was it that important to him? Did he care about Sakura that much? More than his own life, more than his own safety—was landing a single blow worth this much?

If he was going this far, it’d be downright rude not to chant. Sure, an ambush would’ve had better odds—but honoring a man’s resolve was a warrior’s duty.

Master stepped forward, his face twisted in fury, as the monster slowly turned toward him. The demon let out a grotesque, delighted shriek upon seeing prey that didn’t flee in terror, raising its fists once more.

…I’ll trust him.

While Master drew the enemy’s attention, I put distance between us and quietly began my incantation.

"────Spirits of flame, winds of divine conflagration…"

The spell activated. From this moment on, I couldn’t move.

Could Master really buy enough time? Honestly, I had a feeling he’d be crushed instantly.

Logically, I should’ve stopped him. But there was no talking him out of it.

And… I understood his pain all too well. The unbearable grief of losing someone you love—it was right there in his eyes.

"────Crimson spirals, earth-rending chains of annihilation…"

Then hold on to that resolve, Master. I’ll stake my life on this too.

Let’s hit that bastard with the strongest firepower humanity can muster.

────

"GROOAAHH!!"
"COME ON, THEN!!"

Provoked by Master’s furious taunt, the demon leaped.

Seeing it from a distance now, the sheer unreality of it almost made me dizzy. How could a body that massive move through the air so effortlessly?

Like a meteor, the monster descended amidst the darkness, shaking the earth. In just seconds, its impact shattered the ground, sending debris flying—right where Master had been standing.

"YOU DAMN MONSTER!!"

But he wasn’t dead.

Tossed aside in the blast, shoulder drenched in dark blood, Master screamed at the beast. The attack had only grazed him.

"────Gather, dust. Scatter, blazing rock…"

The chant was nearing its final stage. Just a little longer, Master. Hold on.

The monster, having slammed its fists into the ground, now rubbed its eyes with a muffled growl.

Strangely, it wasn’t pursuing Master. Had it lost sight of him in the dust?

The demon kept glancing around, disoriented. What a lucky bastard.

"…In my bar," Master muttered, barely audible.

Sprawled in the dirt, covered in blood, he clutched something in his hand—and smiled.

"────Forged in black steel, the pinnacle of restraint!!"
"Consider this your ban notice. Never set foot in our town again, freak."

…And then, I realized.

Why the monster had been rubbing its eyes this whole time.

…Cards.

That madman—while being sent flying—had thrown wooden notice cards straight into the demon’s eyes.

Those were the same blacklist memos he’d toss at banned customers.

Master had always bragged about being good at darts. And with that same skill, he’d nailed the demon’s eyeballs with his "ban notices."

If this is how it is—

"Monkey! You done yet?!"
"Done. Nice work, Master."

Now, while the beast was blinded and confused—there was no way I’d miss.

Time to deliver humanity’s strongest firepower.

The ultimate magical art, permitted only to those with affinity for the four great elements—to those recognized by the spirits themselves.

"Eat this. My ultimate—"

Not half-remembered, not rushed—this was the true might of high-tier magic, chanted properly after rigorous study.

A secret technique passed down through the Vermund family, mastered by only a select few.

This—this was my full power—

" SPIRIT CANNON—ELEMENTAL BUSTEEEEER!!! "

────

With my roar, the spell erupted—for one blinding instant, lighting up the night.

---

Water, earth, fire, wind. Those four elements mix, blend, and transform into a single surge of energy. That tremendous torrent of magic—impossible for an ordinary human to fully control—is manifested through the assistance of spirits.

I followed the textbook procedure exactly as I had been taught and activated it just as described.

This was an emergency, so I didn’t hold back at all, unleashing it at full power without a care for collateral damage.

According to the textbook, this was undoubtedly one of humanity’s most powerful spells. Only a select few could master it—those with an exceptional mana capacity, a broad affinity for the elements, and a pure heart deemed worthy by the spirits.

Its mastery was of the highest difficulty, but once unleashed, it could decide the outcome of a battle. The earth would split, mountains would crumble, and seas would dry up. The most destructive magic in this world was humanity’s true last resort…

"Did it… hit?"

"Wh-whaaat the—?! The hell kinda trump card you packin’, Monkey Mask?!"

There existed no greater offensive means—not in magic, nor in any weapon, swordsmanship, or gunpowder available to mankind today.

In this world right now, there was no countermeasure against an enemy this couldn’t take down.

"OOVOOOVOOO!!"

And yet.

What was I supposed to do when that thing remained completely unfazed after taking my full-powered advanced magic head-on?

What was I supposed to do against that monster, blinded yet still raging, smashing the ground in fury after eating my Elemental Buster?

"Did it… not work?"

"It looked like it hurt… a little."

"Far from a fatal blow—doesn’t even seem like a single bone was broken…"

Ah, Goddess, if you truly exist… why did you create such a creature and let it walk this earth?

What were we supposed to do against a being that could tank humanity’s theoretically strongest attack—no matter what means we used—and still be completely unharmed?

"Master… can you run? Sorry, but we got nothin’ left."

"Can’t. My ribs are broken."

"I see."

Then I’d carry him and flee.

I’d realized I couldn’t handle this alone. As frustrating as it was, I’d regroup with Carl and let him deal with it.

……Speaking of which, where was Karl?

I think I’d asked Master earlier where he was. Wasn’t Karl supposed to be held in this hideout?

No way… You’re kidding, right? Don’t tell me he’s… dead?

That man, blessed by the Goddess, who set out on a journey to defeat the demons—did he really die without achieving anything, killed by the demons while passed out drunk?

Huh… HAAH?!

"Leave me. With these injuries… I’m done for anyway."

"Master…"

"If I can die here, where the young lady died… I’ve got no regrets. Got in at least one good hit on that bastard, so my grudges are a little lighter now."

Master relaxed his limbs as if giving up. He no longer had any will to survive.

"Damn it… this sucks. A worthless, bottom-feeding drifter like me… actually cared for her like she was my own daughter. And I can’t even avenge her."

"……"

"The boss was a reckless guy. Whenever there was a fight, he’d leave the young lady behind and disappear. While he was gone, it was lowlifes like us who took care of her."

Master wailed, tears of blood streaking down his cheeks.

"When you raise a kid from the time they’re tiny… you can’t help but get attached. Especially for a washed-up old man like me, with no wife or kids of my own."

"…I see."

"Just go, monkey. While it’s chewing on me, at least you get out alive."

With those final words, he clenched his teeth and fell silent.

Soon, the demon’s vision would return. Before that happened, I had to escape to safety.

"See ya."

I had to hurry—get to Maika and the others. Tell them Carl was dead, that the demons were the real deal, that we had to get out of this town as fast as possible.

That was my duty now, as one of the survivors────

At that moment—

CRACK.

The ground split in two beneath me, and I lost my footing.

"——Huh?"

Sliding. Falling.

A trapdoor, like the ones I’d seen in comedy shows, opened up beneath my feet, sending me sliding down somewhere like a damn playground chute.

Wait, wha—?! What the hell is this?!

"Wha-wha-wha-what’s going on?!"

Wheee—

After getting dropkicked by the trapdoor, I slid down the tunnel-like slide on my ass.

Please don’t let my pants rip and leave me half-naked. Even though I was disguised as a guy, I wasn’t exactly into flaunting my prized peach while walking around.

"Ow!"

Eventually, the slide came to an end. Thankfully, my pants were intact.

I was unceremoniously dumped into a dim, unfamiliar basement, half-tumbling onto the floor.

"Oww… ow ow ow…"

"Oh, good. Just a scrape on your shoulder—looks like it’s nothing serious."

A voice—someone was talking to me.

Still disoriented, I glanced around frantically before finally realizing.

"Where… is this?"

"An underground passage. …The only place in the hideout that wasn’t destroyed."

The candlelight mounted on the walls illuminated the figure who had spoken.

A girl with dull brown hair and modest proportions—half-naked.

"…Your nipple’s showing, young mistress."

"Shut up!! I got attacked while showering—it’s not my fault!!"

That is to say—Sakura von Tendo. The girl I thought had died was actually hiding in this suspicious-ass place.

"Gwaaah!!"

"Ah, Master!"

Soon after, a heavily wounded middle-aged man came sliding down the same chute.

Looks like Sakura just saved our asses.

---

“I can’t see what’s happening outside, but was that explosion earlier your doing?”

“Yeah.”

We proceeded to ask Sakura what had happened.

According to her, after returning to the hideout with Karl, she heard something like the growl of a wild beast—right before that monster attacked.

The assault by an unknown enemy threw her subordinates into utter chaos, but in the heat of the moment, they managed to evacuate her and the non-combatants underground, thinking, At least the young mistress must survive.

After that, her subordinates charged at the monster as a last stand—and not a single one returned.

“You can’t see outside, yet you still guided us here?”

“I have an affinity for earth magic, so I could track your position through the spirits. The pit you fell into was also my doing.”

“Earth magic, huh? Then, can you make pitfalls? That thing doesn’t seem too bright—traps like that might work.”

“Unfortunately, I have zero offensive power like that. If you want to drop something of that size, it’d take days of chanting. Besides, earth magic is just a side skill—my real expertise lies elsewhere.”

With that, she approached the barely conscious Master.

“…You reckless fool.”

“Young… mistress… sob… You’re… safe…”

“Don’t cry. I’m the one who wants to cry here. If I’d lost you too… I’d have bawled my eyes out.”

Sakura clasped the Master’s hand, overwhelmed by their reunion, then quietly began chanting.

“The healing principle lies in the sacred dance of foliage, the droplets of solace embrace the wounded.”

“…Thank you, mistress.”

“All living things shall receive the protection of my hands, the murmur of all creation shall be with thee. Heal—Lullaby of the Spirits.”

Ah, I see. So this is her magic.

Honestly, it’s a niche field among noble magic, but there’s always demand for it—practitioners are highly valued.

The technique is unique, yet it’s one of the magical traditions that’s been passed down without being lost.

It has zero direct offensive power, but when there’s someone you can’t afford to lose, nothing is more useful.

“The Tendou family specializes in healing magic…”

“Wound treatment, specifically. Since we deal with a lot of skirmishes, that’s the area we’ve honed.”

Despite her complaints, Sakura swiftly treated the Master’s injuries and wrapped them in bandages.

Impressive work. A professional healer through and through.

“Monkey boy, let me see your shoulder too.”

“Much obliged.”

“This much should heal in no time.”

As she placed her hand on me, a warm, soothing light enveloped my shoulder, sealing the wound. Sakura’s healing skills were nothing to scoff at.

“Oh, right—Sakura, where’s Karl?”

“Sleeping over there. Seems like he’s still drunk.”

“…Yeah, once he’s like that, he won’t wake up for a whole night.”

Apparently, Karl had been deemed a non-combatant and brought underground too. Good… I’m glad he’s alive.

…Don’t worry. I don’t think of you as “useless for a Hero” or anything. Rest easy, Karl.

“Guess we’re stuck hiding here till he wakes up. I’m worried about the others we left in town, though…”

“All we can do is pray they’re alive. There’s no way anyone could win against that thing head-on.”

“Yeah… It’s a miracle we’re still alive—me and Master.”

I can only cast two high-tier spells a day due to my mana limits. Firing just one already burns through over half my reserves.

At the very least, I can’t pick a fight with that monster until my mana recovers. Might as well rest properly down here.

“Master, you good with that?”

“As long as the young mistress is alive, I got nothin’ to complain about.”

“That so?”

If we leave it alone, who knows how much destruction it’ll wreak on the town. But… forgive me.

I couldn’t do it. Even after giving it my all, I didn’t stand a chance. So waiting for Karl to wake up and taking it on together seems like the smarter move.

“……”

Pathetic.

Damn it, I’m weak.

“Monkey, why’re you looking so pissed?”

“We’re abandoning them. Hiding down here, running from that monster while it rampages through town… letting people die.”

“Since when were you this serious?”

“It’s pathetic. I was full of myself—thought there was no enemy I couldn’t beat if I used my trump card. I’m so ashamed I could cut my stomach open right now.”

The self-directed rage wouldn’t fade.

I must’ve been coasting on overconfidence. Maybe I was just stroking my ego by building muscle.

I’d never trained for life-or-death combat. The idea of the Demon King reviving or demons invading never even crossed my mind.

A total amateur like me had no business being strong in a real fight.

“Gotta get stronger.”

I muttered the reminder to myself.

I’m still far from ready. Against demons, my skills are laughably inadequate────

...Scrunch, scrunch.

At that moment—I suddenly noticed it.

A dull, grating sound was coming from above me.

"Huh? What’s that noise?"
"Noise? I don’t hear anything."

Scrunch, scrunch. Scraaape.

Mixed with the occasional high-pitched screech, it was unmistakably coming from right overhead.

"Hey, can none of you hear that?"
"...No. There is something. A weird sound."

Oh, come on. Why the hell is that noise happening?

That thing looked like a complete idiot. There was no way it could track us down just by hiding like this.

It shouldn’t be possible. It can’t have noticed us.

Scraaape, scraaape. Scrunch, scrunch.

The ceiling began to creak—faintly at first.

Grains of sand trickled down like rain.

No way. Please, Goddess, tell me this is a joke.

────Then, with a sickening thud, the ceiling was torn open.

A hole about a meter wide. A gnarled, brutish beast’s fist twisted like a screwdriver, grinding against the edges of the breach.

Starlight spilled through the gap—and then, slowly, a massive eye peered down at us through the hole.

"...Monster."

Somehow, this creature had guessed we were underground and dug its way to us with its bare hands.

"Vooooh~♪"

The demon’s eyes crinkled upward, baring its fangs in a savage grin as it roared in delight—like a predator that had finally cornered its prey.

All I could do was stare up at it, frozen in disbelief.