Chapter 43: Ashura

“Kazuya~! We were over here fighting the Spider Queen and you were busy flirting!?”

That voice called out, and I hastily pulled away.

“No, hey, it was rough on our end too! By the way, didn’t the Spider Queen use charm magic on you?”

“Hmm? Oh yeah, she did. I was fine thanks to my magic resistance ring, but Master and Wyndham got caught in it—what a mess.”

“I resisted properly, didn’t I? Wyndham was the one who fell head over heels.”

“Dad couldn’t fight properly either, so it’s not much different.”

So the Spider Queen used charm magic after all.

That kind of magic is seriously annoying—even if it doesn’t fully take hold, just resisting it messes with your ability to fight. Next time, I’ll have to cast resistance magic right at the start of battle. I’ve got enough breathing room for that now.

“Come to think of it, there were three of them, right? Were they all demon lord officers?”

“Nah, the biggest one was the queen—a jorōgumo. The other two were an ushi-oni and a tsuchigumo, I think. They all looked like women at first, but then—bam, those forms.”

“Honestly, both Dad and Roy get all soft when they see a pretty face. Pathetic.”

“I didn’t get soft! I just thought she was good-looking, that’s all!”

“That’s right, Claudia! It’s a natural reaction for men to have when they see a beautiful woman! Just forgive us with a generous heart, won’t you?”

“Dad, quiet! Hey Miki, what do you think?”

Even if you ask me that…

Honestly, having been a guy in a past life, I kind of get why pretty faces get that kind of reaction. It’s just how men are. Still, if Kazuya acted like that, I probably wouldn’t take it so calmly.

“If you’re asking me… hmm. Kazuya, what would you do?”

Not knowing how to answer, I threw the question to Kazuya—this kind of no-win scenario that only a guy can appreciate. I figured he’d say something safe like, “You’re the only one for me, Miki,” whether or not he really meant it.

“Me? Don’t worry. You’re so beautiful, Miki, I’ve lost the ability to even tell if other women are attractive. I only have eyes for you.”

He said that, lifting my chin gently.

A-A-A-Ah! That’s… not at all what I expected! What do you mean you can’t even tell if other women are pretty!? That was way beyond anything I anticipated. I didn’t know how to respond—and I got all flustered.

“Okay, okay, enough showing off. Roy, you should learn from him! You’ve got such a cute girlfriend, after all.”

Claudia pointed at herself as she said that.

“Calling yourself a cute girlfriend…? I mean… you are cute, but still…”

Roy averted his gaze, blushing as he replied.

They’re kind of sweet, actually. Like, they don’t do much physical affection? Maybe Kazuya and I are too close in comparison. Not that I have any intention of changing that now.

“That’s why you and Roy never move forward!”

“Yeah… such a wimp…”

Corin and Erin weren’t pulling any punches.

But… I kind of get how Roy feels.

He probably really treasures Claudia. He doesn’t want to hurt her. It’s just—he goes overboard with that and ends up too hesitant to act. That’s probably it. I get why it’s frustrating to watch, though.

“Exactly. I want to see my grandkids soon.”

“Daaad! Don’t say weird stuff! It’s way too early for that!”

“No need to be shy. Then I could retire in peace.”

“Daaaad!!”

Claudia and Mr. Joseph’s exchange left Roy shrinking into himself in embarrassment. I wish he could be a bit more confident there.

“Well, well. We’ve taken out the last of the officers safe and sound. All that’s left is the Demon Lord! Let’s get fired up!”

“Y-Yeah! This is it—the final battle! I’m gonna give it everything I’ve got!”

Kazuya raised his voice energetically, clearing the mood. Roy followed along, and the group’s spirit lifted.

“Indeed. But don’t let your guard down. We’re dealing with the Demon Lord—no comparison to those officers. Even a moment’s carelessness could be fatal.”

Mr. Joseph’s sharp tone brought everyone back to focus.

Alright. Time to reset our mindset—and move forward!

---

Having successfully defeated the last of the Demon Lord’s officers, all that remained was the Demon Lord himself.

We opened the door at the back of the great hall and moved forward. No more branching paths—just a straight corridor, and at the end stood a door, likely the one that led directly to the Demon Lord. It blocked our path like a final gate.

When we pushed it open and entered, we found a single demon in the guise of a butler waiting for us.

“I’ve been expecting you. Welcome, brave heroes. It is an honor to receive you… Oh? Two heroes? My deepest apologies on behalf of those disgraceful officers. To think they only managed to take down one of the three of you… How utterly shameful.”

His tone was polite, yet his overflowing confidence made it feel more like a condescending mockery.

“As a form of apology, allow me to entertain you to the fullest extent of my abilities. Please rest assured, your journey to defeat the Demon Lord ends here.”

Kazuya stepped forward in response.

“Your smug attitude pisses me off. I’m Kazuya, a Hero. Who the hell are you? We already took out all the officers!”

“Oh ho, so you are Lord Kazuya. I’ve heard much about you… Strong, reliable, a true hero among men. How delightful. Ah, forgive my rudeness—I haven’t yet introduced myself. I am Ashler, steward directly under the Demon Lord. You may think of me as His Majesty’s personal butler.”

The demon calling himself Ashler bowed deeply, every bit the perfect butler.

So that’s how it is… One of those situations, huh? The Demon Lord’s personal blade being stronger than any officer. Not uncommon in stories like this.

Kazuya gave me a quick glance—eye contact.

I nodded in return.

Kazuya activated his awakening and launched forward.

At the same time, I cast body-enhancement magic on him.

Ashler was still bowing.

Call it dishonorable if you want. But striking first wins wars. Speed is strength. Victory justifies all means. No corpses are carried home.

Winning is all that matters.

And we couldn’t afford to waste energy being stalled here.

––But even so, Ashler casually blocked our surprise attack with two swords.

“My, my. Lord Kazuya, you do act quickly. Still, that speed, that readiness to seize the moment—I must say, I rather admire it.”

Kazuya’s blades were stopped, and he swiftly reset his stance.

“Thanks, I guess. But admiration’s meaningless if it doesn’t work. Still, now I’ve got a pretty good read on you… Yeah, you’re definitely stronger than the rest of those officers.”

“Oh? Isn’t it a little early to judge? I’ve yet to show my true strength, you know.”

With a pleasant smile, Ashler raised both swords and took a proper stance.

“Roy! Mr. Joseph! Let’s take him down together!”

“R-Right! Got it!”

“Aye! Roy, don’t lose focus!”

Kazuya rallied his fellow hero Roy and the former hero Joseph, clearly aiming for a three-man takedown.

I reinforced Kazuya with support magic, and Corin and Erin cast enhancements on Roy and Joseph.

“Let’s go!!”

Kazuya let out the battle cry to begin, instantly awakening, and the three of them leapt toward Ashler together—

—or so we thought.

Kazuya, now fully awakened, dashed in first with explosive speed.

But Roy and Joseph were a beat—no, two beats—slower in activating theirs.

What!? Don’t tell me—are their awakenings not on the same level as Kazuya’s!?

Just like before, Kazuya’s lone strike was blocked with Ashler’s twin blades. Then, after a brief clash, Ashler casually dodged the delayed attacks from Roy and Joseph.

Having closely observed Kazuya’s awakening, I could tell. Even excluding the buffs, Roy and Joseph’s awakening output was clearly inferior. No—it actually was lower.

Kazuya once said he’d learned the technique from Joseph. And Roy is Joseph’s disciple. He probably never imagined their awakenings would be weaker than his own.

Ashler smoothly avoided their follow-up attacks, effortlessly shifting focus. Only Kazuya’s strikes were being blocked head-on. The way he responded made it obvious—Roy and Joseph weren’t even worth acknowledging.

“Kazuya! Roy! Let’s sync our timing!”

“Yes, Master!”

“Aye!”

Right. That’s it. If Ashler’s blocking Kazuya’s attacks with both blades, that means there have to be openings. If all three coordinate properly, dodging shouldn't even be possible. In theory.

Kazuya went in first. As his attack was received, the other two followed up from either side in a synchronized pincer move.

This time—for sure—Ashler wouldn’t be able to dodge or block it all.

Or so we thought.

But neither Roy nor Joseph’s blades ever reached him.

“If you all act in perfect sync, three-on-one is a bit much. I suppose I’ll have to show you this form after all. Truly impressive, brave heroes.”

Ashler had transformed.

Two additional arms had sprouted from each side, for a total of six. And three faces now occupied his head—each one watching Kazuya, Roy, and Joseph respectively.

Swords had appeared in his extra arms, and with them, he caught the simultaneous strikes from Roy and Joseph with ease.

Three faces. Six arms.

Come to think of it, that would make him an excellent butler… Wait, no. That’s not the point.

This was Ashler’s true form.

“Let’s regroup for now!”

After a few more clashing exchanges, Joseph called for a reset when no breakthrough could be found. The group pulled back to reestablish their stance.

Kazuya stayed on the offensive just enough to cover the retreat, and they successfully put some distance between themselves and Ashler.

---

Kazuya also retreated slightly, taking up a stance facing Ashler.

“This guy’s a problem—three faces, six arms, no blind spots. Yeah, definitely tougher than the officers.”

Kazuya said it lightly, almost casually, but Roy and Mr. Joseph wore heavy, grim expressions.

Then Roy spoke up.

“Kazuya, let us handle Ashler. You and Miss Miki go on ahead to the Demon Lord. I believe in you—you two can defeat him. That’s why… please!”

It was an abrupt declaration from Roy.

“What are you saying all of a sudden? No way, that’s not happening! Rejected! It’s obviously better if we all fight together, right? Come on, Roy, think this through—we’ll take him down together!”

Kazuya responded cheerfully, without a trace of concern.

And of course—after everything they’d been through, fighting together was the obvious choice. Anyone would think so.

But Roy’s expression didn’t change. If anything, it grew even more resolute. A look of unwavering conviction.

“Kazuya. I’ll be honest. I watched your fight with the Thunder Emperor… in secret. And I realized something. You’re on a completely different level from us. You didn’t say anything, but even earlier, we were holding you back, weren’t we? You couldn’t go all-out because you were trying to match our pace. That’s why we can’t afford to have you waste energy here! You need to be at full power when you face the Demon Lord!”

“What are you talking about!? There’s no huge difference between us! We’ve been fighting and beating the Demon Lord’s officers together this whole time! And Ashler’s the last one—we just have to get through him, and it’s over! If we all fight together, we can win!”

Kazuya tried to persuade Roy, clearly believing that fighting as a group was the best course.

But I didn’t see it that way. No… I was sure Kazuya didn’t, either—not deep down.

He had deliberately slowed his movements to match Roy and Joseph’s timing. He couldn’t go all-out. And as heroes, as a party, there was a noticeable difference in power.

If it were a normal fight, maybe it wouldn’t matter. But this was a battle where Kazuya fought in an awakened state—something that constantly drains energy even while active. A double-edged sword. The longer the battle drags on, the worse it gets.

So just like Roy said, if we forced Kazuya to fight here, make him burn through stamina, it would only decrease everyone’s chance of surviving the battle against the Demon Lord.

“Kazuya.”

I called out to him and gently placed a hand on his shoulder.

“Don’t let their resolve go to waste. Let’s go.”

This part of Kazuya—the part that tries to carry everyone—is something I love deeply. But if Roy and the others are willing to put their lives on the line, clinging to that kindness would only dishonor them.

“Miki… but…!”

Kazuya turned back, looking at Roy and the others—and fell silent.

Roy. Joseph. Claudia. Wyndham. Erin. Corin. All of them had faces set in determination. Life-or-death determination, carved into their expressions.

“…Alright. But Roy—if I’m leaving this to you, you better win! I’ll go ahead, defeat the Demon Lord, and wait for you there!”

At last, Kazuya had made up his mind.

“We’ll be the second ones to celebrate the Demon Lord’s fall! We’ll take down Ashler. Now go!”

Roy glanced at me as he said “second.” He didn’t need to be that considerate.

“Yeah!”

Kazuya scooped me into his arms—and sprinted forward.