Chapter 44: Roy’s Flashback

We arrived at the Demon Lord’s Castle.

It was a shame that the gatekeeper had already been defeated—we weren’t the first ones here. Still, the fact that all six of us made it here safely is worth celebrating.

I am Roy, one of the three heroes chosen to defeat the Demon Lord.

My party includes my childhood friend and now lover, the ranger Claudia; her father and my mentor, the former hero Joseph; another childhood friend, the warrior Wyndham; and the twin sisters Erin and Corin, who joined us on our journey. We’re a group of six.

I’ve learned to master my Awakened state. I can activate it faster, with more power, and sustain it for longer.

My awakening is the Crimson Blaze—flames of deep red. My mentor’s is the Azure Flame—cool blue fire.

Though Master always calls me his “idiot disciple,” his expression always carries both strictness and kindness. That’s why I don’t mind being called that. I know the affection behind it.

Having retired and being over forty, Master can no longer sustain his Awakened state for long periods. Still, for short bursts, he can produce output equal to mine even now.

He often says, “In raw combat strength, you’ve already surpassed me, Roy.”

But I don’t believe I’ve surpassed him. I want to exceed him fully—so he can finally rest easy, truly retire. Claudia and I will take care of him. I want him to enjoy a peaceful life as my father-in-law.

That’s how I want to repay him.

During our journey, we defeated one of the Demon Lord’s top generals, the Dragon King Leviathan. It made us recognized as true heroes in name and strength.

Still, I can’t shake the feeling that we need to become even stronger if we’re going to defeat the Demon Lord.

---

As we moved deeper into the castle, we discovered an entrance to the basement.

Upon descending, we ran into another hero—Dominic—and his party. We decided to take a break together and talk for a bit.

Dominic was nothing like the rumors I’d heard from townsfolk. Despite his rugged appearance, he was a good guy—open and easy to talk to.

It really hit me—how unreliable rumors can be.

Kazuya too, and Dominic… and of course, my Master. Clearly, the title of “Hero” is only granted to those truly worthy. That thought renewed my determination—to live up to the title myself.

After our break, we went our separate ways at a fork in the path.

The basement was far more complex than the floors above. We got lost a few times, fought monsters, and slowly made our way through. That’s when Claudia told me she could hear the sounds of battle nearby.

If someone was fighting down here, it could only mean a hero versus a demon. Which meant—it was either Dominic or Kazuya.

Just to be safe, Claudia and I went to scout it out ourselves.

It gave Master and the others a chance to rest, and with just the two of us, we could move quickly and keep our presence hidden. It was a perfect setup. We’d done many two-person scouting missions before.

…Even my confession to her happened during one of those missions, though that was supposed to be a secret. Not sure how that one got out.

Anyway—back to the matter at hand—we peeked into the room, and saw Kazuya engaged in battle.

His opponent was without a doubt one of the Demon Lord’s top generals—and a very powerful demon at that.

Farther in, I spotted Dominic and his party. Dominic had lost his right arm.

I had no idea what happened, but what was clear was that Kazuya’s fight with the demon was on an entirely different level.

What shocked me the most was how instantly Kazuya could activate his Awakened state. Not even I or Master can do that. And his output far exceeded ours.

While I was still reeling from the sight, the battle ended—before I could even fully grasp what had happened.

It looked like a total victory for Kazuya.

That’s when I knew.

Right now, among the heroes, Kazuya is the one closest to defeating the Demon Lord. The strength of the Kazuya-Miki pair surpasses ours.

Claudia must have sensed it too. She looked at me with visible worry.

I couldn’t say anything. I just patted her on the shoulder, and we went back to the others.

I didn’t say a word about what we saw.

If I did—even if it sparked rivalry or some other feelings—it wouldn’t lead to anything good.

Besides, everyone believes in me. They follow me because they see me as the top hero. I don’t want to betray that belief.

—No, that’s a lie.

The truth is, I didn’t want to see their faith in me waver after seeing Kazuya’s strength.

I want to be their number one. I want to be praised. I want to be acknowledged. I don’t want that to be taken away. I don’t want to be left behind.

That’s how I really feel.

I became painfully aware of my ugly desire for approval.

I simply told Claudia to keep it a secret, and we returned to the others.

---

We regrouped with Kazuya and his party.

Kazuya was the same as always. That’s what relieved me the most. Even with all that power, he hadn’t changed one bit.

And Miki-san was still as beautiful as ever. Honestly, I think she might be the most beautiful woman in the world.

If someone asked me if I ever felt jealous of Kazuya—I’d be lying if I said no. But my heart belongs to Claudia. I do think Miki-san is beautiful, but that’s all.

Kazuya didn’t say a word about Dominic.

Given that injury, he probably judged that Dominic was no longer able to fight.

When I told Kazuya that I sensed the presence of another Demon Lord general ahead, he said he’d already taken out four—including the Thunder Emperor—and offered to let us handle the next one.

Four…! So that’s the difference between us.

Still, for someone who’s defeated four generals, it’s no wonder he exudes such calm confidence.

With strength like that, of course he would.

…If I had that kind of strength, maybe I would too.

---

We stepped into a grand hall swarming with spider monsters.

The overwhelming number froze us in place, but Kazuya calmly stepped forward, saying he’d carve a path, and began cutting down the creatures.

To handle this many enemies without hesitation... I’d always believed only someone as experienced as my mentor could pull that off.

Then Miki-san cast two lightning spear spells simultaneously, opening a straight path all the way to the back.

Once again, I was stunned. That kind of power... she really did it.

Erin and Corin are both far more skilled than the average adventurer—top class, even. But next to her, their brilliance faded.

When I looked at the twins, their eyes no longer held rivalry. Instead, they gazed at Miki-san with admiration.

That meant they had acknowledged it: they were no match. They couldn’t see themselves as her equals.

The gap between us and Kazuya’s team—it was overwhelming.

---

We followed the path Miki-san had cleared, and eventually reached the back of the hall, where we found three women.

“Ah! Please, help us, brave heroes! We’ve been surrounded by spider monsters and had no way to escape!”

A blatant lie. No one should be here.

There’s no way we’d fall for it. They’re mocking us.

—And yet, we—no, specifically me, Master, and Wyndham—couldn’t take our eyes off them.

All three women were beautiful. Not quite as stunning as Miki-san, but still undeniably attractive.

Their outfits—white gowns—were torn, with only sheer veils left to cover their bodies. Their feminine curves and hidden places were clearly visible through the thin fabric.

It was impossible not to look.

“You fool of a disciple. This is a trap—do not let your guard down.”

Even as Master warned us, he couldn’t look away either.

We all knew it. These women were monsters in disguise. But still—maybe it was just being men, but none of us could bring ourselves to act.

The women stretched out their hands toward us, beckoning us forward.

Slowly, I, Master, and Wyndham began to drift toward them, drawn in.

“Radiant Arrow of Dawn—Rising Arrow!!”

Just then, an arrow of light flew in from behind, piercing the center woman clean through.

“Tch! So close! How dare you interfere!!”

“Seriously, you men are so hopeless!!”

Claudia’s voice cut through as she covered us.

The lower halves of the women’s bodies began to transform into spider forms, tearing through their gowns and veils as they expanded. Their clothes—made entirely of spider silk—shredded and unraveled. They grew, reaching a height of roughly three meters.

These were spider monsters with the upper bodies of women. That was their true form.

“Sorry! You saved us! Erin! Corin! Support magic!”

“Yes!”

“Leave it to us…”

I felt the rush of support magic take hold—my power surged.

“Spider creature! You’re one of the Demon Lord’s generals, aren’t you? The Queen of Spiders?”

I pointed at the central, largest of the spider monsters.

“Indeed. I am the Queen of Spiders—Jorōgumo Kinu. These two are my servants: Gyūki and Tsuchigumo.”

The moment she said that, a spell was unleashed.

It didn’t affect me—but Master and Wyndham clutched their heads in pain.

Wyndham remained frozen in place, staring blankly ahead.

“Big bro Wyndham!!”

“Onii-chan…!!”

Erin and Corin cried out.

They adored Wyndham. With his large build, they often sandwiched him in hugs, and he’d return the affection by lifting them up in play.

“Roy! Claudia! That’s a charm spell! I’ll dispel it—hit them while I do!”

Erin’s quick thinking and command rang out.

“!!”

“Got it!”

Thanks to my ring that grants magic resistance, I was unaffected by the charm spell.

Master was still fighting against it, holding his head. He wouldn’t be able to fight like that.

To stop the enemy’s casting, we launched attacks, forcing them to halt their spells. At the same time, we received resistance-enhancing magic. That should protect us from further charm effects.

After that, Master and I entered our awakened states and launched into battle.

We targeted the servants first. Master took aim at Gyūki.

In sync, we unleashed fire techniques, closing in with relentless pressure.

Claudia supported us with precise, holy-element arrows—effective against demons—striking between our attacks and leaving the enemy no chance to recover.

Master got behind Gyūki and unleashed a powerful technique.

“Azure Flame Secret Art—Great Wheel!!”

He rolled forward, sword wreathed in blue flames, and cleaved down from the human-like head, straight through the spider’s head and torso in one sweeping arc.

“BURSTTTT!!”

With his cry, the cut erupted in a fiery explosion, bringing Gyūki down.

We then turned to Tsuchigumo and took him down with a combined technique.

“Crimson Blaze Secret Art!”

“Azure Flame Secret Art!”

“Twin Polar Hellfire Slash—Sōkyoku Gokuenzan!!”

After defeating Gyūki and Tsuchigumo, Master’s awakening faded.

“I’m sorry… This is my limit. I leave the rest to you, Roy.”

“Understood, Master! Leave it to me!”

Thanks to him defeating Gyūki, I was still fresh. I could keep going.

---

Without Master, I could feel the difficulty of the battle against the Queen.

She wielded flames and had strong resistance to fire attributes, which put me at a disadvantage.

Claudia’s light-element attacks were a lifesaver, given their effectiveness against demons. Erin and Corin didn’t attack individually—they combined their power to cast Fusion Magic together.

And at this level, Wyndham’s role as a tank had become quite literal—a desperate fight for survival to protect the rear. Thanks to him, I didn’t have to worry about defending the backline. It wasn’t a flashy role, but an essential one, and I was deeply grateful.

Still, unlike her underlings Gyūki and Tsuchigumo, the Queen’s power was on a whole different level—as expected of a Demon Lord general.

The fight was deadlocked—no, it was starting to tilt against us.

After all, awakening techniques come with a time limit. Long battles are inherently unfavorable.

“I’m going big, Roy!”

“In that case, me too!”

“Let’s… go together!”

Claudia, along with Erin and Corin, prepared to unleash their finishing moves to break the stalemate.

I focused on keeping the Queen occupied, giving them time to set up their attacks.

And yet—as I stood face-to-face with the Queen—I felt something strange. It wasn’t a charm spell, but rather a seductive aura, an allure that made my heart waver, my attacks slow.

Each time I faltered, I forced Claudia’s image into my mind to keep myself grounded.

Then, Claudia unleashed her technique.

“Certain Hit! Piercing Light of the Morning Sun—Rising Sun Arrow!!”

As she cried out the technique’s name and loosed her shot, the glowing arrow split into ten, spreading in a fan-shaped pattern, all flying straight toward the Queen. They pierced her one after another.

Immediately after, Erin and Corin activated their Fusion Magic.

“Fusion Magic—Frozen Prison of the Ice Hell!!”

Countless icicles erupted around the Queen, stabbing into her in rapid succession.

The combined onslaught from Claudia’s bow and the sisters’ fusion spell damaged the Queen heavily.

All that remained was for me to finish her off.

“UOOHHHHH!!!”

I roared, gathering power throughout my body, focusing all my strength into my hands, preparing to unleash my strongest attack.

“Ultimate Secret Technique—Super Explosive Inferno Claw Slash!!”

My fists ignited in searing red flames, and fire surged down my sword, which now blazed furiously.

I struck with the sword—but the Queen caught it with her claw.

So I let go of the weapon and, carried by momentum, slashed with my burning claws, ripping through her body.

At the end, I seized her head.

“This is the end—EXPLODE!!”

With that cry, the wounds across her body erupted in a chain explosion, destroying her head and obliterating her entire form.

We had defeated the Spider Queen—barely.

And for a brief moment, I believed… maybe we could stand beside Kazuya now.

---

Then Ashler appeared.

And that’s when I was made painfully aware—just how far Kazuya truly stood above us.

Ashler showed no interest in me, Master, or anyone else. Only by working in perfect sync—me, Kazuya, and Master—could we even participate in the fight. That’s how overwhelming Ashler’s power was.

And the problem wasn’t just that. While Master and I had to give it everything we had to barely keep up, Kazuya was holding back—for our sake.

Ashler revealed his true form.

Three faces. Six arms. And even greater power than before.

My resolve began to waver.

Even if the three of us kept fighting and somehow won… Kazuya would be drained. His awakening would be spent. Could he really face the Demon Lord in that condition?

Wouldn’t it be better if we stayed behind to fight Ashler, and let Kazuya and Miki-san conserve their strength, heading forward at full power?

Wouldn’t that give us the best chance at defeating the Demon Lord?

Kazuya’s power alone was staggering. Add Miki-san, and they were in another league entirely. Honestly, we couldn’t even come close. But still—still...

—I couldn’t decide.

That’s when Master placed a firm hand on my shoulder.

It was as if he had seen right through me—reassuring me, giving me silent support.

When I looked back, everyone was watching me.

Their eyes weren’t filled with doubt. They weren’t about to abandon me.

They were waiting—for my decision. For my words. Trusting me, completely.

The only one who had lost faith… was me.

I saw Kazuya and couldn’t believe in myself—and so I projected that onto everyone else, convinced they felt the same.

Even Claudia’s worried look back then… remembering it now, I realize she wasn’t doubting me. She was worried for me.

I was wrong.

But now, I know—we can defeat Ashler together.

—At last, I was ready.