“Having trouble deciding?”
Offense answered my question after a few seconds.
“Mide.”
Thankfully, that answer allowed me to pinpoint his location and posture.
In this darkness, that information was as precious as gold.
[Idiot. You just gave that bastard priceless information too. Offense is an assassin. If you sensed him, you should assume he sensed you too.]
‘Hmm. Well, I’m confident I can win if we fight.’
[In this darkness?]
Just as I was about to reply, a woman’s voice rang out.
“Mide? The Sword master of No Killing, Sir Mide?”“Lady Ariena, is that you?”
“Y-Yes. I’m Ariena. Please… please save me.”
“Of course. That’s why I came.”
Shing.
At that moment, the sound of a sword being drawn echoed through the darkness.
Offense spoke.
“Lady Ariena. Do not move.”
“Ugh…”
“I don’t think I’ve ever been this on edge in my life. My senses are razor sharp. If I feel any presence that isn’t Mide or me, I’ll cut it down without hesitation.”
I could practically see Ariena trembling in fear.
Then Offense addressed me.
“Did you know about my ability?”
“Yeah. It’s a remarkable technique.”
“No need to ask how, I suppose. You’ll just say ‘That’s what heroes do,’ right?”
“Yup. Are you finally taking me seriously? Think Kaeld could do the same as I did?”
“……”
“Drop your weapon quietly. Then lend me a hand. I’m planning to kill the Demon King, but I’m short on manpower.”
“Heh heh heh.”
A low chuckle reached my ears.
“I tried to assassinate Kaeld.”
“Huh?”
“Some bigwig felt threatened by the man who called himself a Hero and won the people’s trust. I got the job from them.”
Now that was a secret I hadn’t known even before the regression.
My ears perked up with involuntary curiosity.
“But I failed.”
“Failed? Even with that shadow sorcery?”
“No. That sorcery requires me to first visually confirm the target’s shadow. I start by observing the shadow from afar before activating the spell.”
“……”
“It was at that very stage… that I locked eyes with Kaeld. He smiled and waved at me.”
I suppressed a groan.
Needless to say, Offense must have been completely hidden, using every ounce of his assassin’s skill.
Yet Kaeld saw right through it—through the concealment of a hero-tier assassin.
‘As expected.’
Say what you will about Kaeld’s personality, but his skill is real.
Offense continued.
“At that moment, I felt a strong curiosity toward Kaeld. I wanted to fight him head-on, not with shadow sorcery.”
“That’s quite the absurd notion for an assassin.”
“I admit it. It was the first time I felt such an impulse.”
He let out a light laugh.
“Anyway, we had a big fight…”
“You lost, didn’t you?”
“Yeah. He’s terrifyingly strong.”
Another light laugh echoed, but then it stopped cold.
“Are you as strong as that?”
“Heh. Try me and see.”
With those words, I swiftly drew my sword and swung.
Clang clang clang!
Though I couldn’t see in the darkness, something clashed with my blade and scattered to the ground.
It was the Little Star, a throwing weapon often carried by assassins.
He had launched it straight at my head without making a sound.
Offense spoke again.
“Lady Ariena, you’re under the bed, correct?”
“Y-Yes?”
“Well, it would be advantageous for me if you died in the crossfire… but if that happened, Mide would probably take my head. He seems to think highly of you.”
Ariena seemed to quietly crawl under the bed.
But then, unexpectedly, she said something strange.
“He won’t kill you.”
“What?”
“The Sword master of No Killing… no, wait, that’s not right.”
“……”
“The Hero doesn’t harm people.”
Uh, hmm.
We haven’t even properly seen each other’s faces yet, and she’s saying this?
I appreciate the sentiment, I guess.
Soon, her presence disappeared.
Offense gave a soft laugh and said to me:
“Popular, aren’t you?”
I smiled back and replied.
“Just another day in the life.”
Fwoosh!Clink.
As the battle began, Offense started launching his throwing weapons in earnest.
I had no idea how he did it, but the Little Stars that should have come from the front kept changing trajectory mid-air.
Taah!
I jumped to the side.
Tatadak! The sound of projectiles embedding in the floor echoed in my ears.
“Quit messing around with these toys and come at me head-on.”
The only reply was the sharp whistling of a projectile cutting through the air.
I hurriedly twisted my body to the side.
That one was close—so close that it tore my collar as it flew past.
‘No response. He’s probably going all-in on hiding his position now.’
[Exactly. So you shut up too. Why are you giving away your own position?]
‘I was trying to bait him into attacking. If I know the direction of the weapons, I can figure out where he is.’
[Reckless.]
‘Seems like it. And pointless too.’
The projectiles were coming from every direction.
Either he was controlling their trajectories, or he was constantly shifting his position.
Given what I remember from before the regression, the latter is more likely.
‘Despite me listening this closely, there’s not a single sound of footsteps as he moves. Unreal.’
He didn’t earn the title “Bright Death” for nothing.
And then—
Fwoosh!
This time, the projectile’s direction was bizarre.
“From above?”
Startled, I threw myself to the ground.
Boom. Crackle.
A tiny weapon, no bigger than two knuckles, smashed into the floor with terrifying force.
But what shocked me wasn’t the power—it was the direction.
“How the hell did you aim for the top of my head? Are you stuck to the ceiling or something?”
I didn’t expect a response—but surprisingly, Offense answered.
“Can’t tell you. That’s how I make my living. But I will say this.”
“What is it?”
“I don’t know how you’re dodging my attacks in this darkness. It’s like watching a circus act. I sincerely want to compliment you.”
“……”
“But I’m running low on spare Little Stars. So I think it’s time I make my move.”
“You’re saying all this out loud? This isn’t some honourable knight’s duel.”
“I don’t want to kill you.”
That made me go silent.
Offense continued.
“I still haven’t decided between you and Kaeld. So let’s do this. Come with me to meet Kaeld.”
“……”
“And then, between the two of you, settle who the real Hero is. Whether it’s a war of words, fists, or gambling—whatever you like.”
“So you’re saying you’ll side with whoever wins. Childish.”
“To me, it’s a very serious matter.”
“What if I refuse?”
“Refusing would mean you’re afraid of Kaeld. And in that case, I won’t hesitate to kill you.”
I smirked.
Then I lowered my blade and bent my right knee.
I distributed an equal amount of force between my right arm and leg.
This technique had such a long setup time that I rarely used it in real combat—but thanks for giving me the time.
“I’ll tell you something too. I’m about to use a technique. Better be careful.”
“…Oh? Hiding something, are we?”
“Plenty. I’m just pulling out one of them.”
“……”
“I don’t want to kill you, either. So if you want to live, you’d better run straight to the bed where Lady Ariena is. I’m planning to cut down everything except that spot.”
Ssssssh.
An overwhelming silence filled the room for a moment.
“…Let’s see you try.”
In less time than it takes to blink.
Suddenly, from all directions—front, back, left, right, above, and below—hundreds of Little Stars shot toward me simultaneously.
With my senses razor-sharp, I could tell—they were all targeting my head.
So you’re coming at me with quantity?
Then I’ll respond with quantity too.
[Quantity? You’re facing hundreds of stars, and you have only one sword!]
‘Not if I use this technique.’
[What technique—no, don’t say it!]
‘Ridiculously Intense Slashing.’
[Ugh.]
One of the requests I hadtaken before involved fighting against overwhelming odds.
Facing many enemies at once isn’t hard.
The issue was that the job had a time limit.
So I developed a technique that could cut down hundreds of enemies in one go.
That’s what Ridiculously Intense Slashing is!
Fwhooooosh! Kagang!
I swung my sword at such high speed it stirred the air like wind.
In the time it would normally take a swordsman to draw and sheath their blade once—
I slashed 211 times.
And in each path my sword traveled, Little Stars were deflected and dropped to the ground.
[W-What is this? It’s like the entire room is filled with swords!]
‘Thanks.’
[Is this one of your secret techniques, “Wall of Blades” or something?]
‘Ridiculously Intense Slashing.’
[Sigh. I even gave it a proper name…]
Slaaash!
One of the many swords that had neutralized the Little Stars now flew toward Offense.
“Guh! Impossible…”
Offense had taken my warning seriously.
Without worrying about pride or appearances, he flung himself toward the bed.
Where he’d just been standing, a sonic boom from my sword rang through the air, burning the ears.
Sssss. Ssshhh.
When the technique ended, only silence remained.
‘My limbs are throbbing like crazy.’
It had been a while since I last used this technique.
“Huff… huff…”
I could hear Offense breathing heavily.
Someone of his caliber wouldn’t be out of breath just from running to the bed.
So I asked:
“Shaken up, are you?”
“……”
“Got anything left?”
“Heh… heh heh.”
Clang.
The sound of metal clattering to the floor rang out.
He’d dropped the rest of his concealed weapons.
“I lost. Take the lady.”
I gave a small smile and pulled out a communication orb.
I contacted Neril.
“Neril. It’s over. Please cancel the spell.”
—That ended quicker than I thought. I’ve undone it.
“Thanks. I’ll see you at the inn in a bit. Let Xenia know too.”
—Okay.
I put the orb away and lit the room.
Offense was sprawled on the bed like a fish on a cutting board.
And beneath the bed, Lady Ariena was trembling under a blanket.
I spoke to her.
“It’s an honour to meet you. My name is Mide.”
—
Offense did not return to the inn with me.
As I supported Ariena, he spoke.
“When all this is wrapped up, let’s meet again.”
“Hmm?”
“I want to see how you handle this to the end. I want to compare you with Kaeld—see what sets you apart.”
“Suit yourself. You know where I’m staying.”
“Yeah. How long do you think it’ll take? Kaeld’s been pestering me to return, so the sooner I confirm things, the better.”
“Two days at most. Enjoy the show from the best seat in the house.”
Offense nodded and took his leave.
Once the ominous presence of the assassin disappeared, Ariena’s legs gave out in relief.
“Ah.”
“Are you alright?”
“S-Sorry. I suddenly leaned on you…”
“After all you’ve been through, that kind of reaction is more admirable than anything. Lean on me as much as you need.”
Ariena blushed and leaned against me.
As we walked quietly, she asked:
“When is my fathe—Count Tobira planning to start the war?”
“I asked him for a week to find you. We’ve got about three days left.”
“I see. Then we need to hurry.”
She bit her lip tightly.
“If he seizes the mine in the Kitur territory, of course the value of the Avis estate will skyrocket. Everyone knows that.”
“……”
“But if it were me, I wouldn’t have chosen a war that drives innocent people to death just to gain riches. I’d have found another way. I’d have made even greater wealth through different means.”
“I believe you would have.”
Stop.
She halted at my response.
When she looked up at me, her eyes were full of tension.
As if testing me, she asked:
“What do you mean, ‘I would have’? What can I even do?”
“Well, that’s something you should discuss with your mother.”
“…?”
“We’ve rescued Lady Settlia too. She’s waiting at the inn right now.”
Ariena’s mouth fell open in shock.