7DP 182.2

１８２．A Last-Ditch Comeback
TL : Cnine
ED/PF :
R1: [1-3], R2[3.5-5]

Part 3.5

　The tip of a rapier.

　The sorrowful face of the female sword saint came into view in the next moment.

「――DIEEEEEEEEE!」

　A lightning-fast blade struck true.

　It was driven through Jilbagias, and Charlotte who was still clinging to him.

　The tip of the blade that pierced Char’s body shone with the power of 【Vengeance of the Hero】 along with the holy light she had left behind.

　This was Char’s final secret tactic.

　―― She used her own body to transform Barbara's rapier into a 『Holy Sword』.

　Jilbagias's defensive ward shattered with a screech like a scream. The thrust, wreathed in holy flames, drove straight forward. Jilbagias could neither dodge nor block it since his movement was hindered by Char’s corpse――

『【――TABOO TO THRUST!!】』

　――The demon god residing in Jilbagias's soul vessel unleashed a curse at full force.

　A repulsive surge of magical power wrapped itself around Barbara.

　However.

　The silvery glow that was rising from Char's corpse, the hero's ashes,

　Had also wrapped Barbara's body.

　It shone with a warm light, tracing a shield-like silhouette in the air. For just an instant, the demon god’s surging curse was held at bay.

　However, that moment.

　Was more than enough time for Barbara's lightning-fast thrust to pierce its target.

　The tip of the blade reached Jilbagias’s neck.

　A stab infused with holy attribute sank into Jilbagias's neck.

　With a sharp, explosive crack wholly unlike a normal thrust, Jilbagias’s neck was torn almost halfway through, blood gushing up like a fountain.

「Cough――」

　Coughing up blood, Jilbagias’s eyes still showed no sign of death. Despite the wound being enough to kill anyone else under the same circumstances.

　His gleaming red eyes snapped toward Barbara.

　The demon god’s curse had dulled the blade just slightly. Jilbagias took advantage of that small opening, sharply twisting his neck and narrowly avoiding what would have been a truly fatal strike.

（Dammit, missed by hairbreadth――!?）

　A chill ran down Barbara’s spine. The light that had been so reassuring from Char was now gone, and nothing remained to protect her.

「【O Wind, Become The Power of Purification!】」

　Sage Luroi, barely managed to wrestle the last of his strength, cast one final defensive ward, but――

　The Demon Prince's magical power of darkness was,

　Simply too overwhelming.

　It only took a moment for the Demon Prince's magical power of darkness to pierce Barbara’s defensive ward and tear it like a piece of paper.

「【Transpose】」

　The curse was spoken.

　――Sharp pain ran through Barbara's neck.

「…………？」

　But Barbara did not lose consciousness. She could feel blood flowing along with searing pain, colour rapidly drained from her face, yet it wasn’t as fatal as she had feared.

　Moreover, Jilbagias’s bleeding hadn’t stopped.

「Impossible...」

　Jilbagias groaned in disbelief.

　Everyone saw that spectacle.

　Silvery light remained in his neck.

　―― That was the light of holy attribute.

　Char’s corpse, still clinging to his spear, glared at the Demon Prince with a vengeful gaze even after her death.

　Yes, it was called 『Holy Attribute』 due to its beautiful silvery glow, however――

　It was by no means sacred.

　It was a curse that wounds and torments those who bring harm to humanity.

　And the transpose curse might be effective against mere physical wounds, but――

　When a curse was involved, that rule no longer applied.

「AAARGH!」

　As if recalling, the holy light seared Jilbagias’s wound. Or perhaps the curse had begun to overwhelm the pain the wound would normally have caused, which had started to go numb.

「DIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE――！」

　Still bleeding heavily from her neck, Barbara thrust her rapier again. Her body was weak from blood loss, but if she was like this just from the stab wound, Jilbagias's condition must be far worse than hers…!

「…………！」

　Jilbagias, unable to even speak, staggered back, trying to evade Barbara’s rapier. It was already too late to dodge, but his gauntlets and the spear’s shaft shifted, forming a grotesque shield resembling a cluster of skulls, which, combined with his defensive ward, absorbed the thrust.

　The skulls rattled in the shield. Only belatedly did Jilbagias realize that the pale material of all his equipment was made entirely of human bones.

「Stop... Besmirching them!」

　Barbara’s head was filled with anger, worsening her bleeding, but she didn’t care. She just wanted to kill the Demon Prince before her who kept besmirching humanity.

　Even if I die here, I have to kill this bastard at all cost!!

「HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!」

　The battle-worn armed priest let out a rallying cry as he charged forward. Palm, the forest elf archer, drew her knife and sprinted toward the Demon Prince with a desperate look on her face.

　The defensive wards were struck repeatedly. Jilbagias’s face had gone pale from blood loss, yet he struggled desperately to resist the holy attribute. Along the way, he seemed to have tried to unleash his wicked magical power against the armed priest and Palm, attempting to cast spells somehow, but blood continued to pour steadily from his neck――

「Move aside! I’ll destroy that ward…!」

　The sage shouted. Upon a closer look, he had summoned the last of his strength to nock a magic arrow.

　As Barbara and the others leapt out of the line of fire, the arrow was released.

　――And shattered the Demon Prince's shield and defensive ward.

　The sage passed out as soon as he saw that.

　But that was enough, the rest wa――！

「THIS, IS―― THE END!!」

　Barbara straightened her rapier and stepped forward.

　As if mocking the demon prince’s pained, pleading eyes――

「【Trans―― Pose】」

　Those words resounded.

　A voice — not the demon prince’s — resounded.

　With a splash, Barbara’s arms were severed from her shoulders, and a deep wound tore open her chest as well.

「Eh...?」

　Blood poured from her arms and chest. That final loss of blood sapped all her strength, and Barbara finally collapsed.

　Left at loss for words. When he looked at the direction of that voice――

「Al... Var.」

　Jilbagias muttered in a hoarse voice.

「I’m sorry, Your Highness! I passed out!」

　As if testing the feel of his newly grown arms, he rotated his shoulders.

　He was a young demon with slicked hair――

　He stood up as if nothing had happened.