“Gah! I know you’re holding back, but this still hurts like hell!”
He may have not taken any damage from the sword itself, but being pummeled back and forth took its toll on his body.
“So? Ready to surrender, or do you want seconds?”
She pointed her sword at Al’s neck. He could almost feel the bloodlust seeping from her blade, and yet he managed to stay calm.
“Why don’t you come back to Althos instead?” Al said, blindsiding her.
“What!? You have no idea what you’re talking about; I’m here to fulfill my dream! The time I spent in Althos was for my dream as well, not because I enjoyed your company!”
“I’m the Demon King. Don’t you need my power to fulfill your dream?” Al took Sharon’s powerful, rage-filled gaze head-on.
“It doesn’t have to happen with you! Wouldn’t you also take the shortest route to your dreams!? It’s clearly the right choice, so surrender and—”
“Then why are you looking at me like that!?” he interrupted. “You should be overflowing with joy since you’re at the brink of reaching your dream! If beating me to a pulp will get you a step closer to realizing your goal, then come at me! Don’t hold back!”
Al’s voice carried the last droplets of power he had. Sharon watched in silence as he used his scythe as a cane to help himself up from the ground.
“You’re always so happy to smack people around, but I can see the pain in your eyes every time you swing that sword.”
Completely defenseless, he slowly dragged himself toward Sharon. He grabbed the tip of her sword and pressed it against his own chest.
“If you have to defeat me for your dream, then get to it! If you can’t kill me while holding back, then knock me out! Breaking a limb or two and making me crawl should be easy enough for you!”
She knew. No matter what divine protection Al had, he couldn’t escape a Diva’s attack unscathed. The force of her strike would carry through even impenetrable armor, and the human body wasn’t designed to withhold a barrage of high-powered strikes.
“What, you’re telling me to get serious while you’re not even powered up with Heavenly Surge? I might end up killing you, idiot!”
The truth spilled from Sharon’s mouth, as did a single tear from the corner of her eye. She’d confirmed to him that she’d been holding back the whole time, and that she knew that as long as he lived, no matter what happened to his country, his dream would live with him. That’s why he decided to push on.
“But I have to press forward. I won’t betray my own dream. Being defeated here would mean throwing everyone’s trust, hopes, and dreams away. The dreams of my people, Cecilia, Feena, Kanon... and you.”
“My... dream...” Sharon felt a mix of surprise and happiness learning that she had a place in Al’s dream.
“Exactly! Ever since we shared that moment looking out at the lights from the castle wall, we’ve shared the same dream. So if I lose here, your dream would die along with mine! Isn’t that... Isn’t that why you look like you’re being tormented!?”
It was such a self-absorbed argument that she would have thrown countless complaints at him on any other day. But now, she couldn’t. If she did, her dream might die for good. All she could do was stare completely stunned at Al, who wielded his scythe.
“Al, m-my... my dream...”
The legs she used to relentlessly pursue him, the arms she used to mercilessly attack him—they were trembling.
“I know. It might take a while, but I promise, I’ll help you get there. So please, come back!”
Al, barely able to stand, swung his scythe at Sharon. The moment it touched her side, he collapsed.
“Al... Okay. All right, I lost. Let’s go home. I want to go home.”
Sharon caught him in her arms before his body hit the ground. Her face visibly lit up, vanquishing the rugged look occupying it before. The events that transpired could be called an extensive lovers’ quarrel or a heroic duel, but one thing was for sure: the fight was over. At least, they thought it was.
“Fire!” Gatou’s voice, along with a hail of arrows and a raging firestorm, shattered the tranquil scene.
“Hahaha! Well done, Gatou! We don’t need a Diva corrupted by the Demon Lord!”
Sharon shot an angry glare at Ranbolg while holding Al in her arms. This was the worst timing for an ambush; escaping the incoming danger was impossible even for a Diva. They would perish on the spot.
“I’m sorry, Al!” she said as she hugged him tighter.
“I told you, it’s ‘thank you’, not ‘sorry’.” He slipped out of Sharon’s arms and stood in front of her, protecting her. “Demon King! Lend me your strength!”
He turned his palm toward the sky, allowing the black magic that spewed forth to eclipse the sun. The incoming arrows and spells were sucked into that black magic and disappeared into nothingness.
“Wha—!? Wait, are you the real Demon King!?” After witnessing Al’s incredible power, Ranbolg’s jaw almost hit the floor.
“Ice Lance!”
Feena used the opportunity to cast an ice lance at Ranbolg, which pierced his hand.
“Owwww! What the hell are you doing!?”
“Simple. I thought Sharon’s friend would come in handy later, so I saved her.”
Disregarding Feena’s cryptic comment, Airi slipped out of Ranbolg’s grasp and rolled away.
“Ranbolg, ya approved o’ this duel! Why can’t ya take tha loss?”
Everyone who witnessed their battle looked at Ranbolg.
“Oh, that’s right. We are the victors!”
“Indeed. My new job as Al’s legal wife is to train him to be a proper husband. Don’t worry, it won’t take long. We’ll go over everything in a single session without any breaks, be it for lunch or the bathroom!”
“That sounds like literal torture.”
The Divas claimed that the battle had ended according to the conditions, but...
“Shut up! I never accepted this duel! I’m done fooling around. All forces, massacre Althos and kill Sharon, the traitor!”
...Ranbolg scrapped the duel and screamed at the top of his lungs. Orders were orders, and as such, the Freiyan soldiers began carrying them out.
“Oh my, he should learn when to give up.”
“Is that really the issue here while we’re surrounded by thousands of soldiers? Things couldn’t have gone worse!” Kanon said to the strangely carefree Cecilia.
“She’s right. This wasn’t a wise decision.”
“Why? Do you want to sacrifice yourself and drop a meteor here, Feena?”
The Freiyan soldiers were struck with fear.
“I could, but I won’t.”
Hearing Feena’s denial, however, they let out sighs of relief.
“Brusch! Let’s do it!”
Boom!
At Cecilia’s command, an explosion shook the ground and a pillar of flame appeared behind her. Buying time by dueling Sharon had been worthwhile after all.
“Oh my, I’m so sorry. I should’ve mentioned that Brusch’s unit would burn your rations and supplies if you were to oppose the duel’s outcome,” said Cecilia with a content smile while using the bright pillar of flame as a backdrop. That sight struck fear in the enemy, as well as Kanon.
“Oh my, I believe you must surrender now.”
Freiya’s defeat was inevitable, but unfortunately, Ranbolg’s tyranny knew no bounds.
“Keep up the pressure! Once we defeat the Divas and march into Althos, we’ll get our hands on their supplies!”
“Don’t you dare threaten my people!”
Even Sharon froze for a second at the sound of Al’s enraged scream. She slowly turned her head toward him, and her eyes widened upon seeing the completely drained and beat-up Al stand up and look at her with fire in his eyes.
“Inexcusable. I can’t let him get away with that. Sharon, sorry to ask this after everything, but...” He flashed her a cheeky smile.
“Hah. Like I could defy the winner of our duel.”
Sharon smiled back at him, tightened her hug, and leaned closer to his face.
“Al, umm... This is a tiny little bit embarrassing, but I’d like you to touch me where Ranbolg did. Wipe his filth off my body.”
She directed his hand to her chest. Al gulped as he felt Sharon’s breasts change shape in his grip, but imagining the horrors she’d endured caused an insatiable rage to well up inside him.
What the hell did that bastard do to you!?
While he foamed at the mouth with anger, Sharon led his other hand down her torso.
“Umm... No one has touched me here before,” she said as he reached her upper thigh. Feeling confusion and hesitation in his movements, she pulled even harder, leading him right between her legs.