I Don’t Want to Be a Heroic Spirit [348]

Ragcliff's outburst left Nero momentarily at a loss for words.

The previously tense atmosphere shattered entirely under his pitiful rant, leaving Kazuma and the others awkwardly glancing at one another. For a moment, they couldn't help but pity the man.

"Um… you've been through a lot," Alice murmured sympathetically.

"Well… isn't hard work a good thing? At least it's better than doing nothing at all! My family's NEET cousin spends all day declaring how much he loves being a useless shut-in," Megumin added awkwardly.

"Y-yeah! You know what? If you ever want to leave the Demon King's Army, come work for my family! The Dustiness household would definitely welcome someone as diligent as you," Darkness chimed in, earnestly.

Even Prince Levy stammered, clearly conflicted.

"Uh… so you've been working that hard all this time? I… I'll talk to the nobles and make sure they shape up. I'll also start working harder myself. So… I'm sorry, Ragcliff."

The group, one after another, extended words of understanding or encouragement.

Everyone except Aqua.

"Pfft! Hahaha! Are you serious?! You're the biggest idiot I've ever seen!" Aqua's derisive laughter echoed across the battlefield. "A spy from the Demon King's Army who's been loyally working for a foreign kingdom for over thirty years? That's just too funny! From now on, the word 'fool' should be defined by your name! Wahahaha!"

It was clear that Aqua was using this as an opportunity to get back at Ragcliff for her earlier humiliation.

Unfortunately, her mockery was the final straw.

"Enough!" Ragcliff roared, his composure cracking entirely. "If that's how it is, then I don't care anymore! You humans, who have exploited my labor for so long, can all disappear!"

As if on cue, the ground began to tremble violently.

From the earth emerged another wave of monsters. Among them were eight massive worms—identical to the one that had swallowed Aqua earlier.

Standing atop his Chimera, Ragcliff spread his arms wide and declared:

"Let this kingdom of Elroad be reduced to ashes—an insignificant speck in history!"

Nero remained still, her sword at the ready, as she surveyed the horde of monsters.

There are quite a lot of them…

If she tried to take them down one by one, it would take all night. But they hadn't all gathered yet. If she killed Ragcliff now, the remaining monsters, leaderless, would go berserk, making them harder to handle.

I need to thin their numbers first.

Pulling her greatsword from the ground, Nero swung it, sending a wave of crimson flames surging forward, incinerating the approaching monsters.

Since using magic would worsen her headaches, she infused her sword with flames instead, increasing the range of her attacks.

Just then, a terrified scream caught her attention.

With Yunyun and Alice protecting Aqua and Megumin, and Kazuma's sharp observation skills and luck, those four were relatively safe. Darkness was always more than capable of handling herself.

Prince Levy, however, was a different story.

Without Ragcliff by his side, Levy had no one to protect him.

A gigantic worm burst out of the ground nearby, sending massive rocks flying into the air. One of those boulders cast a dark shadow over Levy, who stood frozen in fear.

Unlike Alice, who had inherited a hero's bloodline and weapons, Levy was an ordinary boy. Worse, he was a boy who had spent his days gambling and lazing around.

If that boulder landed on him, he would die instantly.

Paralyzed by fear, Levy could only watch as the shadow of the falling rock loomed closer.

And then, his vision filled with crimson fire.

The boulder was split clean in two.

The worm disintegrated into ash.

Levy collapsed to the ground, staring dazedly at the figure before him.

A girl in a vibrant red dress, with golden hair glowing in the firelight, stood tall with her sword in hand. Her presence consumed his thoughts entirely.

When she turned her head, their gazes met.

Emerald eyes, sparkling like a sky full of stars, looked into his.

In that moment, Levy saw not just Nero, but every hero he had ever admired, all reflected in her.

The flickering firelight illuminated his face, now flushed red. A strange, unfamiliar feeling began to stir in his chest.

Nero, meanwhile, regarded Levy with little emotion.

She didn't particularly like him, but she didn't dislike him, either.

He was just a playful child—at an age where such behavior was normal. He wasn't malicious, hadn't committed any crimes, and didn't harbor ill intent. If anything, the blame lay with Ragcliff, who had manipulated him, and with the King of Elroad, who had handed him power so carelessly.

Compared to the brat who had broken her toys and scribbled on her comic books as a child, Levy was far less annoying.

Of course, if you were to compare him to Alice… there was no competition.

Still, Nero couldn't just leave him to die.

"Can you still move?" she asked.

"Well, uh…" Levy mumbled, looking embarrassed.

Nero wasn't surprised.

"Apologies, but I'm a bit preoccupied…"

Before she could finish, a massive bear claw swiped at her. Without even glancing at it, Nero raised her free hand to block the attack. With her other hand, she slashed her sword, killing the monster in one fluid motion. The fiery slash carved through the earth, taking out several other monsters in its path.

Leaping into the air, Nero spun, kicking a massive hornet monster in mid-flight, shattering its upper body. Pivoting in the air, she plunged her sword into the skull of a scorpion monster, killing it instantly.

As she landed, Nero turned to look at Kazuma and the others.

"Hey, Darkness! Get the prince to safety—I can't fight properly while he's in the way!"

Before she could even catch her breath, eight more monsters lunged toward her.

Her body blurred, splitting into eight identical afterimages.

The next instant, the eight monsters collapsed, their heads severed. Blood sprayed as their lifeless bodies toppled, their strength gone.

Just as Nero landed, she felt the ground tremble beneath her feet.

A moment later, a rat-like monster burrowed out of the earth.

But before it could fully emerge, a golden boot stomped down on its head with crushing force.

The ground cracked and splintered under Nero's heel, sending fissures radiating outward.

Pervert rat, trying to look up my skirt? Not a chance!

Still fuming, Nero considered stomping on it a few more times, but her Instinct skill flared a warning.

Without thinking, she raised her sword to block. A massive bear paw slammed against the blade, sending shockwaves through her arms. The sheer force felt like being hit by a speeding truck.

Her feet sank into the earth, leaving long trenches behind as she was pushed back.

In front of her loomed the Chimera.

"Well, well. To think you'd survive this long, even after fighting the golden dragon earlier. You and your team are far more resilient than I anticipated, Nero."

Ragcliff, standing atop the Chimera, sneered down at her.

"I thought you'd be weaker after the dragon hunt, but even throwing all my monsters at you hasn't worked."

His gaze briefly flicked toward Yunyun and the others, but he quickly dismissed them.

He knew Nero was the greatest threat.

"But this ends now! My Chimera will finish you! Your head will be my prize, and with it, I'll rise to the rank of Demon King's general!"

Nero grinned, tightening her grip on her sword. Flames coiled around the blade, hissing and spitting like fiery serpents.

"If this is your trump card," she said, her voice laced with amusement, "then let me show you just how laughable your confidence truly is!"

"Do you know how many Chimeras I've killed? I've got enough Chimera claws piled up in my storeroom to build a mountain!"

---

T/N: AHHHHHHHH NERO I LOVE YOUUUU

...

If you're reading this, then you've wandered all the way to the end. I'm impressed. Stories are like wine—meant to be savored, not rushed. So if you took your time? Thank you.

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– Syr ✨