I Don’t Want to Be a Heroic Spirit [356] [30 PS]

The Demon King, ruler of the Demon King's army, possessed the ability to enhance the strength of those around him. The closer his allies were to him, the greater the boost they received.

If a monster stood directly beside the Demon King, they could be elevated to the level of one of his officers.

This crucial piece of information had come from Wiz, the kindhearted undead shopkeeper who also happened to be a former officer of the Demon King's army.

Nero had gotten plenty of intel from Wiz—enough that she'd made a point to buy a considerable number of items from Wiz's store in return. Most of them were useless trinkets with terrifying side effects, but Nero had managed to unearth a few genuine treasures.

That, however, was a story for another time.

According to Wiz, the Demon King had long since passed his prime. To put it bluntly, he was old and not as capable as he once was. As a result, he had transferred a portion of his powers to his daughter, granting her the ability to enhance allies in much the same way he could.

Suddenly, a hulking minotaur roared and charged at Nero, swinging a massive double-headed axe.

Boom!

The sheer force of the attack shattered the stone beneath Nero's feet. The impact sent a gust of wind rippling outward, scattering chunks of stone behind her.

"Graaaah!"

The minotaur let out another furious roar, its thick arms gripping the axe handle tightly as it swung again with all its might.

But before the axe could land, Nero twisted her body and thrust her blade forward, the tip striking the side of the axe and deflecting it. The weapon scraped past her shoulder and slammed into the ground, splintering the floor.

Amid the flying debris, Nero launched herself into the air, channeling golden energy into her right foot. With immense force, she drove her heel into the minotaur's neck.

Boom!

The air compressed and exploded outward as the towering minotaur—nearly twice Nero's height—was sent flying, crashing into a wall with a thunderous impact. Its head lolled to the side, and it lost consciousness.

Casting a quick glance at the downed creature, Nero commented flatly, "Its stats might rival the Headless Horseman's, and its strength even surpasses his… but its skill is sorely lacking."

Unlike this minotaur, the Headless Horseman Beldia had been a formidable knight in life, and even in undeath, he had honed his skills through countless battles. His combat experience and techniques far surpassed those of this brute.

That difference in skill made this fight much easier for Nero than her battle with Beldia had been.

Though she briefly considered finishing the minotaur off, she had no time to spare.

A searing fireball shot toward her, growing larger as it approached.

Nero clenched her fist, twisted her waist, and punched forward with devastating force.

Her fist, coated in jet-black [Armament Haki], collided with the fireball, shattering it like glass.

Through the remnants of the broken flames, Nero spotted a robed figure in the distance—a monster wielding a staff.

She bent her knees, ready to charge, but her instincts screamed at her to stop as a flash of cold light appeared in her peripheral vision.

Clang!

A longsword clashed against Nero's black-and-red greatsword, the resulting sparks briefly illuminating both her face and her opponent's: Yasaka, the Demon King's daughter.

Nero shifted her stance, redirecting Yasaka's blade with a flick of her own. Her greatsword became a streak of deadly light, stabbing toward Yasaka at an angle too sharp to dodge completely.

Despite her best efforts, Yasaka couldn't avoid it entirely. The tip of the blade grazed her shoulder, leaving a gash, while a few strands of her hair fluttered to the ground.

Yasaka stumbled backward, clutching her wound as she glared at Nero warily.

"Two moves… She landed a hit on me in just two moves?! Her swordsmanship is that advanced?"

Nero's golden locks shimmered like liquid sunlight as she calmly turned and shattered an incoming energy blast with a single punch.

Farther away, five robed mages had taken up positions, casting spells to disrupt Nero's movements each time she advanced.

"Tch, annoying pests," Nero muttered.

An enormous ice wall sprang up between her and Yasaka, while wind blades and lightning lances hurtled toward her from both sides.

In an instant, Nero's figure disappeared.

The wind blades and lightning lances collided in midair, creating a blinding explosion of light.

When the light faded, a chorus of anguished screams echoed through the battlefield.

Yasaka and her allies turned to look and were horrified to find the five mages already defeated, their bodies lifeless on the ground.

"Umu! At last, those nuisances are dealt with."

Nero nonchalantly hefted her massive sword, the blade still slick with blood. With a casual flick, she sent the crimson droplets splattering onto the ground, leaving a long streak of red.

Raising her head, Nero met the wary, terrified gazes of the remaining enemies. A radiant smile graced her lips.

"Alright! Let's continue this performance, shall we? The climax is approaching, and neither the actors nor the audience may leave before the final curtain falls—especially without my permission."

Her gaze swept over the scattered corpses behind her, and Yasaka grit her teeth in frustration.

"I'll handle her!"

One of Yasaka's allies, a young woman, let out a battle cry and charged forward, the ground cracking beneath her feet as she leapt toward Nero.

The sudden burst of speed caught Nero's attention.

As the woman's fist neared Nero's sword, her arm was covered in scales—fiery red scales that shimmered like molten metal.

The seemingly delicate fist collided with Nero's greatsword, forcing Nero to use her other hand to brace the blade against the overwhelming power. She subtly adjusted the angle of her sword, redirecting the force to the side.

The redirected energy tore through the air, slamming into the wall behind Nero and leaving a massive crater.

Nero's eyes gleamed with curiosity as she observed her opponent.

"A dragon? And one that's taken human form?"

Realizing this, Nero's interest in the girl deepened.

But before she could say more, the dragon-girl steadied herself and lunged again.

Grinning, Nero activated her [Dragonslayer] skill.

With this skill, every punch, every slash, and every attack would deliver devastating anti-dragon damage.

As Nero prepared to engage, the dragon-girl abruptly stopped mid-charge, her feet skidding into the ground as she came to a halt.

Then, without warning, the girl turned and fled, darting behind Yasaka and trembling violently.

Even Nero was momentarily stunned.

Peeking out from behind Yasaka, the dragon-girl glanced at Nero before immediately retreating again, her shivering growing worse.

"H-hey! Ruzeli! What are you doing? Why did you retreat?!" Yasaka demanded.

"Y-Yasaka… That woman is terrifying!" Ruzeli stammered, her voice shaking.

"There's so much of our kin's blood on her… so much… Just looking at her, I can see mountains of dragon corpses and seas of dragon blood. I can feel the wrathful spirits of countless dragons howling around her! She's a demon, Yasaka! A demon! You didn't tell me we'd be facing a monster like this!"

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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.

Of course, the real thanks goes to WiseTL—the one who turned tangled words into something beautiful. I just got asked to wrap things up with a ribbon. Hopefully this counts!

If you enjoyed the journey and want to support the person who made it possible, you can find them here:

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Go on. Be generous. They've earned it.

Until next time—read well, rest often, and maybe come visit me at the Hostess of Fertility sometime.

– Syr ✨