"Are you all right, Albert von Kronstadt?"
"Tch. I could have handled him alone. Don't get in my way."
In truth, Zalgan wasn't an opponent I couldn't beat, but—
To say I was saved would be an understatement.
The recoil from my original magic, Final Extreme Embers, still wracked my body. My output for Frenzy was far from perfect. Having backup would certainly make things more stable.
Leon took a step forward. "I shall assist."
"...Hah. Then let's see what you can do."
"Hahahahaha! You—! You're like a moth flying into the flame! Die!"
Zalgan’s thick tail swept out with a roar. It was a staggering blow that gouged the earth and shattered boulders.
However, Leon didn't flinch, and he didn't run. He brandished his sword, parrying the strike with a sharp metallic ring that echoed through the forest. Sparks flew as the blade bit into the scales, shifting the tail's trajectory just enough.
Even after absorbing the weight of such a massive attack, Leon’s stance didn't break in the slightest.
"You...!"
Zalgan unleashed a relentless barrage, but Leon simply shifted his positioning, deflecting every attack without showing a trace of instability.
So this was the power of the Saint's buff.
Since Seraphina wasn't here, he must be using a spell designed for long-term maintenance. I hadn't seen the battle against the Thunder Beast where Leon had made a name for himself, so this was my first time witnessing his current strength firsthand.
He was strong. There was no doubting that.
But it shouldn't be dismissed as just the benefit of a buff. Enduring that much divine power placed an incredible physical load on the body. The mental strength required to withstand it was extraordinary.
That mental fortitude clearly influenced his fighting style. He was unnervingly composed. There was none of the impatience or excitement one would usually feel in the heat of combat. Because he was free of distraction, his tactical judgment was instantaneous.
He truly had reached a state of serene mind.
Until recently, I’d thought of him as a man of wild emotions and unrefined spirit. What had happened to make Leon grow this much?
"Can you move yet, Albert?" Leon asked in a flat voice while parrying Zalgan’s onslaught.
I was fine now. The heat of Frenzy had surged back through my limbs. In my current state, I could finish Zalgan with everything I had.
"I’ll end this in one go. Don't slow me down, Leon."
"Understood."
Leon and I kicked off the ground simultaneously.
Realizing we were going on the offensive, Zalgan swung his tail frantically to intercept us. Give me a break. Did he really think such a desperate, haphazard attack would work on us now?
Leon stepped in without hesitation, meeting the tail head-on.
"Dieeeee!"
As Zalgan screamed, Leon drove a devastating slash into the descending tail.
The blow was merciless. It severed Zalgan’s tail cleanly.
...Had the demon not noticed? Every time Leon had parried a tail swipe, he had aimed his blade at the exact same spot. Once the scales had been sufficiently weakened, he delivered the final blow to finish the job.
"Gaaaaah!?"
Zalgan’s massive frame lost its balance and slammed into the ground.
"Now!"
I thrust out my right hand, aiming for the massive wound carved out by my Final Extreme Embers. It was a patch of raw flesh, exposed and stripped of its iron-wall scales.
Zalgan had known that was his weak point, which was why he’d been angling his body to keep it hidden from us. That was the only reason he’d relied on such crude tail swipes. Leon had seen through that predictable pattern and crippled him.
Now, he had no way left to protect his vulnerability.
"Thunder Emperor's Flash!"
A white flash erupted against Zalgan’s wound. Ultra-high-temperature lightning surged through his entire body, incinerating his flesh from the inside out.
"G-gaaaaaaaaaaaaah!? Impossible...! For someone like me to—!"
The Snake Zalgan’s scream shook the forest.
His massive body writhed in agony. Eventually, his roars lost their strength. His giant form tilted slowly before collapsing with a thunderous, earth-shaking thud.
...Phew. He’s down.
I had managed to kill one of Demon King Aristia's confidants, a boss who would have been a nightmare in the late game. Unlike Aristia, he was a bloodthirsty creature; eliminating him now was the right move.
The strength left my limbs, and I had to brace myself to keep from falling.
...I’d pushed myself too hard. There was no denying that. The recoil from Final Extreme Embers was a heavy toll. I’d forced myself to keep moving to bury a formidable enemy, and I was at my limit. I’d won, but I was still a long way from truly mastering that power.
Leon didn't acknowledge my staggering state. He simply walked toward Eliana.
Eliana’s retainers, who had been hiding, saw that the threat was gone. They rushed forward, crying out for their princess.
...Is she okay?
Whipping my exhausted body, I followed them to her side.
When I saw her, I caught my breath.
Her right arm was a mass of festering, reddish-black burns, and her left wrist had been cleanly severed. A dagger was buried in her abdomen, and the blood staining her clothes had pooled on the ground beneath her.
Is she even alive?
"Princess Eliana! You're safe now!"
"Healer! Quickly!"
The retainers scrambled to provide emergency treatment, but their efforts were agonizingly inadequate. It didn't look like enough to hold back the life draining out of her.
If Saint Seraphina were here, perhaps... but she hadn't come to this student-only event. Could they save Eliana with the hands they had?
Perhaps the repeated healing spells had some minor effect, as a spark of will returned to Eliana’s eyes.
"...Thank you. But I know better than anyone that I cannot be saved."
"Please, stay strong, Your Highness! We haven't finished the treatment!"
"I... want to use what time I have left effectively. My duty as a princess. Step back."
The attendants flinched, intimidated by the princess's dignified tone, and stopped their work. Eliana nodded contentedly and, still lying on the ground, spoke again.
"...Albert-san, Leon-san. Are you here?"
She panted through the pain. We pushed through the circle of attendants to reach her.
Eliana’s azure eyes looked up at us. That radiant confidence of hers was gone, replaced by a different light—the quiet resolve of someone who had accepted their fate.
"There is... something I must tell everyone."
She paused for a moment, then continued.
"Leon-san is... the Hero chosen by God."
The air seemed to ripple as the attendants let out gasps of shock. Realizing her time was up, Eliana had evidently decided to reveal the truth. Leon himself remained silent, his face a mask of calm.
"The subjugation of the Demon King is our greatest wish... We must decide who will be the key to it."
Her gaze drifted between the two of us. Even as her life was fading, she intended to make one final strategic move.
"That powerful demon... how did you defeat him?"
"Hate to break it to you, but it took the both of us," I said.
Leon shook his head. "I only arrived at the end. If Albert hadn't been here, the losses would have been much worse."
That was true, but I wanted to push for Hero Leon. It wasn't because I wanted to dodge the responsibility. With Eliana dying right in front of me, I wasn't thinking about myself.
The title of "Hero" was vital. That word had the power to unite people and lead them.
"I won't deny his help, but defeating the Demon King is the Hero's job. With the strength Leon has now, he's more than capable."
Eliana closed her eyes for a long moment, then spoke again. "Albert-san. Our promise... do you remember it?"
The promise I’d made in exchange for access to the Forbidden Library in the Royal Palace. The vow to devote myself to the Demon King's defeat.
"Of course," I replied shortly.
A faint smile touched her lips. "...Thank you."
She nodded slightly, looking satisfied. Then, her azure eyes turned to Leon.
"Leon... I entrust everything to you. As the Hero... please, slay the Demon King."
"I understand," Leon answered.
In his voice, I heard a trace—just the slightest hint—of genuine weight. It was a tone I rarely heard from him these days.
Eliana let out a long, soft breath.
"...My work is only half-finished... but dying with these two hopes in my heart is a blessing... Please, bring peace to this world. May the day come when all the people can live in happiness..."
Her raspy voice cut off.
With her final breath, Eliana’s azure eyes drifted shut. Sobs began to break out from the people around us.
I quietly closed my eyes.
I will fulfill my promise. I will take back the peaceful life you wanted at the end. I swear it.