Chapter 77

The Far Eastern Hero Party, having been defeated by the Lawrence Hero Party, found themselves in a dire situation.

Their leader, Kogami, was in the middle of a dark forest.

“…………”

She had been shown the overwhelming power of Lawrence.

No matter how hard she tried, she realized she could never defeat Lawrence.

There was no spirit of revenge rising within her.

No matter what she did, she knew she could never defeat that group of monsters.

“Ugh... sniff... ugh...”

Surely, it would be the golden-haired hero and his companions who would defeat the Demon King.

They... no, she herself, was no longer needed.

“What will I do if I’m no longer a hero...?”

Just then, a voice rang out.

“Kee! There’s a tasty female right here?”

“Who’s there!”

A monkey floated in the darkness, but it had an abnormally long tail and a body dyed black.

“I am the Shadow Ape, a Duke-level demon.”

“A Duke... Could it be a High Demon...!?”

Demons are ranked according to their strength.

A Duke is among the upper echelons of demons, hence the term High Demon.

“Why are you here...”

“Kee! Idiot. This is the Demon Kingdom; what’s so strange about a demon being here?”

The Shadow Ape bared its teeth and laughed viciously.

“Before you kill Lawrence, why don’t you prepare your own stomach?”

“Damn...!”

Kogami drew her sword and took a stance, but she had lost her confidence after being defeated by Lawrence.

...Defeat. Those two words flashed through her mind.

“Why are you just standing there... Kee!”

The Ape vanished into the darkness.

“What!? I can’t see... It’s completely blended into the darkness!”

“That’s right! That’s my ability, Shadow Concealment!”

She looked around, but could not sense the Ape’s presence at all.

The lack of even a sound filled her with fear.

Bang! A strong impact hit her back.

“Gah...!”

She was thrown at an incredible speed and crashed into a tree trunk, collapsing to the ground.

“Cough! Hack! Gasp...!”

Several of her ribs seemed to be broken.

The pain and the sense of helplessness made her cry.

“Ugh... sniff... waaah...”

“Kee! You cry so beautifully!”

The Ape emerged from the shadows, grinning as it approached.

Its long tail wrapped around Kogami’s neck and lifted her up.

“I’ll strangle you slowly...”

“H-help... me... help meee...”

“Hahaha! No one’s coming to save you, idiot!”

Just then, a sound rang out.

The Ape’s long tail was severed.

“Gah! Cough... cough...!”

“W-Who’s there...!?”

A swordsman with blue hair in a ponytail appeared before the Ape.

“S-Suigetsu...”

“Lord Kogami, I have come to assist you!”

The former Water Hero, Suigetsu, stood in front of the Ape.

“You... why...?”

“More importantly, are you alright?”

She crouched down and touched Kogami’s chest.

“Yes, I’m fine with this much...”

“What do you mean ‘fine’...? Your body isn’t in pain...?”

The Water Hero could manipulate even the blood within the body.

She had repaired the torn blood vessels and temporarily stopped the bleeding.

She then demonstrated her ability to repair broken bones and injured flesh.

“Leave this to me.”

She readied her water shield and sword, standing in front of Kogami.

“So, what’s the big deal about having one more human female...?”

The Ape vanished into the darkness again.

“Be careful! The enemy approaches without a trace!”

“I’m fine! I’m fine!”

She turned and smiled brightly, a smile Kogami had never seen in the party before.

“I learned from Lord Lawrence what it means to be a hero. For what purpose we wield our blades.”

Suigetsu closed her eyes and channeled magic power into her water sword.

“To satisfy greed... No, to protect people’s smiles, a hero wields their blade!”

With a swift movement, Suigetsu unleashed a shield bash in a random direction.

“Ughaaaaa!”

The Ape was sent flying at an incredible speed.

“Why...? I was invisible...!”

“I spread water in a mist and used it to detect the enemy!”

She moved faster than the enemy, intercepting it mid-air.

This time, she deflected it with her shield, sending the Ape flying like a ball.

Then, with a jump, she launched herself into the air.

“I won’t bow down anymore! Together with Lord Lawrence, I will cut off the head of the demon!”

The water magic in her hand concentrated into a single point.

A highly compressed water blade was released from Suigetsu.

With a slicing sound, the Duke-level demon’s head was cleanly severed.

“Impossible... You... You killed a High Demon... in an instant...? What are you...? A hero...?”

The Ape collapsed to the ground, and Suigetsu landed gracefully in front of it, shaking her head.

“I am not a hero. I am a member of the Lawrence Hero Party, the magic knight Suigetsu! This sword and shield are to protect my companions and the peace of the people!”

She had easily defeated an enemy that Kogami could not.

Kogami felt an even greater sense of defeat.

It was fine to lose to Lawrence.

No human could match such a monstrous being.

But to lose to Suigetsu... was unacceptable.

She couldn’t accept that someone she had looked down upon and expelled was stronger than her.

However, by seeing Suigetsu defeat the demon she had failed to, the hierarchy of strength was clear.

“I’m... I’m giving up... I’m giving up...”

She sobbed like a child.

“I’m giving up being a hero...”

Just then, a voice rang out.

“It’s not over yet. It’s too early to give up.”

Kogami turned around to see Guild Master Act Age standing in the darkness.

“What do you want...”

“It would be a waste to give up here. You have unparalleled talent.”

“I don’t... I don’t have any talent...”

Her pride torn to shreds, Kogami spoke weakly.

“You... You defeated the demon I couldn’t. That says it all. My talent is only that much...”

She sat in a triangle, burying her face between her knees.

Act, on the other hand, looked down at her and snorted.

“Fool”

“What... What did you say?”

“To decide your own limits after just a few defeats is what a fool does.”

“What... Are you calling me an idiot?”

“Yes, I am. You big fool.”

Act looked straight into Kogami’s eyes.

She realized that his eyes did not look down on her or despise her.

“What are you so depressed about when you haven’t even put in any effort? That’s something only those who have worked hard can say. You, who are lazy and irresponsible, have no right to complain.”

Act was right.

She had never put in any effort until today.

“Lawrence has not only talent but has also worked hard. That’s why he became so strong. Unlike you, who relied on your talent.”

“You... You talk as if you can say anything...!”

Driven by rising anger, she stood up.

“I... I can do it too... If I try...!”

“That’s right, Lord Kogami!”

Suigetsu, having finished her task, approached.

“Lord Kogami has reached this level without effort. In other words, if you work hard, you can become even stronger!”

Suigetsu firmly grasped Kogami’s hand.

“Let’s work hard together!”

“...Do you not hate me? I expelled you...”

“Not at all! It’s true that I was useless back then. I was a coward who couldn’t stand up to anyone...”

But she had grown stronger.

Strong enough to defeat that demon alone.

Kogami noticed that Suigetsu’s hands were calloused and rough.

She must have worked hard even after being expelled.

“Of course. There is no one in this world who has become strong through talent alone.”

Kogami turned to see Act calmly speaking.

“Everyone has unparalleled talent given by heaven. Talent is equal. Those who have put in unparalleled effort are called geniuses.”

...It was painful, but she had to admit it.

Kogami closed her eyes and nodded.

“Alright. I’ll follow you.”

She looked at Suigetsu and Act.

“Teach me how to work hard.”

“Of course! Let’s work hard together!”

Thus, the Far Eastern Hero Party joined the Lawrence Hero Party.

【※To the Readers】

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