“Let’s defeat the Demon Lord.” 

That reliable voice relaxes me. 

I turned once again and looked at the face of the outstanding mage.

And then, I noticed.

I ended up noticing.

“Great Sage-sama…aren’t you looking under-the-weather there?” (Makoto)

The Great Sage-sama is always pale since she is a vampire, but her complexion right now is far more pronounced than that…

Her expression is stiff, most likely due to her state.

“Yeah, I pushed myself pretty hard to get here after all… Spirit User-kun, sorry, but I request for the usual.” 

“O-Okay.” (Makoto)

I opened my collar, and offered my neck.

The Great Sage-sama immediately went ‘nom’ and gulping sounds were being made.

…Isn’t she going stronger than usual? 

I might get anemic. 

“Great Sage-sama?! Aren’t you sucking too much?!” (Sakurai)

Sakurai-kun shouted flustered. 

“Puha! Hyuu. The taste of blood after a long travel is the best.” 

“…Aren’t you treating me like a sports drink?” (Makoto)

“Aah, I’m back to life, back to life.” 

You are an undead though?

“Great Sage-sama, please drink my blood too.” (Sakurai)

“Uhm, I am grateful for the offer, but…” 

The Great Sage-sama was troubled on what to say to the offer of Sakurai-kun.

What, I am the only one getting all my blood sucked here.

Drink the blood of Sakurai-kun too, is what I thought, but then I remembered.

Is it because of that?

That thing about blood not tasting good unless they are virgins?

“This isn’t the time to be saying that, Great Sage-sama.” (Makoto)

I gave my honest opinion.

“But you know…I tried it once, and it was unbelievably bad. I haven’t had a taste like that since Johnny, you know…?” 

“…That much?” (Makoto)

The Great Sage-sama’s expression was so serious that I stopped pursuing the matter.

Also, this isn’t the time to be having idle chatter.

We created distance with Teleport, but it looks like the Demon Lord has noticed us now.

And he also noticed the fact that the Great Sage-sama is with us. 

“Light Hero-kun, can you fight?” 

“…I think that will be rough. It took me my all just to stop the attacks of the Beast King.” (Sakurai)

“…I see. Got it. Leave it to me from here on. You two run away.” 

“Eh?” (Makoto)

What? Won’t we fight together? 

According to Sakurai-kun, everyone cooperated to defeat the previous Beast King.

In that case, shouldn’t we be doing the same this time around too? 

But it is the Great Sage-sama.

She might actually pull that solo clear. 

[Will you leave the Great Sage and run away from here?]

Yes

No

RPG Player activated.

Choices were floating.

‘Leave the Great Sage-sama’… that’s a weird sentence. 

It bothers me.

“Understood. Takatsuki-kun, we will be hindrances here, so let’s move away from here.” (Sakurai)

“Great Sage-sama.” (Makoto)

I ignore Sakurai-kun and question her.

“What?” 

“Can you win against the Demon Lord alone?” (Makoto)

“…I haven’t grown so frail as to have you guys worry about me.” 

I could feel her usual leisure mood from those words of hers.

The Great Sage-sama normally doesn’t act at night due to her being a vampire. 

Moreover, she has gone back and forth between Camelon and Highland.

She must be quite exhausted.

It must have been pretty heavy on her.

“Takatsuki-kun…?” (Sakurai)

Sakurai-kun looks at me uneasy seeing that I am not running away.

“It is okay, so just go! We can’t go losing the Light Hero here. The only one who can defeat the Great Demon Lord is the Light Hero.” 

The Great Sage-sama said angrily.

(She really is pushing herself here.) (Makoto)

Maybe she is trying to sacrifice herself? 

The Great Sage-sama has helped me out a lot. 

In Laberintos, in the Sun Country, and in various other things too. 

Return good will with good will.

“Great Sage-sama, I have an idea.” (Makoto)

“What?” 

“Takatsuki-kun?” (Sakurai)

“How about this?” (Makoto)

I tell the two about the plan I thought of just now.

◇◇

“…That’s about how it goes.” (Makoto)

“Hooh, that’s interesting!” 

“It is true that with that method…” (Sakurai)

The Great Sage-sama and Sakurai-kun showed interest in what I explained.

“GUUOOOOOOOOHHHH!!” 

At that moment, the roar of the Demon Lord made the air tremble and it resonated in the place.

The bloodlust of the Demon Lord is increasing.

“Woah, he seemed to have been wary about us, but after not showing any signs of doing anything, he must have run out of patience.” 

The eyes of the Great Sage-sama got sharper.

“I will buy time. I leave it to you, Takatsuki-kun.” (Sakurai)

“I will protect the Spirit User-kun.” 

“Sakurai-kun! I will finish preparations in 5 minutes. The Great Sage-sama will send the signal.” (Makoto)

We all confirm our roles.

“GUUUUOOOOOOOO!!” 

When the Demon Lord opened its mouth, black fire was spit out. 

It is as if the fire of a massive flamethrower was approaching us.

The next instant, the scenery blurred. 

The place changed due to the Teleport of the Great Sage-sama.

But the attack of the Demon Lord wasn’t stopping.

Because Sakurai-kun is staying in that place.

The aim of the Demon Lord is the Light Hero.

Sakurai-kun is putting his life on the line to buy time. 

That’s why I must make preparations at the fastest speed I can.

[Clear Mind] 100%.

And then…

[Spirit Arm].

I raised my right arm to the sky. 

While at it, I had the Water Spirits in the whole area help out. 

An amount of mana that would be enough to even destroy the comet that attacked the Fire Country’s capital was gathering.

“He obviously would notice, huh.” 

Just as the Great Sage-sama said, the Demon Lord stopped attacking Sakurai-kun.

He thought over it for a bit, and then shot black fire over here as well. 

“What a half-baked attack.” 

The moment the Great Sage-sama chanted something, a giant thin mirror-like wall appeared before us.

The moment the black fire of the Demon Lord hit the wall, the black fire was bounced back. 

(The highest type of barrier magic, Reflection Barrier!) (Makoto)

Returning the spell of the enemy just as it is. It is the most difficult barrier magic.

The Great Sage-sama used it perfectly as if it were nothing.

“I am lacking the mana right now, you see. I can only use these kinds of stingy spells.” 

The Great Sage-sama mutters this in dissatisfaction.

A Reflection Barrier should be a Saint Rank spell though…

Zagan resumed his attacks on Sakurai-kun.

Looks like the Great Sage-sama and I are being left for later. 

“Let’s get in his way for a bit.” 

The Great Sage-sama says this and shoots a Monarch Rank Fire Spell, Phoenix.

The Demon Lord avoids it as if finding it annoying.

Sakurai-kun is somehow managing to endure the attacks.

“Kuku…that Demon Lord should be concentrating his aim at the Light Hero already. He is getting confused about who he should be attacking.” 

I heard the amused voice of the Great Sage-sama.

She says this, but the attacks of the Great Sage-sama are not dealing fatal damage. She is continuously shooting spells that can be registered as damage. 

There’s no doubt it is annoying to the Demon Lord.

“Is it not done yet, Spirit User-kun?” 

“…Need around…3 more minutes, I think.” (Makoto)

I continue gathering mana. 

Sakurai-kun is concentrating on diverting the attacks of the Demon Lord.

I don’t think he will be losing with that.

The stalemate continued for a while and…my preparations finished.

Alright! 

I should be able to do it with this mana!

“Great Sage-sama!” (Makoto)

“Finally!” 

I called the Great Sage-sama, and she responded with happiness mixed in her voice.

I activated the spell.

“Water Magic: [Water Generation].” (Makoto)

What I did after gathering a massive amount of mana wasn’t even to use elementary magic, it was to generate water.

I simply made water with the mana.

Far above the skies, higher than the pitch black clouds. 

“Great Sage-sama! Please do something about the clouds!” (Makoto)

I called the Great Sage-sama, and urged her to do the next step.

“Clear up.” 

The Great Sage-sama raised her voice, and an opening was made in the pitch black clouds.

The opening might be a bit smaller than when I did it. 

“Tch, I am not good with brute force methods like this.” 

The Great Sage-sama complains, but this is plenty enough.

Light shines down from the small opening in the clouds.

But it isn’t the little bit of light like before.

It is the concentrated light of all the light in about 20km.

“I am surprised you can create something like that, Spirit User-kun.” 

“……”

The amazed voice of Great Sage-sama reached my ears, but I couldn’t answer because I am controlling the Spirit Arm and the spell.

But even I could see it from the opening of the clouds.

The giant water lens of around 10km in radius I made with water magic.

◇Sakurai Ryosuke POV◇

Create a lens with water magic to gather the light. 

That was the plan of Takatsuki-kun.

There was a method like that?! 

But it is most likely not a well known method in this world.

As proof of this, the Great Sage-sama who knows everything was nodding at this as if impressed.

“I agree. Let’s go with that Spirit User-kun.” 

“Please do, Takatsuki-kun!” (Sakurai)

The Great Sage-sama and I agreed to the plan of Takatsuki-kun.

“Alright~.” (Makoto)

Takatsuki-kun was already pumped up, and he raised his blue arm to the sky. 

That face of his was like that of the times when he is about to pull off a prank.

After that, I tried to endure the attacks of the Demon Lord and act as bait. 

It is similar to the time before the Great Sage-sama came. 

But it is different. 

It is a defensive stance with a clear plan behind it. 

The lead of the plan is Takatsuki-kun.

Then there’s nothing to doubt. 

After a while, everything in front of me turned pure white.

And then, I notice that this is actually the light of the sun.

It is here! 

My body is basking in the concentrated light of several kilometers. 

And then, the light was changed into aura by the Light Hero Skill.

Light Hero; the Skill of Savior Abel was activated.

The Demon Lord swung his giant hand.

It is power that could crush the Highland Castle in one hit. 

That amount of power is being swung at me.

Just a few moments ago, I could only evade.

But…

“[Light Shield].” (Sakurai)

I raised my right hand in front of me, and a massive shield appeared in between me and the Demon Lord.

The attack of the Demon Lord was easily blocked.

“GUUUUUUOOOOOHHH!!” 

The Demon Lord roars and unleashes his next attack.

Raging black flames rushed.

But all of them didn’t reach me.

Light continued to shine on me in that time too.

Mana and aura were returning to my body.

I won’t let this chance Takatsuki-kun created for me go to waste. 

(…My body is hot.) (Sakurai)

It is as if I am burning up.

I glance up.

The gigantic water lens of more than 10km in radius that Takatsuki-kun created was gathering the light of the sun here.

At that moment, the light got distorted.

According to Takatsuki-kun, he could hang on for around 1 minute. 

We most likely reached the time limit.

But it is enough.

I have gathered enough sunlight to defeat the Demon Lord.

I chanted the spell incantation that I was taught at the Goddess Church which was apparently used by Savior Abel.

“The angels sing.
Guiding their invaluable lord.
Filling the earth and the heavens with feelings of gratitude.
Let’s celebrate this greatly auspicious day.
Glory to the Goddess high in the heavens.”

“[Sword of the Light Seraph, Uriel]” (Sakurai)

The sword I was holding turned into a sword clad in white fire. 

The giant lion beast of silver fur.

I felt like Zagan quivered there.

The Demon Lord raised a roar once again.

It is lunging my way.

“[Sword of Punishment: Flash].” (Sakurai)

I silently swing my sword.

The arc drawn by the sword looked slow.

With a speed like this, it is going to be avoided by the Demon Lord.

That kind of mistaken thought crossed my mind.

It has stopped.

The wind.

The flow of the clouds.

The sound.

The Demon Lord that was heading my way was frozen in place.

I was the only one who was moving in this frozen world.

And the sword I was swinging slowly shot out a light wave, and it reached the Demon Lord.

The next instant, a massive light pillar was raised and turned into a cross.

The screams of the Demon Lord that were loud enough to make the ground tremble resonated in the area.

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