Chapter – 75
Tesilide absorbed every attack from the host without being pushed back even slightly. Though I was providing cover, he was performing far better than expected.
He even deliberately took some hits just to maintain the defensive line he deemed necessary.
Of course, having an excellent healer supporting him from behind allowed him to maneuver freely without worry.
<That bastard! I need to kill him…! Damn it!>
Yes, I had every reason to be frustrated.
Five Oor Blades were blocked as if intercepted by my mental command, the host couldn’t even get near me because of Tesilide, and if I managed to wound Tesilide even slightly, his ridiculously strong healing would immediately fix it.
<Kugh! Kh…!>
Even while providing cover and healing, I didn’t neglect to keep attacking steadily.
Before long, the host’s body was cracking like a fragile porcelain ready to break.
The gaps I had carefully prepared… all I had to do was thrust a decisive strike through them.
“Clean up.”
I commanded the filthy, chaotic thing to be cleared away.
[<System> Ultimate Skill ‘Radiant Sweep of Severance Lv.16(+10)’ activated.]
Like the sun rising, the night that Carpeios had created was swept away.
<Kr… Kugh…>
A brilliant white light poured over the host, who was on his knees, like a waterfall.
The radiant light, born to purge darkness, penetrated the evil soul and accelerated its fractures.
The light began breaking down the vilest parts first. And then—
Crunch!
The host’s left arm, where the cursed sword had taken root, crumbled to dust.
<No!>
Having lost both arms, he lost his qualification as a host. The cursed sword did not return to Ileon but flew off, sticking into the ground some distance away.
<My… my sword!>
The magical energy quickly peeled away from Ileon’s body, returning his golden hair and piercing blue eyes.
“My Holy Sword…!”
Though he regained his human form, his body was still crumbling.
Even in that state, he tried desperately to crawl toward the sword.
Of course, I couldn’t allow it.
I extended my civilian sword to block his path and slowly approached.
“Stay still.”
“…!”
Fear lit up Ileon’s face when he saw me.
But then, noticing Tesilide standing beside me, he shouted in outrage as if the world were treating him unfairly.
“You vile creatures! Stealing the Holy Sword from me! Do you think a mere brat could ever be recognized just because of that? The sword belongs to me! No matter how envious or jealous you are…!”
He spoke as if trapped in his own world, showing no trace of repentance. Tesilide’s gaze turned cold.
“Is that the extent of your last words?”
“Last words… pfft…”
It was at that moment.
Swish.
Tesilide’s sword drew a clean diagonal line.
Thud… roll…
“…Uh…”
I blinked, and before me, Ileon’s head was rolling on the ground.
The system kindly helped me assess the situation.
[<System> Congratulations! You have defeated the dungeon master, Ranked 559 in the Demon World, ‘Host of the Demon Sword Sacrificed to the Demon Lord’.]
No message about dungeon ownership appeared for me. That meant…
[‘The World-Building Language’ is flustered and asks if the finishing blow was just stolen.]
That… seems to be the case.
I turned to Tesilide. He lowered his sword, his eyes sunken.
“Uh, Teri?”
I decided to give the finishing-blow thief a chance to explain.
“I had to end him quickly to prevent the expansion of the Demon Lord’s territory.”
“Mm. That makes sense.”
“But you’ve never done something like this before, right?”
“…….”
Apparently, just by looking into my eyes, one could tell whether a person had ever killed someone.
<So that was his way of showing consideration.>
In a harsh world, even this counts as thoughtfulness.
For a brief moment of solemn silence, Tesilide did his part.
He picked up Ileon’s head, positioned it correctly on his neck, and closed his eyes. Not only that, he knelt on one knee to observe a moment of silence.
<My, what a ruthless guy…>
At that moment, a sand whirlwind suddenly swept over Ileon.
“Teri!”
I hurriedly grabbed Tesilide to pull him out of the whirlwind.
<Oh? You’ve become quite a capable butcher, haven’t you, silver beast.>
“…!”
From the whirlwind came a strange voice. Both Tesilide and I flinched.
The sand tore apart to form a smiling face.
<There’s none of that previous clumsiness. Hah, this was tolerable compared to when the child offered as a sacrifice by his parents’ lives was ended, right?>
“Shut up.”
The only one who could insult the protagonist in this world was Carpeios, the master of Sanarak.
I held Tesilide’s trembling arm and stepped forward.
“Demon Lord Carpeios.”
<Do you recognize me? Truly, you are the Executor of Pure Evil.>
The title was one I didn’t know, given by the Demon Lord. But now I had another concern.
“Why did you intervene?”
<Consider it an honor. I will answer as a commemoration of our first meeting. I intended to offer the cursed sword to ‘That One’.>
“‘That One’?”
The question was Tesilide’s.
“…….”
While I remained silent, Carpeios’s voice rang through the dry air again.
He delivered a cursed revelation:
<The human world’s new moon approaches. On that day, ‘The Newly Born Chaos Evil’ will descend personally. Receive it with reverence, and prepare for the destruction of this world!>
“What… does that mean…?”
<Well then, until next time. Silver beast, and Executor of Pure Evil.>
The sand whirlwind vanished, leaving behind a mummified Ileon.
The bloody moon, Carpeios’s symbol, disappeared, and the surrealist sky transformed into a cold open expanse.
“…….”
Tesilide remained frozen, overwhelmed by facing Carpeios. He muttered quietly:
“New moon… descent…”
Agnes said to me,
<Don’t mind it, Ileth. That’s just the second-most malicious being in this world. Listening carefully will only make your head spin.>
I didn’t reply. Instead, I placed my hand on Tesilide’s shoulder to redirect his attention.
“Let’s deal with the Holy-Demon Sword first.”
“Right.”
Tesilide approached the Holy-Demon Sword embedded in the ground.
It still appeared as a cursed sword.
The jet-black blade seemed as if forged from the long fangs of a serpent demon, with a red orb set into the hilt that glared at Tesilide like an eye.
Standing before the sword, Tesilide looked at me and smiled faintly.
“Take care not to end up like Sir Ileon.”
“That won’t happen, don’t worry.”
“You trust me?”
“Yes.”
“I should repay your trust, then.”
Taking a deep breath, Tesilide grasped the sword’s hilt and pulled it from the ground.
Ssshhh…
His holy aura enveloped the sword. The black blade heated to a bright white.
The red orb trembled, moving as if in shock.
Blaaah!
The Holy-Demon Sword was reborn as a true Holy Sword. Its white, smooth blade, golden hilt, and blue square gem were impressive.
Tesilide exhaled deeply after completing his task.
“The sword’s name… Libra.”
Like my swords, its name came from a constellation—Libra, symbolizing the scales that measure good and evil.
[‘The Soul-Judging Scales’ praises that the naming matches a world’s strongest sword.]
The deity of the same name boasted.
“Congratulations, Teri. Let’s have a commemorative potion.”
“Thanks to you. Really appreciate it, Ileth.”
“No problem.”
We clinked the potion bottles and drank them.
Now, it felt like everything had ended.
“Then… now?”
After I finished my potion and waited for Tesilide to finish, I spoke.
“Will you open the closing gate?”
“…….”
It was time to part.
Tesilide paused briefly, then spoke.
“Ileth.”
“Yes?”
“When can we meet again?”
In a few seasons, the tutorial would end. But the word “soon” couldn’t leave his throat.
For me, only a few months. For Tesilide, it was different.
After the tutorial ends and the original story begins, Tesilide would start his regression.
Out of 100 timelines he experiences, only the 17th would intersect with mine.
After 16 regressions, he would come with an immense accumulation of experience. And…
He would change.
Much different from now.
Repeated losses, betrayals, choices gone horribly wrong, and relentlessly tested convictions would wear down his spirit.
“Will it take long?”
His expression showed embarrassment and regret.
“Well. I’ll come find you when you’ve forgotten.”
“I won’t forget.”
“It’s okay if you do. I’ll definitely come find you.”
“……Alright.”
Tesilide seemed to sense something strange in my words but didn’t question it.
Ziiiiiing.
The gate opened with a ripple of space.
“Goodbye. Take care, Teri.”
“Travel safely, Ileth.”
After the final farewell, I stepped into the undulating void.
A buoyant sensation wrapped my body, and white light erased everything from sight.
Soon, a new landscape gradually filled the blank canvas with texture and color.
A message appeared.
[<System> Congratulations! You have defeated the 300th-floor boss of the Trial Tower, ‘Random S-Rank Boss’.]
[<System> Congratulations! You have conquered the entire Trial Tower.]
“Ahhh…”
My chest swelled with emotional relief.
[‘The World-Building Language’ waves a ‘★(Congratulations) Trial Tower Graduation (Celebrate)★’ sign.]
[‘The Soul-Judging Scales’ applauds.]
[‘The Balancer of Discord’ is displeased that content was consumed too quickly.]
[‘The Architect of the Trial Skyscraper’ reluctantly admires your perseverance in seeing the end.]
Amidst all the congratulatory messages, a thought struck me.
“What about the rewards?”
After conquering a tower 300 floors high, I expected a reward that would be spectacular and worthy of such an achievement.
