We Defeated The Demon King And Disbanded Without Any Conflict – Chapter 49

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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Yuzio
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I’m certain.

Prion was aiming for my heart.

He must have been trying to kill me, because the blade came at me without hesitation.

My momentary lapse in concentration prevented me from reacting properly.

I managed to twist my body at the last second, but not enough to avoid the blade completely.

It plunged into my shoulder.

The condition for victory was for one of us to be incapacitated for more than a minute.

Prion had been down for well over a minute.

That’s why I’d let my guard down.

I was certain I’d won.

But I hadn’t considered the possibility of a sneak attack.

I couldn’t… endure it.

It hurt.

It hurt like hell.

There was no way it wouldn’t.

Tears pricked my eyes.

No, it was more than that.

I wanted to collapse and sob from the sheer agony.

My body went limp, but I forced myself to stay upright.

At least the blade was thin and sharp, so it only grazed my bone.

If Prion had been stronger, and the sword thicker, it could have been much worse.

The pain was amplified by the fact that I wasn’t using the curse to numb it.

I could grit my teeth and bear it, but a piercing wound wasn’t something I could just shrug off.

“Ugh…”

I clenched my jaw, afraid that if I relaxed, I’d scream.

A choked gasp, a mixture of pain and suppressed agony, escaped my lips.

“Ha… Haha. You ignorant monkey…”

“…Nice backstab, man. Hahaha…”

After a moment of hesitation, I forced a laugh, trying to distract myself from the pain.

My attempt at a compliment seemed to irritate Prion further.

He twisted his wrist slightly, grinding the blade in my shoulder.

“…Ugh.”

“Keke… Does that hurt? You were acting all high and mighty, but I guess you’re not so tough after all.”

No.

Something was wrong.

Not with Prion.

It was quiet.

The previously boisterous crowd had fallen silent.

I couldn’t hear the spectators.

Ignoring the throbbing pain in my head, I focused, trying to sense the surrounding auras.

Four.

I could only sense four people.

Three familiar auras.

Magical and holy power radiating outwards.

Gold, red, silver.

Grind—

“Gah!”

Prion slowly twisted the blade in my shoulder, sending a fresh wave of agony through me.

I gasped involuntarily.

“Stop.”

My ears, still ringing, managed to pick up a single voice.

I’d failed to maintain my composure again.

I’d let my guard down, so I had no excuse.

I was just disappointed in myself.

I couldn’t finish him off because it was a staged duel at the academy, with spectators…

I tried to justify my actions internally, but it only fueled my shame.

Regardless, I had to thank them for intervening.

They’d stepped in for me, after all.

I turned my head slightly.

Even with the bandages, I could still make out her form.

Her upright, dignified posture, her immaculate uniform, her hair tied back neatly, her fingertips trembling slightly.

“Hey. Thanks. Tell him to stop.”

“…Did it hurt?”

“Huh? Uh… Yeah. A little.”

“…Sigh.”

Rain had a habit of taking deep breaths to assess her anger, to determine if the situation truly warranted her fury.

She could tolerate minor annoyances, but when truly enraged, she’d inhale and exhale slowly.

“Inhale…”

“…Headmaster? The duel is still in progress…”

“Exhale…”

Like that.

Ignoring Prion, Rain reached for the blade embedded in my shoulder.

“Exhale…”

She gripped the blade with her bare hand and slowly pulled it out.

…Doesn’t that hurt?

I wondered silently.

Even I wouldn’t tease Rain in this state.

Prion, unaware of Rain’s temperament, tried to provoke her.

“Headmaster. This is a sacred duel. My victory is imminent. Your intervention implies you’re conceding my win… Huh?”

Mid-sentence, Prion seemed to notice something was amiss.

He looked around.

He looked back and forth between me, Rain, and the two figures who hadn’t yet approached, a confused expression on his face.

“Uh…? What the… Where did everyone go?”

“Prion Colson.”

Rain’s voice was icy, sending a chill down his spine.

“…Are you alright…? Oh dear… sob”

As soon as the blade was out, Lian rushed to my side, casting a healing spell. …Seriously, when did you get here?

“N-no, wait… What is going on…?”

“Prion Colson.”

The second time she said his name.

It was just a name, but I felt a strange premonition of death, even though it wasn’t directed at me.

“Y-yes…?”

Rain ignored Prion’s question and gently touched my cheek.

“Don’t worry. You did well. We’ll take it from here.”

Sola, who’d been standing beside us, finished her chant and cast a teleportation spell.

She took Rain, Lian, and Prion with her.

I looked at my shoulder, completely healed and spotless, and the small pool of blood on the ground.

“So… I won, right?”

Even if I’d won, I couldn’t erase the fact that I’d let my guard down.

I’d wanted to show them I wasn’t so weak that I needed their protection, but I’d ended up getting stabbed in the back by an academy cadet.

It was ironic.

I shouldn’t have tried to gauge their reactions.

I’d messed up by being cocky.

It was my fault, so I couldn’t complain.

I didn’t even feel frustrated.

I just thought I messed up again.

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I watched Ron, his movements sharp and reminiscent of our past adventures, lost in memories.

When he nimbly dodged the second-ranked cadet’s attacks, I almost cheered.

I clenched my fists, barely managing to contain my excitement.

Seeing him use the byproduct of a failed spell to his advantage, landing a decisive blow on Prion’s face, filled me with a strange sense of pride.

I glanced at Sola, who was standing a short distance away.

She was struggling to maintain a stern expression, her lips twitching upwards.

“Wow… He’s still the same…”

Lian, the Saintess with shining silver hair, my comrade, approached me, her breath slightly ragged.

Her quickened breathing suggested she’d rushed here, but unfortunately, she’d arrived just as the duel was ending.

“Indeed.”

“Ah… It’s almost over, isn’t it? What a shame…”

Did she want to see more of Ron’s impressive display?

The thought that I, who’d explored labyrinths with him, had a slight advantage in witnessing his skills, pleased me immensely.

Come to think of it, why was Lian here?

Her absence from the temple would surely cause quite a stir.

Just as I was about to ask her, chaos erupted.

A wave of murmurs filled the training grounds.

I could hear snippets of conversation: “Is he alright?” and “Isn’t the duel over?”

I followed the source of the agitated magical energy.

Sola was staring at the center of the commotion, her eyes filled with what seemed like the world’s hatred.

Sola pushed past the onlookers, her fury barely contained.

Wondering what was going on, I looked towards the center of the chaos.

And then, I felt a strange sensation, as if a string, taut and stretched thin, controlling something, had snapped.

No.

Calm down.

Now’s not the time.

“Exhale…”

I took a deep breath.

With a slightly clearer head, I approached Sola and grabbed her sleeve, stopping her advance.

“Don’t stop me, Rain Garden.”

“…Calm down, Sola.”

“Damn it! Do I look calm to you?!”

“…What happened? Just calm down and…”

“Lian Serwin. When did you arrive? And why are you trying to interfere? Do you think you have the right to question my actions?”

“Don’t let your emotions cloud your judgment, Sola. You’re smart. You know there are a lot of people watching.”

I glanced around and spoke to Sola quietly.

“If we openly defend him, it’ll cause a commotion. And rumors about Ron will spread. We managed to silence Prion Colson, but it’ll be difficult to control this many people.”

“…Ha, you’re right. This isn’t good.”

“Exactly. So…”

I placed a hand on Sola’s shoulder.

“Let’s get them out of here… and deal with this.”

Honestly, I couldn’t hold back any longer.

I kept taking deep breaths, trying to calm myself, but no matter how much I tried to rationalize it, I couldn’t tolerate what I’d just witnessed.

I wanted to teleport us away myself, but Sola was faster and more efficient.

My teleportation magic wasn’t fully mastered.

The more people I tried to transport, the more inaccurate the coordinates became, the more mana I wasted, and the longer the incantation took.

Disgust and rage surged through me.

I wasn’t just angry about the sneak attack.

I was disgusted by Prion himself.

I would now classify this man as evil.

Anyone who hurt Ron was evil.

“Hurry, Sola.”

“…Alright.”

Sola began chanting.

Even Sola’s usually swift incantations seemed slow today.

I wanted to punish this evil creature quickly.

I wanted to drag him to the central plaza, impale him, and rip his heart out.

“…Rain? Are you alright? Your eyes look a little… unhinged…”

“I’m fine, Lian. I’m perfectly calm. Check on Ron. And then tell me if you’re with us.”

Lian turned to look at Ron.

“What are you going to do?”

“…Do you really need to ask…?”

Lian’s voice was cold, devoid of emotion.

She’d seen everything.

Sola finished her chant.

All the spectators vanished.

Only we, Ron, and that filthy, evil creature remained.

I approached the repulsive Prion and stopped him from doing anything beyond what he had already done.

Lian healed Ron, and Sola finished another chant.

We knew Ron might disapprove of what we were about to do.

That’s why we decided to handle this ourselves.

I’d already relayed the location.

A basement in a secluded alley.

The place where we’d interrogated the demon who’d infiltrated Hidin.

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The scenery shifted.

Before me stood Prion Colson, the evil that needed to be purged.

Disgustingly, he wore an expression of fear.

“H-Headmaster…”

His voice was sickening, a pathetic attempt to feign innocence.

“Twice.”

I called him by his title, and he didn’t respond.

Twice.

He would soon learn the meaning of that word.

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[FYI I just finished watching LOTR return of the king and its the middle of the night so yal better be grateful for this chapter smh shitty time management skills]