Ellen's sword trembled as she faced the Demon King.

Her eyes, her body, and her legs were all quivering.

Clang! Crunch!

Unable to launch a proper attack, Ellen could only stagger back from the Demon King's fierce assault.

The Demon King showed no mercy.

His foot, wrapped in a violent whirl of magical power, broke through Lapelt's counterforce and roughly struck the aura armor enveloping Ellen.

Gasp!

"Ah...ugh!"

Ellen was sent flying and rolled across the ground, having been struck in the abdomen by the heavily weighted kick.

Pain.

It wasn't that severe in itself.

However, it felt as if her heart was breaking.

She knew that this fight was nothing more than a performance. Reinhardt wouldn't kill her, and she didn't want to hurt him either.

This play was necessary to show people that the hero could stand up to the Demon King.

If they hadn't met, she might not have known, but now that they had...

The Demon King was frightening, but people had to believe that the hero could face him.

That way, even if people despaired and cursed the world, they would cling to the hope and expectation that the Demon King would someday die.

Those who hated the Demon King would try to survive, hoping to someday hear the story of his death at the hands of the hero.

So, even if she didn't want to fight, she had to fight somehow.

The Demon King leaped towards Ellen, who had been thrown and rolled on the ground.

And then.

Thud!

Stamping down with his magic-infused giant leg, he crushed the ground where Ellen had just been moments ago.

Ellen had already rolled away from that spot.

She somehow managed to point her sword at the Demon King, but the tip of her blade trembled severely.

The situation spoke volumes.

Reinhardt's expression said it all.

Now.

There would never be a return to the past.

Holding hands as they walked.

Embracing each other.

Whispering to each other how precious they were and exchanging such words.

It was impossible.

Humanity's hope.

Humanity's enemy.

Their relationship was divided into such a cruel dichotomy.

That's why, regardless of his true feelings, Reinhardt attacked Ellen.

To be precise, he fought to pretend to be defeated. If the Demon King retreated from this place, people would have hope.

But Ellen couldn't wield her lament.

The Moon God's Sword, which reacted to sadness.

Ellen knew best the power of the Void Sword Lament.

The Void Sword was an absolute blade that could cut through anything. It could easily slice through the aura-covered Swordmaster's sword, as well as the toughest monster hide.

She didn't know if the Void Sword could cut through sacred artifacts.

However, if she swung it recklessly, she might not only cut the sacred artifact but also Reinhardt.

That's why Ellen couldn't carelessly swing her sword.

Because she didn't know if Reinhardt would be hurt.

Or worse, if he would die.

The Demon King gazed at the trembling hero, who couldn't do anything but slowly retreat.

"You're scared, aren't you?"

The Demon King slowly approached the hero.

"Scared that I might die, right?"

"..."

"You..."

Ellen almost bit her tongue at the Demon King's straightforward words, which accurately read her thoughts.

"Me."

Instead of his Alsbringer, the Demon King aimed his left hand, the Tiamata, at Ellen.

"Still..."

Ooooh!

A white halo began to ripple like waves in the Tiamata held by the Demon King.

Something was coming.

Ellen didn't know what it was, but she activated the aura throughout her body.

The distance was far, but the surging divine power in Tiamata gave her a very ominous feeling.

"Does this remind you of that pathetic time?"

Gritting his teeth, the Demon King's mind was filled with rage.

From a distance beyond the reach of a sword, the Demon King directed Tiamata at Ellen.

-Flash!

A storm of light.

Along with the thought that a storm of blinding light seemed to consume everything before her eyes, Ellen felt as if the intense destructive force would tear her body apart.

---

-Growling

The release of divine power that had transformed into energy solely focused on strength, devoid of any intention.

The force of that power had clawed the grand plaza, and Ellen barely stood up from the gap between the collapsed buildings.

"Huff... huff..."

Thanks to the protection of Lapelt and the aura armor, she hadn't suffered severe injuries.

However, without that protection, Ellen would have died from the previous attack.

The Demon King was watching Ellen rise from the wreckage of the building, about a hundred meters away.

Ellen could clearly feel the Demon King's anger.

Did he feel ignored and therefore become angry?

No, that wasn't it.

It's simply because you're precious to me.

I don't want to point my sword at you.

Ellen wanted to scream that.

But, could that be true?

Maybe Im just afraid of hurting you.

What's the difference between saying she can't give her all because he might die, and ignoring Reinhardt?

The reason she didn't have the confidence to properly play out this drama was the fear that Reinhardt wouldn't be able to withstand her attack.

That's why Reinhardt was angry.

Didn't she know that he was no longer the same novice from back then?

Did she think he was still that kind of person because he had always been on the receiving end?

Ellen clenched her teeth.

Reinhardt was no longer the Reinhardt of the past.

Although he hadn't opened the door to the Master Class, he had become a monster capable of confronting a Master Class without doing so.

Since she had always been ahead of Reinhardt, she thought it was only natural that she still was.

She couldn't deny that she felt that way about herself.

Ellen admitted her arrogance.

Reinhardt had become strong.

Perhaps, even stronger than her.

Ellen gripped Lament with both hands.

Now, she had to perform the drama.

She had to show the people the drama of defeating the Demon King after a fierce struggle.

A narrow margin.

A dangerous drama where a single mistake could kill them both.

But upon reflection, was it really that difficult?

Was there any reason to be so tense, fearful, and trembling with terror?

Her heart still ached and was full of pain, but Ellen had to admit it.

It wasn't difficult.

If she thought about it.

They had crossed swords countless times.

Every day, until they went to bed.

At first, Reinhardt, who could only crawl, wasn't even worth facing. But then she began teaching him swordsmanship.

At some point, he became skilled enough for her to hold back slightly.

Every day.

Every day, they clashed their swords.

At some point, Reinhardt's skill improved to the point where she couldn't afford not to take him seriously.

So Ellen, too, struggled until her breath caught in her throat.

Every day.

Every moment.

They had stubbornly faced each other.

That's why they knew each other's swordsmanship better than anyone else in this world.

That's why it should be easy.

It had to be done with ease.

Ellen pointed the Void Sword she held tightly in both hands at the Demon King.

The trembling, it finally disappeared.

Fortunately or unfortunately, the Void Sword could not cut through sacred artifacts.

A blade that could cut through anything was unable to sever sacred artifacts.

However, it had the same effect of neutralizing any other defenses.

The Demon King could block the Void Sword Lament, but only with a sacred artifact. He couldn't block attacks aimed at his body.

No matter how strong his Magic Body Strengthening, or even if he could use Aura Armor.

In front of the Void Sword, it was all as good as nothing.

Clang! Clash!

The people watched in fear as the hero, who had been unable to act out of dread, relentlessly pursued the Demon King once she started attacking properly.

It was unclear why she had been so frightened, but now was what mattered.

Certainly, the Demon King, who had withstood the combined attacks of other Master Classes, was now only able to defend against the hero's attacks.

However, no one knew that Ellen intentionally did not inflict a fatal blow on the Demon King, and the Demon King also feigned a desperate retreat.

Reinhardt's swordsmanship was originally Ellen's, and Ellen's swordsmanship was originally that of the hero, Ragan Artorius.

Therefore, Ellen had no choice but to know everything about Reinhardt's swordsmanship, and due to the difference in talent and aptitude, Reinhardt's swordsmanship could only be an inferior version of Ellen's.

The Demon King fought by exchanging sacred artifacts.

He would use Alsbringer, then unsummon it, and if necessary, summon Tiamata to fight.

At times, he would summon artifacts in both hands and swing them like dual swords, but to Ellen, this seemed like an act of faith in his outstanding physical abilities, without any tricks.

Reinhardt's swordsmanship was essentially a style of fighting with a single sword, that is, it did not deviate from Ellen's swordsmanship.

There was no one to teach him the unique dual swordsmanship, and even if he had two sacred artifacts, he could not abandon the well-established foundation he had already built for using dual swords.

So, Ellen could still read the Demon King's sword.

Of course.

'It's possible he's fighting so that I can read him.'

This was nothing more than a performance for show.

That's why he might have deliberately attacked in a way that was easy for Ellen to read and parry.

The two had been bitterly crossing swords with each other for a very long time.

Thus, it was only natural that Reinhardt could read Ellen's sword just as Ellen could read Reinhardt's.

Of course, it wasn't just swords clashing in this performance.

-Screech!

"Ugh Huk!"

Whenever an opening appeared, the Demon King would genuinely strike Ellen's head with the flat of his sword or aim for her vital points, sometimes succeeding in his attacks.

-Splash! Crash!

Ellen deflected Reinhardt's sword with her Lament and then landed physical blows on the Demon King with her left fist or a kick.

It was a fierce battle that no one could think of as a performance.

The scale of the fight was different from the old days in the temple when they didn't even know how to use Magic Body Strengthening.

Fountains were shattered, the ground crumbled, and a few buildings collapsed as they were sent flying in the brutal and desperate battle.

No one could intervene in the battle between the hero and the Demon King.

Not knowing if they would only hinder, the crowd, as well as the knights and mages of the empire, had no choice but to hold their breath and watch the spectacle unfold.

Though it was a play, to those unaware of the truth, it appeared as if the Demon King and the hero were fighting for their lives.

And in reality, they were indeed risking their lives.

It was clear that if one made a mistake, the other would die.

Both the Demon King and the hero.

Wounded and battered, they aimed their swords at each other.

The grand square, meant for the execution of the princess, had become almost indistinguishable from ruins due to the battle between the Demon King and the hero.

How much longer?

How long would they have to display this mutual harm to the people?

Biting her lips hard enough to taste blood, Ellen thought as she charged at the Demon King.

She aimed Lament at Reinhardt's heart.

Showing him the sword, she knew that as she swiped Lament with Alsbringer, Reinhardt would attack with his left fist, a kick, or twisting his body and striking with his elbow.

If she managed to push him back, she would use Aura Armor to block the attack and prepare a counterstrike.

It was an attack made possible because they could read each other.

So, trusting that he would deflect her thrusting sword as expected, she lunged.

But instead of deflecting Alsbringer, Reinhardt surprisingly stabbed toward Ellen.

-Whoosh!

-Clang!

"!!!!"

Ellen's eyes widened as she saw her sword, as if lying, pierce through Reinhardt's chest.

Naturally, Alsbringer, aiming at Ellen's chest protected by Aura Armor, could only be deflected.

He had allowed the attack on purpose.

Ellen's complexion turned pale, not having expected him to allow this attack.

"Gh...uh..."

The Demon King retreated a few steps.

Slowly backing away from the stunned Ellen, who had let go of her sword in shock, the Demon King pulled Lament from his heart.

-Clatter!

Lament fell to the ground without grace, and Reinhardt continued to back away slowly.

"I, I... I..."

Reinhardt glared at Ellen, who was trying to say something.

As if to tell her not to say a word.

As if to say, hadn't she seen that he could heal himself with Tiamata?

The Demon King, who spoke only with his eyes, held his impaled chest and retreated.

The Demon King raised one hand to the sky.

As if it were a signal,

A crack appeared in the air, revealing someone's presence.

Seeing the sudden appearance of this person, Ellen couldn't help but widen her eyes.

Harriet de Saint Owan.

Having torn through space, Harriet appeared and supported the staggering Reinhardt.

Harriet and Ellen's gazes met for a moment.

Harriet and Ellen both had much to say to each other, but knowing they shouldn't, said nothing.

Ellen could only blankly watch Harriet escape with the wounded Demon King through instant spatial teleportation.

Silence crept into the grand square.

Most had fled from the scene where the hero and the Demon King had fought just moments ago.

However, there were undoubtedly those who had watched the spectacle unfold.

At first, the hero seemed to be consumed by fear, but as she made up her mind to confront the Demon King, she continued to press on, eventually landing a fatal blow.

The Demon King chose to flee rather than continue fighting and healing his wounds.

He must have felt threatened to have fled.

Soon, it became clear that the Demon King was not immortal.

The... The Demon King

"The Demon King has fled..."

"The hero has... driven the Demon King away..."

Everyone knew that the Demon King had not been killed. They were aware that he would recover through the power of healing. However, the fact remained that the Demon King, along with his minions, had fled after deeming himself no match for the hero.

"The Demon King has escaped!"

"The hero has driven the Demon King away!"

Boldly, a few people who had been watching the fierce battle from a distance in the square began to shout. It had turned out just as Reinhardt had wanted. The Demon King, who had been showcasing an almost immortal aspect in the middle of the square, had been defeated by Ellen Artorius's hand, and it had been done so.

The hero had shown everyone that she could indeed stand up to the Demon King, just as they had hoped.

However, Ellen herself was filled with fear due to the sensation of her sword thrusting into Reinhardt's heart. Many civilians had lost their lives, the princess had not been executed, and the terrifying event of the Demon King's appearance had occurred.

But even so, the Demon King had been driven away by the hero. She hadn't killed him, but she might have been able to.

Ellen was trembling with fear.

"The hero has vanquished the Demon King!"

The people praised the hero. The deeper the despair, the greater the hope. But the more people projected hope onto her, the more Ellen felt engulfed by her own growing despair.