But thanks to the unexpected heroics of our protagonist, the villain is defeated, the heroine is saved from her fear of men, and one more member joins the protagonist’s harem.
Well, just your typical cliché development.
But that’s where it ends today.
“Here it is, the door leading to the ultimate sanctum!”
I arrived first, before the Mad Hatter.
In front of me stands an archway that looks just like the one from the animation.
The ultimate sanctum of the Baptism.
I’ve finally reached my destination, where the artifact ‘Crown of Baptism’ grants gifts.
*
Crash!
Olivia violently breaks down the stone door.
Amidst the dust, the inside of the ultimate sanctum becomes visible.
A stone chamber so massive you’d believe it was a plaza.
In the center stands a monster.
A gigantic black dog, bigger than a bear, engulfed in green flames.
[Warning. A powerful hostile interdimensional creature has been detected ahead.]
Even without hearing the notification from Durandal, it already looks plenty dangerous.
Olivia mutters quietly.
“Zeta Rank interdimensional Hellhound…”
This is why having someone who explains things is so convenient.
“This time, you might have to fight alongside me. But that doesn’t mean I’m shirking my responsibility. I’ll do my best to protect you from the front, but if an unavoidable circumstance arises…”
Olivia speaks in a serious tone.
She grips Durandal tightly.
“I know.”
Her eyes widen.
I’m not dumb.
No matter what boss monster comes out, I’ve already considered the possibility that I’ll have to join the fight.
The issue was not knowing what would appear, but a Hellhound?
I can handle that.
“So just take the hits in front.”
“Do you really have to say it that snarkily?!”
Just as Olivia was shouting that.
[Howwwwwwwwwwwww!!]
The Hellhound’s howl echoes through the ultimate sanctum.
I take a step back and warn Olivia.
“It’s coming. Be careful.”
“…I understand.”
Olivia lifts the Flamberge.
With a whoosh.
Flames of magical energy dance along the blade.
[Growl, growl, growl! Woof! Woof!]
The Hellhound barks and charges forward.
Thud, thud!
The ground shakes as the towering interdimensional creature rushes.
It echoes.
[Kyaaaa!!]
The hellhound swipes at Olivia with its massive front paw, engulfed in green flames.
Kabang!
A thunderous sound resonates.
“Gah!”
Olivia gasps for air.
Her flamberge, wrapped in platinum flames, clashes against the hellhound’s paw.
“Such a lowly otherworldly beast······.”
Olivia grits her teeth and swings her flamberge.
Her gift, the ability of pyrokinesis, activates.
Platinum fireballs start to form in the air—one, two, three, four, five, six—before shooting straight into the hellhound’s eyes.
Kabang.
A thunderous sound echoes.
[Kyaaa!!]
The hellhound lets out a tortured shriek.
Blinded, the hellhound flails its front paw wildly.
Bam, whoosh!
The terrifying arcs of air and trails of green flames dance through the air.
Olivia narrowly dodges each swipe of the hellhound’s paw, continuously delivering slashes to attack.
But both Olivia and the hellhound possess fire 属性.
Since they share the same attribute, their damage is halved, making it difficult to deliver effective strikes.
‘Looks like it’s time for me to step in.’
Ultimately, I’ll have to take action.
[Switching to flight mode.]
Fwoosh.
With a hissing sound, boosters pop out from my back.
I kick off the ground and soar upward.
As I near the ceiling, I can see Olivia and the hellhound exchanging blows below.
Thunderous explosions ring out, flames burst, and flashes of light flicker everywhere.
The ground shakes, and I can feel the air heating up.
I grit my teeth.
Thud, thud, thud, thud.
The magic core heats up, drawing forth magic power.
Durandal greedily absorbs the magic. The blade shakes. Dark magic overlays the black blade.
I activate an ability.
[Synchronization]
[Black Prince Raul Napoleon Bonaparte]
Zing.
My head rings. My heart feels like it’s on fire, burning up.
The talent and experiences of the Black Prince violently imprint themselves on my body and mind.
A new sense awakens.
My vision turns red.
I furrow my brow.
My head feels painfully heavy.
“······It’s doable.”
Still bearable.
It’s better than the first time I used synchronization.
‘According to the compendium, the hellhound’s weak point is its spine.’
The hellhound frequently appears in the original story.
Naturally, I already know its weakness.
But the hellhound isn’t stupid; it protects its weak point, the spine, with its characteristic green magical flames.
The power of those flames is enough to drain the entire magic field of a hero carelessly targeting its weak spot, knocking them out.
With Kim Deok-Sung’s power, which is only C-rank, hitting that weak point is impossible.
However, with Durandal, it’s a different story.
Durandal is a legendary sword known for being indestructible.
Even the cursed weapon Durandal wields abilities worthy of its legend.
[Diamond-like Undying]
The second ability after synchronization manifests.
Durandal’s legend, granting the user an impenetrable defense.
Thump, thump.
Perhaps due to pulling strength beyond my limits, my vision becomes distorted.
I grip the hilt firmly.
The Black Prince’s talent reveals the attack routes, and his experience drafts the sword path.
The Black Prince’s experience carves a path through the blade.
Now is the time.
Activate the booster in reverse.
Begin the rapid descent. The surrounding scenery changes quickly.
Fix your sight.
The target is the spine.
Swoosh!!
The black magic power condensed on Durandal sparks wildly.
A metallic taste floods my mouth.
Blood trickles from the corners of my lips.
“Die already, you bastard!”
I cuss as I plunge the blade right into the back, near the spine, of the creature protected by flames.
[Kyahhhhhhh!!]
The hellhound emits a horrific scream as it’s struck in its weak spot.
Green flames dance as if they’re about to engulf me.
My vision is tinted entirely green.
The magic shield protecting my body disappears in an instant.
[Indestructible]
Zing.
My ability manifests, wrapping my entire body in black magic light.
The green flame’s counterattack is over.
“Just die!”
I curse again as I continue to inject magic into the Durandal embedded in its spine.
The heartbeat echoes.
Thud! Thud!
As my black magic stirs within the hellhound’s body, a thunderous explosion erupts.
[Kyahhhhhhh!!]
Along with the scream, the hellhound’s body goes stiff.
The overwhelming green flames rapidly extinguish.
That means it’s dead.
“Kim Deok-Sung!”
Olivia’s voice faintly reaches my ears.
“We did it! We actually did it!”
Damn, I can’t lose consciousness yet.
The main dish is still on the plate.
I shake my head.
First, I need to disable this damned combat mode that’s devouring my magic like a hippo.
[Durandal Offline]
Combat mode deactivated.
The full-body gloves vanish in an instant.
As the ability disappears, a wave of lethargy sweeps over me.
My strength… is fading…
“Ughhh…”
The world turns upside down.
I slip over the hellhound’s corpse.
If I fall like this, I’ll get hurt.
But my body is losing its strength…
Just as that thought crosses my mind.
“Hoho.”
Now familiar, a girl’s laughter fills the air, and a warm sensation surrounds my limbs.
I look up.
Olivia appears.
She catches me in a princess carry as I’m about to tumble over the dead hellhound.
“What the hell…?”
This is such a light novel moment.
But I can’t scramble free due to my weak limbs.
Just as a curse is about to escape my lips.
“…Thank you for your hard work, you.”
Olivia whispers to me.
I weakly shake my head and close my eyes.
Yeah, just for a moment…
This is infuriating.
“What the hell…?”
Kim Deok-Sung mumbles weakly in Korean as he slowly closes his eyes.
His head tilts back.
He loses consciousness.
“Honestly, if you can’t say something nice…”
Olivia pouts her lips.
Although she hasn’t been learning Korean for long, she knows well what he attempted to say. After all, she was curious about the meaning of that Korean word from their first meeting and had looked it up in the dictionary first.
“How could someone like me, a noble French princess, have been spoken to that way back then…?”
I was a bit shocked when I realized it was just the kind of insult a commoner would throw around.
She was the cherished daughter of the Bonaparte royal family, treated as the successor due to the Black Prince’s will.
There was no way she was tied to such words.
“Of course, it’s my fault, but still, that was too much.”
Olivia pouted, as if protesting.
Carefully placing Kim Deok-Sung, whom she had been cradling like a princess, back on the ground, she looked around.
The depths of the ruins were damp and dark.
The ceiling dripped with moisture, the ground was hard, cold, and uneven, and the eerie air was definitely not friendly to someone who had lost consciousness.
“Ugh…!”
Olivia’s cheeks flushed.
Her eyes trembled.
She had an obligation to assist Kim Deok-Sung.
She couldn’t just leave him in this environment.
“Th-th-this is, um, just my duty as his exclusive maid!”
With her face blushing bright, Olivia cautiously laid him on her thigh.
The act known as a knee pillow.
Feeling shy for no reason, Olivia squeezed her eyes shut and then opened them.
Kim Deok-Sung’s face came into her view as he lay on her thigh.
“Pervert, scoundrel…”
In a moment of mischief, she poked his cheek with her finger.
But Kim Deok-Sung didn’t wake up.
It must have been because he had exhausted all his strength in that last blow.
Olivia flicked her finger.
Swoosh.
Her gift manifested, and a platinum fireball appeared in the air.
To maintain Kim Deok-Sung’s body temperature, Olivia carefully adjusted the temperature and position of the fireball, placing it beside him.
Once she was done, Olivia mumbled in a low voice.
“I could’ve handled this alone…”
It might have taken a little longer, but she could have won.
Yet, he chose to use all his strength to help her defeat the interdimensional monster.
“You mentioned the information provided by your motherland… right?”
No reply came from the unconscious Kim Deok-Sung.
Olivia didn’t expect an answer to her thrown-out question either.
The potential value of the ruins was immense.
A mere C-rank hero candidate, not even an active hero, could not possibly tackle it alone.
Yet, back in his homeland, South Korea, they had given him the ruin information for no reason.
“That’s pretty much an order wrapped in goodwill.”
Only heroes could invade ruins.
And in the small country of South Korea, there was only him.
From the start, Kim Deok-Sung had no choice but to accept.
That’s why…
She thought, he had no choice but to ask her for help.
“It’s just too much. The situation you’re in, and your homeland.”
Flashes of Kim Deok-Sung’s profile, which she had reviewed long ago, raced through her mind.
An orphan, a lonely life with no friends, the sudden national expectations pouring down on him, studying abroad in unfamiliar Japan…
