She could never take Ichiro’s words as a joke.
“Hahaha, it’s nothing. Please, have some. We have yokan, Chairman.”
Ichiro smiles and naturally offers the yokan on the plate to Seira.
“Though I’m offended that you mentioned the age of a lady so casually, the yokan does look delicious, so I’ll let it slide this time, Ichiro.”
Seira sits down and takes a bite of the yokan.
The sweetness of the yokan spreads in her mouth.
“…Hmm, it’s delicious.”
“It’s yokan bought directly from Toraya. Do you like it, Chairman?”
“Yeah.”
Just as Ichiro and Seira were having tea and chatting.
Boom!
With a loud bang, the meeting room door is destroyed.
“Huh?”
“What’s that ruckus?”
Seira and Ichiro’s gazes turn towards the open door.
And there stands a beautiful woman in a suit with gray bobbed hair.
Han Seo-Jin was there.
“Chairman. Association President.”
Han Seo-Jin’s gray eyes target both giants.
“Kim Deok-Sung and Shinozaki Rin are in danger.”
The moment those thunderous words left her mouth, the air inside the tatami room turned icy.
“Pfft.”
Seira spat out her oolong tea like a fountain, while a stream of oolong tea flowed down Ichiro’s face, whose eyes widened in shock.
Drip drip… Smack!
The sound of the garden beyond the window, the chirping of shishiodoshi, breaks the silence.
Snap!
“Cough!”
In the biting cold, a single scream pierced the air.
Fizzzz.
A pink barrier crumbled like dust.
Blood flowed from Evangelin’s mouth.
Covered in blood, Evangelin bounced into the air and rolled to the floor.
Despite not being able to unleash her true powers fully, Evangelin was a force comparable to an S-rank hero.
Even her absolute defense skill, used with all her strength, could only buy her a moment against an EX-rank powerhouse.
I couldn’t do it.
Seeing Evangeline in a dying state, the saintess shouted.
“Contractor…!”
“Stewart…!”
Rin’s face goes cold.
“Hoo.”
Ivan cracks his neck with a snap.
“Not bad. I thought I wouldn’t be able to stop you.”
As expected of a light novel villain, he shows a relaxed demeanor.
“Contractor, do not die. Don’t die…!”
Tears roll down Beatrice’s cheeks.
She clutches the bloodied Evangeline and wails.
“The girl is a princess of the Great Empire and the… Student Council President of St. George Academy…”
Evangeline gives a faint smile.
“To protect the esteemed Kim Deok-Sung, and one of his partners, Shinozaki Ichiro, as well as my classmate and friend, Trixie… I will do anything…”
Cough.
Evangeline coughs up blood.
“Contractor…!”
“Miss Stewart!!”
Beatrice wails, and Rin bites her lip.
Rushing towards Evangeline.
“Kim Deok-Sung…”
She looks at me, stroking my cheek with her blood-stained hand.
“You must survive…”
Thud.
Her head drops.
A chill runs down my spine.
Evangeline Stewart.
In the original work, her significance is barely that of a sub-heroine.
Although she adorned the cover of volume 9, her role is minimal, and she usually ranks at the bottom in popularity polls.
However, being a heroine, she is indispensable for the final battle…
No, in this world, she is not just a character but a living person.
Crack.
My teeth grind.
We have no particular acquaintance, nor a deep relationship.
How long has it been since we met? Why in the world…
Why is she stepping up to take the hits for me like a fool?
Why do all these overemotional idiots in this damn kind world throw their lives away for someone they’ve just met?
It’s something you can’t possibly do if you’re sane.
Is it because they fall in love too easily?
My clenched fist trembles.
Once again, emotions take precedence over reason, and I hate this damn light novel world overflowing with blind trust.
[Partner…]
I touch my wrist.
Faint but steady pulse.
I’m not dead.
Not yet.
I rise from my seat.
“Hoh?”
Ivan’s gaze turns towards me.
A flicker of faint interest glimmers in his eyes.
“Saintess.”
“…Contractor…”
“Get a grip, and use the binding spell from the demon eye.”
I instruct the saintess while looking at Ivan.
“…If you want to make use of the chance Evangeline gave you.”
In the original volume 15.
When the protagonist faced Ivan, the way he bought time was through the saintess’s binding with the demon eye.
The binding of the crimson demon eye is powerful.
It can temporarily restrain even an EX rank strongman.
“Wow, even a strong opponent can be temporarily restrained.”
“Of course, continuous checks are necessary to maintain the restraint, but that’s doable.”
“No, it must be done.”
“Alright.”
Swish.
Beatrice removes her eye patch.
“For this one time, I’ll specially grant your request.”
Her left eye, stained with dried blood, sparkles with a purple hue.
The saint aims her golden spear at Ivan.
“You, lowly beast, how dare you harm the contractee?”
Drip.
Blood tears flow from her purple-glimmering left eye.
“I declare in the name of the Scarlet Saint, restrain him right there…”
“Enough of this nonsense.”
Whoosh.
With a horrifying blast of wind, Ivan swings his fist.
“Tsar Punch.”
The cold name of the skill escapes his lips.
Whoooosh.
The blustering cold wind of the eternal frost scatters shards of magic, creating a terrifying vortex.
The chilling air rushes toward Beatrice.
I have to block it.
Tsar Punch is a basic skill, unlike the Siberian Wave.
Even the original protagonist blocked it.
I can block it too.
“Rin!”
I call out to Rin.
“Understood.”
Rin shows a serious expression.
The bluish magic flames up around the sword she raises.
We’ll block it together.
[Partner, release the true name…]
‘Was gonna do it anyway.’
Not perfect, but blocking his attack without a true name release is impossible.
I inject magic into Durandal.
Vroooom!
Durandal’s blade trembles.
[Durandal]
[True Name Release]
[The Unbreakable Sword that Burns Darkness]
Black flames ignite over the inky blade.
My whole body is enveloped in a black aura.
The bone-chilling cold lessens a little.
I grasp the blazing Durandal.
[No time to take it easy, partner. The secret art… now!]
I know what to do without saying it.
In this situation, the quickest response must be…
Only one of them remains.
[Synchronization]
[Indestructible]
I stack the two abilities.
Zing.
A short headache strikes my head.
My vision warps.
Vroooom.
Durandal’s black blade vibrates.
I swing the sword along the trajectory programmed in my mind, following the Black Prince’s talent.
[Black Glint Sword Style]
[Secret Art]
[Black Flash]
Time stretches like taffy.
A huge approaching fist comes into view.
The destructive, overwhelming white magic packed in the knuckles and the howling gale trailing behind also become visible.
Kwahhhhhh!
With a thunderous roar, white shards of ice shatter.
Durandal’s black flames attempt to block the punch but are pushed back.
“Shinozaki Ichiro… Fifth Style! Dragon Emergence!”
At that moment, I hear Rin’s voice beside me.
A sound is heard.
Flash.
A navy blue light flashes.
The magic contained in the katana wielded by Rin swirls with a chill.
Rin’s gift is the same freezing power as Ivan’s gift.
Because of the same freezing gift, Rin can move a bit more freely even within the mental projection.
Kwahahahah!
With a tremendous noise, Durandal and Totsuka no Tsurugi intersect, blocking Ivan’s punch.
“Gah!”
The horrendous counterforce transmitted through Durandal.
Biting down in agony as if her grip might tear apart.
Chiiiiiiing.
Due to the immense rebound, her body instinctively slides back.
“Uwaaaaaaaaaaaaa!”
Rin lets out a battle cry.
Veins pop on her forehead.
Jijijijijijijijijijijijijijijijijijijijijijij!
Magic surges in her katana.
“Heh. Not bad.”
A faint smile lingers at the corner of the villain’s mouth.
Woom.
His knuckles vibrate.
Looks like he’s about to use his second skill.
I can’t hold out any longer.
“Quickly seal the—!”
While enduring the pain spreading through her body, just as she was about to instruct Beatrice.
“I command you, be bound by the golden chains that restrain the black crimson dragon!”
Flash.
With Beatrice’s shout, a purple lotus made of light blooms in her left eye.
“!!”
At that moment, Ivan’s eyes widen.
Clink, clank.
Golden chains spring up from the ground, binding his entire body.
Golden chains.
The second authority of the crimson blade, it’s the gift that can bind even EX rank powerhouses.
“Gah!”
Thud.
Beatrice collapses to the ground.
Tears of blood flow from her eyes.
The role of the saint is now over.
“T-this is…”
A look of bewilderment fills Ivan’s eyes as he remains frozen, bound by the chains with his fist clenched.
It looks just like that scene in the anime when the saint was restrained.
“Did it succeed…?”
Rin speaks in a shocked voice.
“No.”
I correct Rin’s misunderstanding.
The crimson eye is certainly an extraordinary thing, but a saint alone can hold an EX rank powerhouse for about 2 minutes.
To extend that time, it was necessary to continuously restrain Ivan from breaking the chains.
In other words, we have to tie him up and beat him senseless.
I point Ivan out with the blade of Durandal, pulsating with black flames.
“We need to keep attacking. Rin.”
“Got it. Deok-Sung.”
After hearing my words, Rin aims Totsuka no Tsurugi at him.
“I’ll help too.”
“…You insignificant pests dare…”
While watching Ivan as he spouts stereotypical light novel villain lines, I swing Durandal.
Flash.
The black trajectory left by Durandal is etched in the air.
*
Beach Hotel.
