I Became a Raid Boss

Chapter 126

Chapter 126

Eric wasn’t a devout follower of the Edel faith.

He believed in the existence of the goddess Edel and that she watched over the world of Silia, but he wasn’t pious enough to prioritize religion above all else.

This belief of Eric’s had remained unchanged from his childhood to adulthood—

However, there was a time when Eric had fervently prayed to the goddess.

To the point where his mouth would fill with bile…

No, even after spitting out the bile, he continued to roll on the ground, desperate.

‘Oh Edel, if you have any pity for me, please just let me hit her once… Just once.’

Eric had been relentlessly trained under the vice-captain Kana’s hand, praying for the strength to touch a demon.

Naturally, that prayer never came true, and Eric never succeeded in his coup.

No matter how much he clenched his teeth and endured in hopes of landing a single blow, there was a limit. Even after enduring bone-crushing training, no hope emerged, and the defiant Eric gradually transformed into a gentle lamb.

In the end, until the downfall of Grasis and the scattering of the Crimson Knights, Eric never managed to land a single hit on Kana.

‘One can’t overcome a natural disaster.’

A massive, unyielding fortress.

That was how Eric thought of Kana.

No one, no matter who, would dare to bring him down.

At least, that’s what he thought—

“They say a woman’s transformation is innocent. Looking at how her image changes every time, it seems the captain, who used to be like a mere tomboy, is still a woman after all.”

‘He must still have strength to spare if he’s joking around like this.’

He wondered if he would receive a cold retort.

“….”

“….”

“…Is that so.”

Expecting a response from Kana, Eric gave up when he met those pure, blank eyes staring back at him.

It’s one thing to hide your expression, but it’s not easy to control the emotions reflected in your eyes.

So, seeing such a gaze meant that Kana not only didn’t register Eric’s words, but also failed to recognize him entirely.

“Not that the captain is the type to hide her feelings anyway.”

Srrng.

Eric drew the sword that had been resting in its sheath.

‘Come to think of it, I’ve been using this sword for a long time.’

This sword was chosen by the captain too.

The thought of facing her with that very sword filled him with guilt…

“Who am I kidding.”

Eric let out a dry, hollow laugh.

“When I first heard that demons had appeared, I worried it might mean another war. When I heard about their appearance, I thought it was impossible. As you know, pink hair and pink eyes aren’t exactly common.”

Even so, he couldn’t bring himself to believe it.

That the captain, who had gone to the Holy Kingdom, had returned as a demon.

It was a statement that couldn’t even be dismissed with a laugh over a drink.

So, when Eric first saw Kana, he couldn’t help but doubt his own eyes.

“Back when I used to run wild without a care in the world, you taught me that the sky is high. At that time, I resented you, but thinking back now, I believe I’m alive today because of you.”

And so, that debt—

I will repay it.

“You all, avoid getting too close and attack from a distance.”

“Yes, sir!”

The demonic energy swirling around Kana was clearly dangerous at a glance.

It was said that just touching it could drain one’s life force in an instant.

Even Eric, who had faced many monsters, had never encountered such a strong demonic aura.

Pushing back his subordinates from Ordo, Eric summoned his blue mana, preparing for battle.

“It’s going to sting a little.”

With those words, Eric charged forward.

Towards the captain he revered.

***

“…Ugh, cough!”

Dark, dead blood splattered onto the ground, making a distasteful sound.

“Captain!”

“…Stop making a fuss.”

Coughing up blood wasn’t a normal condition. Eric halted his subordinates, who had rushed over upon realizing his state.

“Really… you’re unbelievably strong.”

Eric wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand and lifted his head. Unlike Eric, who was covered in dust and wounds after being thrown around, the girl standing over him was spotless, not a speck of dirt on her.

“…Phew.”

At a glance, it might look like they had fought a fierce battle.

But what Eric had experienced was not a fight—it was a one-sided trouncing.

Initially, Eric had intended to subdue her without inflicting too much harm, but the moment he swung his sword, he realized how arrogant he had been.

Just getting close was enough for the thick Magi to gnaw at him.

His sword, swung with all his strength, was blocked by the Magi and couldn’t even graze Kana’s skin.

Kana just stood there, watching Eric’s every move, not bothering to dodge or defend against any of his attacks.

Her unblinking eyes, as if nothing was happening right in front of her, ruthlessly scraped at Eric’s pride.

“No, honestly, isn’t this cheating? As if being strong wasn’t enough, you go off and learn some strange technique—how is a commoner like me supposed to cope?”

But just because his attacks were ineffective, Eric couldn’t retreat.

If he backed down now, no one would be left to stop Kana, and she would enter the city without any obstacles.

The very city of Ordo, Eric’s hometown, where countless people lived.

If they started evacuating right now, they might manage to flee in time…

‘But will everyone really follow the evacuation orders?’

Eric, who had encountered countless human behaviors during his time as a knight, didn’t think so.

Even if everyone miraculously evacuated, how long would they have to stay away from the city?

A day? Two days?

…Or perhaps they wouldn’t be able to return for over a week.

There wouldn’t be enough supplies or places for the entire city’s population to stay for days, so they would have to rely on neighboring cities, but even those places wouldn’t easily accommodate such a large influx of people.

What about the economic losses from a city being paralyzed for days, or the administrative efforts needed to get things running again?

Just thinking about it gave Eric a pounding headache, so he forced himself to stop thinking about it.

In fact, he wondered if there was even a need to think about such things.

After all, the Magi would make the place uninhabitable for humans anyway.

“So, Captain. Even now, won’t you turn back?”

“?”

“Acting cute won’t work. You know I’m not someone who would fall for your charms, so why bother?”

She tilted her head slightly, and it did look cute.

But the fear etched into Eric was far greater than any cuteness.

Just like no one would be swayed by a monster trying to act cute, Eric wasn’t fooled by Kana’s actions.

Srrng.

Eric, feeling his labored breathing ease, stood up.

Within Eric’s blue eyes, the black Magi was reflected.

Magi.

The problem was the Magi shrouding Kana.

Because of that Magi, his sword couldn’t touch her, and just walking close was a threat to other lives.

If the rumored king of the Demonic Race were to appear, would they not look like this?

He scoffed.

“Demon King, huh.”

Fighting the Empire might be one thing, but thinking she conquered the Demonic Race out of boredom was an absurd thought.

Yet, Eric didn’t know.

That while Kana hadn’t exactly conquered them, she had done something similar.

Dismissing his own thoughts as foolish, Eric racked his brain.

‘A way to penetrate the Magi…’

Ironically, what came to Eric’s mind at that moment was the girl standing before him.

Among all the swordsmen Eric knew, Kana was the strongest. So, it was only natural that Eric thought of Kana when searching for a solution.

A master swordsman is often regarded as the embodiment of a swordsman’s bible.

Recalling the swordsmanship Kana had used when hunting monsters, Eric quickly shook his head.

Knowing the answer didn’t mean he could replicate it.

Unless he kept training to reach a higher level, it was impossible for Eric to wield such techniques at his current skill level.

“But… perhaps, if it’s just a little… a very little bit…”

Maybe he could imitate a clumsy version of it, even if it didn’t come close.

Since retreating wasn’t an option, he had to try something—anything.

He couldn’t keep relying on arrows to keep her at bay forever.

His blue eyes shone with determination.

“Shhh—”

His breathing settled, sinking deep.

From Eric’s mouth, a faint breath escaped like mist.

In the reflection of his sword, raised to eye level, the image of the pink-haired girl appeared.

Could he reach her?

—No.

The thought itself was wrong.

“It will reach her.”

Clenching tightly—

Eric combined his most polished strike with the memory of that blow, aiming to break through the barrier that blocked him.

Hwoooosh—!

A blue aura surged around Eric’s body.

In that moment, he forgot every technique he had practiced countless times.

His subordinates, the trees, the path, the rocks.

Everything Eric saw became bathed in blue.

Within the world where even he was tinted in blue, there was only one figure with color.

The moment Eric became aware of it, the world seemed to be sucked into a single, tiny point.

That which swallowed everything eventually devoured Eric’s consciousness—

“…Ha.”

After what felt like an eternity.

When Eric regained his senses—

The world, once dyed in blue, had returned to its original state.

The leaves were green, the rocks were dark, and fallen leaves were scattered messily across the path.

Everything appeared as Eric had always known it, yet—

Eric knew.

“…How is it?”

He knew that his strike had reached Kana.

Srrk—

A thin red line appeared on Kana’s cheek.

Her small hand, trembling as it rose, brushed over the wound, and a drop of red blood trickled down her finger.

“…Ah.”

As she stared at the falling blood droplet, her pink eyes slowly turned toward Eric.

The glimmering light in her eyes dimmed, replaced by darkness.

“I told you, I’d reach you.”

Eric grinned widely.

—

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