After defeating Mr. Fegnis, I was walking through the castle, explaining to Lucas and Eva about Nea, a familiar who had disguised himself as an owl along the way.

When Nea explained that she was half vampire and half necromancer, Lucas was very surprised.

Eva, on the other hand, seems to be intrigued by Nea, who has transformed from an owl to a person.

 

"So, Nea, you know the exact location of the curse, right?"

"Of course, that's why I'm leading the way, isn't it?"

 

Nea walks in front of her in the form of a dark-haired, red-eyed girl.

The sound of our footsteps echoes in the castle, which is illuminated only by the light of magic tools.

 

"Usato, I think you know, but I'll make sure, okay?"

"Hmm?"

"Listen to the two people behind you."

 

Nea called out to me while I was still looking forward.

 

"It's me and Usato who are going to deal with the curse, you two just have to watch from the back."

「...... Let's see. Honestly, I'm just a king, so all I can do is see it through."

"That's fine if you know, so I'll tell you the next time you failed to destroy the curse, okay?"

"Hey, Nea......"

 

Seeing that Lucas stiffened at his words, he admonished Nea.

However, she looks at me as if glaring.

 

"There's no guarantee that you'll be able to break the curse, so you have to be prepared for the worst."

"But--"

"It's okay, Usato...... Keep going."

 

Lucas with a serious expression.

Nea spoke quietly to him.

 

「...... By destroying the bell that was the source of the magical power, the curse is on its way to extinction. It's not a bad thing to disappear. Neither the imprisoned souls nor the royal family of Samaria will be cursed in the future. But, Eva, your existence and soul will be lost forever."

「...... So, what is it? That means I won't be able to live very long......

 

Her life has been cut short so much that she may not live for a year at worst.

Eva mutters painfully, and her teeth itch.

 

"Well, this good-natured man is trying to break the curse so that he doesn't do that, but if that fails...... For example, if it's difficult to destroy the curse, or if Usato's is in danger, I'll give up on destroying the curse."

 

If you find yourself in a situation where you can't do anything about the curse, you have no choice but to pull it.

 

"It's too much of a danger than it used to be, and I need Ava to stay close to me in order to regain her soul and existence. But my resistance spell can only be applied to either Usato or Eva. Still, if the curse had a clear intention, Eva, who would always be defenseless, would be targeted. ...... No matter how much Usato does, he can't overwhelm hundreds of curses, right?"

「...... Ahh

「...... Don't look like you're not convinced. I'm not saying this because I like it. ...... I'll do everything in my power to help you."

 

Nea awkwardly looked forward and said so, and I, who was frowning, also leaked a chuckle.

Not long ago, we were enemies, but when we got to know each other, he was quite human.

I was looking at Nea walking in front of me with a smile, and Eva spoke to me somewhat happily.

 

"Usato-san and Nea-chan are very good friends."

"It's a little bit different from being a good friend, and maybe it's more accurate to say that I trust you."

"Fufufu......"

 

Ava smiles small, but her smile has no power.

Maybe your body isn't working well. If we don't regain her existence and life, she will have no choice but to live a short life without being able to move satisfactorily.

 

"What'...... wrong?"

 

I smile awkwardly at Eva, who looks at me anxiously as I become speechless.

I don't even want to think about what happens after I fail.

But there's no guarantee of 100% success.

Nea is right, I have to go destroy the curse because of the worst-case scenario.

 

"I've arrived."

 

As he is lost in thought, Nea stops in front of a large door.

It was ...... she stopped!

 

"This door is ......."

 

When Lucas saw the door illuminated by the light of the magic tool, his eyes widened and he was surprised.

 

"No way...... Is that the case here......!?"

"yes, it was very easy to find. After all, the king at that time seemed to have a strong desire for self-presentation."

 

There's a throne.

When I was invited to this castle, the first place I met Lucas was the place where the curse that had plagued the royal family of Samaria was hidden.

 

"It was so close...... I ...... we didn't notice."

 

Stepping into the hall where the throne is located, Nea walks to the back wall where the throne is placed without hesitation. She touched the wall thoughtfully with her hand and nodded, then looked at me and opened her mouth.

 

"Usato, can you break down this wall?"

"I hope you don't tell me that I can smash walls...... Well, I'll give it a try."

 

It looks like a tightly fortified wall, but can it be broken easily?

Feeling a little worried about whether he would be able to break it, he slammed a direct kick into a hard-looking wall, and his foot pierced the wall more easily than he expected, and he collapsed as it was.

At the end of the collapsed wall, a spiral staircase leads to the back and an eerie wind blows.

 

"The reason why it broke so easily was because there was such a space behind the wall......

 

Since it was the king of the time who instructed the hero to be bound, it was natural to place the body of the curse in a familiar place.

It was easy to break it by reason.

 

"No, it's not a wall that can be broken so easily......

"Wow, Usato-san is amazing......"

「......」

 

There was a sense of déjà vu ...... the reaction of the two people behind me.

Why do I remember the situation when I hit the target with Luxvis?

...... No, no, let's change our minds.

 

"Alright, Nea, transform into an owl. Lucas, please don't let Eva go behind me."

"Huh."

 

Nea, who has been transformed into a pop, sits on my shoulder.

Lucas nervously picks up Ava and steps back behind me.

 

"Well, there's a curse book down here, brace yourself, Usato."

"Oh, hit with all my might."

 

Clenching my fists tightly, I started to descend the stairs so as not to lose my footing.

 

　●

 

A hidden room hidden behind the throne.

We stepped onto the spiral staircase and went down the stairs with a nervous face.

The light of the magic tool that Nea had been smoldering from inside the castle for some time illuminated her feet, and as she descended the stairs, she saw a green light that stood out in the darkness.

With that light in front of me, I took another deep breath and stepped into the space where the light was leaking out.

 

「......! This is ......."

 

The space where the light was leaking out was like an altar.

The whole area was covered in dust, but it was large enough for dozens of people, and there was a crystal ball that emitted green light on the altar in the back, as if to enshrine something.

Perhaps that's the core of the curse.

You don't have to tell Nea to understand. You can see the magical patterns moving in the crystal as if they were mixing, and above all, the atmosphere that seems to be dangerous is transmitted.

And then...

 

「...... Usato"

"Yes, there are, and there are more than there were yesterday."

 

I know because I confronted the curse last night.

It's kind of gritty and disgusting, and a lot of stares directed at us.

In other words, it's like being in the stomach of a curse.

 

「...... Huh?"

"Eva, are you okay?"

 

Eva seemed to sense the same thing as me, and she gasped.

Lucas is worried, and when I call out to him, Ava calls out to me as if to shake her head.

 

"Usato-san...... I feel this way...... I know."

"Do you know?"

 

He asks Ava without looking back, and her voice trembles as if she is frightened.

 

"It's the same as dreaming, with the people who used to hold grudges against me ......."

"You don't have to force yourself to speak, you know what you want to say."

「...... Yes."

 

In other words, it was a curse that gave her nightmares.

I thought the resentment of the Samarian people was considerable, but I often try to hunt them down even in my dreams.

 

「...... Wait. Then ......."

 

Who were the people who protected her in the dream that the curse would have shown?

The people of Samaria, who have a grudge against the royal family, would not protect Eva.

Could it be...

 

"Usato! As I predicted, the curse has a nucleus! I'll smash the curse before it really kicks in!"

「...... Ahh

 

Nea looks at the crystal on the altar and says excitedly as she flutters her wings.

 

"Can you break it just by punching it?" Don't you need to break the spell?"

"I've been thinking about using it, but I don't need it. Unlike magic, it was created by humans, so if you destroy it, the soul that was chained will be released...... It should be."

 

I'm a little worried, but if she's like that, I'll obey.

But hey, at the end, it's kind of like me to break it with my fist .......

 

"I said that I was going to smash it, but in the end, it was a power ......!"

"I can only do brute force, what are you talking about now......

 

Discourteous. I've been thinking about it a lot, right?

Well, it's quick because you don't have to think about it. You can smash the crystal in front of you without thinking.

Perhaps sensing this purpose, skeletons appear from all over the hall that are incomparable to last night.

 

"--aaa"

"Yu, ......"

"Whew"

"You've gathered straw...... Nea, clean up in an instant! Match the timing and replace the resistance spell with me! Dear Lucas, Eva will be vulnerable for a moment! If you're in danger, call me!"

"Okay, you have to be careful!"

"Yes!"

 

I see Nea on my shoulder nodding and lightly touch Eva's shoulder as Lucas holds her up.

If I have a resistance spell, I can ignore the interference of the skeletons and go destroy the curse in the shortest possible time. That could leave Eva vulnerable, but I'll destroy her before ...... happens!

 

"Now!"

"Shhhh

 

Nea's spell is activated, and the resistance spell that covers Eva's body bursts, and at the same time, she jumps forward as much as she can.

 

"Let's go, Nea!"

"I know!"

 

And the body is covered with the magic of resistance, and the hands are wrapped in the magic of restraint.

The skeletons start to move in response to my sudden jumping, but their movements are slow.

There is also a skeleton that reaches out from the ground.

There are also skeletons attacking from the ceiling.

I can't keep up with my speed.

 

"Hmmm!!"

"Hey, ......!?"

 

I dealt with the disturbing skeleton floating in front of me with a healing restraint fist without difficulty, and with further acceleration, I pulled my right arm as hard as I could and clenched my fist tightly.

The distance to the altar is fast approaching.

All you have to do is hit this fist directly ......!

 

"That's it!!"

 

Swing your clenched fist toward the altar.

But that was the extent of what was going well.

 

"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

"Gu, squeak."

"What!?"

 

Jingling!! He heard the sound of multiple chains, and then several skeletons broke into the wall at a tremendous speed, as if cutting between his fist and the crystal.

The fist that was supposed to hit the crystal was blocked by the skeletons that became a wall of layers and shifted direction.

 

"What!? Like the skeletons being pulled by chains tied to the wall......!?"

"What do you mean!? Now, obviously, the chains have moved, regardless of their intentions! Usato, step back! Perhaps I have made a terrible mistake--"

"There's no point in pulling! Hit again! Oh my gosh!!"

"Listen!?"

 

If you can stop it, don't let it stop you.

He raises his fist again and tries to swing it down, but this time he slams it with both arms until it breaks, so that he doesn't have to worry about being blocked!

When he ignores Nea's restraint and tries to thrust his right fist out...

 

"Ya, Mete."

"Whew!!"

 

A small, child-sized skeleton. It is pulled in front of my face, not in front of my fist. Instead of screaming, he is upset by the words that seem to beg him, and his fists stop.

Are you going to use your hands like this......

He pulls his fist out and steps away from the spot to see a frustrated Nea turn to face him.

 

"This is unexpected. But this is ...... Someone with a different intention than the skeleton that clearly wants to be released is standing in our way!"

"It's not like a skeleton...... Shhhh

 

While dodging the skeletons attacking from the surroundings, he looks at the skeletons that are being guarded in front of him, as if he were guarding the altar in front of him.

The chains attached to that collar. It extends from the ceiling and walls and forcibly moves the skeletons. I feel indescribable anger at them being forcibly dragged to the altar like slaves.

 

"You're kidding ......!"

 

Is this what you mean? Does this mean that there are beings who are taking advantage of the people of Samarian who are suffering from a curse?

What would you do next if you could stop the altar from being destroyed, thinking that it really exists?

At present, no matter how many tens or hundreds of skeletons I try, I can't stop the servant who is protected by Nea's magic.

The means to make me show an opening, it is--

 

"Usato, there's a curse here!!"

"--Eva!!"

 

I hear Lucas' impatient voice behind me and at the same time I turn around.

When she turned around, she saw Eva surrounded by a large number of skeletons and Lucas hugging her protectively.

 

"I'm going now...... Huh!?"

 

He tries to help, but suddenly his legs are blocked and he almost falls.

When I looked at my legs, I saw that the chains that had been connected to the skeleton were wrapped around it.

 

"Damn you!!"

 

Resistance spells are limited to Curse, so they can't prevent anything else.

He can untie the chains immediately, but in the meantime, Eva is in danger.

Moreover, there are countless skeletons heading here as well, probably to stop them.

...... There's no time to be lost!

 

"Nea, unleash the spell on me!!"

"Huh!? I'm not kidding!! You know what would happen if you lifted the spell that protects you in a place like this!?"

"Please!"

「...... Oh! I get it!! I wonder why I became such a good-natured familiar! Whew!! You never die, do you?!"

 

The resistance spell that was applied to me was lifted, leaving me vulnerable to the curse.

Regardless, I grab Nea, who has been on my shoulder for a long time.

 

"I'm going to apologize now!" I'm sorry!!"

"What!? Why are you holding me and pretending to ...... Shall we!? I didn't expect this--"

 

I'm going to ask for Eva and Lucas!

He holds it lightly and throws it vigorously towards Eva and Lucas. Hey~~!? Nea screams, but quickly untransforms and returns to her original vampire form, landing near the two of them.

She glared at him with teary eyes, and when she waved her hand to Eva and Lucas, who were rolling her eyes, she activated her magic and kept the curse away.

 

「...... Huh!?"

 

Before I could feel relieved, a skeleton with chains tangled around my leg bit my leg and I had the same headache as last night.

Immediately, he tramples the skeleton at his feet and shoots down the skeleton that is attacking from all directions with his fist.

 

―――Ka, Ka

 

With each pile of shattered skell fragments at his feet, a mocking, raspy laugh could be heard.

 

―――Kakaka

 

Compared to last night, the number and playback speed are much faster.

I couldn't get my hands on it in time, and two skeletons were clinging to my back and legs, sticking their teeth into each other.

 

"-ha......! With something like this, the same pain will stop me!!"

―――Ka!?

 

I shook off the skeletons that were entangled in my body and crushed them with a roundhouse kick, grabbed the skeletons, gathered several skeletons, and slammed them to the ground and shattered them.

 

If you can't do it in a decent way, let me destroy the Lord's soul with a reasonable number and means.

「...... Who's that?!"

 

It's not a mockery, it's a voice that echoes in your head.

I tried to find the owner of the voice, but the next moment, the skeletons around me, holding the chains tied to their necks, threw them at me all at once.

 

"Damn it, I ...... something like this!"

 

The chains that fly from the front, back, left and right with a movement like a living creature bite the skeletons that I shot down earlier, as if they saw the opportunity for me to be restrained in my limbs and unable to move for a moment.

 

"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh......hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

 

Skeletons that are entangled in both arms and bite.

I couldn't stand up properly due to the extraordinary pain that was incomparable to last night, and I fell to my knees.

 

"Usato-san!"

 

A mockery that no one knows.

Eva's voice calling my name.

My vision was filled with attacking skeletons, and the next scene I was shown to the skeletons was literally a scene of death.

 

_________________________________________________________

As long as there were no disturbances, the curse could be broken normally.

The next episode is about Usato's mental tolerance training...... Instead, I'm going to talk about mental attacks and a little bit about the heroes of the past.

The fight against the curse may not be so flashy.