In the last battle, I was defeated by a hero who wore lightning.

He was an undeniable powerhouse.

He seemed to have little combat experience, but with his great resourcefulness and the long, slender sword-like weapon he had acquired in the midst of battle, he inflicted a painful defeat on me.

I was ashamed of my inadequacy.

"That's it."

「…… Tsu! Thank you very much."

A square surrounded by rocks.

Kneeling and breathing on my shoulders amid the scorched rocks and the trees that had been beaten down by the wind and set on fire, I bowed my head to my master, Nero, who had trained me to this day.

"Don't say thank you, I don't deserve to be called a master in the first place."

"But......"

"It must have been your tireless training that you learned how to wear magic using only fragments of my teachings, and I have only made up for the shortcomings."

I devised my master's technique in my own way and came to learn it.

It wasn't a half-hearted path, but it was still far from master.

"For a short time, I've given you the skills you lack, and it's up to you to make the most of them."

However, after a battle in which I suffered a painful defeat, my master trained me for the first time in years.

To be honest, the wound from being slashed by Suzune, the hero of lightning, was very painful, but it was still more than worth it.

Above all, it was impossible not to be happy to be practicing from the master for the first time in a long time.

"As long as the brave man comes to this city, you have no choice but to fight as one of the fighting forces."

"Yes! I'm not going to let anyone go to the Demon Lord."

Heroes attack this city where the Demon King is located.

Three heroes and one healing wizard.

There are only a few of them, but no matter how many soldiers are bundled together, they are no match for them.

I am aware that I am only able to outdo my power, and the only thing I should do is fight to prevent the heroes from going to the Demon King.

「…… I absolutely have to protect the Demon King......."

I can't help but feel that I want to make up for the humiliation I had in the last battle.

However, he must make sure that the Demon King does not pose a danger beyond his own personal feelings.

「…… Master, I have one question for you, do you mind?"

"Oh, I don't care."

The master sits down on a nearby rocky outcrop.

I decided to ask what I wanted to hear after the last battle.

"Master still has the urge to fight...... Are you being held captive?"

「……」

The master was defeated by Rose.

His master's symbolic red magic sword was broken, and he was severely injured by her fist on top of it.

The wound healed quickly after the battle, but the master looked a little different than before.

The current master had lost the sense of constantly sharpening that he had before the battle.

"No, I don't have that anymore."

「…… May I ask why?"

The master wanted to fight Rose so much.

Was there something in that battle that would make that urge disappear?

"I guess I was satisfied with my fight with Rose, even though I only ended up losing my magic sword with a broken magic sword, being severely injured...... The attachment in me was almost gone."

In fact, I've never fought Rose.

I can only understand that its power is not half-hearted.

"He's already over the past, he saw my fight as just an obstacle."

「……」

"But now I think that's fine."

Sitting down, the master pulls out a sword from his waist in a scabbard.

Grasping the hilt and pulling out the blade slightly, he stares at the sword projected on him as he continues to speak.

"I was the one whose eyes were clouded with anger, and I deserved to lose when I relied on the power of the magic sword and was obsessed with it."

"You think losing the magic sword was the right thing to do?"

"At least that's what I think."

The magic sword that Master ——— was wielding was a curse that blocked the flow of magic in the injured area.

Once slashed by it, it is a powerful weapon that even healing and healing magic will have no effect.

"When I threw a sword at Rose, somewhere in my heart I knew I was going to win, and I let my guard down. It's a sad story, but it's safe to say that it woke me up."

Standing up, the master stands in front of a large boulder nearby and places his hand on the hilt of his sword.

Do you want to try it out? By the time he tried to follow his movements with his eyes, his master's sword had already been pulled out of its scabbard, and the tip of the sword was pointed at the ground as if it were weak.

"Sword, no matter which one you use, it doesn't change."

At the same time, the large boulder in front of the master shifted diagonally.

I couldn't help but be stunned when I saw the large boulder falling to the ground with a rumbling sound.

I couldn't even see the movement of the sword.

"Even if you don't rely on the magic sword, all living things will die if you slash them."

After saying this, the master sheathed his sword and turned his back on me.

"I'm back ———, you're an important force for the Demon Lord's army. Come back early and get some rest."

"Yes."

The master walks away from the place.

His swordsmanship, which is free of distractions, is now unrivaled.

The strongest in the Demon King's army--elated by the fact that his title is now unshakable, I take up my sword again.

「…… I'm going to train a little bit more."

I am a disciple of Nero Argen, the most powerful swordsman in the Demon Lord's army.

In order to live up to his name, he must become stronger than he is now, so as not to be defeated by the heroes who are coming to come.

___________________________________________

After being beaten by Rose, Nero came to his senses again.