The ice spears hit the monsters, shattering the impacted parts gruesomely. The force was like a javelin hurled by a mighty warrior or a lance thrust from a mounted knight, instantly fatal if it hit the head and devastating wherever else it struck. It was a terrifying display of magical power.
"Heeheeheehee!"
Saffron, lacking projectile weapons, engaged in close combat. Her agility made it seem like no handicap at all. Wielding the twin swords of the Vacuum Blade in a reverse grip, she darted around the monsters - no, she leapt along walls and ceilings - slicing through the monsters in passing, severing heads and limbs in a blur. Even without using invisibility, it looked as though the monsters were being sliced apart by an unseen force.
It was a horrifying sight. Humans capable of instantly killing these powerful monsters, displaying a beastly strength that seemed beyond human capabilities. To any onlooker, it was clear: these were beings of monstrous power.I involuntarily swallowed hard, not expecting such a terrifying sight.
The scene of a group intent on destroying the world being vanquished by those aiming to protect it.
The spectacle of fearsome monsters being slain by noble heroes.
To me, it appeared as the most frightening scene in the world.
After that, I walked through the dungeon, following Holly's guidance without thinking about anything else. Or rather, I became incapable of thinking. Every monster we encountered was utterly annihilated by Iris and Saffron. And with each encounter, their proficiency visibly increased.
Iris’s ice conjuring increased in quantity and speed. Saffron's movements became even more agile, leaving afterimages. In other words, as they kept encountering and killing the monsters, they were rapidly becoming stronger.
Thinking about it, it seemed almost natural. Catreya, having used a saintly sword for over fifteen years, was adept in its use. Her mastery over setting and detonating bombs, even though she had never used them before, was exceptional, as was the quantity she could set and the power of the exploshions.
However, Iris had almost no real battle experience with her Ice Sword. Her recent defeat and capture by Cinelaria was practically her first battle. Saffron, despite being a seasoned assassin at only fourteen, hadn't been in possesshion of her saintly sword for long. Neither of them were accustomed to handling their saintly swords.
But now, they were becoming accustomed. They were beginning to understand the characteristics of their weapons and their bodies were adapting accordingly. As a result, their combat abilities were increasing by the moment.
I walked with these two, unable to look directly at them. The monsters they killed vanished into thin air the moment they died, leaving no trace. Hence, there wasn’t a single drop of blood on either of them. Although they weren’t in a state that made me want to avert my eyes, I couldn't help but feel differently.
What they were doing was right. At least, it should be considered right for those who possessed saintly swords.As I continued to delve deeper into the dungeon, eliminating the monsters within and making progress, I was struck by the realization that what we were doing was far more righteous than waging wars using the saintly swords. After all, we were acting to prevent human casualties.
Yet, despite this, I couldn't help but feel uneasy.
I cautiously observed Iris and Saffron, who were walking behind me.
To my surprise, they were both smiling. Not just Saffron, but even Iris had a smile on her lips. They seemed to be enjoying themselves. No, they were definitely having fun. The act of relentlessly killing creatures they knew they could defeat and becoming stronger with each repetition must have been exhilarating for them. They didn’t feel any guilt in killing these monsters, these beings against whom such an act was deemed necessary and justified.
This was a noble act, beneficial for the world and humanity. If the monsters were to break out of the dungeon, ordinary humans would be mercilessly ravaged. Our current actions were undoubtedly justified.
However, I couldn’t shake off a nagging thought - it almost felt like the monsters existed solely to teach those who possessed the God Swords how to use them effectively. The fact that they effortlessly killed humans and seemed to be inexhaustible suggested a deliberate design to divert attention from this realization.
Resigned to the situation, I continued to lead the way. After all, showing any leniency to the monsters would mean my immediate death. Without Iris and Saffron, I would have been killed instantly. They weren’t doing anything wrong. That was an absolute certainty.
"By the way, Holly," I said, ignoring the fact that talking to her made me look like I was speaking to myself. Iris and Saffron were the only ones who could see me talking, after all. "The monsters Iris and Saffron are killing vanish without a trace, but what about the ones we saw with Cinelaria, like the dragon zombie... What's up with that?"
Holly explained, "The Underworld Sword Adamas doesn’t cause the bodies of slain monsters to disappear. Other God Swords are designed to annihilate the creatures of the Devil King's lineage, but the Underworld Sword is an exception as it was made for subjugating and utilizing defeated monsters."
"So, does that mean Cinelaria personally killed those creatures like the dragon and the horde of monsters?"
"Most likely. The Underworld Sword significantly enhances the user's physical abilities to allow for this, requiring a higher level of aptitude from its wielder. It's one of the saintly swords with top capabilities in actual combat."
"So we have a formidable saintly sword wielder as our enemy..."
"Yes. Though we have a numerical advantage, Cinelaria, with that saintly sword, poses a threat we can't afford to underestimate."
As I had this serious discusshion with Holly, Saffron remarked from behind, "Hey, Iris... Crow's been mumbling to himself for a while now. Should we just leave him be? He might be going crazy from fear."
From an outsider’s perspective, that’s how my one-sided conversation with Holly appeared."That's Holly he's talking to," Iris explained.
"Holly? Is that Crow's imaginary girlfriend?"
"Imaginary girlfriend? What are you talking about?"
"You know, a fictitious girlfriend that Crow created in his imagination to console himself for his lack of romantic success."
"That's not it... Even you're going too far. It's not a sickness or a figment of his imagination. Crow is talking to a spirit named Holly. You've heard Shion talking to herself, haven't you?"
"Ah, that... You mean to say that was actually..."
"Yes. Shion is talking to Holly. Holly is a spirit residing in the Holy Light Sword."
"Is that really true?"
"I didn't believe it at first either. Crow can talk to Holly, which is how he knew where Shion was."
"So, the saintly sword techniques that even Cattleya didn't know about were taught to him by this Holly..."
At that moment, Saffron suddenly moved away from Iris and approached me closely.
"Hmm, interesting."
She entwined her arm with mine as she spoke.
"What's up with this?"
"Why can't we see Holly? Is it just me, or can Iris and Cattleya see her too?"
"No, as far as I know, only Shion and I can see her... for now, at least."
"Why's that?"
"Holly can only be seen by the hero."
"Really? And why can you see her? Are you a hero, Crow?"
"No, I'm not..."
As I became increasingly uncomfortable with Holly's gaze and Iris's watchful eyes from behind, I tried to shake Saffron off, but she was surprisingly strong, and I couldn't.
"So, if a spirit that only the hero can see is visible to you, what does that make you?"
"I don't know..."
"Why can Holly be seen by you?"
"I told you, I don't know..."
"Hmm, you really don't know, huh..."
As she said this, Saffron detached herself and started walking next to Iris again. However, she left me with a thought-provoking statement.