The Hero Who Returned Remains the Strongest in the Modern World - Chapter 73

Side: Lela Sakaguchi

While receiving cuts I screamed from being irritated.

“Stop… Stop screwing around!”

Similarly, Abeno Kaguya dyed her shrine maiden clothes in blood from the cuts and tilted her head while being out of breath.

“Screwing around? What could you be talking about?”

“You’re more than equal to me who’s using Longinus. That alone is incomprehensible and yet… What the hell are you doing!?”

“What are you talking about?”

“Without even taking out your long katana or using your talismans… You’re going against me with just a short katana… Don’t look down on me!”

I put my feelings in my magical power and I’m pouring it into my magical clothes and longinus.

A red aura covers me and the overdrive gear once again increases my strength temporarily by 1 level.

“Overdrive! Gear change from the 4th rank: Archangel Dominions to the 3rd rank: Throne’s Ophanim! This is the highest gear I can do now!”

A violent torrent of power comes from the insides of my body that scares even myself.

It sharpens my reflexes to the utmost limit, everything around me seems like it stopped mid-way—In the delayed time I’m going to attack Abeno Kaguya.

“I see. Is this a higher class power of the magical angel clothes… Certainly it’s a speed worthy of surprise.”

Abeno Kaguya muttered that expressionlessly—- However, she repelled my Longinus thrust with her short sword.

“What kind of nonsense did you do in this short time to become this strong!?”

“Rather, why are you one year below me and strong at level 1. Your speed is slowly reaching the speed of sound, you know?”

I dodged her return slash and take distance from her with a step back.

“Do you understand that you can’t beat me anymore? Just quietly surrender.”

“Certainly, if you release your full power then you’re stronger than me. But the current you can’t beat me!”

“Oh my? What do you mean by that?”

“You’re using just a short blade that you’re not used to and not using your talismans or the long sword— I’m saying you can’t beat me!”

Full speed.

And Abeno Kaguya made a surprised expression.

“I saw your earlier speed. Sure it’s fast but I can deal with it enough… What is this!?”

“My angelic wings are not just for show!”

If I flap my wings then my speeds gets another boost and it changes into ultra-low altitude flying. (TN: A jet?)

“It’s impossible with just the short sword.”

And, Abeno Kaguya finally unsheated her long sword.

My spear lunged to Abeno Kaguya’s shoulder, and her katana swung to my nape of the neck.

—Draw.

Although I was holding back and aimed for her neck… This woman… She swung her katana precisely for my carotid artery.

A slash at roughly the same speed as my highest speed with using my wings.

Certainly I was hit, and the slash came at such a depth that it would surely cut my carotid artery and probably even half-way my neck.

As expected, even I don’t know whether my automatic self-recovery will be effective at this level of injury.

If I mess up… I’ll die.

And, Abeno Kaguya fell with a thud on the ground while her right shoulder was spraying blood like a fountain from being pierced.

And then I also was going to fall like a broken marionette… It didn’t happen.

I checked my neck that should’ve been sliced and there wasn’t a single wound.

I checked the katana that the fallen Abeno Kaguya on the ground was holding and I reflexively fell on my knees.

“Bamboo… sword?”

“Yeah, that’s right.”

There’s no edge, a bamboo sword with no killing potential.

This woman… She didn’t have any intention to kill me from the very start?

That’s why she used that short sword at the beginning…?

From Abeno Kaguya’s shoulder blood is gushing out without stopping.

The wound is not superficial. Blood loss will become threatening if the medical care is delayed or without automatic self-recovery.

I muttered tragically.

“I’m… sorry, sorry… for… doing… a cruel… thing…”

Even I know I’m pale.

Abeno Kaguya shook her left and right.

“Hey, Lela Sakaguchi? I don’t have many friends.”

“I know… that. What’s with this sudden topic?”

“You also don’t have many, right?”

“Yeah, that’s right.”

“But, I was able to make a friend, recently.”

“Is it Morishita Daiki?”

“No, she’s a cool girl called Lela Sakaguchi.”

“…Eh?”

“However, I’ll be delighted if you also thought of me as a friend”

Tears flowed from my eyes.

—-Sharp tongued.

—-Ill-natured.

—-On top of all that, she’s my rival in love.

I was annoyed from the bottom of my heart, because it wasn’t once or twice I thought about killing her.

But—-

“Unfair… You’re truly unfair…”

Abeno Kaguya’s words were more painful than having my heart gouged out by a sword.

“So, what will you do? Lela Sakaguchi?”

What to do or what should be done… It’s already decided, isn’t it?

I’m already crying greatly while shaking my shoulders in front of you, it’s already decided.

I can’t point my spear anymore to you…

Do you intend to make me feel more wretched than this?

How ill-natured are you.

“Hey, Abeno Kaguya?”

“What?”

“I don’t know what is okay to say at times like this.”

“You’re just trying to return to your own place. In that case, isn’t it fine saying I’m back?”

I nodded and while crying—- I made a strong smile and vigorously said.

“I’m back!”

“Yup. Welcome back.”

Abeno-senpai said that and made a gentle character unbefitting of her character.