Unfairly Fired From the Healer’s Guild After Five Years of Dedicated Service - CH 284

Episode 284 – One’s Own Shackles

Author’s Note: This chapter is from Ahmed’s POV.

I tossed my useless greatsword aside and brought both of my fists in front of my face as I adopted a fighting stance. Seeing me standing there empty-handed, the demon looked like it was certain of its victory as a nasty smirk spread across its face.

“Fufufu. You were always on the defense, and now even your weapon is broken. Admit defeat gracefully, and I’ll kill you painlessly.” (Demon)

“………”

Ignoring the demon’s nonsense, I devoted my thoughts to determining how I would attack and defeat it as I slowly closed the distance.

“All you had going for you was bravado, and now you won’t even speak. How boring,” the demon muttered, retracting its disgusting smile. It stuck its hand out and began to summon a black cluster of magic power. It licked its lips as it used the same technique as before.

As soon as I saw this cluster of magic power, I thought of dozens of ways I could dodge it, but…

“Die.” (Demon)

With a single word, it fired off the cluster of magic power. At that moment, I channeled magic power into both of my fists and threw a right straight punch that collided with the flying cluster of magic power. I drove the right straight in with a twist, instantly dispersing the cluster of magic power.

The demon’s eyes shot open. As a look of astonishment flashed across its face, I immediately dashed in, closing the gap.

It didn’t seem to have expected that I would easily dissolve the cluster of magic power head on. In a panic, the demon summoned a sword out of magic power and swung it down at me as I charged in.

―But something like a sword formed from magic power couldn’t block my fists.

Just like with the cluster of magic power, my fist perfectly met the magic power sword, shattering it at the root.

The bastard who had mocked me for being unarmed just a moment ago was now unarmed, and I wanted to savor his expression, but… I held myself back and first slammed my left fist into the demon’s gut. It was a clean hit, causing the demon’s body to crumple forwards. I drove a right uppercut into the chin of the demon, whose head was protruding forward from the impact.

In the end, demons also had brains inside of their skulls, and my right hook seemed to cause its brain to bounce about jarringly in its skull. The demon collapsed to its knees, its entire body shaking and twitching.

Holding down my sadistic urges, I didn’t even catch my breath and immediately followed up.

I delivered a kick to the face of the demon, who had collapsed its knees, and I then climbed on top of it, placing my knees on its shoulders to pin it down. From there, I began to single-mindedly drive my fists into its face.

“Sorry to catch you off guard like this. Actually, I’m at my strongest when I’m bare-handed. Using a greatsword is something like a shackle I place upon myself, you see.” (Ahmed)

I spoke to the demon as I repeatedly clobbered its face, which had already become nearly unrecognizable as a face, but of course, it didn’t respond.

…Sure enough, it’s not really interesting to keep fighting when it’s like this.

Revealing your own trump card and making them aware of it, then overpowering them with an even greater strength. That was exactly how you could make an opponent experience the greatest despair.

When you absolutely have to win, like in this case, you have to decide the game by surprise.

After pummeling the demon with dozens of fists while thinking about this and that, the demon finally stopped twitching and died. I slowly got to my feet.

As I walked over to Smash and Dion, who were striking a triumphant pose behind me, I glanced at the giant serpent that was waiting behind the demon. I had been on the lookout the whole time, wondering when it was going to attack, but that jet black giant serpent was completely still as it watched the demon die.

Was it just being faithful to the demon’s order to ‘stay at the back’, or did the giant serpent leave it to die of its own will?

Judging by the amount of pressure it was giving off, the giant serpent was overwhelmingly stronger than the demon.

Even though we killed the boss of the enemy, I couldn’t rejoice because of the presence of the giant serpent. But if there were no signs that it was going to act against us, I didn’t want to mess with it.

“”

Under ordinary circumstances, I would have wanted to have a go with the giant serpent, but due to fighting battle after battle, I could smell the stench of death coming from me as well.

“You did it! I knew you couldn’t lose if you gave it your all from the start!” (Dion)

“So, is the demon dead?” (Smash)

“Yeah. I completely clobbered that demon to death.” (Ahmed)

“The demon, huh…? That serpent behind it hasn’t moved a muscle. It’s still alive, isn’t it?” (Dion)

“You can tell by the pressure it’s giving off. We should get out of here before it makes a move. If we fight it in this state, we might actually end up dead.” (Ahmed)

They seemed to comprehend the strength of the serpent and the danger of the situation, and they immediately started nodding their heads so hard in agreement that I thought their heads might fall off.

With the two of them in tow, we turned around to leave for the entrance of the forest, but―

Something was standing behind us with a big smile on its face. It hadn’t been there when I walked away from the dead demon and was making my way back to Smash and Dion.

Even I, whose five senses were all very keen and who even had a refined six sense, hadn’t noticed it. Moreover Smash, who had reached the upper limits of experience with enemy detection, hadn’t detected it. This mysterious monster had somehow gotten behind us without us knowing.

It looked similar to the demon that I’d just beaten to death, but it was clearly taller and, in addition to having horns, also had a tail.

Most likely, this guy was also a demon.

…Either way, it was giving off seriously dangerous vibes.

“Who the hell are you?!!” (Ahmed)

“I thought it was strange that Baalius didn’t contact me, but… who would’ve thought that he’d been killed?” (???)

“Hey! Don’t ignore me! Answer my question!” (Ahmed)

There was no hostility in the demon’s smile, and it spoke in a pleasant and polite tone.

It passed right by us, without us having even moved a step due to its sudden appearance, as if nothing had happened and walked over to the demon that I had beaten to death.

And in the next moment, when I thought it was about to grieve the death of the demon…

“What would you have done if I hadn’t noticed your defeat and that my plan was ruined?! I left Yuharaham with you because you were weak, and now you go and die without my permission? Huuuh?!” (???)

The demon’s expression made a complete turnaround from the kind smile it had earlier. As it shouted and vented its anger, it repeatedly stabbed the corpse of the demon with the blade on the tip of its tail.

My anger at being ignored was blown away by the abrupt change in its demeanor, and I found my eyes transfixed by the absolutely bizarre scene taking place before me.

I was pretty crazy, but this demon was even crazier.

“―Pheeew… I apologize for losing my composure for a moment there. I am an Executive in the Demon King’s Army. My name is Kronak.”

After repeatedly stabbing the corpse until it was just an unrecognizable, bloody lump of flesh, the demon who had called himself Kronak suddenly turned back around to face us and smiled kindly, politely greeting us as it wiped off the blood on the blade of its tail with a handkerchief.

I had sensed the strangeness of his actions and speech, but this was an Executive of the Demon King’s Army.

I thought that the demon I’d just killed was an Executive…

The demon Kronak was emitting an even more dangerous aura than the serpent that was standing in the back. Cold sweat dripped down my face, but I took a step forward and resolved myself to kill this demon.