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Chapter 57 Part 2

Sybilla-san has completely blocked all of the Blue Gigantes attacks that are coming from my blind spot, and most importantly, all of the offensive magic coming from the floor boss.

It seems it’s the nature of the floor boss to prioritize attacking with long-range magic until I got too close to the Blue Gigantes that are near it, but looks like this has backfired.

Because this way, even if I rush at the smaller Blue Gigantes and defeat them all, the floor bosses won’t come at me.

 

And like me… Russell is still fighting.

Just now, me and Russell are doing the same thing in sync.

I couldn’t help but feel happy about it.

 

「Eeeiii——!」

 

With a full-spirited shout, I swung down my sword at the Blue Gigante, cutting through its armor.

Now that the Blue Gigante’s armor feels more fragile than wooden armor for me, and with muscles weaker than the monsters in the middle layer, it was no match for me.

 

After that, I began to steadily defeat the Blue Gigantes by cutting off their arms and splitting their body in half.

After I had defeated ten of them, the stone wall on the side collapsed, and I saw Russell’s figure out of the corner of my eye.

 

「……Wow, that’s amazing.」

 

I looked at his surroundings and Russel, who seemed to have defeated seven of them, said so while looking in my direction.

 

He must have muttered that when after seeing how many Blue Gigante I had defeated.

…It was Russell himself who gave me the power to cut through their armor when I couldn’t even do that until just a moment ago, but Russell didn’t even consider such a thing as important.

He just looks at my results and praises me for it.

 

The power of dark magic is important to Russell, it played a crucial role in shaping him to be the man he is today, who was once couldn’t play an active role.

And despite that, he’s willing to share that very power with me.

 

——And for that, Russell’s figure appears so dazzling to me.

 

『Guuooaaahhhhhh——!』

 

When the last stone wall is destroyed, a gigantic Blue Gigante appears in its place.

It’s the size of three… no, I’d say four times the size of a normal Blue Gigante. With a size that big, I’m more afraid of getting kicked rather than punched.

 

「All right, since we’ve already defeated the others, the rest should be easy! We’ll completely beat this one!」

 

Hearing the ever-reliable Sybilla-san’s declaration, Russell and I responded simultaneously and turned to the enemy.

 

「《Abyss Nail》!」

 

Russell’s dark magic penetrated the floor boss from below.

The magic that appeared as black claws pierced the monster, but rather than penetrating the flesh directly, it seemed to chip away its health.

It greatly scratched the surface and several cuts appeared all over its body. It’s a formidable magic even against floor bosses.

 

The floor boss turns toward Russell and prepares to attack him as magic starts to manifest in its hands.

Of course, I’m not going to let that happen!

 

「I won’t let you lay your hands on Russell!」

 

I leap forward with my shield at the floor boss, who redirected its magic at me!

Guh, as expected of the attack of the lower layer floor boss! I couldn’t completely block it even with my high defense power!

But… that’s all the more reason I can’t let such a painful attack hit Russell!

 

「Get blown awayyyyyy!」

 

Remembering the feeling of being hugged by Russell earlier (just what kind of embarrassing skill this is really!), I punched the floor boss’ hand!

When my skill hit it, its arm was pushed back with incredible force.

 

This created a chance I wouldn’t miss.

 

「Just like this…!」

 

I leaped at the upper body of the floor boss and swung my sword down to slice it through from its right shoulder!

Although the difference in size is too great to cut it off completely, the sword that Russell had enhanced with dark attribute for me was able to mercilessly slice through the armor of even the fully-armored Blue Gigante.

 

As its left arm approached angrily to grab me, I landed at the Blue Gigante’s shoulder and swung my sword at the approaching hand!

Three of the Blue Gigante’s fingers flew into the air, and its forearm was severed up to its elbow, making it no match for me anymore.

 

With my shield fastened to my upper arm and my sword I hold with both hands, I thought of Russell.

 

『This time, let me save you… from your own heart.』

 

I became Russell’s shield to atone for the six months of all the bad things I’ve done.

If this was a loan, I intended it to be a one-sided loan that did not need to be returned.

 

Despite that, Russell was still concerned about the fact that I had always put myself in danger to protect him.

That’s why he said those words.

 

My desire… It’s nothing more than my own selfish ego.

I don’t want Russell to get hurt. I want to protect Russell. That’s why I want to become stronger.

Although it may sound like a devotion, I’m aware that this desire comes from my selfish ego. After all, I have never treated Russell like he’s a strong boy who can protect himself, aren’t I?

That’s why I tried my best and worked hard so that at the end of that hard work, I would be able to protect Russell. This was something that I must do… what I wanted to do.

 

…But, Russell gave me what I lacked.

Russell gave me the power to protect him.

Russell knew that this would save me.

 

And that is, more than anything else.

More than anyone else.

A proof that he knows me better… even than I know myself.

 

——Realizing that fact, an incredible sense of happiness is welling up inside me.

 

Because in my mind, Russell easily surpassed the prince in the story that Jannet often told me.

 

「——Haaaaaaaaaaaaa!!」

 

I shouted as I swung my sword with all my might, and let it sink into the floor boss’s neck, where it went in without resistance and severed the head from the body.

The force of my slash sent the floor boss’s head flying high into the air, where it hit the dungeon’s ceiling with a thud, before falling into the midst of the pile of Blue Gigant corpses.

When a voice echoed in my head, that’s when I was sure that I had won.

 

Suddenly, the ground below my feet starts shaking.

 

……Oh, right!

Now that I think of it, I’m still on top of the floor boss’ shoulder, aren’t I!?

There’s no way that its body would still be standing when I just decapitated the head!

 

「Uwooahh…!?」

 

“Ah, I won’t be able to land properly at this rate”, I thought to myself as I lost my footing and free-falling from the floor boss’ shoulder.

Well, I’m a Holy Knight, so falling to the ground isn’t going to hurt me, anyway——.

 

——That’s what I was thinking, so I let my guard down.

Well, that’s just how I am I guess, always letting my guard down at the very last moment.

 

Because I’m always like this… I got caught in unexpected moments when I was least mentally prepared.

 

「Are you alright?」

 

Russell’s face is so close.

I mean, it was only natural his face was this close, as I instantly knew what was going on.

Because I had fantasized about this situation a million times.

 

I’m being princess-carried by Russell.

 

「Awa, hawawa, hawawawa…」

 

「……Looks like you’re doing fine. Can you stand?」

 

「I, I caaan’t… my leg is about to give up.」

 

「Seriously…? Well, one healing magic should fix you up right away, but—- what is it, Sybilla?」

 

When I looked over, I saw Sybilla-san putting her finger on Russell’s mouth while shaking her head with a dissatisfied look.

Ah, I know that look.

That’s the look that says, 『You’re using healing magic in this situation? You’re really a helpless, dense bastard who knows nothing about romance, aren’t you?』.

Because I have the same feeling as her right now.

 

「Good grief… oh well. Anyway, Emmy-chan, good job back there.」

 

「…T-Thank you…」

 

My heart was still in a mess from being princess carried by the person I had dreamed of doing it to me the most, but I somehow managed to squeeze out a reply.

 

……I know I’m not a princess.

Now that I’m a grown-up adult, I also know that Russell isn’t some prince either.

 

However.

 

「Russell, can we… stay like this for a little bit longer?」

 

「I don’t mind. Your armor is heavy, as expected, but with the blessing I have and my healing magic, even a healing mage like me can do this much surprisingly easily.」

 

Thank goodness… we can stay like this for a bit longer.

I thought as I buried my face into Russell’s chest and held him as tightly as I could.

 

I’m a Holy Knight, not a princess.

So it doesn’t matter if the other person isn’t a prince.

 

…No, that’s not it.

 

I don’t need a prince.

The one I want to stand by my side is… right.

A Saint will do just fine.

 

——After all, I have 『The Black Kite Saint』 with me.

 

Thank you, Russell.

My only savior.