CH 206

"O-onii-chan! It can't be true, Onii-chan!"

"Get back, Monica!"

I grab Monica's shoulders and throw her to the back of the room with all my might.

"Hmph!"

"Roar!"

The one who used to be Leon roars. He comes at me with his sword. But I was able to block the attack with my right sword.

"Tsk... this guy is using a sword! And this power...!"

"Roarrr!"

"Ggh...!"

I was pushed away by his tremendous physical strength and blown to the entrance of the room.

However, I did not have a roll on the floor. Instead, I brace myself in the air and land on the ground. At the same time, I activate my magic.

"Shadow Edge!"

My jet black blade is hurled at Leon.

The blade, filled with dark magic, tries to cut Leon's face, but just before it does, a white shield appears in front of him.

"Roar! Roarrr!"

"White shield! This guy can even cast spells!?"

What Leon cast was a light-attribute defensive spell.

And this light-attribute shield, which is the opposite of the dark-attribute shield, cancels out my jet-black blade.

"Swordsmanship and magic... this guy has inherited Leon's abilities even in this form!?"

Hmm? I seem to remember something.

Leon's current form... it looks a lot like the monster called 'Lycanthrope' that appeared in the game.

Lycanthropes were monsters born when adventurers who collapsed in a dungeon were contaminated by the dungeon's magical power.

The monster has no reason and attacks other adventurers.

Since the monster inherits the strength of its predecessor, the more powerful the person who became a monster, the more troublesome the monster becomes.

"Leon was turned into a monster by the dungeon core... is that what's happening?"

Indeed, dungeons are breeding grounds for monsters. The core, the centre of the dungeon, has the power to create monsters.

But... I didn't know it was possible to turn a human into a monster. That was not even supposed to be in the game.

And if it wasn't in the game, I didn't know how to deal with it. Nor did I know how to change Leon back to his original form.

"Tsk... this is the worst!"

"ROARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!"

I contorted my face as much as I could as I fought back against Leon slashing at me with his sword.

I had dived into the 'Abyss of Alteriore' to save Leon, but somehow I ended up fighting Leon.

What kind of fate could have brought us to such an event?

"Onii-chan, Onii-chan...!"

"ROARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!"

Monica shouted desperately, but Leon did not react. Maybe he has no ego left as a human being.

"Tsk... I don't know what to do..."

I had to make a choice.

To kill Leon, the monster, or not to kill him.

If I chose to be compassionate, I should keep him alive and find a way to save him.

After all, Leon is Monica's brother. He was the main character in the game I loved. We were never close, but we helped each other and competed with each other.

But Leon is a hero. His strength is extraordinary.

"His strength and speed have surpassed those of the last time we fought. Has he become stronger as a monster?"

Seriously, he's not an easy opponent to take alive.

Then there is only one thing to do.

"I will kill him... So don't blame me!"

I don't want to kill him aggressively, but I will crush him with all my might.

But when I do, I hope he lives, if possible.

Even though I had no idea what I was talking about... that's what I was going to do.

"Grr...!"

Perhaps sensing the seriousness of my murderous intent, Leon backed away as if frightened.

He shows a slightly frightened behaviour... but his eyes are still filled with the will to kill and the will to fight. It seems he has no intention of stopping fighting.

"I'm going to decide right now! Overlimit—"

I was about to invoke Overlimit, but I couldn't finish the sentence.

After all, a thin membrane sphere like a water bubble suddenly enveloped my surroundings.

"Aaaahh!"

"What is this!?"

I saw that not only me but also Aeris, Urza, Nagisa, and Monica were also covered by the membrane.

"Roar!"

Not only us, but Leon was also trapped in the sphere.

Leon hits the thin membrane with his sword, but it doesn't seem to break at all. It may look thin, but it seems to be as strong as steel.

"It can't be...!? A dungeon escape device. Is it a safety feature!?"

I once saw something similar in a video game.

It is an escape mechanism to let people out of the dungeon when the dungeon is destroyed.

It was supposed to be activated when the dungeon core was destroyed and the dungeon started to collapse...

"No way...!"

"Kuku..."

When I looked at the dungeon core, I saw that the four heavenly kings of the Demon King Army―Bolfeduda had thrust a dagger into the dungeon core.

The fierce general of the demon king smiles at me, then vomits blood from his mouth, and this time he dies.

"He's still alive...!? What a mess!"

The dungeon's safety system envelops us in a thin membrane barrier... but the landscape around us changes dramatically.

Our vision changes, and what appears before us is a pile of rubble and many people passing through it. We have been teleported outside the dungeon to the trading city of Alteriore.

"Aaaaahhh!"

"What!? Baskerville-san, where are you coming from!?"

"You guys...!?"

Ciel was on her butt and Melia was biting a piece of bread near us. Both of them were staring at us in surprise.

"You seem to have been blown outside... And what's going on?"

"For the time being, it seems that everyone is safe..."

Nagisa and Aeris looked around and tilted their heads.

Urza and Monica are a little further away. All of them seem to be safe. But...

"Leon...!?"

"Grrrrrrrrrrrrr...!"

Leon, who had also been teleported from the deepest part of the dungeon, was above our heads.

He flapped his wings on his back and flew through the air, looking down on us.

"That... No way, that's a lie?"

"Could it be... that's Leon-san!?"

Ciel and Melia are also astonished.

A friend who has changed. It is only natural to be shocked at the sight of a man with whom they had shared many hardships and even had affection for.

"ROARRRRRRRR...!"

"It's not good... it's a magic attack!"

"Onii-chan! Stop!"

A white magic circle appears behind Leon. It's a sign that an advanced light magic is about to be activated.

Still, Monica's voice doesn't reach him.

I tried to counteract it by casting a dark magic, but Leon activated his magic first. There's no time to stop now.

"Get down! Everyone, take cover...!"

"ROARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!"

A scream was followed by a roar.

Then, arrows of light rain rain down from above our heads. Numerous explosions erupt, blowing away the debris and sending up a curtain of dust.

Light Advanced Magic―Innocent Stardust

Leon unleashed a powerful magic, and merciless destruction rained down on the surrounding area.