These inferior species (zakos) are so annoying!

　The adventurers who swarmed together were blown away by Beltranga's blow.
　It's a good idea to have a good time with them.
　With their exhaustion, they are unable to keep up with Bertoga's movements even if they are coordinated.

''Tch ...... that monster,''

　Misha, who hadn't joined the battle lines and was tending to us, clicked her tongue.
　Her companions were also gritting their teeth as they watched.

''Elfi......, do you think you can use your magic eye?
'No, I can't. I'm struggling to maintain my body for a minute ......

　Things are bad.
　I'm a broken bone after the attack I just took.
　I put the dislodged shoulder back, but it's far from ten percent.

''Iori ...... By the way, didn't you have another potion in your pouch?
'...... That one is no good. It's useless. I've already used up all the ones I had.

　Right in front of me, I can see the adventurers being overrun.

'Shit ......'

　Bertoga is still the elite of the demon tribe, even if that is the case.
　He's not in the same league as Merwin's minions.
　Even if he was in a perfect state, it's impossible to fight and win in his current state.

''Uhhhh!''
''d*mn it, ......!
''Don't pull back ......!''

　Zorkin, who has taken off his armor, is firing fiercely, but Beltranga is playing all of them.
　Even the attack that took down the flaming dragon with a single blow can't reach Beltranga.
　There are a number of adventurers lying around who have been eaten by the golden rod.
　There might even be some deaths.

''Nope, not good at all.''
''What ......!''

　Bertooga sneered as he leisurely waved his golden stick around.

''Ario!　No elephant!　Rei!　Rarity, rarity, rarity, rarity!　I'm not in the same class as you guys!

　Bertoga's golden rod is swung around like a storm.
　It's not just a matter of time before you get to the point where you'll be able to get your hands on a new one.
　After all, those guys don't stand a chance.
　The only thing that awaits them is death.

"Ahhhh, I can't miss, can I?　

　The adventurers are blown away, and little by little, Beltranga is coming towards us.

This!　They're lowlifes!　This is just a way to buy time!　It won't do any good!

　It's just a minute away.

...... Iori-san, get out of here!

　With a click, Misha pulls his sword from its scabbard.
　Then she looks around for her companions.

We'll buy you some time. In the meantime, get out of the maze.
...... You guys are dying.

　Misha gives a huffy, twitchy smile.

'It was Iori-san and Elfi-san who healed my grandfather and gave me the money to fix up the shop.
　The two of them helped me and my friends many times before coming here.
　So let me return the favor here.

　So, what's that?
　You said it was because you saved me, and you wanted to repay me.
　All those words came from the guy who betrayed me.

How can you ...... throw your life away like that? Why don't you cut us off and not try to escape ...... you're not afraid to die, are you?
"I am afraid of dying. But...
I owe you a favor?　No matter how much you owe me, if your life is in danger, wouldn't you run away?

　Elfi listens in silence.
　Misha's friends are also silent.

That's part of it, though.

　Misha said, laughing.

'--I want to help, so I'll help. That's all.
Oh, .......

　It.
　It was a line I said when I was a hero and drunk on ideals.

Let's go ......!

　Misha, with his companions in tow, heads towards Beltranga.
　She doesn't look back, just straight ahead.

"Warcat?　Can't you see the difference between an ogre and a cat!

　With an agile move, Misha tossed Beltranga around.
　It's a good idea to have a good time with them.
　I'm not going to be able to get the same amount of magic from my friends.

　What should I do?
　That was when I hesitated like this.

''------''

　A noise runs through my vision with a zap.
　For a brief moment, I saw someone's back.
　It was a man with gray hair.
　His cloak was fluttering and he was standing as if he were standing against something.

　My vision quickly returned to normal.

''Huh.''

　I want to return the favor, help you.
　They came to me, and they betrayed me.
　They betrayed me because I was too blinded by my naive ideals to see what I was really about.

　I wanted to create a peaceful world, or protect the people I cared about.
　I still think it's silly.
　It's just hypocrisy to want to save people without seeing the reality.

　But...
　It's not the same as abandoning those people (・・・・・・) who are fighting for us right now and running away.

...... Okay.

　I pull out the jade tachi sword that Misha retrieved for me.
　With the arm that has finally been able to move, I take out the magic stone from the pouch.

''What do you plan to do, Iori?''
I know. There's someone out there to hurt us. Of course I'm gonna kill him.

　We let that a**h*le get away from us, we don't know when we're going to see him again.
　Then we should make sure we kill him here.

Then I'll do what I can.
Can you run to ......?
Idiot. He hit me with a metal club. How could you let him get away with it?

　Elfie says, narrowing his eyes.

'And besides, that man was there when I was sealed up. They were toying with the corpses of my men when Ortegia told them that your men were already dead. How could I allow that to happen?
...... Okay.

　We are not going to run away, we are going to fight.

◆

''Oooh-ooh-ooh-ooh!''

　Bertoga put magic power in his voice and released a roar.
　Misha and the rest of the group were hit head on by the volume that seemed to echo throughout the labyrinth.
　The companions lose consciousness and fall down in a heap.

''--ah.''

　By the time she recognized that, Misha's body was also leaning.
　The strength drained from her entire body and the ground gradually approached her.
　I could see a shadow pointing at my fallen self.

''Die, you trash!''

　Just before the gold bar swung at me.

'----'

　The black robes fluttered.
　Someone in between was catching Bertoga's goldenrod.

'Oh ......'

　Iori, who should have been let go, was there.

''You've wasted the efforts of those little fish, Amatsu.
...... I don't know.

　Iori and Bertooga strike with each other.
　As I thought, Iori can't match Beltooga with the current Iori.

　And yet.

Hero (Amatsu) ----

　Misha was losing consciousness.
　Iori's fighting form appeared to overlap with that of the legendary hero.

◆

The current me, you're a different class of person!

　Desperately brushing away the gold bar, I keep my distance from the adventurers.
　I'm sure that the adventurers look like nothing more than trash lying around.
　The fact that he was keeping his distance from them didn't seem to make Beltranga feel anything.

''I don't see that woman, she's escaped. Compared to that, you're so cool not to run away, Amatsu-san!　Are you still trying to be a hero?
......
"That hero is nothing like me now!　How dare he!
Shut up about it. ......

　"I'm not going to be able to say that I'm not going to be able to do anything about it, but I'm going to say that I'm not going to be able to do anything about it.
　In response to the attack on his vision, Beltranga swings his golden stick down in an irritated wind.

"Burning Wind (Flame Blast)!"
''Huh?''

　That shockwave became a hot wind that attacked and burned the skin.
　"I activated my Demon Sealer, but it broke through in a daze, and my entire body was scorched by the wind.
　It was so hot and painful that I even felt nauseated.
　I've now used up most of my remaining energy.

　But I smiled and challenged Bertoga.

The fact that you're talking in such a classy way, it's like you're responding to being discriminated against by the humans, isn't it?　That's an awful complex.
Oh, ......?
That's why you're going to be a great uncle who can only call you out for being an idiot.
''Ahhhhhh?!''

　Perhaps irritated by the name of Ritsu Uncle, Bertoga cleaved the golden rod with force.
　There is no aim or anything, just a forceful blow.
　I'm going to use the last of my strength to take it.

　He uses his momentum to blow backwards, letting the impact flow as far as possible.
　He rolled on the ground ineffectively.
　The pain is going to take care of itself.

'Ha ......!　You talk a big game, but in the end, you can't do anything about it!

　But it's all part of the plan.

Ah ......?

　In the next moment, the temperature in the labyrinth dropped a notch.
　The magic element that was floating around in the air is disappearing.

"Thank God for being an idiot!
No way. ......

　Bertoga turned his gaze to the back of the room with a bang.
　Out of the corner of his eye stood Elfi, holding a labyrinthine core in his hand.

''Why did you ......!　It should have disappeared from the room.
I don't have a lot of vision.

　While I was stalling for time, that guy was heading towards the labyrinthine core in his raw neck state, using the adventurers as a cover.
　The reason he kept his distance from the adventurers was also to hide it.

''Without magic, you can't do anything, can you? You could at least steal something, couldn't you?
Melee!
Iori, take it!

　Elfi throws the labyrinth nuke.
　Bertoga is on the move.
　I got blown up by that guy to catch the core.

　But...

I'm not going to be able to get out.　I'm faster than you!
"Huh. ......!

　Bertoga unleashed his magic and held up his golden rod.
　You're going to burn me with the entire labyrinth core ......!

"Go to hell, Amaaaaaaz!

　The flames are released, just before they do.

''--ah?''

　Bertoga's head exploded lightly.
　Someone had attacked Beltooga with magic.

"You scum ......

　When I look, I see Zorkin on the ground, with his arm pointed at Beltranga.
　With a look of willingness, he lost consciousness as it were.

'Shima----'
''Huh!''

　A moment after Beltransa was distracted by Zorkin.
　In the meantime, he received the labyrinth core.
　I squeezed the rainbow-colored shining thing and received the magic power.

　I'm not going to be able to get it back.
　The amount of magic power that could be used only increased from before.

　This is a gamble.
　Even if he got the labyrinth core, it didn't necessarily mean that he would be able to return enough power to defeat Beltranga.
　There's not much energy left in the body, and it's a bad bet.

　-- and yet I won that bet.

"d*mn it!

　Bertoga is going to release flames.
　The amount of magical energy contained in it is different from the past.
　Extreme flames.
　If it's wrapped up, it will definitely kill you instantly.

　That's why it's convenient.

----

　All the magic power he regained using the labyrinth core and a large amount of magical stones were used up in an instant to activate a single magic technique.

　The light envelops the jade taiji sword.
　He swung the taiji sword down as it was towards the oncoming polar flames.

''--"Magic Strike Reflection (Impact Mirror)."

　This is a reflex magic that doubles the power of an attack that is received and returns it to the opponent.
　It's one of the trump cards I used in my heroic days.
　Because it consumes an enormous amount of magic power, you couldn't use this magic even if it was degraded - but.

　In this moment when there is a boost of the labyrinth core, you can use it--!

　An enormous flame doubles in size due to the "magic reflex".
　And the one that the flames are headed for is Beltran.

I'm sure you've lost your magic!　How, how come ......

　Bertooga screams when he sees the reflected flames.
　He turns his voice inside out and calls out that it's impossible.

"It's a lie, it's a lie!　I'm not in the same class, rank, as you guys ......!
'Yeah,'

　Bertoga muttered in dismay as he looked at the bouncing flames.
　I agreed with that.


''--You're of a different class.''

　The next moment.
　A tremendous amount of heat enveloped Beltranga.

''Hiiiii!''

　Even a flame demon who was good at flames wouldn't be safe if he ate that many flames.

''Hot ...... hot!''

　Bertoga's exclamation echoed through the labyrinth.
　It's a good idea to be able to have a good idea of what you're looking for.
　Bertooga sprawled on the ground until the flames were extinguished.

'Ah ...... ah!'

　And yet, that guy is still not dead.
　He's lying on the ground, dying.
　Just the thing to kill you.

　--And now I will have my revenge.