I Obtained the Final Boss' Power

Desertersqq (2)

'What is with this girl?'

Dorre was startled by the appearance of an opponent his curses did not affect.

He had been abandoned by his parents the moment he was born with a curse within him.

Back then, he hadn't understood why.

All he could do was nurture a grudge against the world as he grew.

It was only natural that Dorre ended up involved with demonkin and dark magic organizations.

Because of his curse, the only places he could belong were those in the shadows.

The curse that had plunged his own life into the abyss.

But now, that curse was Dorre's greatest weapon.

By combining it with archery, he was able to shoot arrows imbued with various curses.

The number of people he had killed with those curses had reached three digits.

It was unfortunate for the lives lost, but what could he do?

That was his life.

'Up until now, not one person hit by my curse survived.'

It had been the same when he was captured by the 7th Legion.

Since the curse even worked on monsters, he was able to rack up tremendous achievements inside the fortress.

The soldiers couldn't approach him.

As long as his eyes were open, the curse persisted.

Only the officers who had rendered him unconscious with torture had been able to approach and neutralize his curse.

But now, even their spells were ineffective.

'It's all thanks to "those guys".'

He had met them after escaping from the 7th Legion.

Even now, their strange skin hadn't changed.

Currently, at their request, he was supposed to kidnap the Princess.

He had thought it would be easy, since spells wouldn't work on them.

"What the hell are you?"

Dorre recoiled in shock at the sight of Rio.

But Rio simply tilted her head in curiosity and asked,

"So this is a curse, huh."

At that moment, as Rio calmly gazed at the curse, the entirety of the curse Dorre had unleashed with all his strength began to be absorbed by her.

"Wh-What...!"

Once again, dorre was appalled.

His proud weapon, his curse, was being completely absorbed by just a girl.

His fellow deserters, albrew and Malena, widened their eyes as well.

"That's...."

And even Princess Estelle couldn't conceal her surprise.

Four years ago, when she had once been captured by the demonkin, Estelle had been rescued by Rio.

The scene of Rio absorbing all the curses the demonkin had placed on her back then was something she could never forget.

"Hic... hic...."

"Estelle. Are you scared?"

"No, Your Majesty."

The Emperor embraced her gently as he asked, but Estelle replied cheerfully.

"It just... reminded me of old times."

"What are you spacing out for!? Dorre, get out of the way!"

Just then, albrew gripped his dagger and instantly moved behind Rio.

The moment he tried to slash at Rio's neck, something flew and blocked his blade.

[These guys will make a good test subject.]

[What do you think, Silia? Can you do it?]

The Bloodline twin blades that had blocked the dagger spoke up.

Albrew was startled, but Silia, gripping the Bloodline blades, replied,

"It's not 'can you do it', it's 'I have to'."

Silia's expression shone with confidence.

Sensing something unusual in her demeanor, albrew leaped back and began casting magic.

The ground morphed and giant spikes jutted out.

It was earth-elemental magic—and if used to its fullest, he could even create hills or mountains on the spot.

[He's got quite some skill with magic for an assassin.]

[But so what.]

Silia drove both blades of the Bloodline into the ground.

The wisdom of a great mage contained in the blades analyzed the magic applied to the earth thoroughly.

Just as the spikes aimed at the Emperor tried to rise from the ground, the blades, having finished their analysis, dispelled the magic.

"What?"

Albrew was shocked as all the earth magic he had activated was nullified.

[To think you'd try to take me on with magic.]

One of the twin blades boasted proudly.

"So, magic doesn't work, huh?"

He didn't know how it worked, but magic was useless.

Realizing this, albrew gripped his dagger and charged.

Moving at a speed that whipped up a massive gust—fast enough to behead a hundred people in a second—he feinted towards Silia, then abruptly redirected toward the Princess and the Emperor.

'What fools!'

They'll never see it coming.

Using the powerless royals as hostages meant certain victory.

Or so he believed.

'Huh?'

His body suddenly wouldn't move.

Was he paralyzed?

No, his body was being involuntarily pulled toward Silia.

"They've faced plenty of soldiers like you. Whenever they get the chance, they take a hostage and demand to be released."

The sword, imbued with Frederick's spirit and shining with aura, was generating a powerful gravitational force.

"So moves like yours are plain as day."

"Tch!"

But Albrew's assessment was swift.

Even as he was pulled, he didn't panic—he targeted Silia immediately.

Silia, as if expecting it, raised the twin blades and took her stance.

Clang!—

Their blades and dagger met in a cross, and after the sword echo, blood splattered in the air.

"Gah!"

Albrew's dagger shattered.

Simultaneously, a deep wound opened on his chest and he collapsed to the ground.

"When did you...?"

He was shocked as he realized Silia had moved faster than him.

Just as he thought it was over, a wire suddenly blocked the space between Silia and Albrew.

"How annoying!"

Around Silia, black wires were strung like a spider's web.

A single unsteady movement, and their bodies would touch the wires.

"Just try to move."

Malena smiled as she spoke.

Suddenly, a fly buzzing around near the ground fell, having barely brushed the wire, and was cut in half.

If Silia even flinched, she'd end up like the fly.

"Huh?"

At that moment, the sharp wire began to turn to dust.

As it finally disappeared, Silia was free to move again.

"Why do you fight with thread instead of a sword, lady? Are you doing some sort of puppet show?"

Pram, fiddling nonchalantly with a wire, spoke blithely.

For most, even touching the wire would sever a limb, but in Pram's hands, it simply disintegrated into dust.

"How can this be...!"

Malena scowled at the sight.

It was said to be a special kind of wire, completely immune even to magic.

Yet this girl could turn it to powder as if it were nothing.

"Looks like I have to deal with you myself, auntie?"

Recognizing her advantage in the matchup, Pram approached Malena.

"Who're you calling auntie! You little brat, still wet behind the ears!"

Wires rained from the sky like needles.

They looked impossible to block with any form of magic.

But Pram didn't even try to defend herself.

She simply unleashed her great devil's magic in all directions.

"Would you quit playing cat's cradle!"

Once again, the wires all crumbled to dust.

"Damn it!"

Sensing danger, Malena enveloped herself in aura to defend, but even so, she could barely keep herself together.

As her vitality was steadily drained, she finally fell to her knees.

"Ugh!"

She couldn't hold out much longer.

Magic that could turn a designated target to dust—she had never seen such a thing.

"Maybe it's time to test out the magic I've been developing."

As Pram stretched out her hands, a black sphere formed between her palms.

The ominous orb kept growing, drawing in air.

It even sucked in the light, distorting the very space itself.

"A black hole."

Pram had been researching the great devil's power to turn things to dust.

With considerable talent, despite the chaos, she'd managed to adapt it as a new magic.

'Of course, young master gave me some tips.'

In the end, Pram had succeeded.

She had never found a worthy target before, but now, it seemed her chance had come.

"Bye-bye~"

The expanding black sphere began to consume everything.

As she hurled it at Malena, it tore bone and flesh apart, echoing with screams.

"Kyaaaaaaaaah!"

The black hole, generating a fierce gravitational pull as it shredded Malena, persisted for about ten seconds.

Then, slowly shrinking, it disappeared from the world forever.

"M-Malena...!"

Albrew, witnessing it, gaped in shock.

"Do you want to end up like that, old man?"

"..."

When Pram smiled menacingly at him, albrew fell silent.

His injured body wouldn't even let him think of escape.

Now that he was in this state, and with only Dorre remaining—he couldn't rely on him, either.

"Die!!"

Dorre fired a volley of arrows, but Rio deflected them all.

Occasionally, some targeted the Emperor and Estelle, but Rio's blade blocked those as well.

"Damn it!"

No matter how many arrows with curses he fired, they had no effect on Rio.

Normally, even if deflected, the curse would claim a life—but this girl was completely fine.

"Hey, weren't you supposed to be strong, mister?"

At her question, dorre boiled over with anger.

"Are you a one-trick pony, just pouring everything into your curses? Then you're in for a bad matchup."

If there was compatibility, it was obvious she had the upper hand.

With a regretful shake of her head, Rio quickly slashed her blade.

"Huh?"

Dorre's arms, which had been holding the bow, disappeared.

At the same time, his curse weakened, and his consciousness began to fade.

"Haaa..."

Rio let out a sigh as she quietly swung her blade once more.

Dorre's head dropped to the ground as Rio puffed up her cheeks and complained to Louis.

"People who were said to be the best in the fortress are really too weak, aren't they?"

Weak, huh.

Upon hearing this, Louis shook his head internally.

'You're the one who got stronger.'

Based on the battles so far, the guys Pram and Rio just defeated could easily have been called the fortress's greatest fighting force.

If this had happened four years ago, would Rio and Pram have been able to take them down so easily?

'Impossible.'

Rio and Pram were now on a completely different level from before.

In fact, it would now be almost impossible to find their equal within the Imperial Court.

"Heh heh heh... What fools."

Just then, albrew, slumped on the ground, sneered mockingly.

"If you think we're the only deserters, you're gravely mistaken!"

Even as he said it, the Emperor and Estelle sensed a presence behind them.

They tried to turn around, but it was already too late.

A masked assailant grabbed both of them at once with one arm, and held a blade in the other.

'This is it!'

Holding the blade to their throat, the hostage situation was set.

Albrew, feeling hope for survival for the first time, was suddenly interrupted.

Slash—

The instant the assailant brought the blade to their necks, his own head dropped to the ground.

He'd attacked and taken hostages with speed no one could have anticipated.

Unless one knew ahead of time or could see the future, it was absolutely impossible to respond.

"You think I don't know?"

But Louis swung his blade calmly and spoke.

His senses had already detected the assailant's presence, making it possible.

"Well, at least you're the only one left. I have a few things I need to ask."

Louis questioned the trembling Albrew.

"How did you activate your spells and remain unscathed? And who ordered you to capture the royal family?"

Albrew's heartbeat pounded frantically.

Mentally paralyzed by fear, he finally opened his mouth, knowing he had no other options.

"It was the demonkin. The moment we deserted... we met the demonkin. With their help, we learned a way to nullify spells."

"Demonkin?"

He realized he had momentarily forgotten their existence.

Albrew continued.

"The demonkin... said something big happened to the World Tree. I even heard about their plan...."

BOOM!!!—

In the middle of his sentence, albrew suddenly exploded.

It seemed he had been rigged to detonate upon uttering certain key words.

'He didn't even realize he'd blow up himself?'

Louis sensed instinctively that new enemies would soon emerge.