The Branded Female Fencer

smiled.

「(I think we’re getting to know each other a little better.)」

But still, through this series of battles, Alfiris felt as if she became a little closer to Lisa.

＊＊＊

「Did we do it?」

「I don’t know.
But it’s a lot of damage, isn’t it? We’d better burn it to the ground without a trace.」

「Then prepare for that.」

Anorn and Albert are looking at the body of the Archfiend that has stopped moving.
Just because someone cut the body in half doesn’t mean it’s dead, but at least it doesn’t seem to be moving right now.
If that’s the case, Anorn instructed Albert and Alfiris to burn the body completely while it’s still alive.
Since the Arnelia Church sometimes deals with moving corpses(zombies), they carry a certain amount of fuel and holy water for cremation.
Tbis time, of course, they were prepared.

The luggage that was in the way of Albert’s slashing attack was placed in the shade.
When Albert and Alfiris turned their backs to the Archfiend to get the fuel in bag,

「! Not yet! Don’t be foolish, Alfie!」

From the direction where the Archfiend’s corpse was supposed to be, something that looked like arrows flew at Alfiris.
She was completely caught off guard and could not react to avoid them before turning around.

Lisa hugged her to protect but the lightweight Lisa could not push Alfiris down in time.
And then—

Boom! Bo-boom! Boom!

A sound that clearly pierced the flesh echoed dully.

「(Ehh…? I, am I dead…?)」

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But Alfiris felt no pain.
Fearfully, she opened her eyes ––

「No…way…」

Anorn was standing in front of them, facing behind as if she was protecting Alfiris and others.
There was something protruding from her body.

「…Anorn, I don’t remember you wearing this kind of equipment.」

「…You’re not hurt, are you guys?」

「Anorn!」

Alfiris comes back to herself at Lisa’s words.
She holds Anorn as she falls, but blood is spurting from Anorn’s mouth.

「I, can’t believe… this… *cough*」

Anorn is spitting out a lot of blood more.

「Anorn! Anorn! Oh, my God, I can’t stop the bleeding.
Alfie, what are you blubbering about! Stop the bleeding!」

「Why… why is this thing sticking out of Anorn’s chest?」

Several arrow-like objects are piercing her body, and there is an arrow sticking out from where her heart is.
This was… not going to save her.
Alfiris is calmly analyzing the unrealistic scene somewhere in her mind, while Lisa is in a complete frenzy of panic.

「I don’t care what it is, just get something to stop the bleeding quickly!」

「This is… a fatal wound, right…?」

「Alfie–!!」

「Why… You’re strong, Anorn, right…? Why…」

「Her pulse… her pulse is weakening rapidly… This is not…」

Lisa was doing her best to call out to Anorn, but her voice faded into the distance as if it were a distant world, and Alfiris’ eyes went dark.
She could see the figure of Albert re-holstering his sword, but it seemed as if it had happened in a dream.

「(Albert… where the hell are you pointing your sword at?)」

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And where Alberto’s sword was pointing…

The Archfiend had begun to regenerate, but not exactly.
Something flesh-like was crawling out from the two pillars that had been cut into rings.
Then it transformed into a human shape.

One of them had a large eye on what looked like its face.
On the other, small eyes appeared all over the body.
They all had one thing in common: a large mouth opening vertically in the middle of their bodies.
They also have five and six hands, respectively.
There are no fingers on the ends of the hands, but claw-like things groe irregularly.
And when their eyes recognized Alfiris and others, they started laughing and giggling.

「Alfiris-dono, we must retreat! Take Sister and hurry! I’ll buy us some time!」

「Get out of my way, Albert.」

「Alfiris-dono!」

「I said, get out of the way!」

At that moment, Albert felt a tremendous killing power coming from behind him, and he winced.
He had been holding a sword for about 20 years, and had already been on the battlefield for 10 years.
He had felt fear and cold sweat at times, but he had never once been stuck under pressure.
Albert was unable to take a single step, let alone look back.
And Alfiris walked leisurely forward beside him.

「You, did you do this to Anorn?」

The Archfiend and the others continued to laugh without answering the question in a voice so low and intimidating that it was hard ti believe it was from a woman.

「… Stop that annoying laugh!」

Alfiris shouted, and the air in the area trembled softly.
Even the Archfiend were surprised and stopped laughing.

「Even if I cut you in half, you won’t die… Okay, I’ll wipe you out without a trace.」

Alfiris utters a dark and deep voice that they have never heard before.
Then Alfiris tore off the sleeve of her right arm, revealing the spell mark underneath her clothes.
It wriggled and squirmed like a living organism, and at the same time, some kind of black liquid oozed out, forming a small jet-black puddle at her feet.
It resembled blood, but it was too black for that.

Alfiris, the sight of such a black thing (curse mark) writhing on a woman’s body was physiologically repulsive to Albert, who was watching.
But Alfiris didn’t care at all.
She was probably too angry to care anymore.

【Release】

With that one word, the words on her right arm appear in the air.

【The ancient seal that swore an oath to me, grant me power for the price of my flesh and blood.
The master of your pledge is Alfiris.
By her cause and law, devour all of my enemies!】

It then recombines in midair and returns to Alfiris’ right arm.
And then, from Alfiris’ body, a visible amount of magic power began to spill out.