Chapter 88

Edited: Shiro

Eva’s body had translucent chains wrapped around her body, which appeared from the ground .

The chains were screaming and wailing in a spooky tone .

“Why must it be skeletons out of all things… . ”

“Aah… . . Aaaah!!”

The skeletons were connected to the chains . The lower half of the body is missing, and the body and head are covered with iron collars, which makes a rattling noise .

As if making fun of me, it opened its mouth and rattled its teeth, but it ain’t that scary .

“And why are there so many of you……!”

What’s more, they are multiplying like crazy from beneath the ground, around Eva’s body .

There’s approximately 20… . ? Some have their heads sticking out of the ground, but they don’t seem to be coming out any further .

“Give up that body of yours and be captivated by us . Oh brothers, arise, be released, and feast . ”

“They’re coming!”

The skeletons floating around Eva rush towards me .

Forming a stance, I thought, will I be able to even inflict damage to them?

“Let’s punch and find out!!”

It’s the same situation with the Wicked Dragon .

We won’t know until I try to punch the other person .

I protrude a fist into one of the skeletons that rushed in first, and it was a direct hit into the skull .

[Aa————-Kihi kyaha . ]

“Hm… . ”

Receiving a direct hit from my first, its forehead shattered—–However, it soon laughed which was annoying to my ears, and immediately wrapped in pale flame and returned to its original state .

So physical attack has no effect .

It continued trying to bite me with its large mouth as I avoided the skeleton .

The speed is decent, but the strength is weak, however it can repair itself .

Around Eva is a skeleton that is linked to chains like a serpentine coil, and several of them are holding her quietly to refrain from me closing in on her .

While being gazed at by the hollow skull, I felt a chill and knocked down the attacking skeleton with the sword .

“Come on, think, think brain… . . ”

How can I save her from the skeleton and chains?

Is it alright to just remove them? Or should I try waking her up?

However, it seems like her consciousness has been taken over by that curse, so how am I supposed to wake her up?

“Danger?!”

I avoided the skeleton that tried to bite my arms by rolling down .

What are they in the first place?

My instincts tell me they’re from the curse . What’s more, they hate the king—-probably referring to the Samaria royalty and the previous hero .

“Wait just a minute, you’ve mistaken me for the previous hero . The previous hero is a god of plague!!”

At the same time as I turned my upper body backwards, I kicked the skeleton’s torso that had passed over my head, then somersaulted as is . While doing that, the other skeletons attacked all at once .

They didn’t feel a thing .

The healing punch didn’t have any effect, but so does physical attack and healing magic . Even after breaking them, they’ll just repair and attack again immediately .

Even for me, I can’t stall for long .

“If you don’t die in one punch—-Then I’ll just have to break you into pieces!”

The other party is curse——So it doesn’t matter if I go serious like that time with the Wicked Dragon .

In addition, they’re eating Eva’s body, no time to think .

I stopped avoiding it, jumped forward with the force of stepping through the stone pavement in the garden, and grasped the two skeleton heads like an eagle .

“A- Aah… . ”

“Aah…o . . uch . ”

“Eat my… . master’s specialty!”

I grab the heads of the skeleton and hit it against the stone pavement .

The skeleton scatters into particles with the sound of plates breaking .

Secret technique, Rose’s Iron Claw… . No, I don’t think I’m at her level yet . But as a result of adding my own arrangements, it became such a technique .

“O… . Ooooh . ”

“I’m coming for you next!!”

I continue grabbing the skeletons coming from the sides by swinging my arms around, and let momentum strike by plunging them to trees that are planted nearby .

The skeleton shatters .

Although the two skeletons from before seem to be gradually regenerating, they’re taking much longer than before .

“Shah…aah!”

“Oops . ”

I continued crushing the three attacking skeletons in the same fashion .

It’s easy now I found a way to deal with them .

“Alright, with this pace… . hm?”

While crushing them, I looked at the remaining skeletons as my next target, but they’re just floating around me .

Am I being surrounded? No, this is… . The hostility I felt earlier diminished, and there’s a different emotion filled .

“Are they scared?”

I hesitate to say it, but when they heard me, they stopped moving as well .

… . . Are they really feeling fear?

“Well, it doesn’t matter either way . Since you’re the ones attacking me without any hesitations, and I know you’re not the kind of guy who can speak . ”

If you don’t come over, I’ll go there instead .

I continued destroying the skeletons around Eva——-

“… . . Wait a minute . ”

The skeleton lurking around Eva isn’t there?

Did I count wrongly? No, I’ve grasped the numbers during the battle .

Did it disappear… . . ? Is it because I’ve defeated so many of them that it can no longer exist? However, the skeletons I crushed just before are slowly regenerating .

A few of the skeletons that were generated by the curse have disappeared——-It’s a trivial matter, but it can’t be ignored .

It’s possible that they might fly out and attack the people in the palace .

Considering that possibility, the moment I tried to rescue Eva, a white arm suddenly appeared from the ground and grabbed my leg .

“———-!?”

“A… . haha… . ”

It was two skeletons that appeared .

They grabbed my legs firmly with their thin arms and began to laugh .

Damnit! I didn’t think they could attack through the ground from this distance . I knew that the curse was coming out of Eva’s feet, and I wasn’t paying attention .

Shit! By immobilizing me, the other skeletons floating around started swarming in… . !!

“This isn’t a surprise attack so much as it is a matter of skill… . . ! But this much ain’t enough to catch me!”

I stomp the hands that were holding my leg and remove the restraint .

However, the other skeleton that caught my arm while I was distracted, bite my arm .

A pressure-like pain runs from above my uniform .

——Help…… .

——-Hero-sama… . .

——-It, it hurts……

“W- Wowow!!”

It’s the same headache as before…… . ?!

Voices are flowing into my head… . No way, was their aim to bite me from the get go?

This headache is making me lose my power to shake off the skeleton . The others who had been waiting were entwined around my body all at once, biting vigorously .

Several images and voices are forcibly projected to my head, making my view divided, and the voices jumbled up .

“Ughh…Leave… . ”

The bites weren’t even that powerful .

Rather, it’s the scenes that I’ve never seen before are running through my head——Which are making me nauseous .

“This is bad… . . ”

The first attack—-

Mentally weakened me .

The fighting style from before… . . Couldn’t win .

“Now what trouble did you get yourself into this time?! Seriously, always giving me trouble!!”

A bell-ringing voice came from above me, which was blinded by the moonlight .

Something stood on my shoulder .

The next moment, a purple pattern I was familiar with ran through my body .

“Iiii?!”

“Hiaa?!”

The pattern spread throughout my body flung away the clinging skeletons .

At the same time, the headache disappeared as if it never happened .

Shaking my head from side to side, I stood up and looked at the owl on my shoulder—–And thanked her .

“Ugh, haah, haah… . Thanks, for saving… . me . . Neah . ”

“Why is this happening the moment I take my eyes off of you?! What kinda curse have you activated?!”

I want to know as well .

With her wings flapping around, I pointed to Eva and laughed bitterly as I explained the situation, before breathing a sigh of relief .

It would’ve been the end for me if she didn’t come… .

“I wanna explain right now, but at the moment——”

“Aaaahhhhhh!!”

“Uuuuaaaa!!”

We have to fight them .

Staring at the both of us, the skeleton screamed with its chains and teeths rattling even stronger than before, seemingly even angrier .

I wonder if the reason the Skeleton flew away from my body is due to Neah’s dispel?

“I see, so that’s it . ”

“Did you find a solution? Mind telling me immediately!!”

While striking a large amount of skeletons with my fist, I desperately pleaded to Neah who was quietly thinking on my shoulder . What’s more, why are you not moving while I’m punching around like crazy… . ?!

“Usato, it’s easy to deal with this . I just need to put my magic that I used on Usato into that girl . ”

“… . It’s just that easy?!”

“Yeah, and those crappy corpses she summoned is using that girl as a medium . If we nullify her, we’re done . ”

“Meaning those skeletons will disappear if you pull her intermediary from the curse?”

“That’s right! So you do understand!”

Why am I being praised now?

I wonder if I looked stupid to her .

Right now isn’t the time to think about it . Once again, I’m glad she’s here with me .

“But, it’s your job to provide magic . ”

“So you’re not doing it?!… . . But I can’t use magic . ”

“I know that obviously . But you’re with me now, so that’s a different story . Usato, raise your hand . ”

After distancing myself from the skeletons, I raised my hands as she told me .

Then, magical purple patterns were transmitted to my body from Neah’s small body, and it gathered in both my hands through my arm .

“This is… . ”

“I’ve activated magic and let it flow on my body . You just need to shake your fist without thinking . With this “Restraint Magic”, you should be able to nullify the crappy skeletons for a short time . ”

“Did I just strike the devils’ luck… . !!”

I gripped my hand into a fist and gaze at the skeleton in front of me .

With the power of restraint magic, I can drill a hole into them and seal their regenerative power .

“But at the moment you strike them with magic, I’ll have to supply the magic I’m applying to you again . At that moment, you’ll be defenseless . ”

“… . Don’t worry about me . It’s not an intolerable pain . ”

“Not hesitating is what makes you unreasonable… . Well, let’s go then! It’s my first attempt, but I plan on succeeding!”

“Aah!!”

In response to her encouragement, we jumped out in the direction of Eva .

The skeletons floating became a wall—–I drove my left fist that was greatly squeezed into the face of one of the skeletons .

“Hah!!”

A few skeletons were blown away, and crumbled to the ground, losing the curse’s effect .

The magic was consumed with that last blow, but Neah soon replenished the magic .

Somehow, this is, yeah .

If I combine it with my healing punch . I’ll be able to perform some amazing techniques that combine restraint and healing…

“Uwah, you’re disgusting . ”

“Concentrate on your magic!! The next phase is coming!”

I thought it was ruthless, but I didn’t say it out loud .

While aiming at Eva and advancing in a straight line, I continued punching the skeletons like flies . After approaching Eva, I spoke to Neah who continues to supply magic .

“Neah, get ready!!”

“I know!”

Neah answered, but Eva’s appearance is closing in .

The skeleton that is supplying the magic would be moving, so let’s quickly release her from the curse .

Readying my left fist without any restraint magic, I blocked vision from Eva’s eyes and feet, and at the same time grabbed her left hand .

“Now!!”

“Let’s go, Dispel!!”

At the same time Neah activates her magic, the magic covering my body has disappeared——–Eh? Why?

Wondering the odd behaviour from Neah, but the skeleton that was approaching from behind caught up and bit me, forcing me to interrupt my thoughts .

“Kuh, Gu… . Neah . ”

“Set the target as “Curse”!! With countermeasure, we can defeat it! With this——-”

Suffering from a headache, the magic flows from her into Eva’s head .

After covering Eva’s whole body, the skeletons around me disappeared to the ground as if they were dragged away .

“…… . Eva!”

Since the skeletons have disappeared, she was released and falls forward .

I hugged her and laid her on the ground, noticing her anomaly .

“Her hair’s blue… . Neah, this is… . ”

Eva’s pure white hair has changed from the pale white to a refreshing blue .

And the magic that Neah applied is still hanging .

What’s going on… .

Being confused by the sight, hoppity hop, Neah jumped off my shoulder and looked at Eva’s face .

“Maybe I stripped the guys who were sucking on this girl’s existence… . Maybe . ”

“But why the drastic change… . . ”

“Her hair was originally blue . ”

So the curse made her hair pure white?

Does that mean she is free from the curse?

“Is she alright now?”

“… . . No . ”

“Why? Didn’t you enshrine her curse?”

Neah, who was watching her condition, shook her head slowly .

“What I’ve applied is only resistance magic . Right now, she is resisting the curse, but if this can get rid of those guys… . ”

“… . . So this is just a makeshift… . ?”

So it won’t end that easily?

After all, this is a curse that not even any books could find .

I finally grabbed the opponent by the tail, I won’t let it go anymore . I’ll absolutely break the curse and save Eva .

“… . If only I can understand the true nature of this curse . ”

“Hmm? Neah, meaning——-”

“Usato-sama!!”

“ “ ! !” “

Trying to ask her if she knew about something, but she closed her mouth as Eiri in a nightwear jumped out of the house .

He wasn’t his usual self .

“Eiri-san… . This is . ”

Oh no, wouldn’t it be a misunderstanding seeing as though I’ve harmed Eva in this situation .

How do I explain this?

Despite that, his legs came to a stop .

“… . . Eliza-sama?”

“Eh?”

Looking at Eva’s face, he muttered so quickly and immediately rubbed his eyes .

“… . I was watching what was happening through the window! I know that Usato-sama has saved the princess! Anyway! Please carry the princess into her bedroom!”

“O-Okay!”

According to his instructions, I carried Eva and walked towards the house… .

“… . Ah shit . , The bones… . ”

Looking at my shadow created from the moonlight, I thought the curse has spreaded to me .

However, my own shadow was normal, but more than half of Eva’s body had disappeared in her shadow .

The scarce shadow seemed to point to the rest of her life, and I couldn’t help but realize that the situation was going through the worst .

Author’s Note:

The skeleton are good at mental attacks .

Usato can’t prevent mental attacks that he’s not used to…

This chapter is brought to you by Usato and Neah .

Similar to the combo with Amako, it’s the type where they look ahead of the opponent’s movement and win the battle .

With Neah, I feel that I can now incorporate magic into fighting through her .