At first, I thought that the monsters were just on the way, so I just cleaned them up thoughtlessly.
However, if lottery tickets are dropping like it’s a bonus stage, it’s different.
I asked Iris.
「What the heck are theses guys?」
「I don’t know. In the first place, it’s my first time entering this place」
「I see」
『Ackepharos』
「Mu?」
Eleanor answered instead of Iris.
『It’s called Ackepharos. They are originally humans. Berserkers who have the strong will to fight when they are alive, but having the will to fight even after death, even after their heads are chopped off their body, they crawl back from hell and appear in the world again』
「He〜」
『Are they going to fight forever?』
『Umu. Just like when they were still alive. Look at them carefully, don’t their weapons and shields seem old? They were probably fighting forever deep within this lake』
I looked carefully at the Ackepharos’s shield and weapons.
Now that she said that, I can see countless scratches, and really made be feel like it has aged with battles.
「They’re going to fight forever, huhhh」
『Hikari also hope she will be forever with Otou-san and Okasan』
「Even after death?」
『If you wish so; then I will grant it……though, I do not know whether I could do it to you』
「Can you do such thing?」
『Of course』
Eleanor said as if it was nothing.
『Several humans who have been involved with me were like that as well. Each of them should’ve been famous. Ask Iris about it』
I told Eleanor’s words to Iris.
She thought for a second, and answered.
「Maybe……Thorokros is like that?」
「Who’s that?」
「The Undying Warrior, Thorokros. A person who have survived countless battles, and is said to have gone through a thousand battlefields. It was also said that he only died in the end, after his limbs were thrown away a thousand miles from each other」
「What do you think?」
『It’s the same with theses guys. He wished that he would be able to fight even after death, so I granted his wish. It was a good ten odd years of passing time』
「i see」
It looks like Eleanor really did a lot of things.
Just hearing about its episodes, I can really tell why the world is frightened by Eleanor.
Although her true form is just a doting parent.
『You do not have the right to say that』
「Kakeru, they came again」
「Yosh」
Ackepharos appeared one next to the other from deep within the cave.
I drew Eleanor and Hikari.
Since I found out that they drop lottery tickets, I’m quite fired up.
“Chaki!”, it sounded, Iris also drew her sword and stood by my side.
「I’ll help」
「Can you do it?」
「A woman who is just protectedーーthey are not befitting of Kakeru」
She showed a firm determination.
「I see. Just, don’t push yourself too much」
「I got it」
I readied the twin swords while clad with the dark cloak, and charged together with Iris.
While I casually chopped off the Ackepharoses, I secretly protected Iris with the dark cloak.
I won’t give her a hand directly. I just follow up on her secretly.
『You’re doing a tedious thing again』
“Kukuku”, Eleanor laughed.
I ignored her.
At first, I protected her from fatal attacks and attacks to her face, but, the meaning gradually changed.
She clashed with their spear, parried away their shield, and slashed into the Ackepharos.
She looked beautiful, fighting as if a she was a fairy dancing, so I wanted to see more.
I secretly guided some Ackepharos towards her.
I did not defeat them with one attack, pushed them away while waiting, and after seeing Iris defeat another one, I made them go towards her.
It’s like watching a live concert with an unlimited encore.
「Haa……haa……next!」
Her breathing got rough, sweat dropped from her jaw, but even so, Iris still continued to swing her sword.
I could only continue to watch her.
Lottery tickets dropped from each of the Ackepharos that she defeated, but I even forgot to pick them up, and watched her.
The end came.
Iris used her sword as a staff and tried to catch her breath.
She was forced to exhaustion fighting with her full strength.
The next Ackepharos attacked.
She swung her sword, it hits its shieldーーbut her sword was pushed away.
Up until now, she had been clashing with them equally, but she was now pushed away.
Her sword was parried away, her upper body was also pushed back, Iris almost collapsed to her back.
The Ackepharos attacked, fiercely stabbing its spear.
I guess it’s this is the end.
I gripped Eleanor and tried to get in between them and defeat it for her.
『Wait』
Eleanor stopped me with a word, but using a strong tone.
My movements stopped after I heard her unusually serious tone.
「ーー! Haaaaaaa!!」
I felt like I heard her gritting her teeth.
Iris pulled back her sword and held it with both hands, and with her strong will, she swung it down with all her strength after holding it above her head.
The Ackepharos’s spear was split into two.
「ーーdeeiyaaaaa!!」
She gritted her teeth once again, then cleaved out her sword.
It was literally her full-force attack, even using her body to add centrifugal force.
And with thatーーshe chopped the Ackepharos together with its shield into two!
「Haa, haa……」
This time for sure, Iris let go of the sword that she used as a staff just to stand, and collapses to the ground.
I instinctively caught her to an embrace.
「I’ll become……a woman……befitting……Kakeru……」
Iris closed her eyes in my arms and whispered.
『What a good woman』
Even Eleanor unusually sent honest words of praise.