I Escaped the Exile Story Only To Find It Was a Regret Trope

61 – 12# Beginning (4)

The battle began with a kick to Mephisto’s arm, which had approached right in front of them. Although Mephisto’s arm was completely shattered by Yushin’s kick.

He didn’t care and continued to press Yushin. Yushin also immediately brought out his full power. He brought out his blooming return hero from the start.

There’s a saying that if you save it, it becomes dung. Judging that it was worth it now, he tried to save it, but if Mephisto suddenly brought out his full power. From then on, there would be no room for leisure.

‘Rather, use it now when there’s plenty of room!’

‘Tsk, he has a lot of experience. How troublesome.’

Thanks to this, Mephisto also clicked his tongue inwardly. Initially, he intended to lull the enemy into a false sense of security with weak attacks, then follow up with a strong attack to inflict a fatal wound.

However, because Yushin immediately unleashed his full power, Mephisto’s efforts were in vain. But Mephisto didn’t mind. The outcome was already decided.

‘The problem is that I need to conserve as much resources as possible.’

To defeat the hero and his companions, and furthermore, to annihilate Banseirin and the resistance forces. It was necessary to preserve as much power as possible in this fight.

Isn’t it a very similar situation?

Reading such an intention from Mephisto’s movements, Yushin immediately launched an all-out attack. As a result, Mephisto, who had been conserving his strength, was greatly taken aback.

Fatal Strike

Demon King Slash

A slash of overwhelming speed, which even Mephisto couldn’t follow with his eyes, took both of Mephisto’s arms. But it didn’t end there. Having seized the opportunity, he continued to press on!!

Mephisto, who had been in a slightly advantageous position, suddenly found himself in an even situation. This was because there was a huge difference in combat experience between Yushin and Mephisto.

Yushin had risen up by handling everything himself from the bottom. Naturally, among those experiences, there were times when he almost died. While he had all those experiences.

In fact, when it came to combat experience, Mephisto had almost no experience of being cornered. Why? Because he was an overwhelmingly strong being born with overwhelming power.

Far from being cornered, Mephisto had barely even fought on equal terms. The blood battles with Banseirin and his companions were all he had, and even then, Mephisto had retreated on his own.

Why?

Because it wasn’t worth it.

Frankly, from Mephisto’s perspective, if he just waited for 100 years, their power would weaken on its own. Humans can’t even live properly for 100 years and are weak beings who lose their lives on their own.

The current fight was no different.

He didn’t think he would lose, but if by any chance the situation turned against him. He could just retreat and quietly disappear. After all, time was on his side.

With such complacent thoughts, Mephisto engaged in the fight. Unlike Yushin, who was desperate in everything. The difference in their mental states was significant, so naturally, the results were different.

Mephisto regenerated his arms in an instant. Losing a part of his body wasn’t such a big loss for him. Mephisto smirked as he opened his mouth.

“Is taking just my two arms all you can do?”

“Is regeneration a must for being a boss?”

“Now it’s my turn.”

All the boss-level figures he had faced so far had regeneration abilities as a passive trait. Yushin, who had fought such enemies, couldn’t help but feel the unfairness.

Mephisto wasn’t the kind of person to respond to each of the enemy’s nonsense. When Mephisto clapped his hands, roots sprang up from the ground and restrained Yushin.

The speed was so fast that Yushin couldn’t even react. Yushin hurriedly exploded his magic power and burned the roots that had restrained him.

“What is this? It feels incredibly disgusting.”

“If you had been there for just 10 more seconds, you would have been drained of all your blood like a dried radish.”

“Who would have thought you weren’t a demon? Using such wicked tricks.”

“There is still much left, so take your time and savor it.”

‘Damn.’

As expected of a great demon, it seems to have quite a few tricks up its sleeve. In game terms, you could say it has good utility. Yushin regained his composure and gripped his sword again.

When had there ever been a time when the odds were not against him?

He had always fought unfavorable and unreasonable battles. To be precise, he had no choice but to. To achieve his goal. And that was no different now.

“Having tasted the plants of hell, how about the flames that everyone knows?”

“I won’t refuse. I’ve already had my fill of hellfire.”

From someone who does it better than you, no less.

* * *

While Yushin and Mephisto were evenly matched in their fight, the separated party members were breaking through monsters to reach Yushin.

The types of monsters were diverse. Not only ogres, but even slimes, goblins, kobolds, and golems. It seemed like they had gathered all the monsters.

Fortunately, Athena and Beris had experience hunting numerous monsters while subjugating the demon king, and Yuri and Hayoung were not at a level to hold them back.

It was only natural that they broke through without much difficulty. If they continued like this, they would soon join the hero and fight together.

Beris thought so. And whenever she had such thoughts, variables always appeared. The first person to notice the variable was unexpectedly Hayoung.

“Everyone stop!! There’s something ahead!”

Hayoung stopped her comrades who were rushing forward and immediately used magic. A giant shield appeared in front of them, protecting them.

Crash!! Boom!!!

However, the giant spear that shot out from afar pierced through Hayoung’s shield in an instant. Did that mean it was meaningless?

No.

Thanks to it, Beris had time to react. It was only a difference of 1 to 2 seconds, but that was enough time to save their lives.

“I don’t want to admit it, but thanks to you, we survived. Thank you.”

“Can’t you just skip the unnecessary comments?”

“I apologize on her behalf. Sorry.”

“I’m the one who should be thankful. Thanks to you, I could keep my life.”

“Tsk, but why did that thing suddenly appear?”

Beris sighed and looked at the enemy in front of her. The face was hidden under a black robe, but Beris knew immediately.

And so did Athena. If they couldn’t recognize an old comrade just because they were wearing a robe, that would be beyond insensitive, it would be stupid.

“Is that guy a sage…?”

“Judging by the magic and appearance, it seems so. But something feels off.”

“They’re coming!!”

As soon as Hayoung’s words fell, countless newly generated spears rushed towards them. In response, Beris also used holy magic to block them all.

‘Something feels off.’

Beris, who was facing the sage, couldn’t hide her doubts. Whether she liked it or not, they were comrades who had defeated the Demon King together. But to attack so clumsily?

If it were the sage Beris knew, he would have already killed at least two people with magic before Hayoung even noticed. In other words, the current sage was far inferior.

With a certain conviction, Beris looked at Athena. Understanding Beris’s signal, Athena charged immediately. The sage tried to react, but…

“Too slow!!”

Athena’s sword was much faster in severing the sage’s neck. Normally, one would think it was over once the neck was cut. At least, Hayoung and Yuri thought so.

But Athena and Beris did not let their guard down. The reason was simple. If it were over just by cutting the neck, they wouldn’t have gone through so much trouble.

And indeed, it was so. Even though the neck was clearly severed, and the severed head was rolling on the ground, his body still stood on the ground with both legs.

“Well, considering he retreated in that state. I didn’t think he would be fine.”

“So, it’s a lich.”

“A lich?!”

What was visible through the torn robe was a withered skeleton. Beris and Athena easily realized that it was a lich created using the sage.

A lich.

A wizard who has turned into an undead. Unlike typical undead, they possess magical knowledge. They are called liches and are very dangerous among monsters.

Moreover.

If the target was a member of the hero’s party.

And someone who mastered all magic and was called a sage, even more so.

Perhaps because he had completely become an undead, the lich, who was once called a sage, cast a spell again without any hesitation. Blades rising from the ground slashed at them.

“My, my arm?!”

“Ahhh?!”

“Get a grip! I can do something about a severed arm!”

Perhaps because they were unprepared, Hayoung and Yuri each lost an arm and a leg in an instant. Even in that situation, Beris immediately healed them with holy power.

‘This won’t be easy.’

Liches are generally considered stronger than they were in life.

In other words, he was now stronger than when he was a sage.

For the first time, the smile disappeared from Beris’s face.