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

64 – 13# Demon Hunting (3)

Mephisto’s true form appeared.

Moreover, this place was hell. In other words, if they defeated Mephisto here, Mephisto would truly lose his life. Yushin instinctively realized that fact.

As proof, Mephisto was not allowing any attacks now. He somehow evaded or thoroughly defended. It was a different level from when he was human.

Fortunately, thanks to Hayoung holding on from behind, they could fly freely in the sky and attack. But for some reason, Mephisto didn’t directly attack.

“This guy is stalling for time!”

“Indeed, he’s waiting for all our magic power to run out.”

Of course, it wasn’t that he wasn’t attacking at all. Numerous flies and flames from hell were attacking, but compared to the beginning, their momentum was very lacking.

“The attack method is completely different from before. Are you scared?!”

[…….]

“Now he doesn’t even respond.”

Mephisto remained silent. He didn’t even bother to speak, conveying his intention to crush everything with his own will. This is going to be much harder than I thought.

Of course, Hayoung’s magic is nearly infinite. But no matter how powerful, she can’t keep holding out against Mephisto in hell. She will surely collapse before long.

So, we had to come up with a plan. But if we act too hastily, we might give the enemy an opportunity. What should we do? The deliberation didn’t take long.

“Keep crashing until it works!”

“That’s the spirit of a hero!!”

As soon as Yushin’s words fell, Athena dashed forward. She was the vanguard of the hero party. Using her immortal body to withstand all enemy attacks.

She was the one who opened the path for her comrades to follow. Even Berith acknowledged her achievements. Athena, leading the charge, deflected all attacks and rushed forward.

Then, as if Mephisto decided he couldn’t just stand by, he opened his massive jaws and spewed flames. It was faster and more powerful than I had imagined.

Boom!!

The flames of hell collided with Athena. The unquenchable flames of hell burned her flesh and incinerated her bones. Yushin’s gaze naturally turned to Athena.

“Athena!”

“I’m fine.”

The most excruciating pain for any living being. She continued to feel the agony of her flesh burning. Because of her immortal body, no matter how much she burned, Athena did not die.

Yet, Athena’s voice was calm. Instead, she spread her burning body wide like a shield. Because that was her duty.

“Yushin, leave it to me. My duty is to open the path for you.”

“…….”

“The day you disappeared, I lost all meaning.”

Not once, but twice. How could we call ourselves a hero party after that? Back then, even doing nothing, each day was painful.

But not now.

I know exactly what I must do.

Yushin naturally wanted to refuse at first. The pain of a burning body would be beyond imagination. But soon, Yushin read it in her eyes.

Her fiercely burning will.

As a hero, he knew all too well what that will meant. In the end, Yushin could only nod. Soon, Athena soared back up.

“Damn it! Why are there so many!”

“I’ll join in!”

“Thanks for saving me!!”

As if to pressure Yushin and Athena, more attacks surged towards Berith and Hayoung. Fortunately, Yuri immediately used her bloom to deflect all the attacks.

If Yuri had been alone, it would have been difficult. But thanks to Berith’s enhancement buff, the much stronger Yuri could easily deflect the incoming attacks.

With perfect teamwork, Yushin could focus on Mephisto without worry. Using Athena as a shield, he charged relentlessly. To cut off Mephisto’s breath.

Of course, Mephisto wasn’t just going to stand by and watch. Perhaps he had confirmed their unyielding will. Eventually, Mephisto mobilized everything he could.

[You mere humans!!]

From Mephisto’s perspective, it was incomprehensible. Against such overwhelming power, why do they not give up until the end? After all, it’s all futile.

But.

They challenged the impossible.

And they achieved it.

That’s why they are called heroes.

* * *

The moment they approached Mephisto’s close range. Athena, unable to hold on, fell to the ground. Fortunately, just before Athena was completely consumed by hell.

Yuri, empowered by Veris’s buff, saved Athena. Even the flames of hell were extinguished by Veris’s divine power. Thanks to this, Yushin could fully concentrate.

To subdue Mephisto, the root of all evil. However, Mephisto was not just standing by. Suddenly, Yushin’s vision was greatly overturned.

At first, he thought Mephisto had played a trick. But soon he realized that wasn’t the case. The positions of the sky and the ground, including Mephisto, had swapped.

[I am the lord of hell. That means I can control hell at will.]

“Damn it.”

[Can a weak human like you withstand this?]

In fact, Mephisto’s intention did not end there. With the inversion of up and down, naturally, his comrades would also be affected. They would have no choice but to be concerned.

In that gap, he would strike Yushin’s vulnerability. Words like cowardice meant nothing to him. This was a survival competition, after all, you have to win to gain everything.

But Yushin did not move as Mephisto thought. Rather, as if he had quickly adapted, he moved towards Mephisto. Thanks to this, Mephisto was flustered.

[What, you. Aren’t you worried about your comrades?!]

“You have to trust your comrades. That’s how you can do anything!”

In any task, because he had comrades with him. Yushin was able to come this far. And indeed, his comrades responded without disappointing Yushin’s trust.

“Get a grip! Are you going to fall with just this?!”

Veris’s divine power healed his comrades’ wounds and helped them adapt to this situation, even a little. Athena, whom Veris had picked up again, barely regained her senses.

Mephisto was flustered by the unbreakable will of the humans, but soon changed his mind. If they wouldn’t back down even now, if they wouldn’t break. He would break them even more strongly.

Once again, Mephisto’s body, transformed into a dragon, soared high. This time, it seemed as if he would crush everything with his massive body.

But that was an opportunity for Yushin. The reason Mephisto’s body did not regenerate when Yushin first struck him. The reason was in the bloom.

Immortal Hunt.

The power to bring death to those with absolute immortality. It was a power Yushin had obtained to defeat the Demon King during his hero days, but had now lost.

But Yushin subconsciously realized that Mephisto was immortal. Thanks to this, he craved the power to deal with immortality. And that power responded.

In fact, in terms of transcendent power, there was not much difference between the Demon King and Mephisto. Rather, the Demon King was a much tougher opponent for Yushin than Mephisto.

But.

If there’s one thing that’s the same then and now.

It’s the presence of comrades you can rely on.

Even in difficult situations, they could rely on each other and move forward. Towards the massive body of Mephisto, Yushin poured all his strength.

“The last thing to do is to find the original intention.”

Certain Kill

Unique Slash

The original intention was both the beginning and the end of everything. The reason Yushin crossed over to the dark fantasy world to become a hero, and the reason he came to the academy…

To encompass all of that.

His experiences, emotions.

And all his skills.

He slashed Mephisto with all his might. The final boss of this scenario, Mephisto, was cut by the hero’s full power. Blood like flames poured down like rain.

The lord of hell.

Mephisto.

His downfall was underestimating humans too much.

But the hero who cut down Mephisto was not unscathed either. Perhaps because he had exhausted all his strength, Yushin’s body, unable to even stand, slowly plummeted to the ground.

If I fall like this, will my head break and die?

Well, there’s no bloom, so I guess that’s it.

Yushin, who was having such idle thoughts.

Fortunately, that didn’t happen. Because Beris, Athena, Yuri, and Hayoung caught Yushin with all their might. Yushin smiled and opened his mouth.

“We won.”

Was it because they heard the clear declaration of victory?

Only then did cheers erupt from the women who had been visibly tense.