“You lot! Put some heart into it!” shouted Riley. His mind still had not been broken. After recovering from the disease with the anti-status-effect Potion that he had brought just in case, he had regained his posture and was destroying Stone Golems and using Overpower to mow down the Cemetery Bees that were flying around.

“B-but, Master…” Gennie began to protest.

Flark was wordlessly struggling to breathe.

“Give us the Potion, too…” said Messara, choking.

Riley was the only one able to recover and fight. The three criminal slaves that formed his party were already unable to move.

Gennie was so pale that it seemed that he could collapse at any moment; Flark was holding his shield, but he was out of breath. Messara was already on the ground, unable to stand up.

Riley clicked his tongue at his disappointing slaves as he examined the situation around him.

The expedition army’s numbers had already been halved, and there were more trying to flee than there were putting up a fight. The only ones still fighting in an organized manner were the group of priest-warriors led by High Priest Gordan and a handful of knights and soldiers who had managed to join up with them.

They had formed a circle and were trying to retreat while casting healing magic on themselves.

If only Riley could regroup with them… no, if he couldn’t, he likely wouldn’t survive.

“Tch! We’re grouping up with those guys!”

“You can’t do that!”

A grand, sharp, long-ranged Sky Rend attack came flying in. Riley avoided it with Waltz, a defensive martial skill that used his weapon to spin and deflect the attack.

“You bastard…” he muttered.

“Hoh, you just used Waltz to stop my attack. As expected of an A-class adventurer,” said Borkus.

Riley’s Overpower should have cleared everyone around him, but Borkus was standing there. From his appearance, Riley instantly knew that he was distinctly different from the Ghouls and the other Undead.

Riley’s experience as an adventurer and, more importantly, his Intuition, were screaming at him. That he was in danger.
“What’s wrong with you? Why is someone like you obeying a Dhampir brat?!” he demanded.

The Sky Rend that Riley had blocked earlier was clearly not a serious attack. Borkus had sent it at him after calling out to him, rather than at the same time.

This was a clearly superior foe. Why was such a being acting as a Dhampir’s subordinate?!

“Isn’t it obvious? It’s a request. And I’ve even been made the military officer.” The remaining half of Borkus’s lips rose in a smile as he gave a vague reply, and then he raised his sword over his head. “People call you the second coming of Mikhail, don’t they? I was killed by him two hundred years ago, you see, so I want to see if you’re really his second coming or not.”

“So, you’re a loser who wants to vent his anger. How pathetic,” said Riley. But he felt a physical pressure from the bloodthirst being directed at him and his survival instincts were screaming. And yet, this wasn’t an opponent he could turn his back and run from.

“You lot! Get up! Stand in front of me!”

Flark, whose actions were restricted by the collar of subordination around his neck, staggered as he obeyed Riley’s command.

“Gennie! Messara! You guys as well! Hurry up!”

Gennie and Messara screamed in response to these orders.

“No way! I’m supposed to be positioned at the back, you know?!” Messara protested.

“Th-that’s right, Master, what are you thinking, using a Scout like me as a shield?!”

Gennie was at least wearing leather armor, but Messara was only wearing a special dress that emphasized magical defense. Against Borkus’s magic sword, both would be equivalent to a single sheet of paper.
“Shut up! You slaves are pieces of equipment for your owner! Die so that I can live!” shouted Riley as he raised his spear and focused his mind. It was pointed at the backs of his three slaves, and it was clear that he was under the assumption that he would sacrifice them.

“N-no way! Haven’t we been doing our best to serve you all this time, Master!” Gennie pleaded.

“Wait! You said you’d release me and make me your mistress when you became a nobleman!” said Messara. “Was that a lie?!”

Borkus did indeed see the screaming Gennie and Messara, and Flark whose hopeless eyes could be seen through the gap in his helmet, as pieces of equipment for Riley.

Criminal slaves were those who would normally be executed or imprisoned for their entire lives, and as an Undead, Borkus could see the spirits of their victims that were haunting them.

There was no room for sympathy.

“Don’t you worry, after I kill you, I’ll drink the alcohol I’ll be rewarded with to honor your… memory!” Borkus was unsure if Riley remembered these words but said them anyway as he charged forward rapidly.

TLN: This is a reference to a line spoken by Riley in chapter 2, which I had to re-read. Damn, it feels like that was so long ago. I also gave that line a more accurate translation so that it fits, so you can go and re-read it if you want.

“… Iron Wall!” Flark activated his martial skill as his last act of resistance.

“Triple Slaaaash!” roared Borkus as his magic sword went straight through Flark’s shield and severed his torso.

“DAMN IT, GEH?!”

“NOOOOOOO!”
Gennie swung his knives with tears streaming down his face and Messara raised her staff, but Borkus’s second and third attacks cut them down.

And then Riley roared as he unleashed his most powerful martial skill.

“HUNDRED RENDING SCREW THRUUUUSTS!”

But his Spear Technique skill was level 8. Meanwhile, Borkus’s Swordsmanship skill had maxed out and awakened into a superior skill, Sword King Technique. He was a superhuman with a sword.

Even Riley’s greatest martial skill wasn’t difficult for Borkus to block. He used Flowing Willow, a martial skill that would deflect his opponent’s attack…

“Hmm?”

The flesh on Borkus’s shoulder was torn away.

Riley’s spear had been faster and sharper than Borkus’s Flowing Willow.

Borkus had indeed deflected the attack that was aimed at his head, but his armor that had been made from Dragon materials was pierced and he was losing flesh from his arm and his leg.

As he saw Riley’s lips rising in a smile, Borkus remembered something. He could do the same thing that Riley was doing right now.

“If I recall, it’s Surpass Limits – Magic Sword. Was this how to do it?”

This was a skill that caused a wielded Magic Item to perform beyond the limits of its ability. Most individuals with Jobs such as Magic Sword User and Magic Spear User had such a skill. Riley had used this skill to slip through Borkus’s defenses.

And of course, as a former A-class adventurer who held the Title of Sword King, Borkus could also use this skill.

He swung his sword, remembering how he had used the skill while he was alive.

『The level of Borkus’s Surpass Limits – Magic Sword skill has been restored to level 10! The Surpass Limits – Magic Sword skill has awakened into the Transcend Limits – Magic Sword skill!』

“Ah?” Riley let out a noise of surprise.

His spear, which had been caught in Borkus’s Flowing Willow, was sent flying from his hand.


“Huh, you’re nothing special after all.”

In front of Riley’s now-empty hand was an enormous swordsman, wielding a magic sword that was glowing with Mana.

“Th-there’s no way, right? I-I’m not someone who can die in a place like this, I’m supposed to become a hero –”

“You can’t,” said Borkus. “Pierce.”

As the magic sword pierced his heart, Riley’s tongue hung loosely out of his mouth as blood poured out of it, and then he stopped moving.

“By the way, this isn’t the end. In fact, it’s just the beginning,” Borkus told Riley’s spirit.