The Reward for the World's Strongest Explorer's Perfect Dungeon Conquest is apparently Marriage to me, who is known as an S-rank Fraud - Chapter 17

“Silver Holy Sword, Eryndal”

Shia charged forward, wielding the Silver Holy Sword, Eryndal, which now gleamed more brilliantly than before, exuding an air of grandeur.

“──Haaahhh!!”

With that momentum, she spread her wings and leaped into the air—ascending far beyond my height. From that lofty vantage point, she descended with a fierce battle cry, her Eryndal slicing through the air toward me.

“Hnnngh!!”

I gathered my magical energy, hardening my right arm until it turned red-hot. As her blade clashed against it, there was a brief deadlock, akin to a blade lock, before I forcefully knocked her back.

I shook my right arm, clenching and unclenching my fingers to check for any lingering effects. Though the impact left a numbing sensation, there wasn’t a single scratch on my skin. A grin stretched across my face.

“Hah! Is that all you’ve got, girl? If you’re struggling against me, then you’re nowhere near worthy of reaching Lord Berglims!”

Spewing out a villainous taunt, I closed in on Shia, driving my fist into the most heavily armored part of her—her stomach plate.

“[Never! I repeat, never punch a lady in the stomach!!]”

Shia’s armor caved in with a loud crunch, and she was sent flying dozens of meters away. The raw strength of my “Green-Flame Undying Beast: Grim Goblin” mode was on another level.

“…I’m still not going all out, you know?”

Though I hadn’t transformed, I was telling the truth—I hadn’t even used half my strength.

“──Tch… I’m weak.”

That’s not true. She’s undoubtedly the world’s strongest explorer. The only reason I could even keep up was that I happened to acquire the cheat-like power of Lord Berglims.

“Nonsense. Do not lament, girl. Among humans, you have done exceptionally well.”

Damn it, bad habit. I always end up saying unnecessary things.

“…I need to become stronger. Stronger so that I can protect Kuma.”

Damn, I’m really loved!

“Then prove it.”

Unable to back down now, I ended up provoking Shia.

“Haaaaahhhh!! Platinum Meteor Storm!”

A rapid flurry of strikes at godspeed.

To counter, I hardened both my arms and focused my vision, tracking her movements. The relentless clash of sword against my reinforced arms filled the air with an endless chichichichi sound.

“…………!! Haa, haa, haa…”

How long did we keep this up?

The first to reach her limit was Shia. She retreated, gasping for breath, her chest rising and falling rapidly.

Meanwhile, my arms—now a deeper shade of crimson—were burning with pain, akin to a razor burn. Just touching them stung. Ow. Ow.

“Ugh… Graaahh! I concede defeat!”

With an exaggerated thud, I fell backward.

If I taunted her any further, she’d push herself past the breaking point, so I figured it was time to stage my dramatic loss.

“…Even now, I couldn’t reach it. At this rate, I’ll just be a burden to Kuma. I need more power.”

“……Wait, what?”

Ignoring my theatrical defeat, Shia let out a desperate cry.

This wasn’t supposed to be such an intense scene. This was a pre-determined, rigged match, where victory was already assured!

“Do you desire power?”

“Wha—”

A devilish whisper reached Shia’s ears.

It was Lord Berglims.

Shia, who was crouching on the ground, nodded without hesitation.

“Wha—seriously…?”

Look, even I know this—never accept power from a guy who smirks like that while asking if you want it!

“Very well. I shall bestow this upon your left hand.”

Lord Berglims kissed the back of Shia’s left hand, causing a deep-green sigil to emerge.

Dude. I don’t care if it’s just a hand—don’t go kissing another man’s fiancée so casually!

“Ghh… Aaaaghhh!!”

The moment after, Shia clenched her left wrist tightly and collapsed, writhing in agony. Her face twisted in pain, sweat dripping down her forehead.

“Shia! Are you alright?! Lord Berglims, what the hell did you do?!”

I grabbed the tiny goblin by the collar and lifted him into the air. My voice roared with fury.

“My, my. What kind of servant dares to seize his master by the neck? Know your place.”

“Gah!”

With a vice-like grip, he crushed my wrists and slammed my head into the ground.

“Kuma, let me correct your misunderstanding. Conquering a dungeon isn’t so simple. Just because I acknowledge defeat doesn’t mean it’s over.”

Lord Berglims sat atop my head like a damn throne, spouting nonsense.

“Then what the hell is this about?”

“To raise the world’s level, power is necessary. Thus, Shia must awaken to another stage. Fortunately, she desires it as well.”

“You’re not turning her into a goblin too, are you?”

“I had no intention of turning you into one, either. I simply shared my power. What form it takes depends on the individual.”

“Then why is she suffering so much?!”

“I told you, didn’t I? She is beloved by the angels. My power, the power of a demon, is incompatible with hers. However… if she can control these opposing forces, she may become something greater than both angel and demon combined.”

“And if she fails?”

“Who knows? She might turn into a goblin, become a broken husk, or simply explode into pieces. I’m no omniscient god, after all.”

“You bastard—!”

“Now, now. Look—she didn’t turn into a goblin, nor did she explode into pieces.”

Just as I was about to throw a punch, I stopped.

Following his gaze, I saw Shia standing there, her posture eerily limp—like a phantom lingering between life and death.

“Deep Green Demon Sword, Grim Emerald”

Just as I was about to call out to her—

Shia muttered, “Deep Green Demon Sword, Grim Emerald.”

In her left hand, she now held a sinister-looking demonic sword, its eerie aura pulsing. Slowly, the tip of the blade lifted—pointing directly at Lord Berglims.

“Heh. You and Kuma truly are an ungrateful pair,” Lord Berglims chuckled. “After all, I granted you power, and yet you dare to turn your blade against me?”

“I can’t go all out against Kuma.”

Wait, wait. That Platinum Meteor Storm technique just now seemed pretty damn serious, though!?

“Very well. Then prove to me that your power is enough to raise the world’s level.”

With a smirk, Lord Berglims issued his challenge.

Shia, now wielding twin blades—one silver, one deep green—stepped forward to engage him.

“Haah—!!”

“Hmm. You have gotten faster… but your strikes are still light.”

Faster? That’s an understatement. Even if I focused entirely on tracking her movements, I couldn’t keep up. Yet despite her blinding speed, Lord Berglims deflected every strike effortlessly.

“[Holy-Demonic Cross Slash, Bane Innocent]!”

Shia’s deep green blade crossed over her silver sword in a diagonal strike. A sharp kiiin sound rang out, and immediately after, Lord Berglims’ body was engulfed in silver flames.

“Hmm… A rather unpleasant technique. It reminds me of those wretched angels.”

Despite being swallowed by the searing flames, Lord Berglims remained standing, unfazed. He snapped his fingers—and just like that, the fire vanished without a trace.

“A hundred years ahead of humanity—that’s the leap you need to make. You don’t have the luxury of despair.” He chuckled. “Good. I see it in your eyes.”

Shia’s eyes were not dead.

“Haaahhh—!!”

Her silver blade radiated dazzling magic, while her deep green sword oozed with abyssal power. The speed of her strikes accelerated beyond reason.

“More. Show me what lies beyond!”

“[End of Heaven and Hell—Ragnarok Disaster]!”

For a moment, my eyes deceived me.

The entire world turned monochrome. Time itself seemed to halt.

The very next instant—Lord Berglims’ right arm was severed and sent flying through the air.

“Magnificent,” he laughed. “Kuma, clap for her in my stead.”

…What the hell? But I obeyed and gave a few claps. Shia is insane…

“Huuh… huuuh… huuuh!”

Wait… what’s going on?

Shia’s right eye was flickering, pulsating between gold and her usual color.

“I see. You might become the first human capable of perceiving angels. How… complicated. But this just got interesting,” Lord Berglims mused.

“Shia, listen carefully. Surrender yourself…”

“…Surrender… myself…”

The moment she whispered those words—the light in her eyes vanished.

And then—it happened.

“Lord Berglims… Placing you on the 150th floor was a mistake after all.”

Shia’s right eye gleamed gold, and her voice echoed with a dual resonance.

This… this wasn’t just Shia speaking.

Even I could tell that much.

“My, my. It’s been a while,” Lord Berglims grinned. “So? How does it feel, having your precious one taken from you? Come on, tell me. How does it feel?”

As he taunted, he twirled around Shia, dancing with an unsettlingly cheerful expression.

What the hell is this scene?

“As the world’s level rises and we manifest once more, you will be completely eradicated.”

Lord Berglims sneered. “Funny. I was about to say the same thing. Next time, I’ll wipe out every last one of you angels.”

“…[Aurora Grand Ray].”

“…Hah. This body can’t block that. I’ll take your parting shot graciously.”

It was neither the Silver Holy Sword, Eryndal, nor the Deep Green Demon Sword, Grim Emerald.

A colossal golden spear, radiating divine brilliance, pierced through Lord Berglims’ chest—erasing him completely.

Ding…

And then—the bell tolled across the world.

The greatest achievement in dungeon history—a feat thought to be at least a hundred years away from humanity’s grasp—had been accomplished… mere days after the first complete dungeon conquest.