The Second Son of The Marquis Runs Away from Home ~ Lacking Talent, He Abandons Everything and Becomes an Adventurer ~ - 18

Chapter 18: Flames of Desire

Once again, we ascended through the crater and returned to the top floor room. I was unbound from the whip and thrown into the air but managed to regain my balance and land gracefully.

Before me stood a creature as formidable as the Fire Drake, known as a Balrog. It resembled a bipedal lion with a fiery mane and horns, bat-like wings, and wielded a sword and whip made of flames.

“A Balrog… I’ve never seen one before,” I remarked.

Balrogs, also known as flame demons, were powerful creatures that even seasoned adventurers avoided fighting. At least, I had never heard of them appearing in this dungeon before.

I transformed the Chaos Crusader into a poleaxe and cautiously observed the Balrog while keeping an eye on the crater.

(Aria…)

—

“Haahhh!”

I lunged forward, swinging my longsword in a single breath. I aimed for Ruskdite’s neck, chest, and abdomen, but she deftly parried my rapid strikes with the claws on her outstretched fingers.

“Not bad in terms of speed and power, but it’s not enough,” she commented.

My longsword was deflected, creating sparks. Ruskdite followed up with slashing attacks from her claws.

“Kuh!”

The impact of the five-clawed strike was transmitted through my longsword. I realized that a single miss would leave me vulnerable to being torn apart in an instant.

“…Hah!”

“Hooh.”

I parried the claws and counterattacked. Ruskdite leaped, releasing sparks as she did. In mid-air, she extended her bird-like legs and claws toward me.

I blocked with my longsword, but the impact sent me flying backward, unable to fully absorb the shock. I quickly regained my stance, but Ruskdite continued to rise and conjured a fireball above her head.

“Burn to ashes.”

The fiery ball was filled with intense heat as it descended. When it hit the ground, it erupted into flames that engulfed the entire room.

“Is this it? Huh?”

Just before the flames in the room extinguished, I charged forward to strike Ruskdite. She defended against my attack, but I activated “Burning Flame Slash,” which released a burst of flames from my blade, knocking Ruskdite to the ground. She quickly flipped back up and glared at me.

“I see… You used that technique to counteract the flames just before they consumed you. Impressive quick thinking and action,” Ruskdite murmured as she aligned her right claws.

With flames infused into her claws, she generated tremendous heat.

“No…”

“I used this technique when I subjugated the Balrogs as well.”

Saying so, Ruskdite unleashed a slashing strike with her flaming claws. I tried to parry, but the difference in strength became apparent as I was overpowered and sent flying.

“Kuh!”

“Game over.”

As I tried to regain my posture, hundreds of flame-shaped feathers surrounded me like a shield.

“Sword skills aren’t bad, and you’ve shown determination without hesitation, even while understanding the gap in our power. But to arouse the flames of desire within me, it’s not enough.”

She snapped her fingers, and the surrounding fiery feathers converged toward me…

(No…)

The approaching flames seemed unnaturally slow, and memories flashed before my eyes like a movie reel, just as when I almost died at the hands of the Chaos Crusader.

“I won’t give up!”

I gripped my longsword, infusing it with magic. The magic transformed into flames along the blade, coursing through my entire body.

“I won’t… give up!”

I let the heat generated by the magic course through my body, raising my temperature and igniting my blood.

“I’ll keep my promise!”

With a swing of my longsword and determination burning within, I charged forward, cutting through the approaching fiery feathers, even if it burned my hands.

“I will protect… her!”

The intense heat from the blade met Ruskdite’s open claws, and…

“Haahhh!”

“Guuuh!”

The white-hot blade pierced her claws, and I severed them.