When I Cleared the Death Game World, I Reincarnated as a Villainous Noble Even if They Talk About Doom Flags, I'm Actually Immortal. - Chapter 34

(Lior, you’ll be fine… right?)

Separated from Lior, Ren was dashing through the forest.

Lior’s face lingered in her mind.

There was no way he would lose to the scouts, but they had been using some suspicious magic.

There was always the possibility of something going wrong.

(I can’t afford to be weak. Lior gave me the push I needed, so I have to trust him. I need to focus on rescuing Luna… I can already see the forest’s exit.)

Ren weaved through the trees and emerged from the forest.

A vast grassland stretched before her. A short distance ahead stood a cluster of rundown houses.

That was where Luna—and the last kidnapper, the swordsman—were waiting.

(First, I need to assess the situation. I’ll sneak in and take him down by surprise!)

Ren suppressed her presence as she approached the village.

Without making a sound, yet moving swiftly, she crept into the shadows of one of the houses.

Peeking from behind it, she scanned the village.

At the center, in front of the largest building, the swordsman stood.

(He probably hasn’t noticed me. If I can just sneak up behind him—)

Her bl00d ran cold.

The swordsman’s sharp eyes locked onto hers.

“Ren, why don’t you stop this pointless struggle?”

“…You noticed me?”

“My hearing has improved. I can even hear the heartbeat hidden deep inside your soft chest.”

Disgusting.

She had always thought he was an irritatingly pretentious man, but getting expelled from the guild must have loosened a few screws in his head.

Ren felt nothing but revulsion toward him, but with Luna being held hostage, she couldn’t afford to show it.

She forced her face into a neutral expression and glared at him.

“Where is my sister? If you’ve put so much as a scratch on her, I’ll cut you into pieces.”

“Of course, she’s unharmed. She may even become my sister-in-law, after all.”

“…What?”

“Would you prefer I be more direct? Ren, won’t you become mine?”

…Was that a confession?

The moment her brain processed his words, her entire body reacted with horror.

A shiver ran down her spine, raising every hair on her skin.

She almost felt like she’d turn into a plucked chicken.

“…I don’t get it. We barely know each other. We just happened to be adventurers of the same age.”

“I knew from the moment I first laid eyes on you. Ah, this woman is destined to be my wife.”

“Don’t project your twisted sense of fate onto me! …Wait, did you kidnap my sister just so you could confess to me?”

“That was part of the reason.”

Utter nonsense.

The sheer absurdity of it made her stomach churn with fury.

Her sister had been kidnapped and placed in danger over this?

Ren swallowed down her rage and glared at the swordsman.

“Then let me give you a clear answer. My reply is: No way in hell! I don’t even know your name. Who are you?”

“…Are you sure about this? Rejecting me? Disaster is about to strike, and I was planning to save both you and your sister.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about, but I don’t need your help.”

“Sigh… You really are a stubborn girl.”

The swordsman let out a deep sigh and reached into his coat.

Ren tensed, wary of what he was about to pull out.

What emerged was a dazzling dagger.

Schlick.

Without hesitation, the swordsman plunged the dagger into his own chest.

Immediately, his body began to change—his skin darkened, turning pitch-black in an instant.

“I guess I’ll just have to teach your body who your rightful master is.”

“…A demon!?”

“Oh? So you recognize this power?”

“Adventurers ranked A and above tend to know these things. And for the record, the moment you let that power consume you, you became a designated target for extermination.”

Ren pointed her sword at him.

He was no longer human.

As per the Adventurer’s Guild’s regulations, he was now classified as a monster.

“I wasn’t told about that part. Oh well, it doesn’t matter. That city, the guild, this country—they’re all doomed anyway.”

“Seems like you’re planning something nasty.”

“A necessary change, apparently. But as for me… as long as I can have you, Ren, that’s all that matters!!”

The swordsman kicked off the ground, closing the distance in an instant, sword raised high.

“Don’t worry, I hear limbs can grow back!”

“Like I’d let you land a hit!”

“What—?!”

With a fluid motion, Ren slid out of the way.

His blade struck only empty air.

She glided across the ground effortlessly, spinning around to his back.

She had him.

“Not so fast!!”

The swordsman swung his sword sideways in a reckless slash.

It was a crude attack, but his current strength had long surpassed that of an ordinary human.

Even a wild swing like that sliced through the air at supersonic speed.

Yet, even an attack that fast failed to touch Ren.

She evaded it smoothly, widening the distance between them.

“You’re just blindly swinging your sword. Fighting you is no different from fighting a beast.”

“Tch… I should have expected this from you, Ren. You really are worthy of your A-rank title. I can’t believe you’re using wind magic like that.”

Beneath Ren’s feet, small whirlwinds spun in continuous motion.

It was a floating spell using wind magic.

By lifting herself slightly off the ground, she eliminated friction and could glide freely.

At a glance, it might seem like a useless parlor trick.

But that was far from the truth.

Her movements were completely unrestricted by footwork.

Ordinary people needed to go through three steps—lifting their foot, moving it forward, and placing it down—to take a single step.

But Ren bypassed all of that, allowing her to move instantly in any direction.

This technique granted her unparalleled speed and freedom in battle—especially in one-on-one combat.

But it wasn’t something just anyone could do.

Lose balance, fail to control the magic—either mistake would send her tumbling to the ground.

And in a real battle, she had to maintain the spell while fighting.

It was a technique that took years to master.

That was why she was an A-rank adventurer.

“I think the difference in our skill is clear. Why don’t you just give up and surrender? It’d make things much easier for me.”

Ren smirked, leveling her sword at him in triumph.