When I Was Reincarnated, All the Heroines Were Stolen by the Fake Hero ~ The Guy Who Dominated With Original Story Knowledge, and Me Who Dominated With Talent. It Seems the World After the Ending Is My One-Man Stage ~ - Episode 11
Episode 11
Even after we repelled the swarm of Grim Birds, the eerie presence wafting from deep within the cave still hadn’t disappeared.
On the contrary—it felt even thicker now. It was as if something ominous and wicked was lurking within.
The very moment I sensed that, a viscous black miasma began oozing out from the cave’s entrance.
It spread like darkness given physical form. It was covering the area around the cave entirely.
I quickly reset my stance. I gripped my longsword tightly and carefully.
Then, from within that dark miasma, a single monster suddenly shot up into the sky.
It had the form of a massive bird.
Its whole body was shrouded in black miasma powered by dark-element magic. And its eyes—or where its eyes should have been—glowed with an eerie red light.
Yet, strangely, there was no clear beak to be seen. It had a bizarre form.
It had large, outstretched wings and thick legs armed with sharp talons.
There was no mistaking it—that was a Hollow Crow, a monster that wields dark-elemental magic.
The black miasma emitted by the Hollow Crow apparently creates a pleasant environment for many other monsters. Which explains how it was able to coexist with smaller monsters like the Grim Birds.
When Freyja had mentioned a “giant black monster,” this creature had immediately come to my mind.
“H-Hollow Crow…! To think I’d come face-to-face with a real one like this…”
Behind me, I heard Sebas’ voice trembling in shock.
He must’ve known about this monster too.
Likely enraged by the disturbance of its nest, the Hollow Crow spread its wings wide in midair and let out a high-pitched shriek.
The cry was so intense it shook the very air with sheer pressure.
Then, magic circles began to form—one on each of its wings—glowing a sinister purple.
A sign that it was about to unleash some kind of spell.
“Yutaka-dono, look out!”
Freyja shouted in a tense voice.
But I remained calm.
(That’s probably Dark Arrow.)
Just as I predicted, countless black arrows began to rain down from the Hollow Crow’s wings like a storm.
Each one was fast and precise. They were aiming directly at me.
Yet I evaded them all. I gracefully dodged as if I were dancing—not a single one grazed me.
Once I’d weathered the Dark Arrow storm, a new magic circle appeared—this time on just one of its wings.
(That must be Dark Blade now.)
Again, as I expected, the miasma around that wing began to condense. It took on a solid form and transformed into a massive blade-like shape glowing ominously.
Then, the Hollow Crow swung that wing—now turned into a black blade—down toward me from the sky with fierce momentum.
I met its strike head-on with my longsword and easily deflected it with a single slash.
The Hollow Crow’s dark blade shattered like fragile glass the moment it struck my sword. It dispersed into a cloud of black mist.
Still, the sheer force of its swing kicked up a massive cloud of dust from the ground.
Within that rising dust, I muttered to myself quietly:
“Since I’ve got a fan watching… might as well put on a little show.”
Saying that, I sheathed my longsword.
Then, I let go of the handle of the round wooden shield I had borrowed from a soldier earlier and gripped the shield itself with one hand.
As the dust cleared and the Hollow Crow’s massive form came back into view, I wound up my throw.
Like a baseball pitcher… or perhaps more like someone throwing a boomerang.
*Whoosh!*
With a sharp slicing sound through the air, the wooden shield flew from my hand at incredible speed. It headed straight for the Hollow Crow’s neck.
It all happened in the blink of an eye.
*Thud!!*
The shield struck the Hollow Crow’s neck with a loud, crashing impact, like a hammer blow.
The monster reeled back from the blow, let out a groan of pain, lost its balance, and crashed helplessly to the ground.
The earth shook as its massive body hit the ground—and then, silence returned to the area.
“…It’s over now.”
When I said that, Sebas and Freyja cautiously but quickly rushed over to me.
Sebas stared in disbelief. He was glancing between the fallen Hollow Crow and my face.
His expression held not just shock, but also something like reverence.
Freyja, on the other hand, was visibly excited.
“Yutaka-dono! Incredible…! You felled that Hollow Crow with a single shield strike?! Don’t tell me… is this that story…?!”
Her usually calm tone had vanished. It was replaced with sparkling eyes and enthusiastic praise.
I smiled wryly at her reaction and replied,
“That’s the truth behind the story of me ‘knocking down a Dragon with a shield.’”
(Back then, we were still rookies. It was rare, but Nergo was bedridden with a high fever. And the whole party’s strength was down. Ulrika had cast layer after layer of enhancement spells on me. And on a whim, I threw a metal tower shield at a Dragon diving toward us from the sky…)
I found myself remembering the faces of my old comrades. I was briefly lost in nostalgia.
* * *
After defeating the Hollow Crow, the three of us returned to the town of Kanaloa.
Near the town gates, Sebas and I said our farewells to Freyja.
“Yutaka-dono, Sebas-dono—thank you again for today. I am truly grateful.”
Freyja bowed deeply. Her voice was filled with heartfelt thanks.
“Don’t worry about it. Honestly, I wish I could be fighting more on the frontlines, but…”
Sebas was standing beside me. As I started to say that, he let out an exaggerated “Ahem!” to interrupt.
He was clearly trying to remind me of my responsibilities as a lord.
Freyja watched our exchange with a warm smile before speaking cheerfully:
“If I tell everyone about Yutaka-dono’s battle today, I’m sure it’ll boost the soldiers’ morale even more.”
“If it does, I’ll be happy to hear it.”
I replied, slightly embarrassed.
“Yutaka-sama, Freyja-sama—if we don’t leave soon, we won’t make it back to the estate before sunset.”
Sebas urged us with a firm reminder.
“Ah, right. Freyja, I’ll be back again soon. If anything comes up, don’t hesitate to reach out.”
“Understood. I look forward to your next visit, Yutaka-dono.”
Freyja nodded firmly.
I bid her farewell and climbed into the wagon with Sebas.
As the cart slowly began to move, I saw Freyja waving gently in the distance.
If I’ve managed to ease even a little of the burden on her and the soldiers of Kanaloa, then I’m glad.
But the underlying problems remain unsolved.
The future of the Vixel Domain is still uncertain and full of challenges.
As the wagon rocked gently, I began quietly pondering my next move.
Support "WHEN I WAS REINCARNATED, ALL THE HEROINES WERE STOLEN BY THE FAKE HERO ~ THE GUY WHO DOMINATED WITH ORIGINAL STORY KNOWLEDGE, AND ME WHO DOMINATED WITH TALENT. IT SEEMS THE WORLD AFTER THE ENDING IS MY ONE-MAN STAGE ~"