Chapter 𝟡

“Huh?!”

There was a stir, and everyone on the platform turned to look in the same direction. A magic train that had been racing along its rails, readying itself to warp, had been derailed.

Someone screamed.

It hung precariously now—part of it dangled down from where the rails ended in the air.

A huge monster stood in front of it.

The beast was red, and it looked as though too much blood had gathered beneath its skin. It was also covered with bulging muscle.

This bipedal monster was known as a blood demon.

The vast creature roared.

“It’s a blood demon! A blood demon has attacked the magic train!”

A train station was a high-traffic location, and a magical barrier was always in effect. Confused by this sudden attack, I ran around in bewilderment like everyone else.

Why a monster all of a sudden? Had there been some serious incident in the comic at this point in time?

I tried to remember, but I could only recall Franz’s activities and nothing else. I did remember that cadets from Kratie would be dispatched whenever monsters appeared in the vicinity. Franz had done that, too, from time to time after becoming a knight.

“Please evacuate inside the station building! This is not a drill!” a guard urgently shouted. Multiple bells began to toll in tandem. The guards were ringing every emergency alarm they could find nearby.

The red monster swung down at the train once more with a giant front limb, and the locomotive dropped to the ground below.

“How did a monster get in here?”

“Eeeeek! Somebody help!”

There was a loud crash, and screams tore through the air. People began to run away as fast as they could, and the demon slammed down its fist on many of them. Each time a fist landed with a dull thud, blood spattered on the floor. Its indiscriminate violence spelled a cruel end for those running away.

I ran toward the building as fast as I could, but I noticed the girl in the black hood from earlier—she was sitting on the floor, unable to even stand.

It seemed like all the maids and guards that had been around her had been crushed, since blood was everywhere.

Why isn’t she running away? Have her knees gone weak?

As bad luck would have it, the blood demon noticed her at that moment and growled.

You idiot! Run!

The girl simply pulled the hood further over her head and crouched. My meddlesome nature

kicked into action. I sighed and ran at the girl at top speed.

When I grabbed her wrist, she looked up at me in shock. Her purple eyes were shaking, whetherthough with fear or rage, I couldn’t tell.

“Can you run?”

She shook her head and gritted her teeth. I noticed a flash of humiliation in her eyes.

“Can’t be helped, then.” I kissed the back of my right hand.

“Schuette!” A crude-looking longsword glowing with blue light emerged from that hand, and the girl’s eyes widened.

I gripped Schuette, put my arms under her back and knees, lifted her up, and ran.

Wait... she’s pretty heavy! Despite her flimsy appearance, she weighed quite a bit. I wonder if she has big bones.

Frankly, she didn’t even feel like a girl—her body was heavy, like it was packed with muscle.

It was a good thing I’d activated Schuette. The sword was not only a weapon, but it enhanced my strength instantly. It was best to keep it active at moments like this.

Keeping her in a princess carry, I ran to where the evacuees were gathered. After I reached the building, I carefully put her down.

I looked her over to check that she wasn’t hurt, and she flinched at my gaze. Her face was bright red for some reason.

Why are you red in the face? I’m the one who ran with you in my arms!

“You couldn’t seem to walk earlier. Are you hurt?”

Strangely enough, the girl started backing away from me. This was different from earlier when she’d held my gaze. It was almost like she had something to hide.

What’s the matter with her?

I didn’t have time to delay and consider it. The demon was looking at a group of people. It was slow, but every time it took a step, the ground collapsed a little under its feet.

Having assured myself that the girl was safe, I gripped Schuette and ran at the demon.

“Hey, lady! Where do you think you’re going? That’s dangerous!”

Someone had shouted at me from behind, but I couldn’t turn around. Even the guards were running around confused, and nobody was there to stop the monster.

I might have been an ordinary human being, but at least I had Schuette. I was going to fight with Schuette’s power, not my own. If I did, I’d be able to buy time for everyone on the platform to get to safety, and then I’d run away at the right time.

I quickly reached the demon’s body. Latching onto its limbs, I was able to climb up to its shoulder in a heartbeat. Even though this was Schuette at work, I found it pretty hard to believe that I’d accomplished that physical feat. With my current strength, I could probably subdue ordinary men without trouble.

It was an interesting experience—all the muscles in my body seemed to have a will of their own, telling me what I needed to do next. Why hadn’t Franz made more use of such a great weapon?

At that moment, the demon realized where I was and began to roar. It shook itself, trying to throw me off. Right before I lost my grip, I grabbed onto the furry mane that grew from its neck. I would have fallen if my reflexes had been just a little bit slower.

Where is its weakness? How do I kill it? Maybe I’ll try stabbing it in random places first.

I lifted Schuette high into the air, and someone yelled, “Don’t do it, lady! No!”

It was a guard speaking, but it was too late. I’d already sunk the blade into its shoulder.

The demon cried out in pain. Blood just as red as its skin flew up, covering my clothes and shoes.

“The blood demon has acid flowing through its veins! You shouldn’t stab it with a sharp weapon!”

Well, you sure could have told me that sooner!

My leather boots and part of my dress were already melting away. My petticoat was showing, so my attire was basically in tatters by this point.

That was my favorite dress!

At least its blood hadn’t touched my skin. The demon was bleeding profusely, and its rampage grew more wild because of the pain. To make matters worse, the acidic blood was getting everywhere and melting everything it touched.

I held on to the mane, wondering what to do next. If I did nothing, the demon would probably crawl to the station building where people had evacuated.

I can’t stab it... Should I just beat it up?

I looked at Schuette, which was a crude-looking longsword with a sharp, two-edged blade.

Wouldn’t it be nice if this were a wooden sword?

I was wondering whether I should hit the demon with the bottom of the hilt—like grinding spices with a pestle—when Schuette glowed blue.

“What?!”

It slowly changed form in my hand into something I was very familiar with—a long,

smooth, heavy, wooden sword.

“Mother, what was that just now? Is she a magician?”

I heard the people in the station talking not far from where I was. They seemed to have seen Schuette’s transformation as well.

“I didn’t know it could do that.”

I’d only been paying attention to Schitzuro, which had to be in Franz’s possession, and I hadn’t realized that Schuette had such a feature. It was still glowing, but Schuette was now in the form of a wooden sword—the type that I was most comfortable with.

I’d always been that way. Ever since I’d first learned kendo, I’d preferred wooden swords to bamboo ones. The slight curve upward, the weight, the feel in the hand—it was all perfect.

I gripped the demon’s mane and crawled onto its head like I was rock-climbing. Then, I swung down with all my might.

The resulting collision made my shoulders vibrate. The shock traveled through my system, and I felt a pain similar to banging my elbow against a hard surface.

Kyla’s body, as expected, was not trained, and even with Schuette, it wasn’t all that strong. I’d been trying to catch up on both stamina and strength, but that took time.

I raised Schuette and hit the monster on the head once more. The demon lost it, thrashing about in apparent pain, and I kept on going, still holding on. In fact, I beat it until I was starting to think that maybe I’d gone a little too far.

The demon soon tilted to the side, apparently at its limit. Then it slammed onto the rocky floor of the square we’d been standing in.

At the same time, the crowd responded with thunderous applause and cheering.

“A girl defeated the monster by herself!”