The Priest Wants to Retire

EP.241 A Song for the Remaining Ashes (12)

I had long yearned for such clichés.

A situation where two people, who seemed to be sworn enemies every time they faced each other, join forces to fight a common strong foe.

It’s just a temporary alliance this time! I still haven’t forgiven you!

Yeah, something like that.

After all, it’s a situation that a man can’t help but get fired up about. At least, that’s what I think.

In reality, stories of party members who had a hostile relationship and then grew closer after several life-and-death encounters are not uncommon.

Dawna and Apis were exactly that kind.

They would bicker as usual, but when on the battlefield, they fought back-to-back without a single stray thought, and it was always impressive to watch.

Perhaps that’s why.

In the corner of my heart, a small piece of hope always resided.

Maybe someday, much like Dawna and Apis did once.

Wouldn’t the day come when the Hero and the Saint, who are currently at each other’s throats, would be able to hold hands?

Boom!

There was a time when I thought like that.

Bang! Swish!

A stab that pierced through Saint’s hair like a bullet soon pierced the ankle of the monster.

Thud!

At last, the monster lost its balance and knelt with a loud noise.

It was a golden opportunity that wouldn’t come again.

In that moment, the first to move was none other than the Saint.

Swish!

As the Saint spread her arms wide, a bundle of chains thicker than my torso lunged at the monster like a snake capturing its prey.

Power and speed. There was nothing to criticize in the follow-up attack.

The only flaw was that the Hero was standing in the line of fire.

“Gah!”

Snap!

The Hero twisted his body in mid-air, avoiding the onslaught of dozens of chains, landing lightly on the ground.

The chains, having not hit any obstacles, reached their destination, where the monster was just trying to rise.

Bang!

“────!!!”

It seemed like the monster had no vocal cords, as it had not let out any decent roar until now. But for the first time, it spat out a sound that was somewhat like a cry.

It seemed the unintended joint attack by the Hero and the Saint had landed perfectly.

“It worked! Look over there! Its regeneration has noticeably weakened!”

As I paid attention to Dawna’s words, it was exactly as she said.

The chains from the Saint that had roughly forced their way through the hole made by the Hero were firmly gripping onto the monster’s flesh, making it feel unpleasant.

A hopeful situation where a significant breakthrough in the hunt was in sight.

Thanks to this, what needed to be done became clear.

“Hey—!”

Apis called out urgently.

Though her words were somewhat difficult to interpret, I could precisely understand what she wanted to convey.

Just one more time with that combo!

Dawna, who was preparing her next spell, and Bigtim, who was protecting her, could only think that in their hearts.

However, I had a more pressing issue to address.

“I clearly told you not to fight!?”

“P-Priest! It’s a misunderstanding! I just happened to swing my sword where the Saint was! There are no personal feelings involved at all! Ah! Ouch──!”

“Welna is not at fault at all. It was him who started it. Ah, big brother. Welna. It hurts. Aaaah──.”

I grabbed the noses of the two, like pinching a couple of funny dolls.

I didn’t want to resort to violence as much as possible.

But given the situation, it was clear that if I left these two as they were, a bigger disaster would be imminent. So I steeled my resolve.

“Sorry! Apis! Please buy me some time!”

“You bastard!”

Although she cursed, I silently thanked Apis for taking care of the aftermath and continued speaking.

“Hero. Saint. You both know what situation we’re in and what we are doing, right?”

“Th-That is….”

“…”

As my words and actions turned stern, a deep embarrassment started to show on the Hero’s face.

The Saint didn’t show any change in expression at all, but I could see her eyebrows subtly trembling, which made it clear her insides were no different from the Hero’s.

“Sigh….”

Immediately after letting out a sigh that seemed to collapse the earth, both of them glanced my way at the same time.

I didn’t hope for them to get along.

As long as they didn’t try to kill each other in front of me, that was enough.

Moreover, we were currently in a life-and-death struggle that could determine the fate of this world.

I could allow a slight quarrel, but I absolutely could not permit them to fight right here and right now.

“Hero~!”

“Ugh—!”

Pinching the Hero’s nose with a frown made him emit a sorrowful moan that echoed in my ears.

It seemed less about the pain and more about him being unable to bear this somber atmosphere.

Both of them were at fault, but the reason I pointed my finger at the Hero was simple.

He had made the first move.

Furthermore, the Saint had initially tried to help the Hero, so the responsibility was clear.

Of course, the Saint did provoke the Hero a little along the way, but I felt that didn’t justify swinging a sword at a comrade in the midst of battle.

“Hero. Are you really going to continue this…?”

“That’s… no way….”

“Big brother. The puppy is crying. The puppy is crying.”

“Yikes!”

“Saint. Just stay still for a moment….”

As I chastised the Hero more harshly than usual, the Saint seemed to seize the moment and interrupted again.

These childish girls were the Saint and the Hero who bore the fate of the world.

“Hah.”

Even as I stared hard, in this surreal situation that seemed entirely unfamiliar, a snicker escaped my lips.

“Hey, you bastards! Hurry up already—!?”

Right then.

With Apis’s voice, the light bulb of consciousness that had been dimmed flickered brightly.

Yes. My role was to quickly get these two into the battle while the comrades were buying time.

To completely root out any elements that could cause strife and fix their sights solely on the monster instead of each other.

It was a dizzying conundrum, but fortunately, I had a secret strategy to break through this dire situation.

The hint was the words that Apis had cried out when the Hero and Dawna lost their minds while I was in the way.

Hug.

I simultaneously pulled the Hero and the Saint into a tight embrace.

Both looked quite surprised by my sudden action, but they didn’t resist the arms that wrapped around them.

“Hero. Saint. How much do I love you?”

With a voice that was as pitiful as it was forlorn.

But to reach their souls, it was better this way.

“P-Priest! Priest…?”

The Hero’s face turned red, rolling his eyes in confusion at my unpredictable action.

I had fully anticipated this reaction from the Hero.

No need to mention the Saint.

“Welna loves you this much—!!!”

Swish!

The Saint raised her arms high, and her cheerful voice rang out.

Right after, countless chains erupted from behind the Saint, far exceeding what had just come out.

“Ugh! Then I—!”

The Hero twisted his neck abruptly toward the Saint. A fiery fighting spirit began to dwell in his eyes.

Having come this far, the plan was more than halfway successful.

“Hey! Over there!”

Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!

At Apis’s call, I shifted my gaze and saw the giant monster sprinting toward us.

Surely, the Saint instinctively sensed the risk of the miracle she just invoked.

The judgment was undoubtedly excellent, but it seemed that monster knew one thing but not another.

“I’LL GET YOU TOO───!!!”

Vrrrrr! BOOM──!

Like a freight train’s whistle, the Hero swung his sword with a loud sound.

Thus, the monster, caught off-guard by the sword strike, momentarily hovered in the air.

“Well then, I—Huh!”

Not wanting to be outdone, the Saint inhaled deeply once more, focusing her holy power.

“I’LL GET YOU TOO───!!!”

Swish!

Unlike the previous aimless flares, the movements of the chains now had a clear sense of purpose, radiating deadly intent.

Clang! Clang! Crackle──!

The monster, now pierced by the Saint’s chains, hung limply in the air, suddenly resembling a beehive.

It felt somewhat surreal that it hadn’t yet lost its breath in that state, but that was that.

“Then I! I—”

“Then Welna—!”

As I watched the two of them, gathering their breath and strength for the next exchange, a mix of relief and weariness took turns in my chest.

“Phew…”

“Good job! Now leave the rest to us! Dawna! One more support magic!”

“I know!”

After releasing my tension, I slumped down to the ground, and Apis, Dawna, and Bigtim zipped past me.

In their eyes, that unique resolve, emboldened by the thrill of victory, was vividly illuminated.

How much time had passed?

Pierced by Apis’s arrow and roasted by Dawna’s magic, the monster, thwarted by Bigtim’s defense, found all its resistance effectively blocked.

Cracks of destruction began to appear all over its gigantic body.

Crack! Crack!

And those cracks met the fist of the Hero, who, with his broken sword, swung fiercely, scattering it into white dust in the air.

“Hero Punch──!!!”

Thus, an A-rank Dungeon Disaster suddenly struck the capital of this system.

The Demon King’s subjugation successfully reached its conclusion.

With this, the external threat had been safely eradicated.

Now, what remained for us was just one task.

That was—

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