If You Cheat, Just Don’t Tell Me - Chapter 21

“What the hell else am I supposed to do?! I’ve got no choice but to fight!”

Nothing ever went right for me since I was a kid. Despite having the blood of a Sword Saint, I was completely useless with a blade, and despite having the blood of a Sage, my magic was utterly pathetic. When I swung a sword, it would slip from my grasp, and the most I could manage with magic was lighting a small flame on my fingertip.

My studies were only average, and I was just an ordinary person who happened to be born into a privileged environment. If you threw anyone else into my circumstances, most would probably end up about as capable as me.

The pressure from those around me, something I never asked for was so constant that I’d become numb to it. Everyone would get their hopes up, then blatantly change their attitude the moment they realized I was a failure. Doing anything for those people, trying to meet their expectations, was just ridiculous.

What’s wrong with me living for myself? My parents, everyone else—they don’t matter. I’m going to live for me. Or at least, that’s what I thought.

“Damn it! It’s too tough! What the hell is this thing?!”

I cursed as I threw aside the chipped sword. Even if it was mass-produced, it was still a steel sword. Why was a flesh-and-blood body tougher than steel? That didn’t make any sense.

Not much time had passed since I started fighting the monster that appeared to be the leader of this Demonic Stampede. I’d already discarded several weapons and still hadn’t managed to land a single effective blow.

“First of all, it’s way too hard. What is that thing? Is it made of some kind of alloy?”

The explosion bomb I’d thrown to clear out the surrounding monsters hadn’t left a single scratch, and the bullets I’d fired from a distance were deflected with an annoying clanging sound. Well, at least the ricochets had done some damage to the other monsters, so it wasn’t a complete waste.

The level of magic I could use couldn’t even scratch it. I’d mustered my resolve, closed in, and swung my sword, only for the blade to chip. The very one I’d just thrown away.

A flesh-and-blood body being that hard was clearly abnormal. If it were a steel puppet like an Iron Golem, that’d be one thing, but it looked like it had ordinary skin. What the hell was going on?

Was that it? Was it protected by some kind of magical barrier? Or was that just this monster’s special characteristic? I didn’t really get it, but either way, it seemed like fighting normally wouldn’t just fail to inflict a fatal wound. It wouldn’t do any damage at all.

Ever since I started targeting that big one, the surrounding monsters had begun focusing on me too. They’d breathe fire, shoot spines. If I kept my distance, dodging itself wasn’t particularly difficult. The problem was, if I focused solely on evasion, I couldn’t get close.

So, I had to accept that I’d take some hits as I closed in. It was the same when I went in to strike with my sword. Thanks to that, I’d already sustained several injuries.

“…What?”

As I ran alongside the horde of monsters, thinking about how to approach that thing next and what to do, the giant creature turned its humanoid upper body toward me and began assuming an unnatural pose.

It was a stance like someone drawing a bow. As if matching that pose, the monster’s hands began to glitter, and a massive bow and arrow proportionate to the monster’s size, materialized.

“That bastard’s a mage?!”

The moment I shouted that, the arrow was released from the monster’s hand. The arrow, made of magical energy, began splitting apart the instant it was fired, and in the blink of an eye, countless arrows filled my vision, flying straight at me.

“Ugh… Ooooooooooh!”

Dodge. I had to dodge the incoming arrows. I leaned the bike, twisted my body, slammed on the brakes, accelerated sharply; using every possible maneuver I could pull off on a motorcycle to evade.

Dodge, dodge, dodge. I had no room to think about anything else. All I could do was desperately avoid the arrows right in front of me.

How many did I have to dodge? How long did I have to keep this up? Just when that thought flickered through my mind for an instant, my field of view suddenly cleared.

“Is it over?”

The whisper slipped out unintentionally. Even though we were still in the middle of combat, I felt a wave of relief that the arrows had vanished from my sight. I’d let my guard down.

“—Gah?!”

The last arrow, the one I’d lost sight of in my carelessness, pierced me near my right shoulder, and a searing pain and shock assaulted me.

I instinctively let go of the handlebars. Pushed by the impact of the arrow, my body started toppling backward.

If this kept up, I’d definitely lose my balance and fall off the bike. If that happened, not only would I not get off unscathed. I’d be crushed by the monsters in an instant.

…Like hell I’d let that happen. What do they think I came here for? What do they think my comrades are fighting for? Falling off my bike and dying here, like hell I’d allow that!

“Don’t… you… dare… Aaaaaaaah!”

By clamping down on the bike with my lower body, I barely managed to keep myself from losing my balance and falling. I forced my upper body back up using my abs, swung my uninjured left shoulder around, and grabbed the left handlebar again.

…I can’t feel anything from my right shoulder down. Even if I managed to regain my posture, there’s nothing I can do like this.

A motorcycle is meant to be steered with your right hand to accelerate. But if I can’t use my right hand, all I’ll do is gradually slow down.

I tried to force some strength into my numb right hand. It twitched, so it wasn’t like my right hand was completely useless. But all I could manage were these feeble twitches. I couldn’t muster any real strength.

Damn it! What should I do? What can I do? I can’t end it here. I won’t let it end here.

Why am I so shitty with a sword? I have the blood of a Sword Saint, so why can’t I even use a sword properly? Why am I so terrible at magic? I have the blood of a Sage, so why can’t I cast a single decent spell?

Nothing ever went right for me since I was a kid. I tried hard to improve, but nothing ever changed.

Is it going to be the same this time? Is it going to end with me accomplishing nothing? Is that just who I am? Are they saying this is my limit?

The motorcycle gradually slowed down. I was getting farther and farther from the monster horde. A sense of resignation began to spread through my heart.

—A sense of resignation? Don’t think such stupid things! I’m the only one thinking that crap here right now!

Look! Up ahead in the monster horde, that bastard’s still glowing, and I can hear their voices. There are guys fighting exactly as I instructed, so why the hell would I give up on my own? That doesn’t make any sense!

“What the hell else am I supposed to do?! I’ve got no choice but to fight!”

I pictured my comrades’ faces. Those guys who came to this dangerous place even though there’s nothing in it for them. They’re fighting for me, so how could I possibly give up? That’s just ridiculous.

I pictured Freya’s face. Her smiling face, her angry face, her sad face, her embarrassed, blushing face. I’m sorry about our fight the other day. If you’re mad at me for that and say you don’t want to marry me, that’s fine.

Wanting to pay off your family’s debt is just my selfish desire. Just let me have my way on this one thing. Whatever you want to do after that you can tell me later. If it’s you saying it, I’ll accept anything you tell me.

—It’s just I want the woman I love to be happy. That’s all.

“I don’t need a sword or magic! The Sword Saint and the Sage have nothing to do with this! This is my partner right here!”

I forced my right hand to grip the handlebar. I couldn’t put any strength into it, so I couldn’t turn it. But that’s fine. It doesn’t matter.

I started channeling all my magical energy into the motorcycle. I’ve never done this before, it’s totally improvised. Motorcycles don’t need magical energy in the first place. I have no idea what’ll happen.

But it’s all I’ve got right now. Since my right hand’s useless, I’ve got no choice but to force the engine to run using the magical energy I’m pouring in. I’ve worked on this bike so much, I’m familiar with the engine. There’s no way I can’t do this.

Responding to the magical energy I poured into it, the motorcycle began to accelerate. An explosive roar, like nothing I’d ever heard before as if accompanied by a shockwave, resounded through the air.

The distance between me and the monster horde, which had been growing, rapidly closed. The surrounding monsters noticed me approaching and tried to react, but my speed was faster than their movements.

The only one that could keep up with my speed was that giant one, the one that seemed to be the leader of the pack.

“Ooooooooooooooh!!”

A swiftly nocked magical arrow was released. A barrage of arrows filled my vision.

Instead of desperately dodging like before, I charged straight toward it.

—I’ll blow this bastard away in no time and come to you. Just wait a little longer for me, Freya.