A strangely audible gulp resounded through the area.
The sound became a signal. Sent flying along with the pile of parts that had been its companion, the surviving Mazoku rushed toward Lefille.
An ambush. It’d intentionally targeted the moment when Lefille had stopped, thinking it likely the moment that she would reveal an opening.
This “ambush” of its, however, had simply been wishful thinking.
Lefille hadn’t lowered her guard. Although she’d sent her enemy flying, she was as cautious as though it were still immediately before her.
Accordingly, she’d never left a combat-ready state.
In the face of that overpowering will, the Mazoku, struggling to the last, had no chance of victory.
Dashing toward her, Lefille slashed horizontally with her giant weapon.
She had not shown a single opening during that attack, from start to finish. The enormous blade seemingly causing a storm of wind to gust as it cut through the air.
Struck by this weapon, the Mazoku was cleanly split in two.
Immediately following, Lefille sliced again, this time vertically, from high to low. Her attack was like a whirlwind, and her twin strikes drew a cross in the air, this time parting the Mazoku’s body along its vertical axis.
And so the Mazoku met its end.
The girl’s movements, however, had not concluded.
Her actions now were superfluous. There was no meaning in continuing to slash a foe that had already perished.
Completely unconcerned by the fact that what she was doing now was quite literally overkill, she punctuated her kill by crushing the Mazoku’s head with her sword, as if to say that she hadn’t yet had her fill.
“Be crushed… devil!”
Her half-mumbled words passed through Suimei’s ears, words of loathing seemingly directed at an enemy not currently present.
…The indescribable oppressive atmosphere smothering the area suddenly disappeared. Lefille lifted her sword, and walked over to rejoin the others.
“…It looks like things are done on your guys’ end.”
“Y-yeah. You could say that…”
The one to answer had been the adventurer from just earlier, the one from the party that was familiar with Lefille. Despite the fact that Lefille had returned to her normal self, unable to wipe the shocking memory of the ferocious vision he had just seen from his mind, his answer was delivered rather stiffly.
Suimei, acting on behalf of both himself and the adventurer, raised a question.
“And your end?”
“Ah, yeah, it’s been cleaned to the point that not a one is left. There are no more Mazoku in that section of the forest.”
Just as she’d declared to the crowd before racing off, she’d destroyed them utterly. That was Lefille for you.
Although Suimei…
“Weren’t there more Mazoku in the forest than came out?”
“Yes. My original plan heading over was to completely clear them all out.”
“Hah…”
Suimei wasn’t sure what to say. Lefille revealed a fearless smile.
“You guys didn’t have any problems, I trust?”
“Nope.”
His answer had been direct, and to be fair, there truly hadn’t been any difficulties.
On that note, Lefille really planned on killing them all herself…
“I let some escape. I sure need more training,” she added regretfully.
Just what in the world is this girl…
Lefille slowly looked around.
“Just earlier, I had a really shocking sound from over here. Was that perhaps the cause of this scene of carnage?”
“Yep. That was a spell of mine.”
At his answer, she suddenly showed a look of surprise, though a bright expression appeared once more on her face immediately thereafter.
“As expected from you, Suimei-kun. How lively.”
“What’s that supposed to mean? It took this much just to take down one of them.”
“Wait, what? Just one?”
“Yeah.”