I Favor the Villainess Chapter 66Sendoff

The fight turned difficult.

For us three whose main fighting power is magic, the fact that magic is ineffective is extremely disadvantageous.

While we were running around the captain’s cabin, we tried to break the current deadlock.

However――.

“Kh…!”

“If magic is ineffective, there is nothing we can do!”

As Misha’s and Claire-sama’s expressions show, the situation doesn’t look good.

“What are the people outside the room doing!?”

“There seem to be great deal of demons outside. Besides, they probably can’t pass through this barrier”

Opposite to Claire-sama who was getting impatient, Misha still retained composure.

“GIVE UP. IF YOU DON’T RESIST, YOU’LL DIE PAINLESSLY”

Wielding his large bastard sword, Louis moved to kill us.

I’ve heard he’s an excellent adventurer, and that’s probably not an exaggeration.

If I said that he’s powerful enough to be able to overwhelm us when it’s three to one, would you understand.

“I have an idea”

While barely dodging the tip of Louis’s sword, I told Claire-sama and Misha.

“Claire-sama, please suppress him by shooting many lower ranked magic. Even if magic is ineffective, the impact will go through”

“I understand”

I guess she trusts me.

Claire-sama switched from flame lance she was using until then to flame bullets and unleashed a barrage.

“Misha, please search for enemies”

“Search for enemies you say, is there any other laying in ambush?”

The always expressionless Misha frowned.

“No. The search area is the entire hull. Search for a place where there are few enemies”

“What’s the point――”

“I can’t explain now. Trust me”

If Louis heard it, everything would go back to square one.

“I understand”

“I’ll gain time with Claire-sama”

I made water and earth bullets and fired them at Louis.

“USELESS STRUGGLE…”

“The person who gave up is saying that!?”

With splendid moves Claire-sama slipped past Louis’s sword and while they passed each other tripped him.

Louis’s swelled-up body collapsed.

He still doesn’t seem able to use undeadificated body perfectly.

Nevertheless, to be able to take on three people, he’s a big deal.

“Claire-sama, please don’t do something so dangerous!”

Certainly, among us three Claire-sama excels at martial arts, but she’s still no match for Louis.

“But, like this it is just getting worse and worse?”

“It’s okay. I’ll probably manage somehow”

“I can trust you, right?”

“Of course!”

When I nodded to Claire-sama, we fired a rain of two kinds of magical bullets on Louis.

“IT DOESN’T MATTER WHAT YOU DO. ONCE YOU EXHAUST MAGICAL POWER, YOU WILL MEET YOUR END”

Louis seems convinced of his victory.

But, I can’t die here.

No, at worst I can, but Claire-sama must survive no matter what it takes.

“I finished searching for enemies. The number of enemies is the lowest in the third room from the stern”

“Thank you, Misha”

As expected of Misha, she works fast.

“Misha, switch to suppressing together with Claire-sama. There’s a little something I need to do, so gain me time”

“I understand!”

Now then, here comes the important part.

“―― My body is made out of Claire-sama”

I began solemnly chanting.

――My blood is of Claire-sama too.

――My heart of glass reflects Claire-sama.

――Claire-sama Claire-sama.

“What was that just now!?”

“Claire-sama, please focus!”

No, I’m not messing around, really.

“WHAT ARE YOU PLANNING?”

Louis was puzzled while being suppressed by Misha and Claire-sama.

I have no intention of answering.

I’m intently concentrating on what I should do, that is chanting the spell.

From a distance a loud sound reverberated, at the same time the hull greatly shook.

“What was that…?”

“Claire-sama, don’t stop!”

Taking the opportunity when Claire-sama was shaken for an instant, Louis closed in and swung his sword at her head.

Reflexively I also stopped chanting and tried to support her with water bullets.

It won’t make it――!

“Claire-sama――!”

However, the sword was pushed back as if repelled by something.

“WHAT!?”

Using the gap that appeared for an instant, Claire-sama recovered and again fired flame bullets as she took distance.

I was so flustered I thought my heart would stop so I don’t know what happened, but I returned to work.

The sound and shaking gradually increased.

And――.

“!?”

With a loud sound the door flew off the hinges and a large amount of seawater flowed into from outside.

――Together with many swords.

“Misha, Claire-sama! Use magic to stab Louis with these swords!”

Although there was no reply, they acted quickly.

Immediately switching from magical bullets, with Claire-sama using fire explosion and Misha wind blow, the flowing swords were flung at Louis.

I’ll also participate.

“Un**mited Claire Works!”

Louis tried evading in panic, but he couldn’t avoid the countless swords flying at him.

His body pierced with swords from head to toe fell to the floor.

“… I lost… huh…”

Louis’s body reverted to its original size.

Of course, the torn skin remained torn, his appearance was tattered.

The voice too returned to Louis’s.

There was no sorrow in his voice, it was tinged with only a genuine doubt.

“What in the world… did you do?”

“I have no obligation to answer”

I wanted to quickly escape from the ship.

However――.

“I am also suspicious? What in the world did you do”

“I would also like to be told”

It can’t be helped if even Claire and Misha say that.

“This room was wrapped in a barrier made not with the operator’s powers but with a magical scroll. So, I thought the effect wouldn’t last long”

For that reason, I had us three pretend to suppress Louis with magical barrage while the stray bullets deteriorated the barrier.

“I had Misha search for enemies to find the location of these swords”

“These are silver weapons?”

“Yes”

Silver has tremendous effect on undead.

Conversely, because undead won’t approach silver, I had her search for a place with the fewest enemies.

“How did you guess such things might be onboard?”

“Didn’t we hear it in town. The missing noble who came by ship came here for Undead Hunt”

And, Louis said he transformed that boat into this ghost ship.

“Afterwards, I manipulated sea water with water magic to bring the silver weapons here”

“I see… It’s my complete defeat”

Saying so, Louis smiled like he became unbound by something.

“I am in no position to demand such a thing, but I have a favor to ask”

“I refuse. Let’s go, Misha, Claire-sama”

Why should I listen to a request of somebody who tried to kill Claire-sama.

I tried to leave taking them along.

“If I only need to listen. Speak”

“Claire-sama…”

“Trying to kill a person you love with your own hands? There must be some circumstances”

She seems to be showing him compassion.

Where did the villainess Claire-sama go.

“Thank you. If possible, I’d like to entrust my mother to you. She’s ill”

“Is that why you were manipulated by the empire?”

Louis’s mother seems to have suffered from a heavy epidemic.

And, the empire took advantage of that.

“If it is about medicine, couldn’t you buy it without resorting to underhanded methods”

“We used most our savings to see the town doctor. And then he said there’s something bad happening with her stomach. The magical potion to kill that came with a separate charge”

Claire-sama was rendered speechless.

“Even if I continued taking dangerous requests as an adventurer, it would take a year to save up. Even when I begged among the relatives, I still didn’t manage to borrow half of it”

Claire-sama couldn’t seem to find words at the story Louis told in anguish.

“It’s enough, right? You managed to listen, so let’s escape. This ship will sink soon”

“But…”

“Claire-sama. Right now Rei is right. We should escape”

“… I understand”

Claire-sama gave in to Misha’s calm voice.

“This Claire swears on François house’s name to do something about your mother. Therefore, sleep in peace”

“… Thank you. Ah…. I didn’t give those guys money back, I wonder if they’ll resent me…”

Those were Louis’s last words.

“Let’s go”

With our comrades who were waiting outside, we escaped the ghost ship.

During that time, Claire-sama didn’t utter a single word.