Koibito wo Netorare, Yuusha Party kara Tsuihou sa Retakedo

Thanks to Yurin’s tracking, we finally found him.
The lone knight stood atop a small hill.
Margo.
He drew his sword, pointing it towards the battlefield below.
The distance between us was considerable, so he hadn’t noticed us yet.
Black and white light swirled around his blade.
If I wasn’t mistaken, he was about to attack a girl fighting against the Demon clan.
The girl, or rather, the Half-Dragon.
Ah.
“She–”
I had heard the rumors.
About the wielder of the Holy Sword with Dragon attributes [Io].
The hero with the power to transform into a Dragon.
She was mowing down all the Demons within reach with overwhelming strength.
“Violetta… right?”
I’d never met her, but I was pretty sure.
That girl named Violetta was now in Margo’s sights.
“[Chaos Slumber]–”
A mixture of black and white light shot from him, enveloping the girl.
“Zzz…”
Violetta collapsed like a puppet with cut strings, falling into a deep sleep.
“What the hell…!?”
Did Margo attack a Hero?
So he had joined the Demon clan–
—
I climbed the hill where he stood.
Shia and Yurin flanked me, ready to fight at any moment.
Margo was gleefully monologuing to himself while observing the battlefield.
“Chrome? Why are you here…!?”
Finally noticing us, he turned and asked in confusion.
“What? Am I interrupting your little moment of enjoyment?”
I raised an eyebrow and stepped closer.
And then,
“Lady Violetta!?”
“Hey, look over there!”
In the distance, a group of knights had also noticed what was happening.
About thirty people rushed to protect the enchanted Violetta.
“It’s the Hero Knight Margo!”
From their demeanor, I guessed they were Violetta’s comrades or subordinates.
“Knights, listen up!”
Seeing this, Margo’s lips curled into a sinister smile. Using wind magic to amplify his voice, he pointed at me and declared:
“These are bearers of [Darkness] who’ve allied with the Demon clan! They used their evil power to bring down Hero Violetta!”
“Hey, weren’t you the one who cast a sleep spell on her?”
I shrugged and smirked disdainfully.
He hadn’t changed a bit; Margo had always been a smooth talker.
“Their power is immense! You can’t help her!”
“Bearers of [Darkness]…!?”
The knights murmured among themselves.
As expected, they only heard Margo’s words.
And believed him without hesitation.
Well, it wasn’t surprising.
“Yes, though human, he wields the power of Demons, the [Enemy of the World] — unforgivable!”
Margo roared.
The distant knights echoed his battle cry.
“Therefore, I shall raise my sword of justice to defeat him! Everyone, witness! The battle of a true Hero–”
“Calling yourself a Hero now? Still love stroking your ego, don’t you, Margo?”
I chuckled.
“Prepare to die, you traitors who’ve fallen to [Darkness]!”
Margo approached us, sword in hand.
However, he seemed intent on maintaining a certain distance, stopping well short of us.
So he had information about my skills after all.
“What’s wrong? Not coming to attack?”
I taunted.
“… I’m not reckless, Chrome. I know all about your abilities.”
Margo snorted.
“Invulnerability within a certain range — quite a troublesome skill.”
“So what’s your plan? Hurry up and surrender?”
I said as I moved closer to him.
Margo silently stepped back.
He was wary of the range of my skill.
He must have also realized my physical abilities were very weak.
If he maintained distance, my [Fixed Damage] would be almost useless in an attack.
“Lord Chrome, let me.”
Shia suggested.
“I’ll pin down Margo.”
“Don’t be rash. He’s still a Hero Knight after all. His swordsmanship is top-notch. Even with your [Severance], direct combat isn’t a good idea.”
I turned to look at Margo once more.
Neither of us could do anything to the other.
The situation had reached a stalemate.
And just as I thought that,
Crackle! Crackle!
Suddenly, in the corner of my vision, numerous powerful electrical sparks appeared.
“Mmm…!?”
Violetta, who had been peacefully lying at the foot of the hill, was struggling to stand up.
“YAWN…!”
She stood up and stretched luxuriously, completely at odds with the battlefield atmosphere.