Chapter 139 - Haruto and the Four Heroes (6)

Two years and seven months had passed since I came to this world. I was am now at Level 180. On the other hand, it had ’s been 5 months since Takato and the others came here, and Takato had already reached the limit — he surpassed Level 300.

I had been running around trying to stop stampedes, and most of the monsters I defeated were rank B and below, so it was difficult for me to level up.

I left most of the warlocks and high level monsters to Takato, so he rapidly increased his power.

Well, not that it mattered.

As long as Tina, the person I loved the most, lived in a safe world, then it didn’t matter to me whoever defeated the Demon King.

On a certain day —

“Tina, I like you. Be my girl.”

Takato confessed to Tina. I was really annoyed at his arrogant attitude, but even if it’s was a joke, it was ’s coming from the strongest guy in this world.

I was itching to charge at him and beat him up, but I must respect and hear out Tina’s feelings first.

“It is truly a great honor to receive your proposal. However, I apologize. I cannot accept this.”

Tina rejected Takato.

I was inwardly having a joyful fanfare. in my joy.

“Huh? W-, why!? I’m the strongest dude in this entire world, you know? I can have the world in my palm if I wanted to. And yet, why are did you rejecting my proposal!?”

You, what are were you spouting……..

Were you aiming to become the demon king?

“I am in love with Haruto-sama.”

“Eh!?”

Tina said something outrageous.

I stood dumbfounded.

Tina was facing Takato, and she had her back turned towards me, but the tips of her ears sticking out of her hair were dyed in crimson, so I understood.

Tina liked me — but that kind of thing was supposed to be impossible… I tried to reflect.

　──＊＊＊──

‘I defeated a lot of monsters today, too! Haruto-sama, pat me!’

Tina would always request a pat from me whenever she slayed slew monsters or when she healed the people. She would seem very happy when I did that when we were ’re alone.

　──＊＊＊──

‘Eh, you want another helping? I’m sorry, this is the last one. Please have some of mine. Here, open wi~de.’

Tina’s handmade dishes were very delicious. Whenever I asked for another helping, she would tell me that there’s no more, so I could have some of hers. She would then hold a spoon towards me.

Of course, it was Tina’s spoon.

Indirect kiss…

Afterward, when the food on Tina’s plate was is all gone, she would say ‘Oh, there’s still more’ , and she would bring in more food.

──＊＊＊──

‘Haruto-sama, can I sleep with you tonight, too?’

Even if we saved towns and cities from the monsters, we didn’t accept the compensation that the residents would offered to us. We moved ran around all the time, so we were also short of money.

Tina and I also didn’t like taking raw materials from the monsters.

We would occasionally took take the monsters’ horns and other easy to obtain parts and sold them so we’d have money for the inn. But we couldn’t afford to be extravagant, so Tina proposed that we should would sleep in one room.

Tina would always stick to me when it was ’s time to sleep. Well, there was ’s no way I’d feel bad that a beauty was sticking to me, so I didn’t have any complaints.

— Yup. Tina probably liked me even before, based on her previous words and actions.

Our races were was different, but and Tina was very beautiful, so she shouldn’t wouldn’t have any interest in me. That’s what I thought, but I just noticed now that I was probably mistaken.

I liked Tina. I really loved her.

I was on cloud nine when I learned that we both felt the same.

Tina confessed to me inadvertently, but….

My happiness was overflowing.

But then, some idiot crushed that happy feeling — \

“Halt’s just a small fry with a level below 200! Even if he’s a hero, he's still way below me!!”

“Haruto-sama is not a weak person!! Haruto-sama has had saved countless cities and villages, do you understand how many people are grateful to him!!?”

Tina defended me when Takato mocked me.

“Haruto-sama is the true hero!!!”

Takato shut up with Tina’s words.

Then —

“Haruto, fight me.”

“Ha!?”

What did you say?

Takato was Level 300, I was only Level 180, you know?

One You could already see the result, right?.

“If you won’t fight against me, then… I won’t defeat the Demon King.”

“W-, what are you saying!?”

“If I win, hand over Tina to me.”

I was not dating Tina in the first place, so even if you say ‘hand her over’, that was ’s impossible.

Well, even if we were ’re dating, I didn’t don’t have any plans to give up do that to someone like Takato.

“You won’t be able to defeat the Demon King if I’m not there. Come on, fight me!!”

Takato unsheathed his sword after saying that.

He seemed serious.

It was’s useless, nothing would go through this guy at this rate.

I was already considering defeating the Demon King myself, but that would mean I’d expose Tina to danger.

That’s why I needed Takato’s fighting strength.

“Got it. If I win, you have to help me slay the Demon King.”

“That’s impossible.”

Daichi and the rest of them wanted to stop us, but Takato glared at him, effectively shutting them up.

The fight between Level 300 Hero and Level 180 good-for-nothing Hero began.

“Die!”

Takato charged at me with bloodlust right from the get go. His attack was powerful enough to blast S-rank dragons into oblivion.

And I —

Easily evaded that attack.

“Wha!?”

Takato was dumbstruck.

That’s natural.

It’s really easy to avoid such a straightforward attack that relied heavily on status, no matter how fast it was. Of course, you’d also receive great damage if it were to hit you head on.

However, the sword that the deity gave me, and the experience I got from fighting thousands, no, tens of thousands of monsters already closed the 120 level gap between us.

Takato’s attacks didn’t hit me, on the contrary, my attacks wounded Takato’s body.

“$%!@#$^#&(&*!!!!!!!!!”

Takato became increasingly furious as none of his attacks hit home.

I kept on resisting him.

— That’s what I thought, when Takato suddenly released an enormous amount of magic.

“Haruto, you...you’re strong, huh. That’s why, if you can endure this, then I’d acknowledge you. I’m going to help you kill that Demon King, too.”

Takato conjured a colossal spear made from thunderbolt.

It was one of the two ultimate lighting and thunder magic.

It was different from Ultimate Thunder, which was a wide-range annihilation spell; this was the strongest specialization magic spell used to attack an individual.

He was really aiming to kill me, considering the difference between our status. And he was further instigating me to avoid this attack.

Moreover, Tina was behind me, anxiously watching our battle; she was truly worried. I didn’t notice at all that we were’re already in this position while fighting.

If I avoided it, Tina would get hit. Takato seemed to have planned it all, driving me to this position so that it would be impossible for me to avoid his attack.

“...Go ahead.”

“ —!? D-, don’t get so full of yourself!! Die in regret!!!!”

Takato snapped when I provoked him. He released the spell, which was something that should never be pointed to a person normally.

The thunderbolt spear rushed towards me with the speed of light.

And I —

I flicked it off with my right hand

“—Ha!?”

Takato was frozen in shock.

The strongest level in this world was 300.

Heroes were teleported by the deity, and after receiving blessings to their heart’s content, they would defeat the monsters and the others who were connected to them until they finally reached the limit — that was level 300.

Takato was already considered the pinnacle of strength in this world because he was already at Level 300. And yet I easily blocked that strongest person’s strongest attack.

Behind me stood the person I should protect — Tina.

I activated the Protective Skill, and my level doubled into 360, defying all reason and logic of this world.

As long as Tina was behind me, no one else would win against me.

Alright, should we rehabilitate this Hero-sama who fell into darkness?

I moved towards Takato’s side. I simply ran, but because of my awesome Level 360 status, Takato was shocked when I suddenly appeared in a flash right before his eyes.

I aimed at Takato’s face with all my might and —