<h3 ss="chakra-heading css-o4tw6g">NOW WITH A NEW TIER ON OUR PATREON! CHECK IT OUT!


    "AAH!! AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!"


    Duma''s death-throes-like desperate screams were reverberating throughout the deck. The cracks in her chest spread outwards rapidly with a cracking "<em ss="chakra-text css-0">mekimeki</em>" sound throughout her body, and eventually, her limbs, neck, and torso all crumbled into pieces.


    When Exce saw this, she screamed.


    "No, Omusubi was put on her head, and then Duma fell apart!? How could that be?"


    Nevertheless, the hero was still chewing on his omusubi with a "<em ss="chakra-text css-0">Mun Munch</em>" sound.


    "Please stop eating and EXPLAIN!? Even after you said, "I don''t intend to break her," she''s already TORN to pieces!?"


    Exce pointed at Duma''s head with her retortment———and then realized. Like iron attracted to a ma, the scattered limbs were slowly gathering around the head.


    "Aah– she revived!! Just like Lady Nephira said, Duma is immortal!!"


    Exce impatiently pulled the hero''s arm. Finally, the hero stopped eating and calmly opened his rice-grain-covered lips.


    "It''s alright! Exce. The battle is over."


    "Eh–…"


    Duma, now with her limbs re-attached and restored to life, picked up the omusubi that Suzuki had just ced on her head and dusted it off.


    "I-It looks delicious, ya know."


    It seemed strange that a doll would say that an omusubi looked delicious when it was supposed to be unable to eat. As Exce pondered this, the hero smiled kindly at Duma and said.


    "Go ahead. Bon appétit."


    Nodding in agreement, Duma put the omusubi in her mouth. The hero also took another bite of his half-eaten omusubi.


    "Wha-What the hell, is this…! The two of you are facing each other and eating omusubi…!"


    Perhaps not fully repaired, Duma''s stomach had a hole in it. The rice she ate was spilling "<em ss="chakra-text css-0">poroporo</em>" out of her from there in chunks.


    (What the hell am I, supposed to be seeing here…?)


    Even so, the two of them finished eating the omusubi at about the same time. The hero was the first to say, "Thank you for the food." Then Duma also murmured, "T-Thank you for the food." And then, as if they had just finished a sword fight match, they bowed politely to each other.


    Exce curiously approached the hero and asked him shyly.


    "Eh- Ehm, Uhm… did you win… <em ss="chakra-text css-0">this</em>?"


    "Yes. It''s my victory."


    "I-I… have never seen… a fight like this before…! ''Thank you for the food'' was it…!"


    The hero was smiling innocently, but from Exce''s point of view: "After the hero bawled his eyes out and cried a lot, then he started eating omusubis, finally, he put an omusubi on Duma''s head, and in some way I don''t understand, won."


    (…Huh–!?)


    As a matter of fact, there were a lot of big question marks floating around in Exce''s head.


    "…I mean, where did you get them from? Those, omusubis?"


    "Nephira leather bag! She packed it with many things, like snacks and other things! Truthfully, it was of great help!"


    (Y-Yeah…)


    Exce was still bewildered by the situation. However, Duma muttered gently.


    "I-I''ll return the ship to the capital… I-I''m, somehow, kind of tired…"


    Exce was surprised to see Duma looking as if her curse had been lifted.


    (Y-YEAH! Even Lady Nephira is afraid of the Invincible Duma, themander of the Immortal Fleet of the Demon Lord''s Army, and she was defeated by Lord Hero!)


    The details of this battle were, to be honest, iprehensible to her, an ordinary person. It would be easier and clearer to understand if he would have cut down his enemies gantly, like the legendary Champion Hartline, but——— Well, she shouldn''t say something like that.


    While telling herself this, she smiled at the hero.


    "I''m truly d! As you would expect from Lord Hero!"


    "<em ss="chakra-text css-0">Ahaha</em>! You are embarrassing me!"


    After scratching his head and blushing a little, the hero asked Exce.


    "H-Hey Exce. I, was I cool?"


    "No, not at all! It didn''t make one ounce of sense to me at all!! Especially when you started eating omusubi, I thought I wanted to kick you!! <em ss="chakra-text css-0">Ufufu</em>!!"


    "No, unbelievable!? Exce, you were going to kick me!? Don''t ''<em ss="chakra-text css-0">Ufufu</em>'' me!? Why are youughing!?"


    "I-I''m sorry!"


    "<em ss="chakra-text css-0">Haa</em>—… I knew it... no one is able to understand <em ss="chakra-text css-0">Pritis</em>, right…"


    The hero said,ining, and slumped his shoulders.


    "B-But, oh well, it was a good oue! Wasn''t it? Ri–Right?!"


    While Exce wasforting him, Aina, wearing a hood, slowly walked toward Duma. Aina pulled her sword from its sheath at her waist, and the de gleamed.


    Exce''s cheerful "<em ss="chakra-text css-0">ara</em>" voice was drowned out by the shing sound of Aina''s sword as Aina swung it down.


    (…Huh?)


    Before Exce could grasp the current situation, Duma''s body was split into upper and lower halves. The upper half of Duma''s body rolled on the deck.


    Exce and the hero were stunned. Sharp eyes peeked out from under the hood.


    Aina stared at the speechless hero and spoke clearly.


    "What the HELL are you doing? Finish her off with a clean sweep."


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