episode_0102

Regarding the scene of that day, one Yeom state person wrote this:

“Ominous dark clouds filled with ill fortune were gathering in the sky.”

“As if the heavens were trying to judge the earth, emerald lightning resounded from time to time, heightening the tension.”

“I was staring blankly at it, to the point where I couldn’t even remember why we came to this place, Cheonsan.”

“Far away, a woman who seemed not of this world, her white hair flying, wielded a sword.”

“Emerald lightning poured down towards the ground.”

“The lightning of destruction, which shatters everything, the judgment of the heavens falls.”

“It shatters the high mountains of Cheonsan, collapses the floating islands that drift loftily, and emerald lightning falls.”

“It was death itself, clear and distinct.”

“The moment I gave up on everything… a bright light soared from the ground.”

“A very warm… light, as if recreating the moment of the rising dawn, soared up and protected the earth from the lightning of death.”

* * *

The scars left by the green lightning were more severe than I had thought.

In my case, I somehow managed to nullify some of it by unleashing a sword strike imbued with strong energy, but the lightning that scattered without being nullified flew in all directions, causing a disastrous scene of destruction, and many casualties occurred.

“Baekryeon! Seollin! Lucy! I’ll leave the ground to you! I’m going to deal with that thing!”

“Yes! Understood, young master!”

“Okay! Be careful!”

“There’s nothing we can do when you’re flying around in the sky like that so confidently. We have no choice but to trust the hero who has learned the skill to fly in the sky.”

I used 【Pseudo-Space】 to leap high into the air.

Fortunately, or perhaps not, the opponent was just watching me approach without taking any action other than that initial strike.

That appearance was so relaxed that it made me wonder if the opponent was hoping that I would come closer.

‘Could it be a trap?’

But even if it is a trap, I have no choice but to approach.

Tap.

I stood in the same position as the Heavenly Demon.

Even then, the Heavenly Demon took no action.

“It’s our first time meeting like this.”

“Are you the Heavenly Demon?”

“Yes. I am the Heavenly Demon.”

The Heavenly Demon, who coolly admitted to being the Heavenly Demon, pretended to look around her own body.

“I have no choice but to say thank you to you.”

“Thank you?”

I frowned at the words I couldn’t understand.

Suddenly thanking me, what on earth does that mean?

“Isn’t it the opposite? I’m about to cut off your head from now on.”

“Haha, yes. That’s right. That holy sword, I definitely remember it clearly. Is it the Goddess’s holy sword? To be wielding that means you are one of the heroes of this era.”

“Yes, your mind works well.”

[【Strong Energy】is activated.]

Strong energy that resembles the golden light of dawn, wraps around the pure white holy sword.

In that state, I pointed the sword at the Heavenly Demon.

Seeing that, the Heavenly Demon raised the corners of her mouth and readjusted the Blood Demon Sword, which had an impressive red glow.

“Yes, it’s right after gaining a new body, but our role is such a thing. Come on. Let’s hope that the sword dance with you will lead to a certain conclusion!!!”

The Heavenly Demon’s figure disappears.

Her figure reappeared right in front of my nose.

Swaeeeeeek!!!

The Heavenly Demon’s sword is swung.

The sword, which was mixed with the unique red strong energy used by the Sword Demon and the newly appeared green lightning, was much heavier than when we had clashed before.

“Keuk?!”

Kwarreureung!! Kwahang!!!

Each other’s swords were repelled and bounced off as if rejecting each other.

But the offensive and defensive exchange did not end with just that one time. The precise and sharp trajectory of the swords was drawn several times, and the emerald lightning mixed red strong energy and the dawn’s golden strong energy collided, scattering the powder of strong energy.

Jjeoeong!! Kureureureung!! Kwahang!!

[The Heavenly Demon’s lightning is eroding the target’s mind.]

[The mental erosion is nullified by the Holy Sword – Machina’s effect.]

What is this? Did that damn lightning also have an effect that interferes with the mind?

However, thanks to the mental interference nullification caused by the evil within the holy sword, I was able to prevent my mind from being eroded.

…Mental erosion?

Jjeoeong!!

“Could it be that the reason those beastman alliance guys lost their reason is also because of you?”

“Heh, they desired the power to defy the heavens. The power to break through the situation surrounding them. So they worshiped me and prepared a ritual to resurrect me. Isn’t it only natural to bestow a portion of my power for them?”

“Power? What a joke….”

【Sword King Secret Technique】

【Heavenly Demon Sword】

“Earth Divide!”

“Defy the Heavens!”

Jjeoeong!! Kwaaaaaaaang!!!

Certainly, it is very heavy. I think I know the reason why it’s so heavy.

“Dual Concentration!….”

Just like how I use 【Strong Energy】 and 【Holy Strong Energy】, two types of strong energy, to amplify the power of the strong energy, that thing also combined its own lightning with the red strong energy that the Sword Demon originally had to amplify its power.

[I, I’m sorry! I didn’t imagine the fragment of the Demon King would be this strong….]

“Me too!”

Anyway, the Heavenly Demon’s strength that I had assumed was at the level of being able to be defeated by the other two heroes besides Leon in the original work.

The heroes Abel and Ragna, I thought it was about that level.

And knowing the level of the heroes Abel and Ragna, I thought that my power would naturally overwhelm it. But this power is beyond what I expected. How did the heroes Abel and Ragna defeat a monster wielding this much power?!

“Hahahahaha!!! Good! It’s a really good body!! It’s been a long time since I’ve obtained a body like this after so many years!!!”

“Keuk!?”

The green lightning began to rage even more wildly.

And I realized something through the words just now. No, honestly, I had been vaguely guessing it since the first time we met….

“You… stole the Sword Demon’s body?”

“Yes. Thanks to you.”

Kwaaang!!!!

Each other’s swords overlap.

The sword trembles madly from the collision of strong energy. And that is the same for the opponent.

Such a brief state of confrontation.

“This girl’s body is definitely a perfect body, but at the same time, it was not a body that could be easily taken. Because this girl was too strong.”

Teoeong!!!

Eventually, unable to withstand the pressure of the strong energy, they both retreated.

“She was cooperating with the beastman alliance, who wanted to resurrect me because they desired strong power, but as you know, the beastman alliance guys weren’t that strong. Also, they didn’t have anything to give to the Sword Demon. So the Sword Demon was in a situation where she could leave the beastman alliance at any time.”

“…I see. I understand.”

The original history.

In other words, in the original work, an existence like me doesn’t exist.

Perhaps in the original work, the heroes who clash with the Sword Demon are the heroes Abel and Ragna. But it’s hard to imagine that those two guys would be able to contend with the Sword Demon, and the Sword Demon who fought the two would have been disappointed in the heroes’ skills. So the Sword Demon would have left as is, and the beastman alliance side… in other words, the Heavenly Demon would have had to be resurrected using a different body as a medium instead of the attractive body of the Sword Demon.

But since they couldn’t prepare a body at the level of the Sword Demon again, the body that the Heavenly Demon entered was too weak compared to the Sword Demon.

So even the heroes Abel and Ragna were somehow able to defeat the Heavenly Demon.

“…Because of an existence like me, the Sword Demon desired even greater power.”

“Yes. She absorbed my power. Thanks to that, I was able to take over her body.”

“…Tch.”

In the end, it’s because of me?

I feel terrible.

“Machina.”

[Yes~!]

[【Holy Strong Energy】is activated.]

[【Strong Energy】is activated.]

Pure white sword body.

The dawn’s golden strong energy wraps around the sword body. And there, another strong energy of the same color as the pure white sword body is created.

It’s a dual concentration.

“Since we’re so high in the air, there’s no need to worry about sweeping the ground.”

“…Heh… to think that there would be this much power… it’s the first time I’ve felt this kind of power since the first hero….”

“…The first hero, huh.”

Come to think of it, the original game was just a simple eroge, so I didn’t look into the world setting in detail, but….

It wouldn’t be bad to take a closer look at this world sometime.

“Well… I’ve obtained enough information from you.”

“…Hmm. You’re strange.”

The Heavenly Demon stopped her sword for a moment and looked at me.

“You seem to have the confidence that you can end this battle right away.”

“Yes, that’s right. I could have ended it right away.”

“Then why didn’t you end it right away?”

The reason I didn’t end it right away….

That is….

“I wanted to confirm how strong the existence called the fragment of the Demon King is. Because I have to catch three more of those in the future.”

“….”

“Since it’s come to this, I want to extract a little more information. Are the other fragments of the Demon King all monsters like you?”

“…Keuheuheut. You’re an interesting guy. You thought I would tell you that?”

“That’s right. I didn’t think you would tell me. So I just asked.”

【Sword King Secret Technique】

【Heavenly Demon Sword】

Raise the sword.

The Heavenly Demon raises her sword as well.

“Great Sea Divide!”

“Defy the Heavens, Strike!!”

A stab that was unleashed simultaneously.

A collision of power that has already far surpassed the realm of ordinary people.

The red strong energy wrapped in green lightning and the dawn’s golden light wrapped in pure white pass each other by.

Kwakwakwakwakwang!!!!!!

[The Heavenly Demon’s lightning is eroding the target’s mind.]

*

*

*

Where is this?….

I remember the Heavenly Demon’s attack overlapping with mine and the Heavenly Demon’s attack covering me….

But my body won’t move.

My voice won’t come out either.

“You are strong.”

This voice is… the Sword Demon?

Is it the Sword Demon’s voice? Suddenly I’m hearing the Sword Demon’s voice?

“I was a created being.”

A created being?

“Created to protect the kingdom…. A bio-weapon. In order to protect the kingdom, I had to become strong. But… when I opened my eyes, the kingdom I had to protect had disappeared. So I… thought I had to become stronger. Anyway… my purpose is to become stronger.”

Her consciousness, her voice, which should have disappeared due to the Heavenly Demon, is being heard by me for some reason.

“So I tried to become stronger. Wandering the world… becoming a disciple of the Sword King… becoming stronger and stronger, and stronger again…. To the point where I couldn’t even stop myself….”

Is that a voice of repentance?

Or was it just that she wanted to confide in someone her innermost thoughts that she had never told anyone?

“So help me. Kill… me already.”

[The mental erosion is nullified by the Holy Sword – Machina’s effect.]

*

*

*

[Master!!!]

“!!”

My vision returned.

My breath returned, my voice returned.

The moment all senses returned, what I saw in front of me was the Heavenly Demon… no, the Sword Demon.

The Heavenly Demon who was trying to swing her sword at me.

Even with her body in tatters from my strong energy, in that moment of desperately trying to move somehow and finish me off before she was defeated.

Syeogeok!

One step, the one who moved first was my sword.

Cutting off the Heavenly Demon’s neck,

By cutting off the Sword Demon’s neck,

“It’s over.”