chapter_0156

I had been curious about something ever since I unexpectedly ended up fighting alongside Dullahan. Setting aside Elysier, who was fighting with all her might, I wondered just how powerful a Dullahan consumed by the Demon Sword would be. I never thought I’d see it with my own eyes, since there was no way that guy would be sane enough to wield the sword.

Zzejejeje!

The Holy Lance blocked the Demon Sword, which was swung at an invisible speed. The clash of the two weapons created a massive shockwave that obliterated the ground beneath us, creating a crater the size of a noble’s mansion.

But it didn’t end there. The space where the Demon Sword had sliced through was torn apart, and the nearby dimensions began to seep into the wound, devouring everything in its path.

Sa!

Golden light erupted from the Holy Lance, spreading like a spider web over the torn, blackened space. The nonexistent dimension beyond slowly began to close.

All of this happened in the blink of an eye. We both stabilized our floating bodies in midair and continued our attacks.

“……!!!”

A battle cry escaped from within the helmet. The Dullahan charged at me, wielding not the Demon Sword, but his usual sword. The tip of the blade, imbued with his swordsmanship, traced a path that was both disciplined and coldly determined.

While much weaker than the Demon Sword’s attacks, this was a clash of honor and sincerity.

The sword came at me without an inch of deviation, flashing with light. But the Holy Lance was there first, blocking and redirecting the sword’s trajectory, sending it flying back in the opposite direction.

“Kku, euh!”

The next attack was no longer under the Dullahan’s control. A groan escaped from within the helmet, and the left arm, now consumed by the Demon Sword’s energy, began to wildly swing the sword in unpredictable trajectories and speeds.

The Holy Lance responded with even faster swings. In the span of a single breath, dozens of exchanges occurred, shaking the earth around us.

Craters the size of grand mansions appeared and disappeared in an endless cycle. The ground was being reshaped into something that was neither a canyon nor a plain.

Zzeo!

The Demon Sword and the Holy Lance clashed with full force, and a test of strength ensued. Light from the Holy Lance enveloped the Demon Sword, while black energy from the sword wrapped around the lance.

Suddenly, the ground beneath us tore apart, splitting the earth in two as it struggled to withstand the opposing forces.

“Kuaaah!”

The Demon Sword couldn’t withstand the pressure either, and with a cry from the Dullahan, his body was sent tumbling backward, rolling across the torn earth. A burst of light sliced diagonally across his armor.

The Dullahan quickly climbed back up the disturbed soil. The area sliced by the Holy Lance was burning with light, and his judgment was swift. He swung the Demon Sword, severing his own chest.

The severed part fell to the ground and was enveloped by golden light, vanishing instantly. The Dullahan, regenerated in an instant by the power of the Demon God, shouted in a strained voice.

“What is that power…?! You’re not a hero… and that’s not a holy sword…! How can you wield divinity when you’re neither…?!”

“You’re right, I’m not a hero. And this lance… well, let’s just say it’s a bit of an insult to call it a holy sword.”

The Dullahan seemed eager to hear more, and he tried to calm his rampaging left arm, just as he had before the duel, but this time, he couldn’t. The black energy from the Demon Sword seeped into his armor.

With half his body consumed by the darkness, the Dullahan charged at me. The ground in his path crumbled like pudding, and everything he touched turned to dust.

Where the Demon Sword passed, darkness reigned, and where the Holy Lance shone, light blazed. The world, bathed in darkness, was illuminated by the light of the sun.

“What should I call it? Hmm, let’s go with ‘a little too bright,’ shall we?”

“That can’t be…! I can feel the power of that detestable goddess…!”

“Yeah, that’s what they say. But this lance’s awakening had nothing to do with the gods.”

The most noble and devoted woman in the world gave this to me, but it awakened due to the malicious wishes of countless people who begged me to die for them. It’s a manifestation of their desires, brought about by my power.

This damn ball of light was the result.

If a god had any hand in creating something like this, they would undoubtedly be an evil deity, without a shred of doubt.

“……”

Recalling the past caused blood to gush from my left eye. I could feel the liquid trickling down my cheek.

I quietly wiped it away with my arm, not bothering to use healing magic. It wouldn’t have made a difference anyway; this wasn’t a disease of the body but of the mind.

“Is that so……”

Dullahan adjusted his stance, his voice strained as he said, “Then… let us clash with everything we have…”

Suddenly, an ominous aura began to swirl around him.

Just its presence was enough to tear the nearby space and stain the dimensions black. A abyss that even the sun couldn’t penetrate emerged, devouring even the concept of existence itself.

The world near the Demon Sword was disintegrating, piece by piece, being sucked into a void where nothing should exist.

“I will do the same…”

The world of darkness descended, and the very concept of death lifted its veil.

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Richard, in his dying moments, wished to become an honorable knight and longed for a worthy lord to serve.

Even after his death, when his resentment and the desires of countless ghosts coalesced to create the Dullahan, that wish remained unchanged, and it became the driving force that kept his physical form bound together indefinitely.

Eventually, his long-cherished wish was granted. Dullahan, once known as Knight Richard, found a lord worthy of his absolute devotion.

It was none other than the current Demon King, Elysier.

Unlike other foolish demons who had claimed the title of Demon King in the past, Elysier mercilessly ravaged the entire demon world with her overwhelming power. For a Dullahan formed from resentment, she was the perfect lord.

Thus, Dullahan dedicated himself fully to serving her, and Elysier made use of him as her loyal sword.

Life as a sword, swung at the Demon King’s command, was deeply satisfying. Dullahan’s loyalty only grew stronger with each passing day.

“I wish to show you my swordsmanship, Demon King.”

This was his response when Elysier, after he had achieved a great feat, asked him to name his desire.

“Why?” she had questioned.

“To you, I am like the sky itself. For my sword to reach you means that it, too, has reached the sky. It is a small aspiration to be the one who leads the way when you conquer the heavens.”

“What a splendid ambition. But there is a flaw in your thinking.”

“I am all ears.”

“I am not one to stop at mere heavens. My gaze extends beyond. So, dream as big as you wish. You shall be a sword that reaches not only the heavens but also the world beyond.”

From that day forward, Dullahan tirelessly honed his swordsmanship, day and night, striving to perfect the ultimate technique that would reach beyond the heavens. He dedicated every spare moment, aside from serving the Demon King, to his training.

And just when he finally achieved his long-desired goal, there was no one left to wield his sword.

Or so he thought.

‘Mira Crate.’

Dullahan whispered the name of the human standing before him. A name that had been circulating among the legion commanders for quite some time. Yet, despite the fall of six commanders, they had never come close to reaching him.

If the person behind that mask was indeed a human, then his service to the Demon King must have been a lie.

But that only made him admire hin more as an honorable human. Despite countless opportunities for betrayal, he had remained a loyal companion on the journey to find the Demon King.

Even if it had started with a lie, the journey that followed was genuine. How could I not honor that?

No other demon had earned Dullahan’s recognition as a comrade, which made his decision all the more valuable.

While his loyalty to the Demon King was genuine, the absence of her command meant that the legion commanders were constantly on edge, suspicious of one another. They could never truly trust each other.

A human had achieved what no other demon could.

That’s why I believed in him. I believed he could witness my swordsmanship that aimed beyond the world and still survive. I believed he would end this shameful and dishonorable life.

With faith in humanity, Dullahan raised his sword.

Unbreakable, unyielding, unwavering.

The swordsmanship forged from his loyalty was ready to unleash its full power. Death responded, and the Demon God answered. It didn’t matter; I trusted that he would withstand this.

A technique honed with unwavering devotion, meant for only one path, to slice through the world beyond, coalesced within the Demon Sword. The nearby space slowly melted away. The tip of the sword aimed at Mira Crate.

Its destination is only forward.

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Death came swooping. Everything in its path crumbled, one after another. Time and space were no exceptions, as the past, present, and future seemed to converge in that single stroke.

I instinctively knew that evading this attack was impossible. It seemed designed to destroy its target and kill its opponent.

Of course, I had no intention of dying.

“……”

I closed my eyes. I didn’t need my sight for what was about to happen.

Memories flowed into me through the Holy Lance. Memories that I had desperately wanted to forget and erase, but now was the time to bring them out.

A beloved voice began to echo in my mind.

Why do you give so much? It’s a silly question. Giving has no reason.

You must take care of yourself first. Indeed, if I were to falter, it would only result in fewer people being cared for.

But in my god’s scripture, there is a passage…

Yes, there was such a passage. I muttered the words from my memory.

“You shall do this for me…”

The heavens opened.

The crimson sky turned golden.

“I shall call the coming ‘faith’ and the going ‘miracle’…”

Not just a symbol of the sun, but the sun itself took residence in the Holy Lance. The very concept of the primordial light, belief, and faith from all cultures swirled around the lance.

“Behold, I have put the world under your feet…”

I raised my left hand, holding the Holy Lance, with its tip pointing downward, ready to touch the world.

“…so fear not and go forward…”

The sun appeared.

In the beginning, I was there.

With the dawn of the first miracle, everything it touched turned to light.