We live at the foothills of Dragon Peak. A swordsman. “Elnea, what is that…?” Listea asked, looking perplexed. Perhaps she had a memory of it. Listea too should have seen this same jet-black magic sword before. When the Armēdo Kingdom was attacked by demons, both Demon Lords possessed it.
However, there was no time to explain to Listea.
I held the magic sword “Soul Spirit Seat” in my right hand and the Spirit Tree Wooden Sword in my left. The hilt of the Soul Spirit Seat, which I held for the first time, oddly fit my hand perfectly. As if it had been a white sword I had always held.
“Lord Dragon King…” Alex, the divine race member facing us, also widened his eyes in surprise. Could Alex also know the Soul Spirit Seat? No, it wouldn’t be strange if he did. As a member of the divine race, it’s not unusual for him to have some information about demons. Especially since the Soul Spirit Seat is a representative magic sword of demons.
However, Alex’s surprise was not about that. And I too would have a different kind of surprise.
“What…?” I myself, who had obtained the Soul Spirit Seat, couldn’t understand it. The true terror of this magic sword.
“Ooohhhhhhhh…” A eerie voice echoed from nowhere. It sounded like a death cry.
The strangely warped blade of the Soul Spirit Seat touched the thin layer of mist that covered the world. That was all it took. With just that, the mist vanished. And not just where the blade touched. The mist’s disappearance created a chain reaction, spreading outwards. The mist continued to disappear endlessly.
The dragon race warriors who had been fighting the humanoid mist figures from a distance appeared from beyond the vanishing mist. Louvent, fleeing in the sky, and Revalia, chasing him, became visible. Above, the full night sky was reflected, and Dragon Peak cast a dark shadow in the night.
“What in the world…?” It wasn’t just that. The chain reaction of disappearance even reached the areas where mist was spewing from Duranel’s mouth and nose. And with it, the mist monster lurking inside Duranel was easily annihilated. With the presence of the attached yōma gone, Duranel sank to the ground powerlessly.
“No way!?” “Hey, Duranel!” Listea and Slaton rushed to the fallen Duranel.
“…Good, he seems to have just lost consciousness. Still, Elnea, what is that?” I, who had been stunned watching the mist monster disappear, snapped back to reality at Listea’s words. What had happened? I stared intently at the Soul Spirit Seat clutched in my right hand. The jet-black magic sword asserted its presence darker than the night.
“Reikin… No, its replica. But why would the Dragon King possess such a thing?” “Reikin?” I shifted my gaze from the Soul Spirit Seat in my hand to Alex, who spoke meaningfully. “You possess it, yet you don’t seem to understand deeply what kind of thing it is, do you?” “Yes… Actually, that’s correct.” All I knew was that the Soul Spirit Seat was a magic sword befitting a Demon Lord, and its very symbol. In the previous incident, I reluctantly accepted the Soul Spirit Seat. However, I didn’t actually know its true capabilities. I simply chose the most powerful weapon I had on hand as a substitute for my white sword. But this was the result. Whether it was good or bad was another matter.
To my pathetic reply, Alex didn’t show any mockery and explained. “It is a dreadful artifact that steals the life of all it touches. The mist monster’s core is the mist itself. Therefore, when you took hold of it, you touched the blade. And the rest is as its terrifying effect states, it annihilated its soul.” Ugh, Slaton grimaced and looked at the Soul Spirit Seat. “You claimed to be the Dragon King. As far as I know, that is something a Demon Lord would possess. Why do you own it?”
Ah, I see. The Giant Demon Lord said I already had the answer. It was about this magic sword. A magic sword among magic swords, one that annihilates the souls of all it touches. The Demon Lord was hinting for me to use the magic sword. That’s why he deliberately took my white sword. But in my lack of foresight, I failed to notice the Demon Lord’s consideration. I was mistaken. My mind was solely occupied with separating Duranel from the mist monster, and I hadn’t considered a way to defeat only the mist monster. By being preoccupied with the Demon Lord’s wicked scheme, I was the one who misjudged the essence of the situation. Perhaps Old Man Sleigsta knew this would happen, and that’s why he didn’t scold the Demon Lord or aid me, I realized belatedly.
Ah, I still lack consideration. I’ve defeated formidable enemies and used forbidden techniques, but I am still immature. If I start thinking like this, I’ll sink into a sea of thoughts. And when that happens, Alex’s words don’t even register halfway. But it was only for a moment, and I was immediately pulled back to reality. Of course, it was Alex who pulled me back from the sea of thoughts. Alex said something that surprised everyone present. “That Reikin is a treasured sword possessed by my ancestors. It was stolen by the ruler of the demon race. Our clan’s greatest wish is to recover Reikin from the demon ruler and revive as the Fighting God.” “What!?” My sudden confession not only surprised me but also Listea and Slaton, who widened their eyes in astonishment.
“First, I will have you return the replica.” “Don’t tell me!?” Alex’s hostility, which had been directed at the mist monster, Duranel, Slaton, and Listea just moments before, suddenly shifted entirely to me. The tip of the divine sword pointed at me without wavering. I never imagined the Soul Spirit Seat and Alex would be connected! I realized again, far too late. The connection between me and Alex, which the Demon Lord had smirked about, was about the Soul Spirit Seat!
The mist monster was effortlessly annihilated by the magic sword “Soul Spirit Seat.” It seems Duranel is also safe, having only lost consciousness. However, I may have attracted a more terrifying foe than the mist monster. I, who had forgotten to even amalgamate with Ares-chan in my bewilderment and surprise, was met with Alex’s relentless hostility. But it was the hero Listea who intervened. “Wait, Alex-dono. I may not know your circumstances, but this is a grave misunderstanding. Elnea kindly cooperated with you and us. Are you repaying that kindness with enmity!” “Listea’s right. I don’t know anything about Reikin or Soul Spirit’s whatever, but give me a break. Besides, you think you’ll get the real thing back just by collecting a replica?” Slaton, after checking on Duranel’s condition, stepped between me and Alex along with Listea. “I don’t like it. You talk about future sacrifices being terrible, but when it comes to yourself, it’s no questions asked? If you steal the sword from Elnea, have you even considered that a bigger problem might arise from it!” Alex responded to Slaton’s words with silence. “Elnea, rest assured. We are on your side no matter what. Didn’t I tell you? We’ll protect our companions no matter what.” Listea’s reliable words warmed my heart.
With the mist monster gone and my surroundings visible, the dragon race warriors could also see our situation. “Sorry about this, Mr. Divine Race. We dragon race warriors are also on the Dragon King’s side.” The dragon race warriors, who had been neutral regarding the misty monster extermination, rushed to my side. And they all aimed their weapons at Alex. “Since he’s my husband’s enemy, he’s naturally our enemy too, right?” “I don’t know what’s going on~? But I’m on Elnea-chin’s side too~” Cerise-chan and Naimi, who had been observing from outside the mist, rushed over and took up their weapons alongside Listea. “Alex-sama!” Louvent shouted from above. But he was too busy fleeing from Revalia’s pursuit. If Louvent were to shift his attention to intervene on the ground, Revalia would surely not let such an opportunity pass. Currently, she was only chasing him, but if the ruler of Dragon Peak’s skies were to get serious, heavenly race members could be killed in an instant. Alex seemed to understand this too, and he looked at us with a genuinely troubled expression.
“…Indeed, as you say. Recovering Reikin is our clan’s cherished wish, but it is against righteousness to point a blade at a benefactor. However.” It seems he couldn’t let it go. But perhaps that was unavoidable. The authenticity of the Soul Spirit Seat is held by the ruler of the demon race. The replica is also held by the Demon Lord. Normally, these are things out of reach, no matter how much one wishes for them. Yet, here I am, a human who acts with a few companions, possessing the replica of this item, rather than the Demon Lord who commands an army of tens of thousands.
“Oh, you should stop with that crappy thinking, right? Normally, if you’re going to challenge the boss, you take down the subordinates first, that’s the usual deal.” Slaton grinned with the look of a villain. This makes it seem as if I’m the Demon Lord, and the heroic party and dragon race warriors are the Four Heavenly Kings of evil. “If you intend to challenge Elnea and steal his sword, you’ll have to defeat us first.” Listea also grinned, drawing his holy sword. “That’s right. You stay back, boss.” “If you want to challenge the Eight Dragon Kings, you’ll have to defeat the dragon race warriors first.” The dragon race warriors were also fully motivated. Alex looked at Listea and the others forming a wall around me. Then, he shifted his gaze to me in the back. “For you, what meaning does that sword hold?” “I received this as a reward for a certain incident. I don’t intend to use it like this, but that doesn’t mean I’ll hand it over.” I don’t need it, so I’ll give it to someone who wants it. If it were money or valuables, I would do so, and I have done so. However, I would not part with something so important so carelessly. Besides, if I hand it over without permission, the ruler of the demon race might get angry. If he did, it could lead to an uncontrollable disturbance.
Still, Alex probably wouldn’t be satisfied with the situation as it is. As I pondered how to proceed, Slaton made a foolish suggestion. “Well, give up on Elnea’s sword. But I’ll indulge you your frustration? I’ve wanted to spar with a divine race member one-on-one for a while.” “Isn’t that just because you want to make a ruckus yourself!?” I couldn’t help but retort to Slaton’s ridiculous suggestion. But somehow, it seemed to diffuse Alex’s animosity. Alex, who suddenly burst into hearty laughter, was watched by all of us. “Excuse me, it seems I still do not understand you all correctly. It is true that my ultimate desire is to recover even the replica. However, taking it by force here would be hasty. I would like to associate with you all for a while longer and then consider my options.”
Perhaps I might be willing to hand it over. Perhaps I might choose to take it from me. But before that, we need to interact and understand each other, Alex said. And he added: “However, your offer is interesting. I would also like to test my strength against a human hero and dragon race warriors. How about it, Dragon King?” “Uh. If it’s a big commotion for this occasion, without leaving any grudges…” Men, sometimes they just want to go wild without thinking, don’t they? I think Alex is that kind of man. And the hot-blooded dragon race warriors and Slaton are also pent up with frustration and want to blow off steam. Only Cerise-chan and Naimi let out sighs of exasperation. Thus, a one-night martial arts tournament came to be.
However, there was a pitfall here too. One that led to an abyss. “Fire, lend me your power!” “Inferno, extinguish!” The first to clash swords were the hero Listea and the divine race member Alex. Listea clad his holy sword in flame, and Alex imbued his divine sword with divine arts. And so, blade met blade. *Kiiinn*, a metallic sound that shook the night sky echoed. “What…!” Listea was speechless. Alex froze in surprise. Slaton was dumbfounded, and I felt as if the world was flowing slowly in my astonishment. My eyes followed the blade, which flew in a slow arc across the sky.
Shattered was the holy sword. Listea’s Flame Holy Sword broke midway from the blade. It is possible to easily express your support by clicking the heart. (Login required.) Support If you have an account, please log in Learn more about the reading experience on Kakuyomu.
