kscans

Chapter 88 - Interlude: The Plan, Part Three

Rodel, having charged into the imperial castle, was irritated. He had taken on this form for one reason: to get revenge on that man. And yet, here he was, being forced to do this kind of job. There was no reason for him not to be annoyed.

...But he couldn't disobey.

The vampire who had modified him had said, "I've placed a curse on your body that makes you move according to my commands. It's not overwhelmingly powerful, but at the very least, you cannot defy my orders unless that man appears."

Of course, there had been a time when he thought it was a ridiculous curse. But he soon came to accept it. After all, he was the one who had taken the bait when offered power. He didn't care if it was a deal with the devil. That was the mindset with which he had accepted.

...Well, as long as they fulfilled their promise to let him fight that man, it didn't matter. He didn't care what kind of chores he was ordered to do. ...Just be prepared to serve as an outlet for my stress, you imperial soldiers.

...Rodel shifted his focus and charged into the castle. His speed was too fast for the eye to follow. His swordsmanship had improved dramatically compared to when he was human. He could clearly feel that he had grown stronger. In an attempt to halt his ferocious advance, numerous soldiers and knights stood in his way, but they were all cut down. Some were killed, of course, but many were left with injuries so severe they could no longer move properly.

...An ordinary person was no match for him. Sensing this, a lone general stepped forward to block his path. He was a large man clad in crimson armor, darker than jet black, holding a two-handed great hammer in one hand. His name was Goltor. He was in his forties but was still an active general.

...Normally, he would be commanding on the front lines, but after receiving reports of strange movements among the nobles recently, he had returned to the castle to stand guard. His premonition had been correct. The nobles assigned to guard duty this time had joined the younger princess's faction and had abandoned their posts, leaving the castle's defenses weakened. He sensed something organized behind this movement, but for now, that didn't matter. All that mattered was protecting the Emperor. That was all.

With that resolve, he gripped his great hammer with both hands and poured his strength into it. As Rodel charged, Goltor calmly dealt with him.

The great hammer and the sword clashed. Their powers were evenly matched; neither could push the other back, and they separated. Both realized their opponent was formidable.

Goltor was convinced this monster was among the top tier. In that case, he would hold nothing back and settle this at once. He channeled his magic into his great hammer. Rodel thought this man must be one of the country's champions. ...The Empire was constantly at war with monsters; it wouldn't be surprising if they had a warrior or two of this caliber after so long. But he had no intention of dragging this out.

His true target was the Emperor. ...Nothing else mattered.

Rodel unleashed the power of his sword.

The distance between them was about five meters. Both took their stances.

And then—

"Thunder Shock!!"

A lightning attack channeled through the great hammer. It produced a shockwave wreathed in electricity.

"Bloody Slash!!"

The power of the Demonic Blade Dainsleif was released. A magic that resembled crimson blood erupted from the blade and was unleashed. A bloody slash that split the very ground.

Their techniques collided. But the bloody slash easily tore through the lightning shockwave. As the slash bore down on him, Goltor shouted, "'Iron Wall' Skill!!"

Without panicking, he activated his skill. A general who had experienced countless battlefields did not have a mind that would be shaken by a mere broken shockwave. ...That was why he could activate his skill instantly. This skill made his entire body harder than steel, and it affected his armor as well. This defense had never been breached before. ...An absolute skill.

...However, it could not block the slash, and he was cut down, armor and all.

'Why?' the general wondered for a fleeting moment, but it was his last thought before he collapsed, unconscious.

Rodel looked at the demonic blade that had brought him victory. "...As expected of Dainsleif. ...Its effect is just as he said."

He stated his frank impression. The Demonic Blade Dainsleif. It had the effect of increasing its sharpness by drinking the blood of those it cut. There was no limit to this; the more it cut, the stronger it became. In particular, an attack using a blood technique would release all the accumulated power at once, multiplying its power several times over. However, once released, the blood stored in the demonic blade would be gone, and it would return to its original state. ...To ensure he could kill the Emperor, he would have to cut down more enemies and drink their blood. Rodel looked at the knights standing behind the general and smiled. To others, it was a terrifying smile.

...The knights felt a momentary chill, but they quickly came to their senses and drew their swords with a determination that they would absolutely not let him pass.

...Normally, this would be a tough and unpleasant situation, but for Rodel, it was the perfect one. ...He charged forward at once and began his attack on the knights.

What followed was a one-sided massacre. The knights' valiant efforts were in vain; far from stopping Rodel, they became sacrifices that amplified the power of his demonic blade.

Rodel stood before a door. It was the throne room. There was no other way to the bedchambers. When he opened it, he saw the Emperor sitting on his throne, holding a sasaho yari—a spear with a green blade and a golden shaft—in one hand.

"...This is unexpected," Rodel said. "...I thought the royal guards would be protecting you."

"...I do not wish for any more sacrifices," the Emperor replied. "...What is your purpose?"

"...Your life," Rodel said, licking his demonic blade.

"...I see," the Emperor said, his eyes filled with determination as he readied his spear. "...In that case, I cannot allow myself to die. ...I will not let you have your way with this country."

...Perhaps he sensed something in their exchange. As expected of the emperor who had fought on the front lines in his youth. ...He was not to be trifled with. Rodel's confident smile vanished, and he faced him seriously.

According to the information from Redorza the Sage, the Emperor's spear was the Sacred Spear Gungnir. It was said to have pierced every target it faced. A one hundred percent accuracy rate. He thought it was a considerable exaggeration, but if it was imbued with some kind of power like his own demonic blade, he had best be cautious.

The two glared at each other. Rodel was the first to move. He was wary, but if it was a guaranteed hit, there was no point in keeping his distance. The first strike is the key to victory. He charged forward.

The Emperor calmly dodged without a hint of panic. He then counterattacked with his spear. A sharp thrust, without hesitation or reservation. A lightning-fast attack aimed at the legs. Any creature would have its movements slowed if its legs were injured.

Rodel put his strength into his two hind legs and lifted his front legs. In that state, he evaded the spear and brought his front legs down with great force. A loud crash, and cracks appeared in the floor. Normally, it would be an unavoidable, instantly fatal attack, but the Emperor was now standing far behind Rodel. It was impossible to move that far in an instant. ...Which meant he must have used some kind of skill. Rodel readied his stance again.

The Emperor was catching his breath. He had used his 'Exchange' skill to evade Rodel's attack. ...The effect was to switch places with a target. ...However, he could only switch with inorganic objects; he could not exchange with living things. His previous evasion was nothing more than switching places with a small stone he had placed there beforehand.

But this skill consumed a large amount of magic and could not be used recklessly. He had used it often in his youth, but as he grew older, the number of times he could use it decreased, and now he could only use it a few times. Considering his opponent's strength, it would be better to use his magic for an attack rather than evasion. It might seem like a foolish plan, but this monster had defeated all the soldiers in the castle, and without a hint of fatigue. Fighting with a large group would only increase the casualties.

...In that case, he would settle this with a single, all-out attack. That was all there was to it.

The Emperor raised his spear. A tornado formed at its tip. He swung it wide, and the tornado shot straight toward Rodel.

Rodel moved far to the right to avoid it. It was the natural thing to do. Only someone with absolute confidence in themselves would take it head-on. As a human, he might have tried to face it, but now, he wanted to avoid any unnecessary injuries. Everything was for revenge against that man. ...He dodged, but the tornado changed course and pursued him.

...He probably didn't know, but Gungnir's guaranteed-hit effect activated when imbued with magic. The same applied to spells. The tornado, now endowed with a guaranteed hit, was a homing missile.

...Realizing he couldn't escape, Rodel unleashed Dainsleif's power. "Bloody Slash!"

The bloody slash tore the tornado apart. The tornado dissipated into mist. Beyond it, the Emperor had activated fire magic on his spear. The tip was wreathed in flames, a conflagration so intense that anything it touched would be turned to ash.

The Emperor put his strength into his legs and ran. A speed unimaginable for an old man. This, too, was an effect of Gungnir. Its guaranteed-hit effect would not stop until it hit its target. This applied not only when thrown; if he ran with it in hand, the wielder's stamina would not decrease. It was as if he were running on his own, but he was actually being propelled by Gungnir's power. ...Thus, the Emperor could focus all his attention on attacking the enemy before him. This was the sure-kill technique of his youth.

Rodel was ecstatic. Ironically, he was seeing a technique similar to that man's. By the time he realized it, he had activated light magic on his demonic blade. The blade doubled in size, its brilliance far more dazzling and dense than when he was human.

The Emperor realized he had made a miscalculation. He had never imagined a monster could use light magic. ...The monsters he had fought until now had used magic, but only of the five main elements.

However, he could not stop. Once activated, Gungnir would not stop until it hit its target. In other words, it could not be deactivated. There was only one way to survive: to win. That was all.

The distance between them shrank rapidly.

And then—

"Certain Victory Flame Lance!!"

"Raging Light Demon Slash (Fury Saber)!!"

The sword and spear clashed. But there was no stalemate. The spear was overwhelmed by the sword's momentum. Gungnir was imbued with a guaranteed hit, but that didn't mean it would necessarily pierce the opponent's body. The moment it touched their weapon, it registered as a hit, and the effect was nullified. Only its creator knew this; the Emperor did not.

The spear fell to the ground. The Emperor was stunned, but somewhere inside him, he had already given up. In his youth, he would not have been knocked aside. He could not win against the ravages of time. Realizing his defeat, the Emperor asked, "...I want to ask one thing. ...Why are you doing this...?"

To his final words, Rodel replied with a grin, "...If I had to say... it's the plan of the 'Seven Demon Lords.'"

He then swung his demonic blade down. Hearing those words, the Emperor thought, (!!...So that's it. ...They've begun to move...)

He was surprised, yet he felt a strange sense of detachment, like an observer.