NOVEL NEXT Chapter 58
I absorbed all the magic I had stored up to recover my strength. To make matters worse, I even absorbed the magic that was maintaining the shape of the Labyrinth.
Though it was magic gathered for nearly 300 years, I didn’t feel a twinge of regret.
On the contrary, I felt joyful. The bloodline of a hero. A descendant of cherry blossoms.
That disgusting pink. Pure magic beyond comprehension and the strange sensation coming from that small frame.
If I consume that, if I take that woman, I could regain all my power. Therefore, I could gladly throw away 300 years’ worth of magic.
So, I devoured all the magic, healed my wounds, and regained a portion of my former strength. My appearance changed as well.
Rather than the hideous melted figure abandoned by the Labyrinth, I now had the upper body of a beautiful woman and the smooth lower half of a snake.
In the form of a Lamia.
“Ha, ha… Ahahaha…!”
The demon race, returning to the form I had forgotten for the past 400 years, smiled brightly with a grin stretched wide.
With omnipotence coursing through my body, I felt a tingle all over.
My lower body was pleasantly moist, and involuntary moans escaped my lips.
Thick magic flowed from deep within me, spreading all the way to my fingertips and the tip of my tail.
With this power, I could tear apart the loathsome descendant of cherry blossoms standing right in front of me.
The demon race, gazing at her own beautiful body, looked straight ahead.
I saw those who had dared to oppose me, lying unconscious with bloody foam in their mouths.
The two insignificant girls who had so rashly confronted me trembled in fear, while the suddenly appearing platinum-haired girl was hardly able to move, despite not being unconscious.
This was the natural response one should have when facing a demon who was once an upper demon race.
Thinking this, I cackled and looked at the one whose reaction I was most curious about, Eliaernes.
Eliaernes was.
Laughing.
It wasn’t a frightened chuckle.
Not a hollow laugh. Not a self-deprecating smile.
She was smiling beautifully, like a child receiving a gift, or cherry blossoms blooming in spring.
“Ahaha! You’ve completely lost your mind.”
Eliaernes had lost her senses.
She had completely broken down under the weight of fear.
Confident in that, I slowly approached Eliaernes. Meanwhile, I scanned her body. Her snow-white skin. The sweat-drenched nape of her neck. Her moist lips. Her transparent eyes. And that loathsome cherry blossom-colored hair.
Her delicate body, with skin that seemed so soft, and the intoxicating scent wafting off her, made the demon race’s mouth water.
“The moans you will let out, the blood you will spill, the expression you will make… I can’t wait. Ahahaha…!”
A chilling laugh echoed throughout the museum. Simultaneously, a cheerful laugh followed.
It was Eliaernes’ laughter.
She said,
“I’m so looking forward to it too.”
And she reached her hand behind her.
In that moment, the demon felt an indescribable uneasiness.
I must not allow her to wield a weapon like that.
That instinct pricked my body. It swept away my leisure. The void was filled with urgency.
Why? Before I could ponder that.
“You’re done for now.”
The girl closed the distance in an instant and whispered. At the same time, the dagger in her small hand swung toward me. Just a dagger. Maybe a foot long at its best. It rushed toward the demon’s neck.
I thought nothing of it. I sharpened my nails to swat away the dagger.
But.
Crack!
“…Huh?”
My nails broke. Moreover, the tip of my finger was severed.
Though the dagger shattered and the wound quickly healed, it was still like a dagger that had cut through the demon’s flesh.
Of course, it wasn’t impossible.
After all, wasn’t this the girl who could pierce the demon’s skin with her fist and shatter bones?
So, I thought it was something that could be done with a dagger as well.
But something. Something felt off.
The sensation this girl emitted was.
Something I felt long ago, in a time very distant.
The same unease I experienced 400 years ago.
The demon’s eyes narrowed. Choking down that unknown feeling creeping up through my body, I flared my magic. Crack! Two arms burst from my back and spread out like wings.
Then, I picked up the weapons that had fallen to the ground with four arms and surrounded myself in magic.
Normally, I would have been able to use the powers of a Lamia, but my body wasn’t in peak condition now. Thus, I reluctantly grabbed weapons that didn’t quite fit.
Two swords, a spear, and a large shield.
“Stop pretending to be a human, you idiot.”
Seeing that, Ellie froze in place once again.
“Behave like a demon, you fool.”
Along with a thick curse, the small girl swung a massive hammer. Thwack! The hammer struck the shield. An incredible impact shook the demon’s mind.
The shockwave burst in all directions, shattering glass cases and stirring up clouds of dust. Amid that chaotic scene, cherry blossom-colored magic quietly shimmered.
The demon felt déjà vu from that sight.
Instinctive fear made my body tremble.
Clang! My teeth ground together, constricting my breath.
Trembling, I forced my jaw to chew, and the demon asked.
“…Who the hell are you?”
Eliaernes answered with a chuckle.
“How can you not know, after getting hit like that?”
*
Hearing my answer, the demon let out a bizarre scream and launched an attack. But instead of being able to strike, she couldn’t even move properly. I wouldn’t let her.
I threw the hammer into the air, picked up a rusty sword, and swung it at the demon’s neck. The demon urgently raised her shield. But it was meaningless.
Flash!
Cherry blossom-colored magic flickered.
And in a moment my blade pierced her ribs before she could even comprehend it.
“…What is this?”
A dazed mutter slipped from my lips.
The demon’s face twisted at my incomprehensible movement, but even then, I didn’t stop. I released the sword lodged in her and grasped the hammer I had just swung once more.
I swung it. Thwack! A massive sound shook the space. The overwhelming recoil pushed me back.
That didn’t matter.
It was rather what I wanted.
I immediately grabbed the axe lying on the ground and dashed forward. A downward blow. The demon reacted. The two arms wrapped in magic shot up.
Simultaneously, Flash!
Again, the cherry blossom-colored magic crazily whipped the axe’s trajectory from top to bottom to left.
Thwack! The axe lodged into the demon’s magic-wrapped arm.
“What the hell—”
Fearful doubt appeared on the demon’s face.
“This, this… this movement—”
A look of realization spread across her face. Regardless, she forcibly pulled the sword embedded in her side. Swish! Thick black blood gushed forth. Without glancing at that, I swung the sword again.
At that brief moment, it was as if countless thoughts raced through the demon’s mind. Perhaps she was contemplating how to defend against this attack.
“You idiot.”
No matter how much the demon pondered, she couldn’t keep up with my movements.
I flared my magic. Infused it into the rusty sword. Then—Snap! The sword shattered. Immediately, I grabbed the demon’s hair with my now-empty hand. With the other, I picked up a weapon rolling on the ground.
No need for selection. Just pick it up, check it, judge it, and swing it at the proper spot.
A task that must be completed in a split second.
Though dangerous, for half my life I fought this way.
This time, it was a dagger.
Not bad. Swish! I plunged the dagger, held in reverse, into her forehead. Then Yank! I twisted and pulled it out.
With a sticky brain matter coating the dagger, I let it fly upward. Immediately, I kneed her in the forehead.
At the same time, strong magic erupted.
“CKYAHHHH!!”
Crash! The sound of thunder tearing apart shook the demon. Taking advantage of her staggering state, I grabbed the axe embedded in her arm and delivered a downward cut.
Thunk! I tore into her shoulder. Not diverting my gaze from the axe, I swiftly grasped the spear I had previously prepared.
“You arrogant, arrogant girl!!!”
As I pulled the spear, the demon distanced herself.
It was a distance where the spear wouldn’t reach. Then, I’ll just throw it.
I changed my stance for the thrust and leaned back.
Drawing my right arm back, I extended my left arm forward.
The spearhead was at my vision’s edge.
Then I twisted my waist and tightened my thighs.
So, my body, bent precariously, became a bowstring.
Snap! The mana, raised to its limit, infused into the bowstring. And flowed toward one point.
From shoulder to arm. From arm to forearm. From forearm to wrist. From wrist to hand.
The moment I reached the target.
Thud. I took a big step back and threw the spear.
Boom—!
The air ripped apart, and the spear was launched.
Immediately, I grabbed the two daggers that had fallen to the ground and chased after it.
Stab! The thrown spear embedded itself into the demon’s abdomen. Simultaneously, I threw the daggers. One pierced her hand, while the other was lodged deep within her wide-open eyes.
Now, my hands were empty.
Yet, weapons were lying everywhere around me.
Bending my torso, I grabbed a mace. My legs didn’t stop. I swiftly closed the gap and swung the mace.
Thwack—! The heavy head of the mace crashed against the demon’s skull. The mace began to crack as I swung it again, swatting her arm off and grabbing any nearby weapon.
This time, it was an ordinary bow.
“Ugh, damn it.”
I swung the bowstaff and shoved it into the demon’s mouth, then fell back. I kicked up a weapon that was in my way and grabbed it. A hand axe. I swung it upward. The demon reacted to my movement. The tentacles spilling from her mouth tried to coil around my wrist.
I can’t let that happen.
Flash! My mana burst forth once more. The trajectory again twisted. The axe that had been going upward, now swung from left to right.
Thud! The hand axe split her flesh, smashed her ribs, and drenched the ground in thick black blood.
I then closed the distance and swung my sword.
If there was a bit of distance, I would thrust the spear.
I swung a poleaxe wide. I struck down with my shield, sliced the tentacles with my hand axe, shattered the shield with a battering ram, and clubbed her skull with the mace.
If there’s no weapon, I’ll use my knees, my elbows, and my fists.
If the distance grew too wide, I’d shoot arrows. Throw javelins, wield crossbows and slings.
If the demon reacted in close proximity, I’d forcibly burst the mana nested in her joints to disrupt her trajectory.
I held my breath to the limit. Ignoring everything. I didn’t block the attacks. Once I started blocking, I would be overwhelmed. I couldn’t block to begin with. If even a single hit landed, this frail body wouldn’t survive.
So.
I dodge and strike. I dodge and swing. I dodge and stab.
I concentrated on attacking. I didn’t give her a moment to strike back.
I read the demon’s chaotic movements, deflect what I needed, pick up weapons, swing, attack, dodge, slip, throw, bend, and cut.
If one hit wasn’t enough, I’d repeat it twice, three times.
There was no need to use the right weapon for the right situation; by utilizing the weapon, I created the situation.
It felt like dancing on the edge of a finely honed blade. Yet, it was familiar.
So, ten, twenty, thirty.
When all the weapons in the museum had crumbled, leaving me with less than five.
The demon stopped moving as all four arms were severed and half her lower body was torn off. The magic settled, and the surrounding curtain began to thin.
The end was near.
“Haah…”
I forced my heavy breathing to calm and surveyed the area.
The museum’s interior was a mess, chaotic enough that even the word ‘ruin’ sounded too gentle.
And right beside me lay a fitting weapon to end that wretched creature.
I picked it up and plunged it into the heart of the demon, fighting for breath as she lay there, dying from countless wounds.
“It’s hard. Just die already.”
*
“…You… who are you…?”
The demon gazed at the human who had thrust the dagger into her heart. Despite an hour-long battle, not a single drop of blood stained her.
Ever since her flow was cut off, she had continued to be pushed back.
If she attacked, I would dodge, block, and counterattack.
No patterns. No habits.
She was composed, breath steady even under pressure.
Moreover, she was cunning, meticulous, and persistent.
She knew how to face off against a demon.
She possessed the ability to enact that knowledge.
And she viewed it as something normal.
“Who the hell are you…?”
With an arrogant grin, I raised the axe.
Surrounded by flickering ominous magic, I approached.
In that moment, the demon felt an unsettling déjà vu.
An arrogant smile. A gaze imbued with a demonic energy.
Countless weapons. Attacks she couldn’t counter.
Unreadable patterns, movements, speed.
“Don’t tell me…”
The memories from 400 years ago intertwined with today’s memories.
The time her horn was broken overlapped with today.
Memories before being forsaken merged with today.
The flames of purgatory.
The chaotic stars.
“…Ah.”
That thought arose.
Guided by the sword of death, the star leading the four heroes.
The stars that ignite the demon race, kindling the divine.
The stars that invoke calamities of magic.
The stars that summon overwhelming violence.
And that star bringing disaster to Gebihenum, leading the four heroes.
Ronan Luzarack.
What all demons call.
The Terrible Star.