The Heavenly Demon Is Just Stuck In My Head

I gathered the Black Prince and Sir Fluffy, then tried to persuade them.

The Count had already done his best.

At his age, already retired, he had defeated that monstrous knight named Stefan.

Isn't that enough?

It looked like he intended to continue the match, but even if he managed to injure his opponent, it would be difficult to secure a victory.

And his defeat wouldn't be a clean one.

This time his shoulder was pierced; next time, he'd be lucky if he didn't lose an arm.

The Count wasn't young like Walpole, so it was questionable if an arm could even be reattached.

Since I would be taking care of the remaining opponents anyway, let's have the Count step down.

"...."

The Black Prince listened silently before looking at me.

"So?"

"So, let's switch the fighter."

I looked at Fluffy.

"I believe Sir Fluffy was next in line."

Fluffy nodded.

"That is correct."

After a moment of thought, the Black Prince sought the opinions of Fluffy and Lady Ashley

"What do you sirs think?"

Fluffy replied in a calm tone.

"It makes no difference to me."

Lady Ashley answered.

"I also agree with Sir Ashuban's opinion. I do not think we should allow the head of the family to continue the match in his current state."

The Black Prince looked at Fluffy.

"Then, Sir Roetgel. Ascend when you are ready."

"Yes."

Fluffy steadied his breathing, then gripped the hilt of his sword and muttered something under his breath.

I was glad the number of people who talk to themselves was increasing, but to be honest, I was worried.

Sir Fluffy had been in a state of meditation, holding onto Vlad, since yesterday.

I asked Sir Fluffy.

"Sir Fluffy. Are you alright?"

Fluffy looked at me with clear eyes.

"There is no problem."

"Really?"

"Indeed."

"Then hurry up and get out there. What are you mumbling about and dragging your feet for?"

"...."

Fluffy stared at me, his hand on his sword's hilt.

For a second, it felt like he might draw his sword, so I took a slight step back and watched his eyes.

They were as tranquil as a deep lake.

Vlad must be sleeping somewhere in those depths.

...Though I've never seen a lake that red.

"Devil."

"What."

"I can control it to some extent. But the more I draw out its power, the more I lose control."

It meant that the stronger the opponent, the more he would have to draw on Vlad's power, increasing the chance of him going berserk.

But since I couldn't get on the stage this time, he seemed worried that there would be no one to stop him if he lost control.

I dispelled Fluffy's worries.

"Don't worry. The referee over there is a great Royal Knight, and in the worst-case scenario, that pompous Frost Knight up there can be dispatched."

"...I see."

Fluffy confirmed Aron on the field and Frost Knight up above, then nodded.

They would take care of it.

If, by some chance, even they couldn't handle it, I would just have to step in the moment Fluffy left the stage.

"Then, I shall be on my way."

"Go. Show them the terror of a wandering knight."

The great wandering knight ascended the stage.

I watched his retreating back, then tilted my head.

Come to think of it, his eyes seemed unusually calm.

***

Count Hermann met the eyes of the red-eyed wandering knight, Fluffy.

Then, he looked down at the Black Prince below the stage.

When the Black Prince nodded and gestured for him to come down, the Count let out a deep sigh and dispersed the aura he had gathered.

Step, step.

The two knights passed each other as if in a crossover.

"You've worked hard."

"I leave the rest to you."

With calm steps, Fluffy advanced to the center of the arena.

Sir Lionel, who had been watching Fluffy approach from the opposite side, glanced back and exchanged a look with the First Prince.

'The Red-Eyed Devil has appeared.'

'Good. We proceed as planned.'

Aron spoke.

"Are you ready?"

Lionel nodded, and Fluffy raised a hand.

"A moment."

Shing—

He drew his sword, then lightly cut the side of his hand, letting the flowing blood feed the blade.

Kiiiiing!

The blood-soaked blade let out a roar, spewing forth a bloody aura.

It looked like lava boiling over, or perhaps like sparks flying.

Seeing this, the crowd began to murmur.

"A red blade! Could that be the legendary...!"

"That is the ninth famed sword of Ophosis...!"

"The last famed sword of Ophosis!"

"The Black Prince has a King's Knight!"

The murmurs began with the people the Black Prince had planted in the crowd for the match.

Thinking about it, the words were clearly intentional, but no one thought that deeply.

A knight wielding a famed sword was a symbol of a King's Knight.

The intention was to subtly impress upon the people who the rightful heir to the throne was, who the true king of Blake was.

However, anxious voices were also mixed in.

"Then... is that man the Red-Eyed Devil?"

"No way. He looks different from the wanted poster."

"You fool. He defeated the Frost Knight. How could he do that without wielding a famed sword of Ophosis himself?"

"Uh... now that you mention it, that makes sense."

"That terrifying Red-Eyed Devil became the Black Prince's knight?"

"Son of a bitch. Shouldn't we be praying for the First Prince to win?"

In people's imaginations, the Red-Eyed Devil was a bloodthirsty fiend.

That was understandable, as rumors were rampant that he had laid waste to the Varangia territory overnight.

However, among them were not a few who idolized the Red-Eyed Devil.

He had coolly killed the nobles who had tormented them, nobles no one else had dared to even think of touching.

It was, in fact, cathartic.

There were even those who secretly hoped, 'Will he come to our territory?'

It was not uncommon for commoners to gather and whisper among themselves, calling him their hero.

"But... if you think about it, the only ones the Red-Eyed Devil killed were Baron Barankia and his knights, right? I heard he was killed while trying to steal the Ophosis dagger."

"What? He didn't lay waste to the entire territory?"

"No. My relative lives there, and they said the demon only rampaged through the baron's castle. And he didn't touch the maids or servants at all."

"Really?"

"Yeah, I heard that too. They said he only killed the baron and his knights, and the commoners were safe. Apparently, those guys tormented the people that much."

"Didn't he beat them to death in front of everyone?"

"I heard the people of Barankia territory think of the Red-Eyed Devil as a hero."

"That's right. Even on the wanted poster with a 100-gold reward, the only crime listed was the murder of a noble."

"Look at him. He doesn't look like a fiend."

Sir Fluffy, standing calmly on the stage, looked like the very model of a knight.

His posture, his gaze, his expression—nowhere could the terrifying demon of the rumors be found.

"Then... the Black Prince, who took such a Red-Eyed Devil as his knight..."

Does that mean he condones the killing of such wicked nobles?

It was clear that, at the very least, he was not on their side.

And so, public opinion began to shift.

Amidst the murmuring, someone shouted.

"Win! Red-Eyed Devil!"

Starting with that, cheers for the Red-Eyed Devil and the Black Prince poured out.

This was an outcome even the Black Prince had not anticipated.

"Devil! Wipe out those noble bastards!"

"The Black Prince must be king! The Black Prince must be king!"

"Kill the damn nobles!"

At that, the faces of the nobles on one side of the arena turned beet red.

"How...!"

"How dare those lowly commoners, in a place like this...!"

"Arrest them immediately! Arrest them!"

Of course, such a vehement reaction only came from the First Prince's side, seated on the right.

On the left, among the Black Prince's faction, surprised glances were exchanged.

"This is unexpected."

"Could the Black Prince have intended this?"

"I don't think so. He looks surprised too."

"I suspect the existence of the Red-Eyed Devil, who murdered a noble, has become a kind of catalyst for the people who have been oppressed by the aristocracy."

"Hmm. That seems plausible. He is a man who has shattered the most important law of the current royal family head-on."

Even in this chaos.

The King's eyes merely shone with interest.

"Hoh... so that is the demon sword."

"...."

"Sir Serkov."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"When you fought the Devil. Was the Devil wielding that sword?"

"He was not."

"Then he must have found it afterward. And this man received the sword from the Devil?"

"It would appear so."

"Who is that man?"

"He is called Sir Röetgel, a wandering knight. A man who roamed about capturing wanted criminals."

The King smiled slyly, his gaze alternating between the master of the demon sword in the center of the arena and the blind swordsman watching from below the stage.

"So this was the intention behind appearing with his eyes covered."

The King tapped the armrest of his chair and burst into laughter.

"Hahaha! Amusing, very amusing."

"...."

Frost Knight stared blankly at the King tapping the armrest.

Suddenly, someone's words came to mind.

'What's the chair you regret buying the most? An armchair.'

The King looked quizzically at Sir Serkov, who had suddenly started coughing.

"What is it?"

"...It is nothing, Your Majesty."

With all eyes focused on the center, Aron's voice echoed through the arena.

The two knights raised their swords without a word.

***

Lionel raised his sword, his cautious eyes fixed on his opponent.

There stood the knight with red eyes.

'This is the man who defeated the Knight of Frost.'

Indeed, the mana emanating from him was wicked beyond compare.

Was this the mana of a Devil crawled out from hell?

Most men would be scared out of their wits and flee at the mere sight of him, let alone fight.

He exuded that level of dangerous energy.

'That is the demon sword, Vlad.'

It was a sword with a red blade.

Even at a glance, it was no ordinary object.

A blood-red aura swirled violently from the sword he held.

Kiiiiing!

But strangely, the man holding it was perfectly calm.

As if he held a storm ready to burst in one hand, but had forgotten it was there.

Lionel stared into his eyes.

They were so unshakably calm, it was as if he had come out for a stroll in the neighborhood, not to fight.

It was a gaze so tranquil he looked like he might recite a line of poetry.

"...."

A ferociously savage sword that seemed ready to go berserk at any moment, and the man holding it with indifference.

There was a sense of disconnect in that image.

That disconnect approached him as an indescribable fear.

A cold sweat trickled down his back from the pressure he felt.

Indeed, he was a formidable man.

'But, it's worth a try.'

He too was a knight who had defeated formidable opponents to get this far.

He wouldn't be so scared as to turn tail and run.

Besides, his mission was not to defeat the opponent, but to make him go berserk.

To do that, he had to lead the fight as defensively as possible.

Combat inherently consumes an enormous amount of stamina and mental energy.

This is because a single small mistake can lead directly to death.

It was a matter of course that one had to pour all their concentration into every single movement—dodging or blocking the opponent's sword, attacking, and clashing blades.

One had to read the opponent's attacks from their gaze and posture, and on top of that, prediction and psychological warfare were added to the mix.

The longer the battle, the faster stamina and mental energy are depleted.

Lionel's mission was to hold the Red-Eyed Devil for as long as possible.

When the Devil has exhausted all his stamina and mental energy, that is when he will go berserk.

The First Prince was willing to concede several defeats to capture the Red-Eyed Devil.

At least two, and at most, four.

Of course, this was under the assumption that all his knights could hold out well.

To achieve that, he must not allow a single attack to land.

In reality, it is not easy to defeat an opponent who is determined to only defend.

This is because openings are mostly created at the moment of attack.

Therefore, if one completely forgoes attacking and focuses solely on defense, even a strong opponent cannot be easily overcome.

This was even more true if the opponent was a top-tier knight.

Lionel completely erased the thought of defeating his opponent from his mind.

As per the plan, he would only defend until his stamina allowed.

A purely defensive stance.

'I will not allow a single attack!'

Lionel resolved firmly and watched the demon's eyes with caution.

At that moment, the demon's gaze shifted.

He looked behind Lionel with a puzzled expression.

"...?"

Lionel was momentarily stunned.

He was looking away right before this important battle? What could it be?

Seeing such a serious-looking man do that made it seem like something had genuinely happened.

Surely, he wouldn't use such a shallow trick in a place like this.

Besides, his expression was incredibly serious.

'What is it?'

As Lionel struggled with his internal conflict, the demon's expression changed from puzzlement to shock.

An expression mixed with a hint of bewilderment.

"...!"

Something must have happened.

His own lord was behind him.

Thinking about it calmly, it was an absurd idea, but the combination of the situation, the urgency, and that look of utter shock made rational thought impossible.

'Could it be, an attack?'

He had to look back.

Lionel quickly turned around.

At that moment, the Devil threw his sword.

(End of Chapter)