A dance of sword strikes faster than sound.
Adelio's sword speed had long since surpassed the speed of sound, ever since he evolved into a race one step above the highest-tier demon kind, the [Demon Lord].
Fwhoooosh!!
The swordsmanship he had learned directly from monsters like Blanc, Gran Dwargo, and Guy Crimson began to rage like a storm.
Before long, Adelio launched attacks at Guy from nearly every direction at once.
But as if this much was nothing new to him, Guy casually knocked away every one of Adelio's strikes with his bare hands.
"..."
Adelio had expected that much, so he didn't panic. He immediately brought out a secret technique.
"Dwargo First Secret Art, [Rock Emperor]."
Dwargo swordsmanship.
The inherited sword art passed down only among the High Dwarves of the royal Dwargo line unfolded in the hands of a demon.
"Haaap!"
As though a great mountain had awakened from sleep, black rocks formed from magic power burst upward from the ground into the air along the path of his sword.
Each one was no different from a sword strike itself, and together they looked like a rain of stone pouring upward into the sky.
"Haha, this really is entertaining no matter how many times I see it. So this is the swordsmanship left behind by the Dwarf Emperor. Not bad."
But to Guy, it was nothing more than slightly oversized raindrops.
As he leisurely drifted through the gaps, it posed no threat to him at all.
'Tch. Didn't work this time either.'
Adelio had already used it several times in sparring, but not once had his attack ever landed properly.
At least, not when he used it as an attack.
'Now!'
In an instant, Adelio turned a chain of strikes into a single blow and unleashed a massive slash that blocked Guy's vision.
It would only work for a moment, but for now, that was enough.
'Arc Vanishing.'
Unlike when he had used it as an [Arch Demon], he now cast the stealth spell without chanting. In the brief instant Guy knocked aside the slash, Adelio slipped behind him.
Slash!!
And then came the follow-up.
"Dwargo Third Secret Art—[Sword Sovereign]."
Dwargo swordsmanship.
"Hup!!"
A sure-kill thrust that exploded the magic power concentrated into a single point in an instant, combined with the ultimate principle of perfect union through [Ru-Lawather], [Sword Emperor Heavenly King], strengthened even beyond the power of the Unique Skill [Sword Demon].
The finest single-point breakthrough he could produce shot straight toward Guy's back.
Shiiiiing!!!
The attack flowed in naturally, as smoothly as running water.
Against an equal opponent, it would have landed without fail.
'This should be enough...!'
But—
"Did you really think that would work?"
The problem was that his opponent was the strongest Demon Lord.
Tap.
A hand lightly stretched behind him, wrapped in magic power.
No technique. No spell. Just the simple motion of reaching back.
And yet, because the one making that motion was Guy Crimson—
Claaang!!!
That casual gesture became an absurd, absolute defense.
"What the..."
The thrust that had surpassed the speed of sound was ultimately caught, all too easily, by one of Guy's arms.
"That technique just now was pretty good. Unfortunately for you, though, I'm not the kind of guy normal techniques work on."
Guy Crimson grinned as he spoke, as if it hadn't even been enough to threaten him.
A monster.
Was there any demon more perfectly suited to that word, a monster beyond human comprehension?
"Here I come again."
Then his fierce assault began anew.
'Ngh... first I have to block it.'
The violent barrage gave Adelio no time even to steady his thoughts.
Left with no choice, he threw up a massive barrier around himself.
But this barrier was merely a bad move that bought him nothing more than a very brief rest.
While maintaining it, his movements slowed, he couldn't link it with [Berserk], his ability specialized for close combat, and above all, it would shatter easily after only a few punches from Guy.
Boom! Boom!
Just look at it. Even now, cracks were rapidly spreading through the barrier.
Defending in front of Guy was pointless.
'...The only things I have left now are [Nuclear Magic] or [Arts].'
[Nuclear Magic] took too long unless he had the spell stored in advance, so in practice, [Arts] was his last option.
His own [Arts], the only technique he had created himself.
'It's still incomplete... but I don't have a choice.'
This spar was a test.
A test to see whether the current him was ready to go out into the world.
So he had to pass.
To learn what he truly was, and to make use of the knowledge he carried, he had to step out into the world.
'If that's what it takes...!'
That alone was reason enough to bet everything on one all-out gamble.
And just as he steeled himself once more in his heart—
"Enough."
Guy's savage assault stopped dead at that single word.
"We'll end it here."
"...?!"
There hadn't even been a proper conclusion, yet Guy abruptly stopped the spar and withdrew all the magic power coating his body.
It was such an empty ending, like boiling water vanishing in an instant.
Thrown by the sudden finish he had never expected, Adelio was speechless for a moment, then finally asked Guy as if forcing the words out.
"Why? I can still keep going...!!"
He wondered if he had failed, if his chance had already slipped away, and as Adelio faltered in confusion, Guy stayed silent for a moment before baring his teeth in a grin.
"Relax. I'm not saying you failed."
"...!"
He hadn't failed.
Then there was only one meaning left.
"Then...!"
"Not bad. You pass."
[Passed]
That meant the time had finally come for him to step out into the world, and at the same time—
"Before you leave, it'd be easier for you if I introduced you to those bastards too."
It meant a coming audience with the monsters who ruled this world.
"At Walpurgis, the Banquet of the Demon Lords, show them proudly who you are."
By attending the Banquet of the Demon Lords.
Comments (0)
Please log in to leave a comment. Login or Register