Chapter 291
Chapter 291. The Misguided One (3)
Having sliced through the demon, Kikubad swung his blade to shake off the blood.
"Oh-ho, oh-ho."
"Come out."
When he locked eyes with the 'Black Knight', flames began to flicker in Kikubad's blurred pupils.
The flame of an old body that now has nothing left but the fight. I know what that means.
'Tsk.'
I was no different.
The last time we clashed, I managed to escape through some clever maneuvering, but in terms of the actual outcome, it was close to 'defeat'.
The thought that I must avenge that defeat began to fill my mind.
'Calm down.'
However, what we must do first is kill the 'Demon King'.
Killing Eulsis. If that is delayed, the Rozenda continent will undoubtedly become too polluted for humans to survive.
There should still be some time. We have the 'Wedge Knights', 'Kaldrach', and "Abisha" by our side.
But, in case anything happens, I wanted to reach the center of the imperial palace quickly.
"I was waiting here on a hunch, and it seems I was right."
Strengthening his grip on the sword, Kikubad started walking slowly toward me.
As I suspected, he was searching for me. Whether it was "Yulian" or the 'Black Knight', Kikubad would have blocked my path in this place.
All he desired was proof of strength. That was all.
"Sir Kikubad?"
Countless demons emerged from the imperial palace.
Turning away from dealing with them, several members of the Azure Lion Knights were startled to see Kikubad turn suddenly.
Then, in a flash, a strike fell upon one of the Azure Lion Knights.
"Argh!"
With that scream, the knight's blood scattered in the air.
The knight collapsed without any resistance.
"Ha-ha, looks like the warm-up is over. Do you know how long I've been waiting?"
Without sparing a glance at the fallen knight, Kikubad approached with a sly smile.
Killing people.
His face didn't show the slightest hint of remorse for that action. As if he had crushed a bug.
He felt no emotion at all.
One more.
Just as Kikubad was about to swing his sword at the knight blocking the way.
Clang──!
Schvalt suddenly dashed in to block Kikubad's sword.
"Elfe, fall back."
Addressing the nearly-dead knight in a calm tone, Schvalt took a step forward.
"Have you lost your mind, Sir Kikubad?"
A pure white energy began to flow from Schvalt's body. His aura, the Doctrine of Absolute Cold, began to make its presence known.
As the frost-like white aura slowly cloaked his body, Kikubad smiled.
"Every swordsman harbors a desire to fight the strong."
"...... Do you think that justifies killing my knight?"
"Ha-ha!"
Creak, kreeeeak.
Even as Kikubad faced Schvalt's aura, he raised his sword forward.
"There's no reason it wouldn't be."
"So, it was true what they said about you changing after the Sword Saint died."
"Changed? No, this is my true nature."
Tsk, clicking his tongue once, Schvalt turned his gaze to me.
"Move forward. It seems that Kikubad's target is you."
Barely managing to hold against Kikubad's sword, Schvalt said this.
"I don't know for sure what's happening inside the imperial palace. Therefore, it's best if someone who knows even a little is the one to go."
Why is he being so adaptable now? If I had known, I might have chatted with him a bit.
'Can you manage?'
If it were Yulian, even at two against one, he would have tried to kill me.
"Well then, don't let that old man slip away. He's quite the troublesome elder."
"Mm."
"Ha-ha, the young ones don't seem to know how to respect the elderly."
"If you were the kind of elder that deserved respect, perhaps we might show some. But you're not."
Under Schvalt's sharp criticism, Kikubad merely continued to laugh boisterously.
Leaving him behind, I moved toward the path opened by the Azure Lion Knights.
***
Schvalt, facing Kikubad in a sword lock, inwardly clicked his tongue.
'As expected of the former Sword Saint. The commander of the Imperial Knights didn't earn his position by chance.'
Just by clashing swords with him, it was clear.
Although he seemed relaxed, there wasn't a single moment of vulnerability in Kikubad's stance.
"...... This is troublesome. The aura of Schvalt is as formidable as always. My old body feels more burdened by the frost."
Despite Kikubad's nonchalant words, Schvalt felt a flicker of anger but suppressed it and spoke.
"Why are you targeting the Black Knight?"
"Why? Oh, come now... hmm."
Kikubad hesitated at the end of his sentence in response to Schvalt's question.
"Now that you mention it, it is strange. If it were just about strength, I might have been interested in you too...... Ah."
While speaking with their swords locked, Kikubad let out a sigh as if he had realized something. Then, he displayed a chilling smile.
"I see, so that was the reason?"
Having conversed with Kikubad before, Schvalt was taken aback. He didn't realize Kikubad could smile in such a creepy manner.
Strong greed began to appear on the wrinkled, elder's face.
"I felt that the sword technique was familiar, so there was a reason. My body knew before my mind had the chance to, which led to this interest."
"What are you talking about?"
"It's a curiosity that sparked my interest."
At that moment, Kikubad slipped his foot between Schvalt's legs.
Pouring strength into his move, Kikubad knocked Schvalt aside and slashed a knight trying to assist from the side.
Then, he began to let his aura surge from within.
"Tsk."
"You've always had that problem. You pretend to be composed, but you're more emotional than anyone."
"It's not a problem significant enough to be corrected by you."
"Oh, really?"
Kikubad chuckled, seemingly amused.
***
Passing through the second gate, heading toward the emperor's palace, a feeling of nostalgia washed over me.
Known as a symbol of power and prosperity, the scenery of the imperial palace had transformed into a grim ruin due to the fierce battle with the emerging demons.
The noble hallways and chambers of the palace were now left scorched and broken, displaying clear signs of battle scattered throughout.
The grand marble walls were covered in black soot, while the once spectacular murals and decorations were destroyed beyond recognition.
The gardens of the palace also lay ravaged from the conflict with the demons.
Flowers were uprooted or trampled, and several serene ponds had been desecrated with blood and debris, completely losing their mystical allure.
'Damn it.'
I cursed at the sight.
'I liked this place.'
More than the bodies, I was enraged by the fact that the flowers, trees, and plants had been trampled and broken.
It filled me with a sense of dissonance, yet I pushed off the ground and continued to run.
After passing through the second gate, the demonic energy grew even denser. The ground was strewn with the gelatinous remnants of lingering resentments and the bodies of people.
Among them were the bodies of the "Wedge Knights" and the 'Heavenly Reverence Guards'.
'It's doomed.'
Looking at the palace and the mountain of bodies, I thought. The empire is doomed.
Although it wouldn't immediately lead to destruction, it seemed impossible for the empire to regain its former formidable strength.
'The third gate.'
It was right ahead. Once I crossed that gate, this chaos could be subdued.
I arrived surprisingly easily. Kikubad had appeared, but Schvalt was holding him off, so there wouldn't be any trouble for a while.
'The easier, the better.'
Thud──!
Just as I thought things had become slightly easier, a sudden, loud noise erupted from the inside of the third gate.
Thud, thud!
Footfalls echoed as if a giant were moving. The sound grew closer.
Soon, the source of the commotion revealed itself.
― Groooooaaagh...
A massive demon, towering at least ten meters tall. It was the source of the sound.
"...... Tsk."
Damn it, just when I thought it was easy, something like this shows up. I cursed inwardly while looking up at the demon's head.
Three horns, a tri-horned demon.
Moreover, it exuded a superior presence, having absorbed high-quality demonic energy and lingering resentments, far above the typical tri-horned demons.
'Is this the one that dealt with the Wedge Knights and the Heavenly Reverence Guards?'
Kaldrach and Eulsis.
If the Heavenly Reverence Guards and the Wedge Knights had clashed under their orders, there would have been survivors on either side.
The fact that there weren't meant that this demon before my eyes had handled the rest.
'If I deal with this one, it might take quite some time.'
There's still some leeway. But if I spend that time dealing with this one, that leeway could vanish.
As if sensing my thoughts, the demon saw me and let out a dangerously loud scream.
At the same time, exuding a tremendous killing intent, it began charging at me.
It wouldn't have been strange to feel fear faced with the oncoming mountain-like presence.
But I calmly prepared to infuse my aura into the sword I drew.
― Graaaaaaaah!
As I readied myself for battle, suddenly flying blades began embedding themselves in the demon's body.
One, two, three.
Ten, eleven, twenty.
A hundred, two hundred, three hundred.
An immense number of daggers started to bloom upon the tri-horned demon's body.
Thanks to this, cries of pain spilled out of its mouth. As it staggered and fell, a path emerged to cross the third gate.
"Twilight, open the path for Yu... no, for the Black Knight to proceed."
The one who had embedded numerous daggers into the tri-horned demon was none other than Pintel.
Following his command, Twilight started to clear the way and move inside through the third gate.
― Grrrgh...
The enormous tri-horned demon began to rise again, as if it had been commanded not to let anyone through the "third gate".
"What do you think you're doing?"
Shik-shik-shik──!
Waving his staff, Pintel cast the "Blade Magic" he had used earlier repeatedly into the demon's throat.
"Do not raise your head. You're not worthy of looking down on him."
"You've grown stronger."
Seeing Pintel's overwhelming magic, words slipped from me unwittingly.
"What?... no, what do you mean?"
"I said, you've gotten stronger. You can't compare to before."
I prepared to move, with the intent of heading toward the third gate Twilight had cleared.
"If you had this level of skill at the 'Twilight Flame', I might have lost to you back then."
Saying that, I moved toward the center. I would soon see the face of the 'Demon King'.
Such thoughts filled my mind as I advanced.
***
Watching the retreating back of the Black Knight while sweeping his staff, Pintel smiled faintly.
― If you had this level of skill at the 'Twilight Flame', I might have lost to you back then.
Recollecting the words left behind by the Black Knight, Pintel muttered to himself.
"How could I possibly overcome Sir Yulian?"
With a distant look, as soon as he finished muttering, the tri-horned demon that had collapsed began to rise again.
Seeing this, Pintel strengthened his grip on his staff.
Somehow, his mind felt clearer than usual, as if he could perform more efficient magic.
― Grrrrrrrrr!
"I told you not to rise."
Boom──!
Multiple daggers began to embed themselves once again into the tri-horned demon's body. This time, it didn't stop with mere "daggers."
Huge stakes created by 'magic'.
Pintel drove them into the arms and legs of the tri-horned demon.
― Aaaaargh!"
The tri-horned demon let out a scream. However, unlike before, that scream now carried 'demonic energy'.
The moment Pintel understood this, other demons began to appear around him.
"Calling in demons? Even being tri-horned, trying to control demons now?"
He slowly backed away from the third gate, stepping inside.
"If I leave you to roam, it could become troublesome for Yulian."
Pintel chuckled.
"I, Pintel Obradin, will ensure that not a single one of you passes beyond this gate in service to Yulian."
It was a refreshing laugh, the likes of which couldn't be found when faced with numerous demons.
Clacky's Corner:
Kikubad getting stuck with Schvalt wasn't what I expected.
But I don't not like it.
P. S.
9 chapters left.