Chapter 238 - Damn Reincarnation

Lehein

There was no way Gavid Lindman, Incarceration’s Sword, had failed to detect the deadly edge descending toward his neck. He had detected it well in advance. Only his reaction had been delayed.

'What?'

The reason was simple: he could not understand why a sword was falling toward his neck. Until mere moments ago, the Demon King of Incarceration had stood here. It had not been his true body, but out of respect for the insignificant humans gathered here, his lord had manifested a body fashioned from darkness.

Until mere moments ago. The Demon King of Incarceration had been right here.

And Gavid Lindman was a duke of Helmuth, Incarceration’s Sword, and the Demon King of Incarceration’s sole knight. Countless people were watching him, but Gavid felt not the slightest shame in kneeling and bowing his head before his lord. Thus, he had remained on his knees, head bowed, until the moment his lord departed.

And a sword had fallen toward his neck as he knelt there, as though he were a criminal awaiting execution.

Light coiled around the descending blade, illuminating the darkness. But that brilliant storm of light failed to engulf Gavid as intended. Having retreated a considerable distance, he raised his head in bewilderment and looked ahead.

He saw Eugene holding Altair, the Holy Sword. Eugene turned to look at him.

An incomprehensible surprise attack. Gavid was bewildered; Eugene was not. With a slight tilt of his composed face, Eugene stared at Gavid.

Gavid was not the only one who failed to understand the situation. Amelia, who had likewise been kneeling, glared at Eugene with murderous irritation. Divine power was the natural antithesis of black magic. She had retreated to avoid being caught in it, but had that light touched her, it would have hurt very, very badly.

“You. What are you doing?”

Amelia’s lips twitched as she asked. Her pet Hemoria was still unconscious, dangling from her grip by the scruff of the neck. An obedient pet she was not, but Amelia could hardly let her die in such an absurd fashion.

“That... is something... I would very much like to know myself.”

Gavid forced the words out, suppressing the emotions surging within him. The prostrate knights of the Black Mist rose as one and took their places behind him. They had yet to draw their swords, but they concentrated their blade-sharp killing intent and hurled it at Eugene.

It felt like an enormous wave crashing down. But Eugene had been through far too much to shrink from such paltry killing intent. Without so much as a change of expression, he tossed the Holy Sword into the air.

Once again, Gavid could not understand what Eugene was doing. Why throw away the Holy Sword when he had a perfectly good grip on it?

He soon understood. The instant the Holy Sword left his hand, Eugene pulled an enormous bow from his cloak.

It was a strangely shaped weapon. It had no string. Its limbs were as tall as Eugene, and it was so ornate that it looked utterly impractical.

But appearances were deceiving. Gavid knew that bow well. Pernoa, the Lightning Bow. One of the ancient weapons Vermouth Lionheart had possessed, weapons whose very discovery remained a mystery.

“You... lunatic...!”

Gavid’s face twisted. Enjoying the discomfiture of Incarceration’s Sword, whose expression so rarely changed, Eugene curled his fingers.

CRACKLE!

His mana became a bowstring.

Lightning flame paired well with the Lightning Bow. Normally, the bow devoured an absurd amount of mana to match its power, but mana imbued with lightning flame could form its string without much expenditure.

Violet Lightning Flash.

Eugene quite liked the name that sprang to mind—but he could not bring himself to say it aloud. He would keep that name inside his head for the rest of his life.

A bolt of violet lightning shot forth. The arrow’s power was incomparable to the last time he had fired the Lightning Bow. Everyone watching Eugene was astounded by its force. Gavid was no exception. Reflexively, he placed a hand on the demon sword Glory at his waist.

[“Do not be rude.”]

[“He is my guest.”]

Just as he was about to seize Glory’s hilt, his lord’s voice rang through his mind.

How could he have forgotten? The Demon King of Incarceration had spoken those words mere moments ago.

His lord had said he looked forward to that human’s arrival at Babel.

His lord had told him not to be rude to that human.

His lord had called that human his guest.

All of it restrained Gavid’s impulses. To Incarceration’s Sword, every word the Demon King spoke was an order that must be obeyed. And so Gavid did not grasp Glory.

BOOOOM!

The violet lightning soared into the sky. Gavid neither retreated nor dodged. Nor did he draw Glory. He simply swung his right hand like a blade, diverting the Violet Lightning Flash upward. That was all it took. An attack like this would not draw a single drop of blood from him.

But his sleeve had torn. Gavid ground his teeth as he glared at its tattered remains. He had no time to voice his displeasure. Before the current discharged by the Lightning Bow had even dissipated, a massive, crushing attack blasted him backward.

Carbos, the Dragon Spear. It could not fire in rapid succession, but its single strike was brutally powerful. The attack concentrated high-output mana into a single point before releasing it, rivaling a dragon’s breath. In the past, Eugene’s limited mana had prevented him from firing it often, and its power had been underwhelming. Now, however, he could draw out the Dragon Spear’s might without difficulty.

“Look at you fly.”

Sneering, Eugene shoved the Dragon Spear into his cloak and gripped the Holy Sword with both hands.

The Demon Spear, the Crushing Hammer, and the Moonlight Sword. He had no intention of bringing out those three weapons. However absolutely Gavid Lindman obeyed the Demon King of Incarceration, if Eugene pressed him with those weapons as well, he would draw Glory.

Gavid would not draw Glory.

Nor would he use those unsettling Demonic Eyes of Prestige.

He would obey the Demon King’s orders as far as he could bear.

Eugene would not use his signature. The longer he kept his trump card hidden, the more valuable it would be when he finally revealed it. So he charged straight ahead with nothing but the Holy Sword.

“S-stop that lunatic!”

Straut II, emperor of Kiel, roared. He could not understand why Eugene was attacking a duke of Helmuth. The Demon King of Incarceration had finally withdrawn; what possible reason was there to provoke Gavid Lindman now?

“Sir Alchester! Now, right this instant...”

“I do not believe that will be necessary.”

Alchester watched with narrowed eyes. He did not claim to understand every aspect of Eugene. But he did believe that such a gifted genius would never attack Gavid without a reason.

'Hero of the Holy Sword... If you wish to carry on your founder’s legend, Eugene Lionheart, then one day you will go to Helmuth as a Hero.'

Alchester held Eugene in extremely high regard—enough to teach him his family’s secret technique, the Empty Sword. And scarcely any time after Alchester taught him, Eugene had already succeeded in layering it.

He possessed an innate gift for the martial arts. And was that all? He was so generous and thoughtful that he had freely taught Alchester’s young son Riu how to handle mana. During his stay with the Dragonic family, Eugene had never once been insolent or arrogant.

'For you, this chance to experience Incarceration’s Sword firsthand must be worth more than any fortune. And the Demon King of Incarceration himself called you his guest and promised to treat you as such, so that loyal knight cannot harm you recklessly...'

The more he thought about it, the more daring yet clever Eugene’s actions seemed. Alchester nodded with a pleased smile. At the same time, he felt heat rising in his chest. If one day Eugene Lionheart stood tall as a Hero and declared that he would go forth to slay the Demon King...

Alchester Dragonic was proud of his ancestor. Three hundred years ago, rather than journey to Helmuth, Oryx Dragonic had remained in war-torn Kiel and spent his life as a guardian knight protecting the empire.

It had been an honorable and righteous choice. But sometimes—just sometimes—Alchester found himself wondering.

Like Vermouth the Great. Like Hamel the Stupid, Senya the Wise, Anise the Faithful, and Moron the Brave. He imagined what it would have been like if his ancestor Riu Dragonic’s name had been engraved in history alongside those great heroes.

'How fortunate I am.'

Though Straut II was raging right beside him, Alchester thought this with a faint smile.

If someday Eugene Lionheart raised the Holy Sword high and sought companions to challenge Babel in Pandemonium, Alchester wanted to relinquish both his position as a duke of Kiel and the Dragonic family itself to join a heroic tale that would endure in the continent’s history.

Of course, unlike what Alchester imagined, Eugene had not picked this fight to gauge Gavid’s strength in preparation for some distant future.

'He’s perfect for blowing off steam.'

That was all. Since Gavid could not freely draw his sword and swing it, Eugene simply wanted to vent the feelings that had accumulated since his past life.

“That fucking lunatic.”

Whatever anyone else thought, Anise knew why Eugene was doing this. He had probably weighed things carefully enough before attacking, but in the end, Hamel’s shitty temper had simply exploded.

“Ooooh!”

Moron bellowed, clenching both fists. He was about to charge forward, but Anise immediately clung to his arm and snapped in a low voice.

“You idiot. What do you think will happen if you join in?”

“I...”

“Do not answer. Your voice is so idiotically loud that everyone will hear you no matter how quietly you speak. So listen carefully. Do nothing. Just stand here.”

Eugene was the only one the Demon King of Incarceration had called his guest. If Moron or anyone else joined in, that fearsome Incarceration’s Sword would show no mercy.

Gilead, the head of the Lionheart family, had reached the same conclusion as Alchester. Indeed, Incarceration’s Sword had not drawn his blade and was concentrating solely on blocking Eugene’s attacks.

That did not mean Gilead could let the fight continue. Horrified, he drew his sword and prepared to rush forward. Carmen, too, pulled Heaven Genocide’s pocket watch from her clothing.

“W-wait a moment.”

Anise, who had been clinging to Moron’s arm, hurriedly stepped into the Lionhearts’ path, but she had no idea what to say. After a moment’s hesitation, she squeezed her eyes shut.

“A-aaah!”

Swallowing her humiliation, Anise screamed. She tore at her hair and spread her Wings of Light wide. Two wings hardly seemed imposing enough, so she brought out two more, spreading all four.

“A revelation from the Liiiight!”

[“Sister!”]

'Be quiet. I am even more embarrassed than you are.'

Kristina screamed inside her head as well. Anise kept tearing at her hair and thrashing wildly, as though a god had possessed her.

With Anise flapping her wings, pouring out light, and carrying on like a madwoman, even the Lionheart knights poised to rush forward had no choice but to stop and stare.

While Anise desperately acted out divine possession and revelation, Eugene drove Gavid back to the fortress wall. Gavid still had not drawn his sword or used his Demonic Eyes of Prestige. He merely glared at Eugene with vicious killing intent in his eyes.

“Should you really be glaring at your master’s guest like that?”

“You... son of a bitch. You know I won’t strike back...!”

BOOOM!

Gavid’s forearm blocked Eugene’s slash. His formerly spotless uniform was now in tatters. His neatly pomaded hair had become a disheveled mess.

“Who told you not to strike back? If you want to, go ahead.”

“Are you confident you can withstand it...?! Understand this, you damned bastard. The only reason you are still alive and breathing is that the Demon King of Incarceration called you his guest. Because he said he looked forward to your arrival at Babel...!”

“Since you brought it up, let me ask. When I go to Babel, will you step aside and let me reach the throne room?”

“Don’t be ridiculous! The Demon King of Incarceration never once said he would open the throne room’s doors for you.”

Gavid spat the words, his eyes flashing with murderous intent.

Three hundred long years. Could there truly have been no presumptuous demons who sought to challenge the Demon King in all that time? There had been. Young, hot-blooded nobles on the rise, overconfident in their strength, had tried time and again to conquer Babel by force.

Babel, the Demon King’s castle in Pandemonium. A towering building ninety-nine stories high. Ordinarily, its floors housed employees of the control bureau responsible for Pandemonium’s public security, along with civil servants doing office work.

But when a challenger to the throne appeared, Babel’s interior transformed into the Demon King’s castle of three hundred years ago. Countless traps, demonic beasts, and demons lurked along the route to the throne room, and directly beneath it stood its guardian, Gavid Lindman, Incarceration’s Sword.

Of all the fools who had challenged Babel, apart from Vermouth the Great and his companions, not a single demon had ever reached Gavid.

“If you come to Babel, I will sever your head myself. Then I will personally present it to the Demon King of Incarceration.”

[“The Demon King of Incarceration will not let you ascend Babel easily. That is the sort of being he is—a Demon King.”]

So that was how it would be. Eugene snorted as he recalled Vermouth’s words.

“Then as long as I don’t go to Babel, you’ll never kill me.”

“... You son of a bitch...!”

“Am I wrong? If I don’t go, will you come kill me yourself? Wouldn’t that go against the Demon King of Incarceration’s wishes?”

Gavid’s face contorted at those words. Some things had not changed in three hundred years. This utterly inflexible bastard still obeyed his master’s orders absolutely.

“... If... you do not come...! If you cower inside Lionheart in fear, I will come fetch you myself. The Demon King of Incarceration will surely order me to do so...!”

Another slash struck home.

CRAAACK!

The force Gavid deflected tore an enormous fissure through Lehein Fortress’s wall.

“Oh, you don’t have to worry about that. I’m definitely going to the Demon King’s castle.”

Eugene pointed at Gavid’s ragged sleeve and grinned. Gavid’s eyebrows shot up at the mockery.

“Do not provoke me too far, human...! Even if the Holy Sword has acknowledged you, even if Vermouth’s blood runs thick in your veins...! You are not Vermouth. Do you delude yourself into thinking you can reach his level?”

“You think I don’t know that? I’m Eugene Lionheart. Not Vermouth Lionheart.”

“Even Vermouth was not as insolent as you!”

“Of course he wasn’t. I’m not Vermouth Lionheart.”

“Such boundless insolence...! What could possibly give you such confidence?”

Eugene had been about to offer some careless reply.

“A revelation from the Liiiight!”

Anise’s scream reached him. Glancing over, he saw her carrying on wildly with four wings spread. He laughed despite himself.

“A revelation.”

“... What?”

“Didn’t you hear? A revelation. The Holy Sword that acknowledged me, and the Light, told me I could be as insolent as I liked.”

“What utter nonsense!”

Gavid roared. Ignoring him, Eugene focused the power of the White Flame Formula into the Holy Sword.

CRACKLE!

It was just like at the Spring of Light. The Holy Sword accepted every bit of Eugene’s mana. Though held by someone without a shred of faith, it radiated enough light to seemingly banish all the darkness around them.

And it was not just the Holy Sword. A throbbing heat rose from the ring finger of his left hand, which also gripped the hilt. The ring he had received from Ariartel, the red dragon. Agaroth’s Ring, belonging to the ancient god of war, responded to Eugene’s mana and the Holy Sword’s light.

The Holy Sword’s radiance grew stronger. Brilliant enough to illuminate the darkness, it nonetheless lacked the sacred quality such light should have possessed. It was savage, like the flames of war burning everything out of existence.

'A revelation?'

That menacing light made Gavid tense. The light moved. The Holy Sword cut through space. The distance was short. It would reach him soon. This attack was on an entirely different level from the others.

The instant the light descended upon him, Gavid instinctively drew the demon sword Glory.

BOOOM!

An entire section of the wall collapsed. Gavid was uninjured. But he stared blankly at Glory in his right hand.

He must not draw it. That thought had never crossed his mind. He had failed to resist his instincts. That paltry sword—even if its strike was too powerful to block with his bare body, he should simply have taken the hit. Even if his body had been shattered, he could have regenerated.

'... I decided I must not let it strike me. Why? Because of the Holy Sword’s divine power? Even so...'

Gavid’s lips quivered.

“You acted like you wouldn’t draw it, but you did after all.”

Eugene lowered the Holy Sword, its light now fading, and smiled. Gavid’s eyes trembled at that smile. Eugene put the Holy Sword into his cloak and turned away.

“Where are you going?”

As Eugene turned and began to walk away, Gavid blurted the question out before he knew it.

He was still holding his demon sword. Yet the human who had forced him to draw it was walking away with his back exposed, as though he did not care at all.

“You drew your sword, so I’m stopping.”

“... What...?”

“There’s no need to keep going.”

Eugene never looked back. Gavid stood rooted to the spot, watching his retreating back. Then he looked down at the demon sword still in his hand. He saw his uniform, reduced to little more than rags.

“...”

Gavid swallowed the fury rising from deep within his chest. He wanted to slash that exposed back this very instant. But he must not. The Demon King of Incarceration’s orders were absolute.

... And yet he had drawn Glory. More than anything else, the fact that he had drawn it without the Demon King ordering him to do so was a humiliation.

GRIND...!

Gavid bit savagely into his lower lip and turned away. Sheathing Glory, he leaped over the ruined wall.

He no longer wanted to remain in this fortress. If he saw Eugene Lionheart’s face again, he feared his humiliation would rob him of all reason.

The demonic knights, who had been at a loss, shrouded themselves in mist. The Black Mist followed Gavid over the wall and out of the fortress.

“That gave me a fright.”

Grumbling, Eugene shook his left hand. He had only meant to put a little more force into the attack, but Agaroth’s Ring had amplified it of its own accord. The war god’s ring remained quiet at other times, yet whenever he wielded the Holy Sword, it would respond as it pleased.

“Eugene Lionheart!”

As Eugene trudged back, the emperor of Kiel roared at him.

“What in the world have you done?! Attacking a duke of Helmuth!”

“A revelation!”

Eugene threw both hands into the air and shouted. His booming cry left the emperor speechless.

“That’s how it happened.”

“... What an absurd excuse...! Tell me, Holy Emperor Euryus. Is it acceptable to use your supposedly almighty, radiant God of Light as an excuse like that?”

Eyes wide, the emperor turned toward the Pope.

“... What can one do? He is the Holy Sword’s master.”

The Pope muttered, recalling what had happened in the Holy See’s Audience Chamber. The emperor had never imagined such words could come from that obstinate fanatic’s mouth.

“Wahahaha!”

Moron Ruhar burst into booming laughter. It was sudden, and hardly a situation that called for laughter. But Moron felt differently. Delighted that the reincarnated Hamel had changed so little in three hundred years, he laughed at the top of his lungs.

“Wahahahaha!”

Aman Ruhar burst out laughing as well. He was simply laughing along because his ancestor Moron was laughing.

Anise did not laugh. Quietly folding her wings, she glared at Eugene with murder in her eyes.

[“Sister...”]

'God will forgive me if I smash that son of a bitch’s head with a mace.'

[“I cannot yet perform a miracle that will heal a shattered head.”]

'Then let us break a few bones instead.'

With that thought, Anise tightened her grip on her flail.