The Greatest Demon Lord Is Reborn as a Typical Nobody - Volume 2 - Chapter 36

CHAPTER 36 

The Ex–Demon Lord and the Wheel of Fate 

“Thank you for your patience! The Spirit Festival is about to begin!” 

Together with this announcement, lights of five different colors glistened against the dark night: red, blue, green, gold, russet. The vivid hues of the spirits moved wildly across the vast sky and brought joy to all who saw them. While back on earth, Sylphy and I were locked in a heated battle.

She approached me, passionate and without any hesitation. A windstorm kicked up from her furious charge, as her red hair went flying all over the place. The space between the both of us grew to zero in an instant—

“Haaaaaaah! ” Sylphy shouted, plunging down her two blades as she released a killer urge.

The slices came at the speed of a tornado and power, thanks to Lydia’s old faithful, Vald-Galgulus. An aura of silver armor cloaked Slyphy, rapidly enhancing her physical abilities and raising the blade’s lethality.

There was one side effect, however.

While using it, the user would be driven to madness.

“Geh-geh-geh-geh! Die! Die—die—die—die—die! Die-ie-ie-ie-ie-ie-ie-ie! ” screeched Sylphy, diving into another attack. They were all so easy to read that dodging became simple.

Because of this disadvantage, Lydia had been the only one who had been able to master it. Without her strong spirit and steely convictions, she would have immediately been taken by the madness and dulled by its power.

That said, Sylphy’s prowess in battle posed great danger. Hiding nearby, Ireena and Ginny would likely be drawn into the fight…and as soon as she made any sort of bold move, there was no question the entire academy would be obliterated, leading to some serious casualties.

I cast Skywalker and soared high above the earth in an instant.

“Graaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaagh! ” she roared, turning on me with bloodshot eyes before casting her own magic to rush toward me.

With the inky sky as our stage, the battle continued, as it showcased the fantastical, colorful dance of the spirits.

Up here, they were a nuisance.

We circled each other freely across the sky…and I searched for the right timing to steal Vald-Galgulus. If I could take it from her, the madness would seep out of her. Then, I’d release Sylphy from the magic possessing her… Whatever was brainwashing her. Unless I did, our conversation wouldn’t get anywhere.

…But even if I returned her to her former self, the end result wouldn’t change. As I twirled about with Sylphy in the darkness, I murmured in irritation.

“Agh, seriously…! Why did things turn out this way…?!”

Streams of colors arced and waved across the vastness of the dark heavens. The fantastical scene created by the spirits who governed the five main elements were the selling point of this Spirit Festival, but…

“At first, I thought it’d be an inferior copy of the performance last year.”

“Wow, a national school always delivers! And it’s not just the five main elements, but the two forbidden ones, too.”

The two forbidden elements were Light and Dark. Both were incredibly powerful, which meant they were difficult to control, so they were banned from general use. The spirits who governed them had wild dispositions. They could not be manipulated by people. Because of that, the spirits who did govern the two forbidden elements, as a rule, were not allowed to be summoned.

“This year turned out to be pretty awesome… Hey, look, the Light and Dark spirits… Are they putting on some kind of show?”

“Seems to me like they’re trying to kill each other.”

“If anything, I’d say it looks like the Light spirit’s pushing down on the Dark one.”

The public was making a scene with their boisterous chatter.

Before their eyes was a fierce fight that they would never forget for the rest of their lives.

Light and Dark spirits tracing lines of black and white…

Light releasing an enormous beam of energy.

Dark canceling it out with a protective wall and unleashing a crimson heat ray.

Coupled with the dance of the other five main elements, this Spirit Festival was set to go down in history… But the only ones thinking this were the clueless guests and students.

For Ireena and Ginny, who knew the truth of the situation, it made their blood run cold.

“Wh-what’s going on…?!”

“The Tree of the Sword King disappeared and became a sword…and out of nowhere, Miss Sylphy…”

They had no idea how things got this way. But one thing was clear.

The “show” was not the work of Light and Dark spirits, but of Ard and Sylphy.

…The two blankly gazed at the situation for some time.

“Miss Ireena! Miss Ginny!” called a familiar voice.

The pair turned to look at Headmaster Golde.

“Could you please tell me what’s going on?” His expression was calm, but sweat dotted his face.

They openly shared what they had seen and heard, sparing nothing. Taking this in, Golde grimaced. “I can’t believe it…for Miss Sylphy to be a traitor…”

When Ireena heard him murmur this, something in her snapped. “Sylphy isn’t a traitor!” 

Golde opened his eyes wide, shocked by her anger. It had been an unconscious outburst that surprised even her and left her in a daze. Her face soon grew dark, and she looked down.

“…I’m sorry. But she’s really not a bad person. There must be some reason.” Ireena clenched her fists tightly. Then, she lifted her head and stared up at the heavens.

This is so frustrating. She needed to let Ard handle Sylphy on his own. She cursed her own powerlessness.

“…Anyway. We’ll leave it to Ard for now. If by a one in a million—no, a one in a trillion chance, he can’t resolve the situation…”

When they collectively imagined the worst-case scenario, all three went pale.

“…Let’s all pull something together. I reckon evacuating the guests and students…wouldn’t do much. If she can take on Ard, I’m guessing nowhere in the capital is safe. But we gotta have something…anything…” Golde scampered off somewhere with a grim look.

Ireena felt bitter resentment toward him for assuming they were handling Sylphy as an enemy…

On the other hand, she understood that this judgment wasn’t completely off base. This little-sister type was bringing it upon herself.

Which is why she was pained from the bottom of her heart.

“Ard, I leave her to you. Return her to her original state… But if that isn’t possible…”

If that time came…

“I’ll have to take care of things myself…!”

The royal capital of Dycaeus was once an ancient city with history. Though there had been subtle architectural changes in its cityscape, it held on to those of the distant past in its aesthetics. In particular, there was a large clock tower that had continued to stand tall since the capital’s founding, along with the royal palace, and it stood as a representative example of Dycaesian architecture.

Above the tower’s pinnacle that almost pierced through the heavens, higher than the clock that carved minute by minute—on the very top of the spear-like tip and looking up at the night sky was one lone figure.

Wrapped in pitch-black garments that melded into the darkness, the silhouette wore a peculiar mask, concealing their face, and spoke in a pleased, androgynous voice.

“Ah, a fine comedy. A girl getting her revenge using the weapon wielded by her former master. The enemy desperate to escape. This is miles better than that boring play at the school festival.”

With a chuckle, the masked figure recalled how they had come to this point.

To Ard Meteor, this current predicament had to be an unexpected surprise. Having said that, he ought to have realized something was amiss.

That’s right… The sixth day of the school festival. On the night that his class was aglow with the victory of the Excellency Award. After Sylphy had gotten up during their meager after-party. The masked figure had appeared before her as she went to do her business.

When they met in the hallway, Sylphy was, of course, overtly suspicious of the mask.

“Why are you here…?!”

“Well, I’m what you might call an intruder, but don’t concern yourself with that. There are more important matters in this world. For example…the fact that you have yet to slay the Demon Lord. Compared to that, this is all trivial.”

Sylphy’s shoulders trembled as her trimmed brows set into a frown. “You said Ard Meteor was the reincarnation of the Demon Lord, but I don’t think that’s true at all. He’s nothing like Var, and—”

“Goodness gracious. You really are as stupid as ever,” sneered the masked figure in a voice filled with obvious contempt.

Before Sylphy could even respond, the figure moved toward her in an instant, brazenly grabbing her slender face.

“He is the reincarnation of the Demon Lord. This is the irrefutable truth… Well, I guess it’ll never reach the heart of a fool who’s fallen in love with the enemy. And that’s why…”

It was in that instant that the face behind the mask seemed to twist into a smile. At least, that was what it had felt like.

“…I shall force you to dance,” declared the figure into Sylphy’s ear with cheerful malice.

And then, her world went completely black.

When she came to in the next moment, the scene before her looked different. It made her jump in her skin.

A vast land lying in ruin, destitution, deserted. A stormy sky, thunder clapping, black rain pouring to earth. Its inky drops bounced off the ground, echoing as they burst open—

A man was looking down on a woman. He donned an impressive attire of black and red, and his beauty was without parallel in this world, twisting with grief.

There was no mistake he was the Demon Lord Varvatos.

As for the woman lying at his feet, her lovely silver hair was stained with muddy water, and bitter tears streaked down her face, stricken with despair.

To Sylphy, no one was dearer.

Her master. Her big sister… The one who was like a mother to her. The person more important to her than life itself.

Lydia the Champion.

Sylphy watched, horrified as the life slowly faded from her eyes—and as the magic in the Demon Lord’s palm became an enormous blood-red torrent that condensed together.

“…Farewell, my friend.”

Right after these words of tragic finality fell from his trembling lips, he shot an attack using magic at Lydia without hesitation.

Sylphy’s entire vision was covered in a undulating red wave—

And then she was back. In the hallway of the dim school dorm, Sylphy was crying. Tears flowed freely, and she found herself sobbing. Her heart was brimming with such confusion, she could no longer think.

The mask released the hand from her face, and Sylphy fell backward with a thud as all her strength left her. The cloaked silhouette looked down at her and chuckled.

“What I just showed you was the truth, thousands of years ago.

“His Majesty the Demon Lord. His dear friend. Your Savior. He killed her with his very own hands. In other words—”

For Sylphy, there could be no more devastating truth.

“The one you desire no longer exists anywhere. Lydia the Champion has disappeared from this world… She is now only a fabrication being passed down from generation to generation.”

She couldn’t understand. She didn’t want to. As a deluge of tears flooded her eyes, Sylphy attempted to escape reality. However, the mask would not allow it, grabbing Sylphy’s face once again.

“Kill your enemy. Take down the Demon Lord. That is the only way your life will have meaning, Raging Champion.”

She felt the sensation of something else slipping inside her. After that, her sea of consciousness continued on…

It was at that point she became a partially possessed doll.

“All right. With this, our preparations ought to be complete. Well then, return to everyone and have a pleasant time, Sylphy Marheaven.”

“…Yes.”

The sparkle in her eyes was now lost as they turned completely flat. Sylphy nodded and left quietly.

…As all the images of the past replayed in their mind, the masked silhouette looked at the situation at hand. The zigzags of the two continued to draw across the canopy of the night sky. This was the perfect box seat to watch on.

“Ah, what a fine sight. My two performers. Give me the best comedy. I won’t guess how the story might progress. That will make it all the more interesting. Nevertheless…”

On the other side of their mask, a wicked smile played on their lips before the figure spread out both arms, dancing in a spinning circle.

“The ending will not change. The jester will play their part, and this tale will end on a comedic high note. Ah, I look forward to it. Ever, ever so much.”

“Aaaaaaagh! Aaaaaaaaagh!” 

Sylphy’s wails continued to ring through the night sky, anguished screams close to madness. She repeated the same simple attacks even now.

Splitting the atmosphere and setting off a shock wave around her, she dashed through the sky, drawing near me and waving her two blades messily like an upset child.

Which obviously made them easy to dodge… If I were back in my heyday. But as I was now, I didn’t have that kind of leeway handling two Holy Swords.

Ngh…! Lydia…! To think your favorite sword was so…! 

Her soul was going berserk inside me, and I couldn’t concentrate on the battle—or find the right chance to nab the sword from Sylphy.

For a moment, the option to cast an Original spell that I’d made for my exclusive use crossed my mind. There was no question it’d be the most effective choice, but I wavered. Something was holding me back.

These spells called on me to fuse with Lydia: In other words, I’d be tag teaming with Lydia in my fight against Sylphy. And as one who took away Sylphy’s beloved, it would have been…morally wrong to attack her using Lydia—who was now no more than a doll.

That was why I was hesitant and resolved to try to create an opening with my words alone.

“Stop it, Sylphy! For you to use that power—that Holy Sword! This isn’t how to do it! If you continue, you’ll be going back on Lydia’s word—”

“Aaaaaaagh! Don’t you dare! Don’t you dare talk about her! ” Sylphy snapped, volatile, as her cherubic features crinkled up, warping out of place.

As she let bitter tears steam down her face, she spat out at me, as though placing a curse.

“You! You—you—you—you—you!” 

And just then…

“You! You killed her! This is all your faaaaaault!” 

…I could feel my own crimes pierce through me.

Which is why, when I should have used her instabilities to create an opportunity for myself, I was taken aback by her proclamation that it exposed my weakness.

“Dieeeeeeeeeee!” 

“Gah…!”

It was but an instant yet a fatal mistake.

I wasn’t able to dodge the two blades rushing toward me—

As the shape of an S was carved into my chest that sprayed blood into the inky night.

That was the last thing I saw.

And then I sank into darkness.

Ard Meteor plunged down to the evening townscape below, drawing an arc as he plummeted from the impact of the two Holy Swords.

“He’s dead, dead—dead—dead—dead.” 

She could feel the lingering sensation of taking his life from the tips of her fingers all the way down to her toes.

But that didn’t mean anything.

“She won’t come back anymore. She’s nowhere to be found now…”

Her grief could have shredded her heart into pieces and materialized on her face as tears.

“Aaaaaugh! Gaaaaaah! ” Sylphy howled in beastly sorrow for some time as loss gave birth to lamentation.

But as time passed, her heartache turned into something else: hatred. Even though she had killed her bitter enemy, this feeling of loathing racked her heart—

“…I won’t forgive him,” Sylphy had murmured before she’d realized it and descended onto the main street.

“What…?! Is the spirit of Light coming down…?!”

“Wait a minute… Is it even a spirit at all…?!”

The crowd stirred—which she found abhorrent for no reason whatsoever.

Because while she was this dismal, this tormented, these guys appeared…composed. And why could they have on calm expressions when Lydia wasn’t here? Even though this world was now void of her?

How could every one of them go on living their lives in peace?

…It would have been better for this world to not exist at all.

“Yeah. Yeah, that’s right. A world without her has no reason to exist anymore.”

She was consumed by a senseless grudge, manipulated by the madness that seeped out of Vald-Galgulus and the mental shackles that the masked figure had bound her with.

Sylphy positioned both Holy Swords—which she had once swung to protect people and now intended to slaughter anyone in sight.

“Vel. Stena. May Interlopers Vanish with One Stroke—” 

She began an ancient incantation to cast the most formidable attack of Demise-Argis—one that would cost at least ten thousand lives—that she called forward without hesitation.

“And just what do you think you’re doing?!”

Sylphy felt something strike her cheek, and in the next instant, she was shot up into the air.

With its spell interrupted, Demise-Argis couldn’t respond in any way. Sylphy traced an arc through the sky, sailing across the campus. After her body struck the ground, she rolled and crashed to a halt against a wall of a building.

As she got to her feet, her eyes swept across the scene, trying to locate where the attack had come from.

And who else could it have been?

“…Ireena.”

With her silver hair standing on end in rage as she stood imposingly was…the older sister whom Sylphy had met in this modern age.

Ireena Litz de Olhyde had raced to the center of the mayhem.

With that figure before her, Sylphy placed her head to her hands and spit out a voice of anguish. “G-gah, ack-gack-gah…” 

It appeared that Sylphy was resisting something, trying to squash it down, but other than that, Ireena couldn’t make out the situation for what it was. At any rate, she had already decided what she had to do.

“You guys! Get out of here! If you don’t want to be killed!” Ireena called out to the nearby crowd.

They either discerned her panic or felt disquieted by Sylphy’s irregular behavior because they made up their minds in a split second and withdrew at breakneck speed. Each maintained at least a fragment of a composed expression, and no one broke out in a panic. After all, they had gone through a demon attack a month before. It seemed the public had grown used to handling crisis situations, which Ireena had happily miscalculated.

But there was one more error on her part.

“Phew… Hah… I finally caught up to you…”

“What?! Ginny?! Why are you there?! I thought I told you to stay on campus!”

“Yes, yes. I know. But… I’ll have none of that.”

“What?!” 

“You know, I can engage in a proper fight, too, Miss Ireena… And I refuse to be left behind again after the incident with Elzard.”

Ginny was stubbornly glued to the ground.

“Ugh, fine, you blockhead! But if you die, don’t tell me I didn’t warn you!”

“Not to worry. I can take care of myself.”

The pair sharply exhaled out of their noses. Hmph. 

Ireena looked at Sylphy.

“Sis… Sister… That’s who she is, but then again, she’s not…,” Sylphy muttered to herself deliriously.

Ireena’s expression was unshakable. “Hey, you! Do you know what you’re even doing?! If I didn’t stop you, you were gonna kill a bunch of people! That—”

“Aaaaaaaaagh! ” shrieked Sylphy, piercing right through Ireena’s heated speech.

Afterward, she lowered her body and charged like a complete animal.

“Gah…!” Ireena had managed to respond to this wild attack somehow.

It would have been…impossible to dodge, she realized.

With this judgment call, Ireena cast one of the newest invocations that she’d learned, Giga Shield . A complicated entanglement of geometric patterns snaked around her entire left arm and covered it with a magic circle, which transformed into a giant, golden, translucent shield.

“Gaaaaaaaaaaaaah!” 

At the same time, Sylphy swung her Holy Sword, Demise-Argis, which arced as she wound up her shoulder.

Ireena prepared her defense.

They collided—and Sylphy’s inhuman strength sent cracks down the magic shield.

Compared to other magical defenses that invoked a Wall , Giga Shield had narrow coverage, making it weak. On the other hand, it held an advantage to similar spells in terms of pure defensive power.

That said… A strike from a Holy Sword was a lot to take on, even if it bolstered superior defensive skill.

“Ngh…!” Ireena let out a small cry, which caught someone’s attention.

“Miss Ireena! …That’s it! I’m not going easy on you, Miss Sylphy!” Ginny yelled, consumed by wrath, unleashing her own magic on Sylphy.

It was a high-level attack, Giga Flare , that hounded her in a spiral of flames.

There was not even the slightest hint of mercy.

Because even Ginny understood that this Sylphy Marheaven could be a threat comparable to Elzard if they weren’t careful. It was why she would give this attack her all.

“Ugh!” Despite Ginny’s best efforts, Sylphy canceled it out with one swing of her sword.

“N-no way…!” Ginny paled. Her legs shook, and her face filled with despair.

“Raaaaaaaaah!” Sylphy brought down Demise-Argis on her, as the succubus girl was petrified in place.

It barreled down on her in a straight line, roaring and surging toward her, as though it was a blade made of wind, ready to mince her entire body…

“Aaaaaah!” Ginny let out a small shriek as she was blown far off and rendered immobile.

“Ginny?!” With eyes open wide, Ireena worried for her safety, which was when…

“Gah— Gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!” Sylphy charged forward yet again.

She closed in within an instant, her red hair flying wildly as she plunged her Holy Swords.

“Ggh…!” Ireena stopped the blow as it tingled her whole body with explosive shock.

In particular, it hurt her shielded left arm, and the bones in her wrist were pulverized in an instant, shooting up enough pain that would have caused most girls to immediately burst into tears, causing them to lose their will to fight.

But Ireena’s resolve did not falter in the least. She cured her wound with healing spells and fixed the damage to the shield by flowing magic into it.

“You damn…!”

Using everything in her power to strengthen her right hand with magic, she balled it into a fist and swung a punch in revenge. Spying an opportunity after Sylphy’s attack, Ireena saw right though her overconfident air and crushed her beautiful nose.

“Nygh…?!” Sylphy groaned as blood came spouting out and stumbled forward before retreating.

Her fist in a ball, Ireena moved toward her. “You…! You’re supposed to be the Raging Champion!” she yelled, her face stern as she struck the side of Sylphy’s face.

As it took the hit, the skin and fat on her cheek stretched out with the punch, and her scorching hair billowed in a grand display.

“You were fighting to protect someone all this time! So why?! Why are you doing this?!” she screamed as she continued to punch—landing blows on her face and torso.

Her fist of steel showed no mercy.

“G-ga-aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaagh! ” Sylphy yowled, as though giving a war cry, and turned to a counterattack.

Following Ireena’s steps, she showed no hesitation as she jabbed her two blades. It was a mad dance befitting her title of the Raging Champion.

A flurry of slashes rained down on Ireena’s magic shield in a severe, sharp, intense frenzy. It was no ordinary attack.

“Gngh…!” She involuntarily let out a wretched cry.

But Ireena continued to bear her beating, supplying the smashed shield with more magic to repair it, healing the crushed wrist broken under impact as she defended herself. A constant physical torment ran throughout her entire body. An unflagging feeling of unrest had taken up her heart.

However, Ireena didn’t stop fighting.

This girl Sylphy is stronger than me…! 

There’s no way I can win as I am now. 

I already know that…! 

She had realized the difference in their power at the Sword King Battle Tournament. It was a miracle that she’d been able to hold up the fight for this long.

But that said…! Clenching her teeth, Ireena threw power into the left arm holding her shield, and…

“I! Cannot! Run! Aaaaway! ” she bellowed, pushing out her shield as if to tackle her with it.

Charging in time with the onslaught, she stopped Sylphy’s mad dance—as her shield collided with her body and threw her off balance.

“Aaaaaaaaaaaaagh!” 

With ferocious vigor, Ireena went into a counterattack. They’d switched offensive and defensive positions once again. But it wasn’t an offensive stance meant to bring home victory.

Her magic had already run out, which—for a mage—was as good as being riddled with holes. At this rate, she’d be killed by the crazed girl. As she predicted this terrifying end, Ireena refused to back down.

Ard isn’t here. 

And so…I’ll do it in his place. 

I’ll protect everyone as Ard’s substitute…! 

To be honest, she was scared. Petrified beyond belief. But if she gave in to fear here…

I’d never, ever be able to stand by Ard’s side! 

When he’d rescued her from an abduction at the hands of Elzard, she’d witnessed his unbelievable power, which had resulted in a profound loneliness.

There was probably no one in this world equal to Ard Meteor. And that meant that Ard Meteor would live out a solitary existence, no matter where he happened to go—or how hard he tried to gain affection or deepen friendships.

Without someone to stand alongside him, it was no different than loneliness. That’s why Ireena was trying to join his ranks. To save her precious friend from heartache.

That said, this strenuous fight was not for her friend alone.

“Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaagh!” She threw a hard jab into Sylphy’s face and drove her back.

Ireena had already gone beyond her limits. But strangely, she wasn’t feeling exhausted. On the contrary, she was welling with power.

Ard…! I’ll take your place…! 

In your stead, I’ll stop… No, that’s not it. 

I’ll do it. I’ll stop her. 

And it won’t be in your place, but as Ireena Litz de Olhyde. 

By my own power, I will stop Sylphy. 

After all, I am…her big sister…! 

For Ard. For Sylphy. And for all those she needed to protect.

Ireena’s wishes dispelled her fears and complaints as she became mysteriously teeming with power.

This had to be it: the power of courage.

It was at the core of her body in the depths of her heart. Her soul was outpouring with colossal energy. Torn by battle, Ireena rose to action.

“Sylphy! Your power! It’s to protect people, right?! You’ve always acted for others! Sure, you caused trouble! But I understand! You’ve got a kind heart! You’re worthy of your title as the Raging Champion!”

It was as though energy burbled out of her, propelling her forward. As she rode out on its momentum, Ireena attacked Sylphy in an onslaught. Before she knew it, the shield on her left arm was gone, leaving her now defenseless.

And yet, each of Sylphy’s counterstrikes were useless against her.

There was something inside Ireena—something like a shell breaking open. As she underwent this odd sensation, Ireena continued to call out to Sylphy. It had to be from her soul.

“You get serious for other people! That’s why I can’t allow you to hurt others! Because that’ll make them hate you! I can’t stand for you to face that after you’ve fought so hard for us all this time! That would be too heartbreakiiiiiiiiing!”

To protect humanity and Sylphy’s reputation.

That’s what this fight was for.

Ireena threw all her might into her right first to thwack Sylphy’s face.

“Ngh-ah…!” With a small yelp, Sylphy’s head bounced back…and she was flung onto her butt.

Ireena looked down on her as she let out a ragged breath.

“Sis…”

Rife with her wishes, this hit could have reached the depths of her bewildered mind.

Life had returned to Sylphy’s eyes—though it was faint.

It was all over. Ireena had stopped her little sister.

Her heart raced with relief and accomplishment. That could be why she could feel herself getting sapped of her inexplicable surge of energy…and her entire body was racked with extreme exhaustion. She couldn’t help but pitch forward and fall to her knees.

As she did, her line of sight came into Sylphy’s, and they stared at each other.

“Sis… I…” Sylphy had returned to her old self.

Had she not realized what she was doing? She looked perplexed by this entire situation.

First and foremost, Ireena dragged herself closer on her knees to try to hold her dainty body and put her at ease…

“Great improvisation, Miss. From here on out, you’ll be in over your head.”

A blow from the side. Before she could realize it, Ireena was suspended in midair.

The next moment, her body had dug into the side of a wall, and she was vomiting blood.

“Gghh…?!” As it sprayed out of her mouth, she crashed to the ground.

Desperately clinging onto her faltering consciousness, Ireena lifted her head. Through her blurred vision, she could see Sylphy in a state of confusion…and next to her, someone in a mask.

“These ad-libs always bring something new to the table. In that respect, Miss, I cannot help but commend your performance. That said, we’ll have a problem if you don’t go through with the ending in the script,” pressured the masked figure with a weak shrug before looking at Sylphy next.

“My goodness. You can barely be considered a third-rate actor. You can’t even play your given role at the most basic level. My core belief is that there’s no limit to disappointment and despair, but I never thought I’d rediscover them at this age, you piece of trash.”

Spewing abuse, the figure clutched Sylphy’s head with one hand.

“Wh-what…are you…doing…?! St-stop that…!”

Ireena desperately tried to move her body, but even her fingers were reluctant to obey.

As if to mock her, the mask cast some sort of magic, invoking a magic circle that enveloped Sylphy’s head, then—

“Ah-gah…gah-gah-gah-gah!” 

As soon as the circle dissipated, the old Sylphy was once again consumed by madness.

“Come, now. We’re back on course. Let us head to the climax,” the mask mumbled, spinning around and finally melting into the dark of the night…

“Ah-gah-gah-gah. Sister. Sister—Sister—Sister—Sis—Sis—Sis!” With her eyes rolled to the back of her head, Sylphy let out a shrill shriek, both hands holding a Holy Sword at the ready. She had every intention of putting an end to Ireena.

“Gaaaaaaaaaaah!” 

Bitter tears overflowed from her eyes, crying out in grief. Ireena wasn’t sobbing over her own inevitable death…but her inability to stop Sylphy and the unhappy ending that awaited her.

Sylphy stepped forward with her two harbingers of death. There was no hope of escaping, avoiding, or defending against them.

Ireena could feel death hounding toward her.

She’d reached her limit.

Ireena’s lips opened of their own accord and called his name: “Ard…!”

With a merciless slash, her soft flesh would be sliced in two—

“Quit it, Sylphy!” rang a powerful voice, an enraged shout, and something black masked her vision.

A moment later, the painfully sharp echoes of a collision rang out.

Appearing before Ireena was the immensely powerful Ard Meteor who she had seen at the decisive battle with Elzard.

As I fell into unconsciousness, I could feel something squirming inside me. When I allowed myself to experience it fully, there was a cool, stiff feeling against my cheek.

…It seemed I had landed in a back alley downtown. The streets were empty. I was completely alone.

I pushed through the dull pang in my head, sitting up to examine my chest and torso. My uniform had been shredded in the shape of an X. But otherwise, I didn’t have a single scratch on me.

“…Looks like you saved me again, Lydia,” I said, giving my thanks to her soul sleeping inside me.

Ever since a certain incident that caused us to fuse, she automatically healed me whenever I was in a critical condition. That was the only reason I was still alive after Sylphy’s lethal attack.

“…Hey, Lydia. Are you going to condemn what I’m about to do?” I called out to the soul within me, but there was no answer, of course.

As I aired some of my mental exhaustion with a heavy sigh, I willed my legs to stand up…and cast an Original spell, Private Kingdom—the Story of a Lonely King .

It would be unbelievably cruel to go up against Sylphy with Lydia. That said… I couldn’t let her be, and it was too demanding on my current form to oppose her one-on-one.

I would use the ace up my sleeve. As I continued the invocation, my surroundings were covered with innumerable geometric patterns that flashed in and out of existence.

When all was complete, a woman wrapped in a jet-black straitjacket appeared before me.

A shining head of silver hair. Pointed ears. A beauty that could illuminate the night.

As I looked at her…at Lydia, I murmured quietly, “Our little sister is being led astray. Please give me the power to stop her.”

…………

I knew it, no response. It made sense. This was Lydia’s corpse, in other words. While she did appear the same, she had no will of her own. She was a puppet who could do nothing more than obey my orders.

“…Back in the day, you didn’t listen to me at all. Look at you now,” I egged her on, but Lydia didn’t even twitch a brow.

If she was alive, she would have radiated rage as she punched the living daylights out of me.

…But I had just experienced a bunch of firsts with her—including her reaction to the Holy Sword. I had hoped maybe something about her had changed.

…What am I doing? This is no time to be getting all sentimental. 

“Lydia. Phase I.”

UNDERSTOOD. 

INITIATING PHASE I OF FULL-BODY TRANSFORMATION. 

ACTIVATING BRAVE DEMON. 

Speaking in a monotone, she drew near me, wrapping her arms around me in an embrace. In the next moment, Lydia burst into inky particles…and became a chain that snaked around my right arm.

At the end of the dark-gray coil was a large sword, the shade of night, resting in my hand. I was about to cast Search to find Sylphy’s location—but before I could…I felt a surge of magic power.

There was no question it was Sylphy.

No sooner had I realized this than my legs were already in motion.

I had a bad feeling. I had to hurry to location.

With Lydia in the form of a black sword in hand, I tore through the night and raced across the town. In the middle of the main street, I was greeted by…Sylphy’s hair billowing wildly as she charged at Ireena.

It was obvious that Ireena was wounded. She couldn’t dodge or defend. If she took one hit from Sylphy’s Holy Swords in her state…!

“Quit it, Sylphy!” I shouted in irritation, kicking off from the ground at full speed.

It was by a hair’s breadth, a close call, but I somehow made it in time. Forcing myself between Ireena and Sylphy, I readied my black sword and took the blows, as the sharp clangs of metal against metal rang out at alarming speed. The shock of each attack jolted my blood, my muscles, my organs, my bones.

“Are you all right…Ireena…?!”

“Y-yes!”

“I see. I’m glad to hear—”

I was about to finish speaking to Ireena in her immobile state when Sylphy’s eyes shot open, and her mouth twisted into a snarl.

“Demon Lord! Demon Lord—Demon Lord—Demon Looord! ” she chant-howled, in hatred and in murder and in resentment emitting off her entire body. “Haaaaaaah!”

With a strange voice, Sylphy drew her swords, and I jumped sideways to put distance between her and Ireena. This way, there won’t be any more added danger to her , I determined. I dodged her fierce attacks and warded them off with my dark sword…

“Give it up, Sylphy! At this rate—”

“Gaaaargh! Diiiie!” She wasn’t listening at all.

…This was, without a doubt, the effect of some sort of magic. I assumed she was under a brainwashing spell. In that case, magic to release this would probably do the trick…hopefully.

But the problem was that I’d been casting a range of those invocations for a while now to no avail.

In this situation, my options were to summon either a super-ancient noble treasure older than time itself, a sort of votive to the gods…or I could use an Original invocation.

…And both would result in the worst outcome.

Whether I chose one or the other, it wouldn’t bring Sylphy back.

In the beginning, I thought I could just rip her away from that Holy Sword. But that didn’t mean she would return to her original self. She would continue to attack me with magic and cause unspeakable damage to our surroundings—forever.

Meaning the only way to resolve the situation was…to kill her.

Just like the time I had killed Lydia with my own two hands.

“Gaaaaaaagh!”

“Ngh…! S-Sylphy…!”

I could tell she was returning to the usual pace of her swordplay.

Was she starting to grow accustomed to the madness, or was the brainwashing losing its hold on her?

At this rate, she would eventually stop striking me with her predictable blows, moving onto magic and other huge moves.

If that happened…most everyone in the capital would fall victim.

To prevent that, I had no choice but to stop her myself.

“…Hey, Sylphy. You’ve always been an idiot, but you were never bad,” I said as I dodged her strikes. It was my way of hardening my own heart. “No… I’ve never seen a soldier as kind as you. You caused all sorts of trouble and pissed me off countless times…But you know, I…”

I gritted my teeth as I endured the tragedy of it all.

“Sylphy. The Raging Champion. I don’t want for you to become a mass murderer. I want you to remain…as a renowned soldier, as a hero whose name is carved in legends…in the hearts of people for all eternity.”

And that’s why…I’ll kill you. 

“Gwaaaargh!” A heavy swing down. A vertical flash of light.

I lightly jumped to the side in time with it. Her wild swings would inevitably create an opportunity. The other Holy Swords drew back to crush that opening, but…from my point of view, it was fatally slow.

I went to pierce her neck. There was no question I would strike first.

And then her head would drop to the ground.

…There was no other way. To protect her honor, I could do nothing else.

It appeared the moments before the direct hit stretched out into eternity.

My black sword advanced. And it propelled forward cruelly slow.

Everything proceeded with certainty.

…Five seconds until contact. Four. Three. Two. One— 

Zero. 

The tip of my sword reached her pale, delicate neck. At this rate, with a little bit of force, it would all be over.

It was what I had to do.

“You’re going to kill? Again?” 

Whose voice could that be? As soon as it rang inside my head, the fingers gripping my sword unconsciously weakened.

As a result, the tip pointed at Sylphy’s neck halted at the topmost layer of soft skin—

A moment later, the swords sliced me in a reverse diagonal cut in near perfect harmony.

Demise-Argis. Vald-Galgulus. Did they resent the one who killed their former master?

But now…they could rejoice. It seemed this was as far as I would go. I could convince myself as much as I wanted, but I still couldn’t kill Sylphy. I couldn’t kill someone who was like family to me.

“Aaaaaard! ” Ireena cried out, echoing in all its sorrow, as blood sprayed into the air before my eyes.

On the other side of that, Sylphy was on the verge of dealing the finishing blow.

“Please…Sylphy… Let my life…be enough to atone…”

Praying these words reached her, I let my eyes close.

There were no grudges. I couldn’t possibly bear it. Since reuniting with Sylphy, I’d always been prepared for this moment. She had every right to kill me, and it had been my duty to accept her hatred. That was why I bore no hard feelings.

However… I had regret over those I would be leaving behind.

Ireena, Ginny, Olivia…and the many friends that I’d made in this era. I wondered if they’d be able to live peacefully.

…To Olivia especially, I wanted to offer my apologies. I couldn’t reveal the truth to her, even at the very end.

I’ll be waiting for you in hell. When we meet again, I’ll accept a full serving of your punishment—as many times as it takes. 

Ah, Sylphy would behead me any second now.

This life wasn’t so bad… Even my past—

STOP…IT…SYL…PHY… 

In the moment of stillness just before I was about to meet death, I could make out a hoarse voice melting into the hush. It came from my black sword. There was no doubt it was Lydia’s voice.

“S-Sis…?” Sylphy froze. The Holy Swords coming for my jugular came to a halt.

“Syyylphyyyyyyy! ” bellowed a voice, teeming with life and power, from afar.

When I gazed in that direction, I saw Ireena sprinting toward us furiously…with Ginny sitting on the ground not far behind her. Despite her own severe wounds that left her unable to stand, she must have mustered her strength to heal Ireena.

“I leave…the rest to you…Miss Ireena…”

Ireena ran swiftly as Ginny’s voice feebly called out to her.

“Get a grip and wake up, you dummmmy! ” she screamed in Ireena-like fashion, bunching up her right first—and throwing a punch at Sylphy’s cheek to deliver a full-body blow.

“Gweh!” With a small cry of anguish, her entire body bounced back, soaring through the air, until her petite body came crashing down…and the Holy Swords spilled from both hands. All the madness emanating from her was now gone.

“Lydia… That miracle was yours, wasn’t it…?” I posed to the black sword, but there was no answer.

At any rate, things were finally over… Or so it seemed.

“Goodness gracious. To be this useless. I would say it’s almost novel.”

Just as a voice was born from the darkness, in the next moment, someone manifested next to Sylphy, who was still in a collapsed heap on the ground. It was difficult to tell at a glance if this person who bubbled up out of the night was a man or woman. The figure was of average height for a man but tall for a woman and had black hair, the same color as our surroundings. A slim body was covered by some kind of tailcoat…and a face hidden by an odd mask. This unknown person briskly approached Sylphy and picked up the fallen Holy Swords.

“You were originally supposed to end Ard Meteor. What happened to that? He’s still in good health, and you’re lying down on the ground. Ah, pathetic, wouldn’t you say? You dog.” The masked figure kicked Sylphy in the stomach.

“U…gh… Sis…,” she muttered incoherently, on the verge of fainting.

Laughing scornfully, the mask stepped on her head. “It’s always Sis this and Sis that. You’re still a child. That’s why you can’t get your vengeance, you scrawny mutt. You finally went all out. You only had one more swing left! The Raging Champion? Don’t make me laugh. You’re just a little bed-wetting brat.” The figure scraped and dragged her head into the ground with their shoe.

I couldn’t watch in silence any longer.

“…Get away from her, peon.”

The mask looked right at me. “Okay, I will. But she’s the one that’s moving.”

With a cackle, the figure sent her flying with another kick to the stomach. Sylphy landed a few merel away, groaning.

This time, I wasn’t the only one burning with rage. Ireena was with me, too.

“…Stand back, Ireena. I’ll use your rage and strike it into that ruffian. You just watch from where you are.”

“…I understand. I don’t want to get in your way, Ard.”

Ireena was not foolish enough to rush in with indignant fury alone. She was not so weak that she did not see the difference in power.

“Make sure you get them good for me,” she added, resigned to her role.

I gave her a confident nod and looked at the mask. I couldn’t read the expression behind it, but…I could tell it concealed a smile.

“Heh. Fired up, huh. The son of the Great Heroes. I ought to warn you in advance that you’ll be sent to the depths of hell before you can strike me with your rage. Yes, by the hand of these two Holy Swords,” the figure proclaimed, spinning around, tone assured of victory.

“Ard Meteor, you were the target this time. As you know, we’re out to revive our masters. The fastest route is abducting the Lady Ireena. If we offer her as a living sacrifice at the ceremony, one of our masters will undoubtedly be resurrected. But…”

“There are annoying pests that need to be taken care of, is that it?”

“Aye, yes. Once you’re no longer a concern, abducting the Lady Ireena will be easy. That’s why…I’ve been using your little friend here, but she didn’t work out as I’d hoped. She’s too useless to accomplish anything. And now I have to intervene.”

“…You’re making it sound as if you’ve already won.”

“Haven’t I? Isn’t that the truth? You’ve been injured by a small fry of a Champion. And you’ve burned through at least some of your energy. I would not dream of rivaling you in perfect health, but as you are now, as long as I have the Holy Swords…the conclusion is as plain as day.” Chuckling, the mask readied the two weapons. “Well, then. Come and let us begin. Do you have any last words? I’ll make this quick, and—”

I cut them off.

I was at my limit, in more ways than one.

“Looks like you underestimated me.” I gave a sigh of lament—and stepped forward.

I closed in on my opponent in merely an instant. There was no chance for the other side to react to my movements. I sniffed derisively.

“(Demon) Lord knows, do you think I would be weakened from fatigue?” Gripping my sword tightly, I swung diagonally downward.

“Aaaaaaaaaaagh?!” 

It was here the mask finally showed some response, shouting in shock and bounding backward in an attempt to evade, but…

They were half a second too late.

The sword drew another arc, and its night-colored blade caught the mask’s torso and left a diagonal cut.

“Ngh…!” Fresh blood sprayed out as the mask leaped backward to put distance between us before readying Vald-Galgulus.

“Arstella. Glisten, O Soul. Fo—” 

The figure started a super-ancient incantation.

“Too late.”

To attempt an incantation right to my face, when my mind wasn’t stunned with shock, was like saying “Go ahead and attack me.”

Which is exactly what I decided to do.

I powerfully stepped forward once again and immediately closed the distance—

“That sword isn’t a good fit for you.”

Wouldn’t you agree, Lydia? I called upon her in the form of my black sword, swinging down and slicing the masked person’s right arm clean off. Vald-Galgulus fell to the ground along with it and rang with a sharp clatter.

“Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeek! ” they shrieked in unease, leaping to the skies and casting flight magic without even healing his severed right arm. They rose up high and then came to a standstill.

“This capital! I’m gonna blast it all away!” they proclaimed, spewing rage and snatching Demise-Argis before beginning an incantation.

“Vel. Stena. May Interlopers Vanish with One Stroke—” 

In the middle of it all, Demise-Argis was covered in a dazzling sparkle—as an electric shock ran through the golden blade and attacked the mask.

“Ggggggggggggggh?!” The mask was in unspeakable agony. It was so hard to bear that Demise-Argis fell from their grip and lodged in the ground before me.

I held its hilt tightly. “A Holy Sword chooses its master. And it appears Demise-Argis did not choose you.”

What a jester.

No, jesters make people happy.

This person is…just unpleasant.

“Observe well. This is how you wield a Holy Sword.”

I yanked it out from the earth and readied it toward the mask, who was immobile from their lingering torment, and began the incantation.

“Vel. May Interlopers ,” I spat, as though pouring out all the rage for my enemy swirling inside me.

“Stena. Vanish with One Stroke.” 

I was the one you wanted… How dare you hurt Sylphy. 

And that was enough to make one deserve death.

The fool was always causing trouble and always unpleasant—someone who I constantly tried to run away from. Sylphy was my hopeless little sister, and I couldn’t hate her for it.

And you dared hurt her, kick her, disparage her. Your life has no value for me to take. And yet… 

“Olvidius. Of My Blade.” 

When the final piece was invoked, Demise-Argis illuminated in a blinding light, and I swung the Holy Sword at the enemy looking down on us from above—as though to slice the floating figure clean in half.

And all at once, a shimmering torrent blasted out of the golden blade, racing through the sky like a roaring river, and—

“N-no way! This can’t be haaaaappening!” screeched the mask, disappearing into the night sky. All that remained was darkness. That inept figure was nowhere to be found.

…It seemed to be all over. This opponent was a real joke. Which was why…I felt that something was off.

I’d beaten the same type of foe in my old world, more times than I could count. But for some reason, it felt weird to categorize this mask as one. I toyed with this uneasy feeling.

“S-Sis… I…,” Sylphy mumbled and moaned as she remained collapsed nearby.

…And now that it was all over, there was still something I had to do.

I would officially reveal my true identity, detailing how I stole Lydia away from her…

I will let her do as she pleased to me. If that meant dying, so be it. I was ready. I would never think to ask her for forgiveness.

My face was tight from nerves as I picked up Vald-Galgulus from the ground. If Sylphy told me to die…I wanted it to be by Lydia’s own weapon. That was why I brought it to her.

I approached Sylphy, about to call out.

Thrump , throbbed Lydia’s soul, responding to the Holy Sword.

YOU…IDI…OT. 

A raspy, spasmodic voice once again called out from the black sword.

“Lydia…?!” My eyes widened in shock as something no short of a miracle appeared before my eyes.

Though I hadn’t given any orders, the black sword burst into particles—moving toward Sylphy and reverting to her doll form.

“Sis…?!”

It was Lydia, bound in dark chains. She had no awareness, but this doll who only listened to my orders was now moving of her own accord once again.

YOU…FOOL… 

She fell to one knee, peering at Sylphy’s face before yanking the bonds on her right arm off and poking Slyphy’s head.

YOU IDIOT… YOU HAVEN’T…CHANGED…AT ALL. 

“Sis…! I—I…! I…!” She couldn’t stop stammering, her words welling up inside her.

As she struggled to find them, she could only sob at this reunion with her beloved.

Lydia stroked her cheek and gently smiled.

HEY, SYL…PHY… THIS WORLD…ISN’T…SO BAD , Lydia continued as if she were admonishing her child.

LIVE LIFE…TO THE FULLEST. IF YOU…GO ON…WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH…THEN… 

Lydia returned to her old self, showing us the face that she’d always had on, a smile as bright as the sun.

WE’LL MEET AGAIN, SYLPHY. 

…The miracle ended here. Lydia dispersed into black particles.

“If that’s what you want…I…,” Sylphy murmured before appearing to let go of her consciousness that she’d barely managed to string together. She closed her eyes and drifted off into sleep, breathing deeply.

Ireena and Ginny approached her nervously to check on her condition. Looking out on this scene, I placed my hand on my chest. “‘Idiot,’ huh? It’s been a while since you called me that.”

Were you trying to stop me? Hey, Lydia. Have you…forgiven me? 

…No, that’s not right. You never resented me from the start. 

You called me an idiot because I still haven’t forgiven myself. 

“‘Live life to the fullest,’ huh.”

Of course, that had been directed at Sylphy. But…I could interpret those words as I pleased. Wasn’t that my choice?

“Lydia…you’re as unfair as always. We’re nothing alike. You save others as if it were nothing.”

I had tried to be forgiven by allowing Sylphy to kill me.

I was trying to forgive myself.

But…that wasn’t the answer. Wasn’t that what Lydia was trying to tell me?

It might be selfish, but I chose to see it that way.

If I obeyed and lived as best I could, then maybe…

“…Maybe I’ll get to see you again, too, Lydia.”