Chapter 4 | The Assassin Devises a Method of Killing Demons
In a whirlwind of unexpected developments, I had been saddled with a duty to slay demons and a higher standing in the aristocratic hierarchy.
If I was going to make it to the award ceremony, I had to leave Tuatha Dé in two days. That meant today and tomorrow were the only times I’d have to hunker down and focus on my research.
As I was drinking some tea in my room, there was a knock at the door.
“Lord Lugh, I’m here.”
“Why’d you call us so suddenly? Did something happen?”
“I’ve been waiting on you two.”
Dia and Tarte entered. I wanted to speak with them about what my dad had said. The two of them were my assistants. Should I go up against a demon, they’d be right there with me. They needed to be apprised of the situation.
“I have something I need to tell you two. The country has entrusted me with a heavy responsibility.”
I recounted everything, and both girls reacted with surprise.
“You never cease to amaze, Lord Lugh. This sounds like a massive promotion! What is that special rank?”
“There’s something wrong with the people of this country. I can’t believe they would force a job like killing demons onto a single noble.”
Both seemed surprised, though for different reasons. Tarte was overjoyed at the recognition of my strength, while Dia looked on things with a bit more cynicism. I thought the latter was the correct response.
“First of all, is it even possible to kill a demon? Every bit of research suggests that only the hero can do it,” Dia said.
“I don’t think it is. I fought the demon during the battle at the academy. I was able to slay it, but I couldn’t keep it dead. Its might eclipsed mine two- or threefold. I cut that thing down eleven times, and it rose back up in each instance without fail. Only the hero can kill a demon,” I replied.
That battle had been frightening. No matter what I did, that creature wouldn’t stay down. Changing the methods by which I slew it did reveal a few things, however. But I hadn’t been able to make much use of my findings in the thick of the fight.
“Then you can’t do it, my lord. It sounds like you have no chance. Demons seem really hard to eliminate,” Tarte commented.
“That’s true. For now,” I said.
“Then you do know of a way of defeating them after all?” questioned Dia.
“That’s right. Every time I killed the demon, I analyzed it with my Tuatha Dé eyes from the moment of death to the point it revived. I did the same when Epona slew it. By doing so, I was able to construct a hypothesis on why the task is something only the hero can do.”
“Lugh, that’s incredible. Every nation in the world has been tirelessly searching for a way to kill demons for years,” Dia commented.
Dealing with those creatures had been a problem plaguing the entire world for centuries. They only appeared about once every two hundred years, but they always brought death and destruction with them.
The hero’s home country would survive, but everyone else suffered a tragic fate. The hero was only sent to help other nations after they paid an outrageously steep price.
It was such a serious issue that some allied lands had agreements that stipulated shared use of the hero should they be born there.
“I owe my realization to the Tuatha Dé eyes. It was only because I could see mana that I figured it out. No other researcher in the world has had that chance.”
Without the vision I possessed, it was impossible to find the solution. Even the act of accompanying the hero onto the battlefield and observing a demon up close wouldn’t have been enough. If only one of those many researchers could see mana, they might have found the answers they so desperately sought.
“That’s still unbelievable! If your theory proves true, it could change the world,” said Dia.
Monopolizing the method of slaying demons didn’t seem worthwhile. I was sure the government wouldn’t want such information getting out, so that they could use the hero as a bargaining chip with other countries. However, as someone forcibly tasked with killing demons, the more people who could do it themselves, the better.
“That’s exactly why I need to focus on getting this done as quickly as I can. Once I do, I’ll teach you both,” I stated.
“Okay! With you teaching me, I’m sure I’ll be able to do it!” Tarte declared.
“I’ll help you develop it. I’m sure this method uses magic,” Dia added.
“That it does. I’m counting on you two.”
It would be a heavy load for me to bear alone. But with Dia and Tarte by my side, I felt like I could pull it off.
“I have a present for both of you as well. Tarte, I remodeled your gun. It now has replaceable chambers that should make loading easier. And Dia, I made you a custom model.”
“Truly?! The one you gave me before was already amazing!”
“It’s so cute and small. I’ll be able to keep this on me at all times.”
I passed the girls their revolvers. Dia’s was more compact than Tarte’s.
Even if Dia were to strengthen herself with mana, she would be unable to handle the recoil of Tarte’s gun. For that reason, I made her a less powerful model.
“It’s about the size of a hand, so I’ve dubbed it the handgun. The barrel is short, making it easy to wield and conceal. Unfortunately, the trade-off is that it’s less accurate. Tarte has the option of attaching a long barrel. But Dia, if you feel you have the time for long-distance aiming, use Gun Strike.”
“I’ll practice hard, my lord.”
“The rapid-fire mechanism looks complex. Producing this with a single spell seems all but impossible. Your gift is a fantastic boon.”
There was a chance the girls could become targets down the line. I thought it best for them to have some manner of self-defense available anywhere.
“That’s all I have to say. Tarte, return to your training. Dia and I are going to research how to kill demons,” I instructed.
“Understood.”
“I’m eager to hear about your hypothesis.”
There was no time to waste. We had to find a way to kill demons before more appeared.
“First thing to note is the reason demons can’t be killed. Their bodies are false—demons aren’t alive in the traditional sense. Each one possesses a core that contains what is their power of existence. Whenever a demon is injured, the core can disassemble the damaged part of the body and use its power to reconstruct it,” I explained.
“I have a question. Does that mean if you break the core, the demon will die right away?” Dia asked.
“Only if you can get the core to materialize. The core is some kind of spiritual object or mass of power. There’s nothing physical to be touched there.”
“Wow, this sounds really difficult.”
I’d figured all of that out as I was repeatedly killing the demon that attacked the academy. My Tuatha Dé eyes were able to grasp the existence of the core and the power spilling out of it.
“The reason the hero can kill demons is that they envelop their body with a unique energy. In battle, it spreads to create a field. A demon’s core is forced to materialize within that field, losing its ability to deconstruct and restore its body at the same time.”
“So it becomes unable to heal injuries, and the core can be broken, right?”
“Correct, which makes killing it simple. We only need to re-create that force the hero generates. It looked to be formed by taking energy and the natural mana of the world and fusing them with a specific wavelength of physical mana. The hero is naturally able to control the flow of magical power that inhabits the world to obtain an exquisite balance, but we’ll have to recreate that with magic.”
There were two types of mana. The first was physical mana, which flowed within our bodies. It was also known as odic force. Natural mana was the second. This was the force that enriched the world. It was divided into five different colors: one for each basic element, plus an attributeless version.
“It’s important that we get the distribution right. The field will only form when you mix the determined ratio of the five colors of natural mana with the required wavelength of physical mana and then bring them into harmony using energy. The hero can do all of that subconsciously, but it will be challenging for us.”
“My head hurts just listening to that. But I think we can do it. There are many spells that use the power of natural mana. If I can find common spots in their formulas, I should be able to deduce how to gather it. Do you know the ratio?”
“Yeah, I saw it during the fight. If we have a spell that can gather the five colors of natural mana, it would be possible to form the wavelength of physical mana we need and combine the two using energy.”
“Lugh, you’re making that sound easy, but unless forming the wavelength of mana and controlling energy can be done automatically, no one but you will be able to use this spell. Those aren’t things normal people are capable of.”
“I understand that, but a formula can’t automatically control the mana and energy. We’ll simply have to practice and master that ourselves. You and Tarte should be able to do it. I’m not so sure about anyone else, though.”
“This is going to be very challenging, but let’s do it. Success means being able to kill demons.”
“That’s right. I’m confident this will work. Unfortunately, even if we finish the spell, it will still possess a major flaw.”
“What do you mean?”
“Producing a field that forces demons’ cores to manifest demands vast amounts of mana. At best, I think I can only barely manage it, even if I push to the absolute limit. The user won’t have much mana left for physical strengthening while casting the field.”
If I took the drug that removed the limiter on my brain, I’d likely be able to keep fighting, but even then, I’d be battling with a severe handicap.
“Once again, Lugh, only you will be able to use this. If even you can barely manage it with your absurdly high mana capacity, how is anyone else supposed to be able to do it?” Dia questioned.
My quantity of magical power was a little over one thousand times higher than the average mage, and it was still growing. It was the only area where I surpassed the hero. My discharge rate outstripped others tenfold. Yet, for all that, I’d only barely be capable of using this spell. An average mage would have no chance.
“Let’s work on finishing this new magic first. We can worry about reducing the amount of power it consumes afterward. Regardless of whether I’m the only one who can use it or not, it will still give us a fighting chance.”
Drawbacks aside, this would enable us to kill demons. I could inflict lethal damage by using a low-mana weapon like a gun or an explosive. I could also release Gungnir beforehand and then produce the field the moment it landed. There were many possibilities, including leaving the fighting to Tarte and Dia.
“You’re right, Lugh. This will be really tough, but I’m sure we can do it together.”
“Yeah, I know we can do it,” I replied.
“Also, I have one request.” Dia blushed and poked the tips of her index fingers together timidly. “After we finish this spell, take me on a date. We haven’t been able to do anything romantic recently. I know you’re busy, but I can’t help feeling lonely.”
Her face broke into a smile. She truly was cute.
“As soon as our work is done, I’ll take you out. I promise.”
“Okay! No backing out, now.”
“Of course. I’m looking forward to it, too.”
A date with Dia sounded lovely. It was yet another reason to endeavor hard. Suddenly, I was filled with motivation.
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