The Heavenly Demon Is Just Stuck In My Head

Chapter 333 : How Did You See It?

Rutie of the Swift Sword.

A nickname given to her because the sword she wielded was so fast that it was invisible to the eye.

She had pride.

Pride that, with the exception of the Knight of Frost, her sword was faster than anyone else's.

The rapier she had used when she had fought Ashley in the decisive battle was not her main weapon.

Her main weapon was a long sword with a diagonally curved blade.

It was like a person who used a spear holding a sword.

—Are you ready?

—Of course.

—I'll let you have the first move.

—You'll regret it.

Rutie drew her sword and swung it at the same time, in the blink of an eye.

CLANG!

—...!

It was immediately blocked by Ashuban's Ash Bud Sword.

So easily.

—My, my. It's still a fast sword.

—H-how...

—Let's play some more.

Clang! Clang-clang! Clang-clang-clang-clang!

Numerous sword strikes were exchanged in a fleeting moment.

The speed of the sword strikes exchanged between the two gradually increased.

—Don't fall behind.

—That won't... happen!

Rutie gritted her teeth and swung her sword.

—Hehehe.

Ashuban laughed and received it.

Clang-clang-clang-clang-clang!

Rutie raised her breathing to match the increasing speed.

And then, suddenly, Rutie felt that she was being dragged along by him.

The speed continued to increase, and Rutie struggled to match her breathing.

Clang-clang-clang-clang-clang-clang-clang!

And then, at some point, Rutie's sword reached its limit.

The speed only continued to increase, but she could no longer keep up.

She had been left behind in speed.

—Hmm. Is this it?

To overwhelm a swift sword with an even swifter sword.

Ashuban, who had broken through Rutie's specialty head-on, muttered as if he were slightly disappointed.

Thwack!

He struck Rutie's shoulder with the flat of his sword.

Crash!

—Heok... heok...

Rutie, who had collapsed, looked up at the one who had defeated her so easily, panting.

He was high.

So high that it was dizzying.

—Sir Ashley. Are you ready?

—Y-yes, sir!

Next, he held a sparring match with Ashley, who had been watching with a dazed expression.

Ashley had grown at a terrifying speed, and before long, she had reached a level where she was on par with Rutie.

And that had happened in just one year.

Usually, once one's skills reached a certain level, it was very difficult to get stronger from there.

There were many skilled blacksmiths, but only a very few were called master blacksmiths, a similar principle.

From that perspective, Ashley's growth rate was beyond common sense.

It was a growth rate that was unprecedented.

She constantly polished herself and grew day by day through sparring with the royal knights of Blake.

But...

Thwack!

—Gasp!

Crash!

Rutie looked at her younger sister, who had been easily defeated, with a dazed expression.

What in the world was the man in front of her?

How had he become so strong in such a short time of just one year?

It was he, not Ashley, who was beyond common sense.

—Sir Seolkof. You remember the promise you made back then, right?

—Of course.

—Come on. I have to hold that cold lady once.

—If you can.

The Knight of Frost was not just her, but to the people of the Blake Kingdom, he was like an idol that they could not dare to approach.

He was so high that they couldn't even think of climbing up there, and they could only look up to him.

Like the eternal snow on a high mountain.

She couldn't even imagine him being defeated.

And yet...

"Hooo... he's damn strong. If I hadn't mastered the Snow Branch Blue Flame Art, I might have lost."

Rutie couldn't hide her shock.

"W-what is this..."

The place that had been a forest was completely frozen, and it was devastated by a blue conflagration.

And at the center of it, Ashuban was pointing his sword at the fallen Knight of Frost.

Even the Knight of Frost, who was always calm, looked slightly surprised.

"..."

The Knight of Frost looked at the tip of the silver-gray sword that was pointed at him, and then moved his gaze up to meet the red eyes that were looking down at him.

"...You've gotten stronger."

"That's right. I told you a lot has happened."

Seolkof, who had fallen, looked at himself once, at the unwavering tip of the sword pointed at him once, and then at Ashuban, who was holding the sword.

"Heh... heheh..."

"...?"

"Hahaha!"

Ashuban's eyes widened in surprise.

Because he had never seen him laugh out loud like this before.

"Hahaha! Hahahaha!"

"?????"

But, compared to Rutie and Ashley, it was a mild reaction.

The two were looking at their superior, who was laughing, with faces as if they had seen a ghost.

Because he was always a man with a blank expression and a cold demeanor, they couldn't help but be surprised.

Rutie couldn't believe the fact that he was laughing out loud more than the fact that the Knight of Frost had lost.

"Hahaha! Hahahahaha!"

Regardless, the Knight of Frost held his forehead with one hand and burst out laughing, as if the forest would be blown away.

It was a somewhat awkward laugh, but it was refreshing.

It was as if the solidly frozen ice was shattering into pieces.

He might have been waiting for this day to be defeated.

He might have been waiting for someone to break the ice and defeat him.

His laughter, as if he had been freed from something, echoed loudly.

"Hahaha! Hahahahaha! Hahahaha!"

They stared blankly at the Knight of Frost, who was bursting out the laughter he had been holding back for decades.

* * *

When I left the Blake Kingdom.

The message from the Knight of Frost that Sir Aaron had brought.

—I haven't forgotten the promise. Try to hold the sword after you've won.

That was the Knight of Frost's promise.

And, a year later.

I had defeated the Knight of Frost who had beaten me.

"Hooo..."

To be honest, it was a close call.

[It was a hair's breadth.]

The Heavenly Demon also nodded his head and admitted it.

It felt like he had become terrifyingly stronger than a year ago.

He was stronger than Guston.

Was it natural, if you thought about it?

Guston had spent the last few years just cooking and lazing around.

But Sir Seolkof had said that he hadn't neglected his training.

[There's a saying that if you rest for a day, you know, and if you rest for two days, your opponent knows.]

The Heavenly Demon affirmed my guess.

[That's where the difference must have come from.]

I put away the Ash Bud Sword and held out my hand to the lying Seolkof.

"Are you done laughing?"

"Ah, yes."

The Knight of Frost took my hand and got up.

His expression, as if he had been freed from something, was impressive.

After laughing his fill, it seemed something had been resolved.

"You've become unbelievably strong. Both in body and mind."

The Knight of Frost said with a smile.

...It was burdensome.

"Oh, stop smiling. I'm not used to it."

"It's my choice."

"Yes, you're so great. You haven't forgotten the promise, right?"

"Of course."

Seolkof untied the sword from his waist and then held it out to me, with the hilt facing forward.

"Hold it."

I met Seolkof's icy blue eyes once and then held out my hand.

Thump.

It was as cold as holding ice.

The moment I held the cold, frozen hilt of the sword, the black bracelet began to react violently, chirping.

After confirming that, I focused my attention on the voice that would soon be heard in my head.

[...]

"?"

[...]

"What? Why aren't you saying anything?"

I could feel that there was something inside, but I couldn't hear a voice.

"Hey, hey. Frost."

[...Did you call?]

It was the cold voice of a woman.

"Why aren't you saying anything?"

[...Because there's no need to say anything, I suppose.]

"?"

[...You already know everything. Your own destiny, and your role in it. There's no reason to waste my breath.]

Well, I'll be.

Like its master, it was a very taciturn and cold sword.

"Yes, you're so great. The sword and its master are the same."

[...]

I watched the black bracelet absorb the power of Frost in the cold silence.

I confirmed that a blue band had been carved on the inside of the bracelet.

Now, on the inside of the bracelet, eight colors formed a band, drawing an incomplete circle.

Red, Vermilion, Green, Blue, Indigo, Purple, White, and Black.

All that was left was Yellow.

The last color.

I confirmed the bracelet and then returned Frost to the Knight of Frost.

But Seolkof just stared at it blankly, without taking it.

"What's wrong? You're not taking it?"

The Knight of Frost looked at Frost once, and then at me.

"By any chance, do you have any intention of succeeding me?"

"What?"

I could hear a gasp from the side.

"I'm asking if you want to become the master of Frost."

What was he thinking?

I looked at the Knight of Frost's bluish eyes blankly.

"Are you serious?"

"I'm serious."

"I heard that sword has been passed down through the Blake royal family for generations."

"Although it's close to an honorary position called the 'Free Sword,' you are also a royal knight who has received the legitimate appointment of the King of Blake, are you not?"

"Uh, um. That's right."

"There's no problem. It depends on your heart."

It was a very unexpected statement, so it was true that I was flustered.

But the answer was already decided.

"I'm not interested."

"...I see."

Seolkof laughed.

"I thought so."

"If you thought so, why did you ask?"

"It's my choice."

"..."

Sir Seolkof had become strange after getting beaten up by me.

Did I hit his head?

Seolkof slowly tied Frost back to his waist.

And looked me straight in the eye.

"How did you see it?"

"Hmm?"

I blinked my eyes, and then suddenly realized that he wasn't asking me.

"As you told me, I devoted myself to training with a wooden sword. How was it?"

I could hear the Heavenly Demon's low laughter.

I repeated the Heavenly Demon's words.

"It wasn't bad."

Seolkof smiled gently.

"...I see."

* * *

Time passed.

The guys who had been beaten to a pulp by Guston returned to the hideout, limping together.

"Hey, Captain. On the way here, I saw that the eastern forest was destroyed. What happened?"

"Well, let's just say it's a trace of a friendly gathering."

"...If you have two friendly gatherings, the forest will be completely gone."

"What about Boris?"

"He got a flick on the forehead from the captain and passed out, so I left him at the guild."

"That's a good thing."

I introduced the guests who had come to the Sherwood Mercenary Corps.

"Come on, come on, say hello."

"Huh? Guests?"

"Who are they?"

"Seeing their armor, they seem to be knights."

"Ooh, a beauty that's dazzling to the eye! This knight is the noble knight of the half-night, Sir Lyle. And you are... ugh!"

"That's enough. I told you not to hit on the guests, right?"

While Hud was restraining Lyle, Siri asked with an innocent face.

"Who are you?"

Ashley greeted her with a tense expression.

"Ah, hello! I am Ashley Grandalde, who has come to assist Sir Ashuban from the Blake Royal Knights! It is an honor to meet Sir Ashuban's companions! Please take care of me!"

Rutie waved her hand with her characteristic words.

"Nice to meet you~ I'm Ashley's older sister, Rutie. I'm also from the Blake Kingdom, and I've come to help 'our' Sir Ashuban on His Majesty's command~"

"...Our?"

"Yes, our!"

"..."

"Ah, you're the famous sharpshooter 'Crybaby Viola', right? May I have your autograph~?"

"No...!"

And, finally.

"Wait. You're royal knights from Blake?"

"Then that man is, don't tell me..."

The knight, who was wrapped in a cold atmosphere, introduced himself briefly.

"Serkov Wintermire. Please take care of me."

"...!"

"The Knight of Frost...!"

"Why is the guardian deity of Blake here...?!"

"I-I've heard of him! He's one of the Eight Sword Masters!"

"Gasp...! A-a big shot...!"

"Was everything Ashuban said true?"

It seemed that the Knight of Frost was quite famous here as well, as the guys fell into confusion.

Hartz looked at me with surprised eyes.

"Wait, the traces of battle in the eastern forest that I saw on the way here. Don't tell me...!"

"I told you it was a friendly gathering."

Dofang's mouth fell open.

"You fought against the 'Knight of Frost'...?"

Schmidt moved his hands urgently.

—Who won?

Seolkof looked at Schmidt's sign language and then blinked his eyes.

"What is he saying?"

Siri answered.

"He's asking who won!"

Seolkof answered in a calm tone.

"I lost."

"...!"

"What...!"

"Even if the captain had been resting for a long time...! To think he defeated the Knight of Frost, an active Eight Sword Master...?"

The guys looked at me with shocked faces.

...There was no need to be that surprised.

Did I not give them enough faith as a captain?

"Why are you all so surprised? I'm the one who beat up the Hero of Light."

"That's because Siri helped you!"

"If it weren't for Siri, you would have been purified!"

...Am I some kind of evil spirit?

"More importantly, have you seen Shushuruta and Linda? Why aren't these guys here?"

After beating up Guston, they had gone off somewhere, and there had been no news of them since.

The guys looked at each other's faces.

"I don't know."

"You haven't seen them either?"

"Where did they go?"

I clicked my tongue.

"I should just not grant their wish. Hey, Dofang."

"Huh? Uh, little brother. Why."

"Here, take this."

I handed Dofang two letters.

"What's this?"

"You have to deliver these letters to the Hero of Light and the king of the demon race as soon as possible. There's no one here who's faster than you."

"Hmph. That's right."

"Deliver them by any means necessary. Speed is of the essence. Do you understand what I mean?"

Dofang grinned.

"It's my specialty."

Dofang received Siri's blessing and then immediately jumped out the window.

And I gave the rest of the guys their missions.

"The descent of the Evil God is near. The Dark Heaven Society guys are located somewhere near the Mist Cliff. We have to find them as soon as possible."

And then, I left the hideout for my own business.

"Captain! Where are you going?"

"I'm going to see the princess— no, the queen, for the first time in a while."

* * *

Milgard, the capital of the Maia Kingdom, which was made up of three large and small walls like concentric circles.

The first wall, which was located in the innermost part, where the royal family resided, the 1st district.

"What's that?"

"It doesn't look like a bird."

"W-wait. It's a person!"

"Intruder! Emergency!"

Ding, ding, ding, ding!

An emergency was declared.

The alarm bell rang, and the soldiers and knights quickly took up their weapons and moved.

And where their gazes were gathered.

A man was walking down from the sky, trailing black smoke.

(End of Chapter)