He must have been unable to tolerate the insult, bursting with excitement as he lunged toward me.
His face, burning with rage, was visible through the cracks of his mask.
“You… you heretic…!!! Did the angels speak to you…?!”
“Wow, you’re really saying something that would please the gods… you think the angels spoke to me?”
“Enough… I don’t need it..!! Even if my powers are ineffective….!!”
“Without using the Power of Domination, Belphegor’s combat ability is weaker than that of a high-ranking demon… and how do you think your demon is faring?”
The Demon Bishop, boiling with anger from the ongoing provocation, spat blood as he shouted.
“I’m the strongest warrior, even if I’m alone!!!”
With a final desperate attempt, Belphegor commanded himself.
[[Hwaaaah!!!]]
Using his powers on himself, the body of the Demon Bishop began to transform with tremendous force.
His once-bulky robes made him look like he was wearing a small shirt, and between the folds, sinister tentacles sprouted, adorned with unidentified thorns.
The broken mask melded with his head, transforming into a genuine part of his body.
A red glow flickered in the eye sockets of the skull.
It resembled Belphegor during his descent.
He had assumed a figure befitting a demon under Belphegor.
[[Faithful servants of my Master, come to my aid..!!!]]
Though he moved his mouth, no words came out.
His powers spread across the surroundings, binding the weak-willed monsters.
The monsters set free for the Hunting Festival, along with ogres drawn by the Demon Bishop, were all caught in the Power of Domination and drew closer.
I felt like a piece of candy dropped in the middle of an anthill.
“Atlas… I’ll help too…”
“I’m fine, just protect Casey and Senior Rio who can’t move. Holding this will keep you safe.”
River tried to stand behind me with his sword drawn, but I refused and handed him the holy artifact.
I changed it so that instead of releasing all the aura at once, it would release a little at a time.
It was better to guard those who couldn’t move right away.
“Ugh… my head hurts… I don’t really understand the situation, but did that demon attack the Academy?”
The principal, who was hit by an overwhelming power that left him nearly unconscious, seemed to be suffering from a headache.
I meant to help, but it was more like a hindrance.
“Hey, old man, you’re in the way! Stay over there.”
“Wha… what?!! You think I’m a hindrance??”
“Principal, if I get controlled by that demon again, I won’t be able to subdue my body in one piece, so stay back.”
With demons before me, the Aura Blade began to shine even brighter.
[[I’ll show you my true power..!!!]]
The black magic dashed across the Black Forest.
Belphegor’s demon held on much longer than the incomplete Belphegor.
It was undoubtedly a great advantage that he could summon monsters as his subordinates using the powers.
Using the monsters he controlled to limit the opponent’s movements and launching powerful long-range attacks was the hallmark of a demon.
Monsters, gathered under who-knows-where, poured in like waves.
Even the plants growing there harbored dark-toned monsters that lived in the gloomy Black Forest, swarming in like black ants, while behind them, Belphegor’s demon relentlessly fired magic attacks.
Belphegor’s demon quickly widened the distance between us with a pace that was incomparably faster, bolstered by tremendous physical ability.
Surely, it was convinced that if it got closer, it wouldn’t avoid my blade.
But who cares about that?
-Swish!
[[Gwaaaah!!!]]
No matter how much distance it tried to create, it was all in vain.
The thick arms and tentacles of the demon lashed through the air.
Though it had bulked up, all it meant was that it had a better feel to its blows.
With mere combat ability comparable to a top-ranking demon, it couldn’t stand against a Master.
As it forcibly reformed its severed limbs, Belphegor’s demon was pleading, as if feeling wronged.
[[How… how can you keep chasing me!!]]
Between me and Belphegor’s demon stood over a hundred monsters, but it felt as if the demon was but a step away; it couldn’t escape.
It didn’t even use the rules.
I merely cut through every monster and magic attack blocking the way between us and advanced toward Belphegor’s demon.
“Belphegor, you foolish demon who can’t even learn. Are you listening through that demon? I’ll tell you once more, so listen carefully.”
I gripped the Squirette with both hands and pulled it back.
I would use the Vision Swordsmanship of the family.
The Titan’s swordsmanship was steeped in anger, pain, and memories of oppression, but the most effective swordsmanship to release this boiling feeling in my chest was the Titan’s Vision Swordsmanship.
“Huuuuu…!!”
I inhaled deeply with all my might.
The essences in my lower abdomen activated, drawing mana from the ground and the air.
Utilizing the power of the land and the sky is the very foundation of the Titan’s Vision Swordsmanship known as the Sword of Taesan.
Though Taesan must be a colossal entity embracing heaven and earth, all that jazz,
the gathered mana circulated within me,
and while my body stood still, unbelievable power swirled inside, moving faster than anything else I could describe.
The swiftly circulating mana transformed into aura and flowed throughout my body.
Swinging the Squirette, which I had pointed toward the ground, upward with all my strength, I unleashed the tremendous power swirling within me.
‘Sword of Taesan, Blade Mountain’
-Hoooom..!!!!
From the ground, “Taesan” erupted upward.
The tremendous strike of the Aura Blade cut through the earth and soared toward the sky, and the soil swept up by the force of the strike climbed high into the air.
The sight of that strike rising from the ground to the sky resembled the Blade Mountain, the most famous mountain range of the Empire.
[[Gwaaaaah!!!!]]
Belphegor’s demon screamed.
Inside the colossal strike, the aura rushed in like a waterfall, not just cutting the demon’s body cleanly but ripping it apart to the point where its shape could barely be recognized.
What a pointless death.
The debris soaring into the sky clattered as it rained down recklessly.
Looking at the spot where the demon had been, now devoid of any trace, I said,
“Belphegor… it doesn’t matter if you pledge not to invade this side anymore. I will definitely hunt you down to Hell, so wait for me.”
The demon had probably died and didn’t hear what I just said.
But it didn’t really matter.
What I said wasn’t seeking consent; it was an announcement.
——————–
As the Demon Bishop, who had taken on the guise of a professor, revealed his true colors, Casey thought of only one thing.
To protect the students as asked,
that was all she focused on.
The Demon Bishop had the Power of Domination.
He controlled monsters and attacked everyone by dominating the principal and Andy.
The monsters were all weaklings, so it didn’t matter how much they came at her, but the students occasionally dominated by his powers for a few seconds presented a different problem.
She couldn’t just go around chopping them like monsters.
Taking several hits from the principal’s magic instead of the students, she wondered if she should have just worn armor.
Suddenly, a student who had been possessed hit her with a rock spell from behind.
“If that’s the case, I should have worn armor.”
As she lost her stance, she was cut by Andy.
Andy would never forgive her.
Even if she came to her senses, he wouldn’t forgive her.
Feeling cornered and knowing little, she had no idea what to do next.
She just tried to endure as long as her body could hold out.
At some point, she felt her body becoming numb, and her head could no longer think.
Had she taken too many hits?
She struggled to even articulate words properly.
She missed her uncle.
Whenever she was sick as a child… he had always nursed her by her side.
He had come to find her when she lost her way.
She had thought it would be the same that day.
When he left her with just a letter, she thought it was all a joke.
She believed he would come back right away.
But truly, her uncle vanished after that.
From that day forward, she fell apart, centered around Atlas.
Where had he gone? Why had he left her behind?
Why had he disappeared after promising to be with her?
Sleep wouldn’t come easily.
She had always slept in the same room, but now her side felt all too cold.
She wished he could be by her side again.
She would be good, if only he could stay beside her.
“Casey… little one…!!”
“Uh… Uncle, is that you…?”
With a familiar voice, she opened her eyes to find Atlas holding her hand.
“I did what you asked… I did well… right?”
“Yeah, you did great. You’re much better than the other knights…”
He wasn’t just holding her hand. He was hugging her.
He hadn’t held her since a few years back… was this a dream before death?
But even if it was a dream, it was a wonderfully good one.
If it were just a dream, she could be a little more spoiled.
“I did well… right? I promise I’ll listen… so… don’t abandon me this time… please…”
“Uncle, I… don’t know what to do without you…”
Summoning all her strength, she clung to Atlas and stuttered in tears.
It wasn’t a large embrace, but it was a comfortable one.
“It won’t happen, so just take a good rest now. Got it?”
“Okay…”
For the first time in a while, she felt like she could sleep peacefully.
