My Disciples Think I’m Strong – Chapter 20

[Your way of speaking is quite infuriating.]

‘What can I do if I’m annoyed? I have a filter in my mouth and can’t express my thoughts freely.’

“So what are you going to do about it? There’s nothing you can do, right?”

[To be in a position to hear backtalk from someone who hasn’t even dried the blood on their head. How unfortunate.]

“I’m not here to listen to your sob story.”

I moved my eyes around, trying to spot Pasma. But it seemed I couldn’t see him unless I drew my sword.

[Your speech is utterly disgusting. How unfortunate to have someone like you come to find me. Fate truly is—]

“You’re talking too much for someone who’s already dead.”

I couldn’t help but admire how my mouth didn’t hesitate to insult the deceased.

[If I were alive, I would have severed your neck as an offering.]

“Unnecessary thoughts; aren’t you wasting time? Just focus on practicality. I’m here to negotiate with you.”

I thrust my sword into the ground.

[Equipped with “Unwavering Revenge Sword.”]
[You can temporarily use the skill “Wraith.”]

The moment I grasped my sword, a red spirit began to appear before me.

Despite the countless years that had passed over two or three generations, he looked no older than middle-aged, a muscular man.

Is there only a ‘hellish fitness fanatic’ in this world? All men are muscular.

[A negotiation? Are you suggesting a deal with the dead? What, are you thinking of granting me some lifespan?]

“That would be too much for a deceased person to desire.”

[If not that, what are you thinking of offering me?]

“I can provide you with the framework of ‘Phantom Dance,’ which you weren’t able to complete in your lifetime.”

Phantom Dance.

It was a sword dance that executed dozens or even hundreds of cuts so fast that the body appeared as an illusion. The number of cuts varied depending on the situation, but it was a technique known for its unpredictable movements while drawing a circular arc.

In the game, it was something that Tina had realized, so who knows how much I could replicate what I had seen with just my eyes?

[What?! How do you know my technique? I have no memory of raising a disciple!]

“That’s not important. What matters is that I can teach you that technique’s framework. What will it be?”

[Then what do you desire?]

A quick-witted one, indeed.

Thanks to that, our conversation seemed to progress swiftly.

“What I want is ‘the shoes worn by Ariel.'”

[The shoes worn by Ariel? Are you suggesting to take the ones buried where I died? But that place is inaccessible due to the barrier Ariel created. Only I can get in there.]

“Right. Only you can enter. But I have my ways too. If you possess my body as a wraith, I could enter as well.”

[Ha. You’re really a madman. If you enter the barrier created by Ariel, she might see you as an intruder and try to kill you.]

“Meeting the Spirit King isn’t an easy task, so it’s worth a shot.”

[If you do meet her, you will surely die. I’ve sensed the level of your body that touches my sword. You are weak. Your coordination, strength, resilience, sense, and reflexes—none of them show adequate development. Even a frail villager wouldn’t be this weak. A completely useless human that comes once in a hundred years—]

“Enough of the babble. It’s unpleasant.”

Are you trying to crush my bones with facts? What a bad guy.

I was thinking that I might become a bit stronger, but if he’s smashing that hope, I was starting to resent him.

[But your magical power is exceptional. The magic energy you possess is massive. It wouldn’t be bad to live as a magician.]

“Are you giving me a backhanded compliment?”

[What is the attribute of the skills you possess?]

He easily disregarded my words and shot back with a question.

“I don’t have any, okay?”

[If you don’t, then you’re disqualified as a magician.]

“Shut up, you old man.”

[Old man?! You little brat! I’m not old enough to be called an old man!]

The spirit was furious. I felt a pressure all over my body. My form started to shrink at the aura emanating from him.

[The skill “Killing Intent” is activated.]

As I widened my eyes, his aura was immediately consumed by the killing intent.

[Ugh! What, what is this aura?! Even a Demon Tribe commander couldn’t emit this level! Could it be that you possess some power I can’t even recognize? But your musculature and coordination seem rather underwhelming…]

So my killing intent really is top-notch.

If even a Sword Master is impressed, there’s no room left for doubt.

Only five people in the empire’s entire history have reached the level of Sword Master.

Pasma was the last of the five, and since then, no one has achieved the title.

But with Tina becoming the Sixth Sword Master, a new history began to be written.

In just a few days, she completed the unfinished Phantom Dance, surpassing Pasma to become the greatest swordsman.

That was how she began to be called a hero.

“I didn’t come here to spar with you. Let me say it again. What I want is the shoes worn by Ariel. I’ll share the Phantom Dance as a bargaining chip. How does that sound?”

[…I’m sorry. But that’s not enough to give you the shoes Ariel gave me.]

I expected that, but now I have to throw in something more.

“Then I’ll give you a chance to defeat the Demon Tribe. How about that?”

[What?]

His spirit quivers. He looked shocked.

His resentment stemmed from not being able to protect the people from the Demon Tribe.

The episode of him blaming himself echoed in my head, even as he was dying.

“I know you have lingering feelings about why you wander this world.”

[H-how do you know so much about me?]

“I don’t want to share that with you.”

[….How are you planning to offer that opportunity?]

Perhaps prompted by curiosity, Pasma carefully inquired.

“Raise a disciple.”

[I don’t raise disciples.]

His firm attitude made me sigh. What an inflexible and unreasonable person.

“If you want to remain in this world, someone needs to remember you. You were able to stay in this world because of your position as a Sword Master, but also because Ariel remembered you.”

[What? Ariel remembers me?!]

It seemed he truly was a lifelong soloist.

I almost shed a tear for the melodramatic reunion between the two.

Looking up close, he really annoyed me. Did he think he was some dense protagonist from a light novel?

If that’s the case, why not date your sword, why cling to Ariel like this? Talk about wanting to have a third wheel.

“….Go and ask her directly. Anyway, I know a good girl who might catch your interest, so go defeat the Demon Tribe with her.”

[…… Just asking, but it won’t be you, right?]

“No.”

[Then I’ll have to see her state first. If she’s capable of defeating the Demon Tribe, I’ll accept her as my disciple.]

I admit I’m weak, but the tone he took really put me off.

At least I succeeded in recruiting him. Under this circumstance, I hoped to quickly rise to the rank of Hero.

*

“Is this the place?”

It was near the forest entrance connected to the village.

[You need to go further in.]

As we entered the forest, the deeper we went, the thicker the trees and vines became, blocking my way. The moment I pushed through, I found an area that had been significantly damaged.

In the center of the forest lay a strange plain. Although I couldn’t see it in detail now due to the high grass, it felt unnaturally artificial.

“This should be it.”

Thump! As I reached out, something blocked me.

There was certainly a path, but it felt like I couldn’t advance because of a wall.

“This is where you died.”

[That’s right. I tried to buy time until the villagers could escape. But I failed.]

“What was the name of that commander?”

[How do you know that the commander was the one who killed me?]

He displayed a surprised expression.

“In a few years, the Demon Tribe will attack the empire again. That commander will come back to kill you. I’m just preparing for that moment.”

[In a few years? Are you a prophet?]

“Just answer me.”

[…… The name of the commander who killed me is Peremus. A being that suppresses all life with sheer power.]

Peremus, huh.

The information was definitely correct.

He was the second-in-command in the Demon World, a strong man with overwhelming power capable of that level of destruction with just one punch.

In the game, he was considered a mid-boss.

Could heroes really unite to even hope to defeat him? I’d better hasten their rise in rank.

[His power will be slightly weaker than the Demon King. If he attacks again, can you hold him off…?]

“I can hold him off. Because I’m here.”

[Ha! What can a weakling do?]

“Thinking so one-dimensionally can lead to such conclusions. But fighting starts long before two bodies actually clash.”

Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will win every battle.

My greatest weapon is ‘information.’

Just because I cover my whole body with artifacts doesn’t mean I can defeat a commander.

When considering the percentage effects of the artifacts, even if the attack power of my body rated 1 was augmented by 200%, it would still only give me a 2.

That’s why I desperately sought out and raised a Hero.

“Now I’ll enter the barrier. Pasma, are you ready to possess?”

[…… No problem.]

“Don’t worry about that. Here we go.”

[Equipped with “Unwavering Revenge Sword.”]
[You can temporarily use the skill “Wraith.”]

“Wraith.”

Wraith is the skill that allows the soul of Pasma, residing in this sword, to possess my body.

It enables me to wield his swordsmanship as a former Sword Master temporarily, with the range of skill depending on the user’s capabilities.

“Just as expected, a rotten body.”

My mouth was moving, but it wasn’t my voice. It was Pasma’s, who manifested through me.

I felt as if there were two selves in one body.

“It feels like a strange power. But your magic power is genuine.”

As he infused mana into the sword, it glowed blue.

It became an Aura Sword.

Although it was similar to how Inkuro borrowed the power of spirits to infuse magic into his sword, Pasma’s was a purer force.

Even a rock-solid iron sword transforms into the ultimate sword capable of cutting through anything upon receiving the aura.

Is it even capable of striking down a Spirit King?

“Let’s go in.”

“…Alright.”

Now he replied, but he didn’t move a muscle.

“Is it surprising to see me after such a long time?”

“Yeah. Honestly, I’m not sure how to face you again.”

I could understand that. It had been over a hundred years since they’d met.

However, the fact that Ariel still remembers him proves that she loved him enough not to forget even after a century had passed.

“Probably, Ariel is still in love with you.”

“Love…? How could she love me? I’m just a mere human, while she is a Spirit King.”

“Idiot.”

“What did you say?!”

My ears perked up at being insulted by myself.

“You’ve been too oblivious to notice such a thing even though you’ve been together. That’s why you lived your life alone.”

“But I—”

“Enough pointless chatter. I don’t have time to waste. I want to finish this and return.”

I couldn’t drag this out any longer. I had already spent quite a bit of time with the Purification Stone, and if I wasted any more time, Dex and the others might come looking for me.

I needed to wrap everything up before that happened.

“You’re a more heartless person than I expected.”

“At least it’s better than a clueless noble.”

With that, I stepped into the barrier.

My body, which had been pushing back against the resistance of my earlier hesitation, smoothly passed through the barrier.

“Head towards the spot where you died. She likely buried the shoes where you died.”

“How do you know such things—”

Whoosh—!

A fierce wind swirled around.

“Ah… you were right. Pasma.”

“…?”

“She has arrived. Your girlfriend.”

“Girlfriend?”

Hearing his dazed response, I looked up at the sky. There, green winds gathered in a whirlwind.

“How dare a mere human enter my barrier. This is a place filled with my cherished memories. If you do not leave this instant, I shall destroy your body and soul!”

Her voice resonated in my mind like a sound effect from a martial arts movie. She must be really furious.

As the cyclone calmed down, Ariel’s figure revealed itself.

Her beauty was a combination of a celestial maiden and an elf.

She wore a dress that looked like it was made of leaves, designed with nobility in mind, flowing down from her long blonde hair.

The description was the same in both the game and reality.

I must praise the illustrator. She’s incredibly beautiful.

“Good to see you, Ariel. No, Spirit King of Wind. I am—”

“Eri.”

Pasma abruptly interrupted me. I could hear the longing in his voice.

Honestly, I was a bit shocked. The fact that an emotional voice came out from my mouth surprised me.

Even if our body is the same, how come the expression management skill applies only to me?

“Are you looking to insult me, Spirit King?!”

“It’s me, Eri! It’s Pasma!”

He clutched his chest and shouted.

“…What?”

Wow, the bewildered expression was quite a sight to behold.

The hand that had been outstretched to use Wind Magic drooped down.

“Pasma?”

What do I even say to this?

Do I really have to witness such a cringe-worthy melodrama just to obtain an artifact? Can I sit this one out?

But since the original owner of the body is me, I had no choice but to watch their touching reunion happening right in front of me.