My Disciples Think I’m Strong – Chapter 249

“Huff! Huff!”

Climbing the stairs while trying to ignore the heavy discomfort in my legs, I was relieved that the high-speed movement, powered by mana, made it less burdensome on my body.

“Looks like quite a mess has been made.”

As I went up, I sighed at the signs of battle and the corpses of the Demon Tribe scattered around. It was absurd to think this all happened in less than five minutes.

“Phew…”

Though I had delayed my arrival somewhat, thanks to the guiding wind, I was able to reach the Demon King’s audience chamber without getting lost.

Clang! Clang!

I heard the sound of clashing from inside. It became clear that the fight was still ongoing.

But I couldn’t just barge in. I didn’t have a way to confront the Demon King yet. The “conditions” hadn’t been met.

I peeked inside to assess the situation.

Hiding behind the wall, I barely stuck my face out to catch a glimpse of the audience chamber, and my heart began to race.

Why…

I could see Iris still fighting. But it looked more like she was being mercilessly ravaged rather than engaging in a battle. I quickly looked for the other heroes.

Tina was slumped against the wall near the door, having knocked her head out, while Maria was collapsed on the floor, bleeding profusely.

From this angle, I couldn’t see well, but it appeared her collarbone was slashed. The depth of the wound seemed serious, as a pool of blood was rapidly expanding. If left untreated, she would certainly bleed to death.

Just as I was about to think of my next move—

Iris suddenly erupted with blood, as though something had pierced her. She clutched her side and screamed.

At the instant I heard her scream, it felt like something snapped in my mind. And then—

[The skill “Expression Management” has temporarily been released.]

The conditions have been satisfied.

Not only did my previously heavy body feel lighter, but I began to see a purple sword spirit floating in mid-air.

Then, mana started to boil from every part of my body. Is this the power of the World Tree?

As I felt the pressure radiating from my entire being, I realized I knew exactly how to use mana. It felt as familiar as if I had been born wielding it.

[The conditions for causation release have been established.]

Then a sentence came to my mind.

[The skill “Expression Management” has been completely released.]

[It grants the power and authority of the World Tree to Praus, the sole contractor of the World Tree.]

[Due to the causation release of the World Tree, the effects of the artifact are greatly enhanced.]

[Due to the causation release of the World Tree, all penalties of the artifact are nullified.]

[You’ve equipped “The Hidden in Words.”]

[You can use the skill “True Word” ‘3 times.’]

[You’ve equipped “The Mirror that Reflects Others.”]

[You can continuously use the skill “Copycat.”]

[Do you wish to delete the skill “Expression Management”? (If deleted, the hologram will vanish.)]

[YES] [NO]

I’ll decide whether to delete it later.

For now, I need to ensure that Iris and Maria do not die.

While Blas was distracted, I teleported to Tina. As I relaxed her grip, which was holding on tightly, I cast Heal to restore her.

[You’ve equipped “All-Cutting Sword.”]

[You can use the skill “All-Cutting Sword.”]

[No effective range limit.]

Gripping the All-Cutting Sword, I swung it directly. The target was Blas’s wrist.

“「All-Cutting Sword.」”

It was an attack aimed at taking advantage of his moment of distraction, unaware of my possession of the Purification Stone.

I watched as the sword stroke of the All-Cutting Sword flew toward Blas’s wrist.

Seeing his wrist and magic sword fall without resistance, I shouted Teleport.

“…What the hell are you doing to a kid?”

“Y-You…!”

With a powerful kick to Blas’s abdomen, I sent him crashing against one wall.

“You just stay over there for a moment.”

I turned to heal Iris and picked up the Guardian of the Sanctuary. Even though blood stained my palm, I had no time to care.

[You’ve equipped “Guardian of the Sanctuary.”]

[You can continuously use the skill “Absolute Domain.”]

[There is no durability. It is an indestructible item.]

“Praus!!”

“Let’s wrap this up. You’re a character that doesn’t belong in the ending I want to see.”

I pretended to charge at Blas, teleporting instead to Maria’s side.

“Where do you think you’re going!”

He lunged at me with a fist wrapped in magic. Realizing instantly it was Peremus’s technique, I swung the All-Cutting Sword to sever his forearm.

“Guh!”

As his arm fell to the ground, the wall tilted, and the ceiling began to collapse. Dust erupted, obscuring my vision, and I placed my hand on Maria’s back to heal her.

I managed to close her wounds and stop the bleeding, but she had lost too much blood. I took out a potion, opened the cap with my mouth, and carefully poured it into Maria’s mouth.

“You bastard…!”

Still unable to heal his arm, Blas glared at me through the dust. While I fed Maria the potion, all my focus was on the Demon King, ready to respond at any moment.

“How dare you stand in front of me, the Demon King!!”

With a flourish of his arm, the magic sword lying on the ground began to move. The moment he grabbed it, he whipped it at me.

“Evil Spirit Sword Technique, 6th Form: 「Demonic Explosion Blade!」”

Vast amounts of magic sought to swallow both me and Maria. I gathered mana in my hands and calmly reached out to the magic.

“「Mana Barrier.」”

Boom!

As the turquoise barrier collided with the magic, it exploded. However, it didn’t completely break the barrier, merely melting away.

So the Demon King really is a Demon King after all. Even with the Purification Stone, his power resembled that of the World Tree’s at a glance.

“There’s no need to rush. Once the situation is under control, I’ll kill you.”

Killing the Demon King was important, but it was just as crucial that the heroes did not die.

“How dare you, how dare you! You lowly creature, trying to kill me!!”

“Then go die to that lowly creature.”

I curled my outstretched hand.

“「Compression.」”

The instant Blas saw the mana wrapping around him, he tried to dodge. But his movements were slightly delayed, and the area below his right thigh was caught and shredded by the mana.

“Guh!”

He groaned in pain as he restored his foot. Unlike the arm that had been severed by the All-Cutting Sword, this time he recovered quickly.

“If I’m a lowly creature, then you must be something like a cockroach. That recovery is truly reminiscent of a cockroach.”

“What…?”

He stared at me with a bewildered expression, then exploded with rage.

“Treating me… treating me like a cockroach?!”

I teleported with Maria towards Tina, keeping my eyes on the trembling Blas. Then I added Tina to the group and moved them next to Iris.

“Iris.”

“O-Brother….”

“You’ve worked hard. Leave the rest to me.”

After tousling her hair, which was a mix of white and blue, I focused back on the Demon King, who was trembling in fury. Without hesitation, I approached Blas.

“Why? It’s fine for you to treat humans as lowly creatures, but I can’t treat you like a bug?”

“You bastard…!”

As he unleashed his magic, his severed forearm began regenerating.

“You’ll regret making me angry!”

Just inhaling made my throat quiver. The overwhelming killing intent made my body tense.

“Just as expected of a last boss…”

I muttered and reached out, reflecting Blas in the mirror.

“「Copycat.」”

Blas’s abilities were complicated.

For now, I had a countermeasure against curses thanks to the Purification Stone, but it would be problematic if he slowed down time or created spaces only perceptible to those with magic like Black Field.

So before that could happen, I would become the “Demon King.”

[Please reflect a target to copy in the mirror.]

I placed Blas, who was glaring at me, into the mirror.

[Target “Blas Weill” recognized.]

[Copying the powers and techniques possessed by “Blas Weill.”]

Now I held the power of the World Tree as well as the power of the Demon King.

“What are you… that appearance of mana and magic coexisting?”

Blas’s anger drained away, replaced with a confused expression as he looked above my head. I looked up too.

“Interesting, isn’t it? Mana and magic are never meant to mix.”

The scene of turquoise mana mingling with deep purple magic was quite unfamiliar and dissonant, yet it didn’t bring about any discomfort.

“What have you done?”

“What have I done…? I really want to ask the same. Don’t you agree, Yggdrasil?”

“When did you start noticing?”

“Since my Expression Management skill was released.”

Yggdrasil, still clad in clothes unsuitable for her height, descended lightly, emitting turquoise light.

She appeared before me as Initina and smiled widely. Though it was a smile reminiscent of a little devil, its charm was so strong it made me stare absentmindedly.

“Wow, it’s been ages since I was in the Human World! Oh, wait, this is the Demon World, isn’t it?”

“Yggdrasil…? That form…? You can’t be the World Tree!”

“Oh, it seems someone I didn’t want to see is still alive. But looking at that state, it seems Praus has been treating you well?”

Yggdrasil clung to me as if to hang on.

“Go on, go kill him! My contractor!”

I pushed her away with a look of disbelief. Where did this brat leave her sense of propriety?

“Is that so? That’s the case! Praus, the mana I felt from you, has it been that of the World Tree all along?!”

Pissing off the Demon King was just a bonus.

He bent over and started trembling. Rather than seeming frightened of us, it looked like he was straining to shed an exoskeleton like an insect.

In that instant, I instinctively realized.

‘This must be the second phase.’

“Together with you, I shall slay the World Tree—”

“「True Word.」”

I propelled myself forward, closing the distance in an instant as I spoke. Upon hearing my voice, he froze in place.

“Sorry, but…”

Slash!

“I have no intention of waiting until you transform.”

The All-Cutting Sword plunged into Blas’s side, severing his body. As his upper body tilted and crashed to the ground, there was no spark of life left in his eyes.

“Die, Blas Weill.”

I swung my sword in desperation, intent on turning his body to dust. The mana that had penetrated his flesh exploded from within, scattering meat and blood everywhere.

Having dealt with him with an almost absurd ease, I sprinkled the blood on my sword onto the ground.

“Phew. Did I take care of him?”

…Ah, that was a forbidden phrase…

The moment I realized, black smoke began rising from the sword I had just been holding. I immediately attempted to sever the magic sword, but a hand emerged from the smoke to block the All-Cutting Sword.

“…!”

“Not bad. I didn’t expect you’d wield mental magic as well.”

What’s this?

This was a pattern I hadn’t anticipated. It reemerged from the sword again.

“That was really close.”

Slash!

I swiftly swung the Guardian of the Sanctuary, severing the wrist of the hand that was holding the All-Cutting Sword, then I stepped back.

Looking at the magic creature with purple skin emerging from the smoke, I couldn’t hold back a laugh.

“Hah! So you really are a cockroach.”

Emerging from the darkness, the massive Blas stood revealed. He looked to be a full three meters tall.

“Is this the second phase?”

I clicked my tongue at his form.

His bumpy muscles were painted a shade of purple. I sighed as I looked at Blas, now with gray hair and a white mane. He had looked much more human just moments ago.

“It’s absolutely impossible for you to kill me—”

“No.”

I whispered, finally making sense of his towering stature and the size of his magical sword.

“「Absolute Domain.」”

As my domain expanded, the magic that had attempted to consume me began to dissipate.

“You will die here.”

For a moment, Blas and I glared at each other before, almost simultaneously, we kicked off the ground and charged at each other.