Chapter 124
Chapter 124
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 124
Chapter Title: Final Boss
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Mary gazed anxiously at the magic circle glowing with purple light.
The proposal Jerry had made to her was to uncover Ken's true feelings.
Rapne, Emily, and herself.
To determine which of the three he favored most, by adapting Jerry's dream magic.
And then.
'If ... my ranking is low. She said she'd adjust it a little.'
Dreams were a peculiar phenomenon where the human subconscious awakened during sleep.
If one could harness that phenomenon with magic.
Then it might be possible to subtly adjust the priorities of the three people within Ken's subconscious.
'This might be a bit cowardly.'
But Mary was anxious.
If the scenes from last night's dream actually came to pass for her.
Then Mary would lose everything.
In that case, even if it was cowardly, she had no choice.
Because Mary didn't want to lose Ken.
'No, surely Ken loves all three of us equally.'
Mary shook her head to clear away the stray thoughts cluttering her mind.
To begin with, if the results showed his feelings for the three were equal.
Then there would be no need for any tricks.
For now, in this moment of waiting, Mary wanted to believe in Ken.
"Um, I wanted to say thank you."
"......Pardon?"
At that moment, Jerry, bound in chains and focusing on the magic, quietly spoke up.
Mary stared at her blankly in response to the sudden expression of gratitude and asked again.
"There's no need to thank me. This is a transaction. ...I just give as much as you do."
"That's exactly it. That's what I'm thanking you for."
"What on earth are you talking about...?"
"Especially that greed of yours, doubting and not trusting your prospective groom at all. I'm grateful for that."
"......Pardon?"
Mary's chest stung at Jerry's following words, and she glared sharply at her.
Meeting that fierce gaze, Jerry leisurely manipulated her mana as she replied.
"To be honest, didn't you say it yourself at first? That it's not his feelings that matter, but your own."
"Why bring that up now of all times?"
"Exactly. It's ridiculous. You answered so confidently back then."
Jerry sneered mockingly at Mary.
"And now you can't even trust the man's love, so you're relying on this kind of magic."
"...Th-that's."
"No matter how you excuse it, I was right in the end, wasn't I?"
The demon's characteristically sharp, slitted eyes pierced into Mary's heart like they could see right through her, staring coldly.
"You just wanted to be the one loved the most. More than how much you love him."
Jerry averted her gaze from Mary, who couldn't muster a reply, and looked back at the magic circle.
"That's why I'm thanking you."
"......What exactly are you trying to say?"
"You still don't get it?"
The magic circle began to shine more intensely.
Gazing at the bright purple light, Jerry settled the rising mana as if she had completed all the spell manipulations.
And with a glance.
A mocking smile in her eyes as she side-eyed Mary derisively.
"I was distracting you so you wouldn't notice the true nature of the magic."
"......What?"
Mary's face paled at the truth that burst from her lips.
She hurriedly turned her head to look at the magic circle.
The massive vortex of mana surging from the magic circle.
It didn't look like something executable with mid-level mana.
And she realized the output of that magic circle wasn't some simple dream magic.
A mana flow she wasn't feeling for the first time.
As someone whose magical talent was top-tier even at the academy, Mary could sense it.
It was a familiar energy, but.
On a scale worlds apart from the first time she'd felt it.
And Mary recalled where she'd sensed this mana before.
Soon, she realized it matched the mana flow Jerry had shown when using spatial magic in the temple basement not long ago.
In conclusion.
The true nature of the magic circle Jerry had her create was.
A large-scale spatial transfer magic.
"N-no—!!"
Mary desperately reached out, pouring a massive amount of mana to her fingertips in an instant.
It wasn't too late yet.
If she damaged the magic circle itself with physical impact.
Then she could prevent whatever was about to emerge from this large-scale spatial transfer magic circle.
Just as her signature ice magic, repeated countless times until now, was about to shoot from her fingertips.
As if by the gods' prank.
The magic circle fully completed its role.
And from within the mana vortex, it summoned the being Jerry had targeted.
—Thudquaaak!!
The ice spear that belatedly shot from Mary's fingertips flew toward the target at a menacing speed amid the roar.
Not toward the original magic circle.
But toward the being that had appeared there.
And that ice spear.
Shattered into powder... with a single gesture from the being that emerged from the magic circle.
"Jerry Ban Perlion... "
Two shadowy figures were visible at the center of the magic circle.
Two beings had been summoned.
The two beings slowly approached before Mary's eyes.
One was clad in jet-black armor, a massive greatsword slung on his back.
The other wore noble attire blending black, red, and gold.
He brushed aside his flowing golden long hair with an annoyed gesture.
And on both temples of the man, who appeared male.
Horns identical to those of the Demon King she'd first encountered at the academy protruded.
"Yes, Lord Arleus!"
"What business calls me to such a place? I distinctly ordered you to retrieve the demon sword."
"I have confirmed the demon sword's location as per your command. However..."
"However?"
"I judged it impossible to retrieve with my abilities alone, so... I decided to bring you, my lord, before the demon sword falls into the current Demon King's hands."
"I see.... So that's why you summoned the Supreme Commander as well."
"Yes! After retrieving the demon sword with the Supreme Commander, I will deliver it straight to you, my lord."
The man ignored Mary, who had attacked him, as if she were insignificant.
Jerry knelt urgently and called him "lord."
He was none other than Arleus Vana Armarion.
The duke of the demon realm who sought to kill the current Demon King and take his throne.
"So, where is that demon sword now?"
His voice rang quietly.
Though he merely uttered a single phrase.
With his voice, massive demonic energy flared up like flames around the clearing where the magic circle had been drawn.
。 。 。
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ I was sleeping comfortably in the soft bed when I suddenly opened my eyes to a sinister energy raging outside the building.
The window was tightly shut to keep out the night air, but that distinctive dark, prickling aura mockingly ignored the window and touched my skin.
"Rapne, ...Rapne."
"Umm.... No.... I'm sleeping here...."
As I sat up in bed, Rapne had somehow climbed into my bed and was sleeping while hugging me.
I urgently shook her awake.
I raised my voice to wake Emily, who was lying asleep in her own bed.
Finally, Mary.
But Mary was not in her spot.
And Jerry, who should have been lying bound in chains with the luggage, was also missing.
'What happened?'
With those two gone and a chilling aura raging outside the building.
I'd felt this aura once before.
Back then, the opponent had been suppressing it, so it was only faint.
It's the same.
The demonic energy of the Demon King that Reynesis had exuded when he came to the academy.
'Did Reynesis come here? ...Or not.'
I rushed with Rapne, still rubbing her sleepy eyes, and Emily, who quickly donned her gear and followed.
Toward the source of the demonic energy.
And there.
"You've arrived. Wielder of the demon sword."
"Urgh, Ke, Ken...."
A wide clearing blanketed in undulating purple demonic energy like roaring flames.
A strange pattern was drawn largely on the ground.
Scattered everywhere were massive ice shards and pillars that seemed to be Mary's traces.
Traces of battle.
Above all.
"Maryyyy—!!"
The golden-haired demon man holding Mary by the throat and lifting her up.
He had horns identical to Reynesis's on his head.
And he looked at me with dismissive eyes while gripping Mary's throat.
The moment I witnessed that, rage boiled within me, and I immediately kicked off the ground and lunged forward.
'Swift Fabrication!'
⚡ SKILL ACTIVATED ⚡ Swift Fabrication The skill activated in an instant, placing a single sword in my hand.
[Huh? What's this? This familiar sensation... The original?!] What I created was the demon sword Tyrpione.
Not the one meant to slay the descendants of the demon god, but her original, discarded at the bottom of Tarros Tower.
And I swung that corrosive demon sword straight at Arleus.
But
Clang!
"Insolent. You dare swing a sword at my lord."
The full-force swing was effortlessly blocked by the man in jet-black heavy armor.
"Hmm?"
But the man, upon receiving my sword, let out a puzzled voice.
Sizzle....
As he saw his greatsword corroding, he immediately twisted his body and kicked me away.
Just a single kick.
I stepped on his swinging leg with my foot, using its momentum to leap into the air and create distance.
The man, who had hurriedly sent me flying, silently watched his greatsword, partially corroded and chipped away.
The first to speak amid that scene was not the armored man, but Arleus.
"Tarros's demonic energy, eh. Indeed, you've completed the demon sword with that blade."
The Tyrpione from a single swing vanished from my hand like smoke.
"A demon sword hastily made with magic.... That's not the one I'm seeking."
"Let Mary go right... now."
Ignoring whatever he muttered, I ignored him and used mana again to recreate Tyrpione.
Then the armored man who had blocked my strike stepped in front of Arleus again.
And to my demand to release Mary.
The armored man raised his greatsword and replied.
"Hand over the demon sword. Then we'll return the woman."
"......You."
I scrutinized the armored man.
Heavy armor gleaming amid the rippling purple demonic energy.
Clad entirely in jet-black heavy armor, wielding a greatsword of bizarre form.
And a subordinate following Arleus, who should have become the Demon King in the past.
At that familiar sight, I immediately realized who he was.
'Supreme Commander.... Valburk!'
Realizing his identity, I shouted so everyone with me could hear.
"Everyone!! Absolutely!! Do not say each other's names!!"
Supreme Commander Valburk.
The one bearing the moniker "Jet-Black Knight" was the final boss in Epiris Academy.
And I knew his unique skill all too well, to the point of nausea.
Unique Skill — Death Sentence.
A cheat-level curse skill that could instantly kill the opponent under any condition.
But it had an activation condition.
"You seem to know me well."
The condition was the name.
In the game, Emily's party, who battled him last, all knew his name.
As the famed party of the Child of Prophecy, commanded by the Lillias Kingdom to subjugate the Demon King's army.
But now was different.
Back then, they had no choice but to use the Goddess's Pendant to block the instant-death.
But now, since he didn't know our names yet...!
"But what a pity."
However, as if mocking my hopes.
The armored man slowly raised his greatsword, pointing it at me.
"A peculiar blacksmith who fabricates weapons from thin air in an instant. Just as you know me, I know you."
As he pointed his greatsword at me.
An enormous demonic energy surged from his body in an instant.
And from his lips.
A familiar name emerged.
"Pleased to meet you. Thanks for forging the demon sword. ...Blacksmith, Ken Fineshtein."
His following words pierced my heart like an arrow.
And that dark energy.
Soon enveloped my entire body.
"Die."
It happened so suddenly, without any chance to react.
Neither the captured Mary, nor Rapne and Emily behind me.
No one could stop it.
Valburk's Death Sentence had been cast upon me.
And a familiar system message appeared before my eyes.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Ken Fineshtein has died.]