Chapter 46: The Magic Sword
Chapter 46: The Magic Sword
That demon had been without equal since the day she was born. Even within the Jaun tribe, where powerhouses of all kinds swarmed, she was a peerless prodigy.
Even when her hot-tempered nature was criticized and she faced the threat of excommunication, she silenced all controversy with overwhelming martial prowess alone.
Upon reaching adulthood, no one within her generation—or even the generations immediately above and below her—could match her. She was a born warrior, a ferocious beast, and a combatant who struck terror into others.
Even when her father fell to the Hero’s blade, she herself had never tasted defeat. She was the invincible demon. Her blood-stained purple skin suited the name "Jaun"—Purple Cloud—and she was whispered to be a true devil.
It was unthinkable that she would be unable to overcome mere lust, or fail to pierce through a succubus who had defiled her own blood.
The minor wounds covering her body were a testament to her recognition of the mischievous, blonde-haired, red-eyed demon as a worthy foe.
An enemy who might press a blade to her throat the moment she let her guard down. An opponent she could not take her eyes off for even a second.
A hollow laugh escaped Veled’s lips. It was absurd. The mere fact that she was harboring such thoughts about someone she had intended to toy with was ridiculous.
She hadn't come here to get serious against a member of such a lowly race. That was why she had deliberately entered the spar barehanded.
"I’ll admit it, Lena Iglesias. I, Veled Vicenti, recognize you—a mere succubus—as my rival."
But pride was a useless thing in the face of victory or defeat. Only victory could truly polish the brilliance of her worth.
"Come forth, Gram."
As Veled reached out to the side, a sinister energy began to gather in her palm. The heavily condensed demonic energy shimmered like a heat haze, coalescing into a physical form.
A hilt formed in her hand, held in a reverse grip, and a blade of pitch-black and blood-red extended toward the ground. A pressure, heavier and more overbearing than the intimidation Cuthbert had shown at the Round Table, weighed down the surrounding air.
"My, it seems I’ve gone and touched a sore spot."
Lena swallowed hard, her tension rising. She wanted to say, 'Just as I expected,' but Veled’s reaction was more extreme than she had anticipated. Lena hadn't realized the other woman would loathe acknowledging her quite that much.
"Consider it an honor. Every bastard who has faced this on the battlefield has been carved to pieces without exception."
"Well, that is just dreadfully honorable, isn't it?"
Ferocious, savage demonic energy surged around Veled. Though it looked like it was rampaging wildly, its refined state was proof that she was a polished martial artist.
She swung the reverse-gripped sword with a casual flick. A sharp momentum, incomparable to any mere gust of wind, lunged at Lena. Lena reacted by lashing out powerfully with her whip, but the sword aura sliced right through the whip and grazed the skin of her flank.
"I missed. Shall we see if you can block the next one?"
Veled raised her hand above her head. She took the stance for a high vertical slash—the fastest and most threatening of strikes. Lena squeezed out every drop of her remaining mana to deploy a magic circle, but the sword strike, which seemed to move slowly yet cut through everything in its path, shattered the spell.
"Agh... You really are brutally strong."
Thanks to twisting her trajectory at the last second, she escaped with only a cut on her arm, but the scales had tipped. Veled stood ready to unleash another slash with her magic sword, while Lena’s ability to respond had been severely compromised.
The raised arm was ready to cleave through everything once more. There was no option to dodge. No matter how she moved, there was no way to escape that trajectory.
Even if Lena gave it her all now, she wouldn't be able to stop Veled’s downward strike if she put her full weight behind it.
The moment their red eyes flashed, both demons moved—
"That’s enough."
Cuthbert caught Veled’s descending sword with his bare hand. Veled’s eyes narrowed at the masterful display of 'softness' that neutralized her overwhelming momentum in an instant.
"What is the meaning of this, Mr. Moderator?"
Veled glared at the two others who had restrained her. Nero had grabbed her arm, and tree roots that had burst through the floor were binding her legs.
"The original goal of the spar should be resolved by now. If you wish to test your skills further, do so at a proper time and place later. Besides, I believe life-or-death battles were forbidden?"
At Cuthbert’s sharp rebuke, Veled fell silent and withdrew her sword.
She was curious about the final move the half-baked demon had been trying to pull, but causing a scene here would only get her labeled as a mindless thug.
And as expected of the Supreme Elder—even after catching the blade with his bare hands, there wasn't a single scratch on them. The Dryad, too, had the cleverness to hide her vines until the last second.
Most of all, that Demonic Dragon had been the furthest away, yet he had reached her arm faster than Cuthbert.
"Fine. I’ll let it slide for the sake of the Supreme Elder’s face. Consider yourself lucky, you pathetic wretch."
"I am grateful for the mercy of such a wise demon."
Despite the incredibly dangerous situation, Lena showed a stubborn streak unusual for her, refusing to back down even an inch in her words.
Soon, the black-haired boy who had been watching Lena’s spar rushed forward and pulled her into his arms.
"Lena, are you okay? You’re not hurt, are you?"
"I’m perfectly fine. It’s just a little scratch."
Jaejin’s face was contorted with grief. Knowing she had thrown herself into a dangerous gamble to prove his worth, he had been on pins and needles, terrified she might suffer a serious injury.
He had felt relieved during the first five minutes of the exchange when Lena seemed to have the upper hand, but the sight of Veled wielding that sword afterward had been so ominous it terrified him.
When he saw Lena cornered, he had almost screamed out instinctively, but Sheryl, who was beside him, had stopped him.
"If you shout now, you'll break her concentration and put her in even more danger."
In the end, when things truly turned dire, the Supreme Elder had clicked his tongue and stepped in to save her. If there had been no intervention and Lena had been badly hurt, he didn't know what he would have done...
Overwhelmed by worry, fear, and the relief that she was safe, Jaejin hugged Lena tightly.
"You’re hugging me too hard, Lord Jaejin. It hurts."
"But... I was so worried about you, I couldn't stand it."
"My, my. You’ve turned into quite the spoiled baby, haven't you?"
Despite being covered in dust, Lena grinned and stroked Jaejin’s hair as he clung to her.
Shortly after confirming Lena’s well-being, Cuthbert adjourned the day's council. It was the first day of a four-day meeting, but it seemed the two who had sparred needed time to cool their heads.
"To think a succubus could hold her own. That man’s ability is definitely the real deal."
"Is the claim of being the best of the Jaun tribe just empty talk? That was more sluggish than I expected."
"No way. You saw the end, didn't you? The difference in skill was clear."
The voices of several nobles, elders, and onlookers gathered on the other side of the garden reached them. Lena felt relieved; though she had technically lost, she had achieved the goal of swaying public opinion.
With this, all her immediate objectives were met. The bait had been cast; now she just had to wait for the fish to bite.
"Um... could I talk to you for a moment?"
A fish bit the hook the moment she thought of it. At the sound of the voice from behind, Jaejin, who had been buried in her embrace, looked around and realized he had been acting embarrassingly. He quickly took a step back.
The one who had spoken to them was a female warrior with reddish-brown skin—Vivian of the Red Oni tribe.
She had terracotta skin, a high bridge to her nose, and distinct features. Her entire body was composed of firm, toned muscles that gave off a vibrant, passionate energy, reminiscent of a South American beauty.
However, her height... she was incredibly tall. Even Lena, who was quite tall for a woman, had to tilt her head back as if she were looking up at Jaejin.
"Ah, does my height bother you? I’ll match your level, then."
Her reddish-brown hair brushed past their vision as Vivian bent her knees to bring her face level with theirs. It was a bit overwhelming, but she was smiling brightly as if it were nothing.
"Uh... so... what did you want to say?"
"Oh, I was just so impressed by that spar earlier. To be honest, I’ve never fought a succubus before, so I only knew them by reputation. I had no idea you could fight that well!"
As Vivian praised Lena with a look of genuine admiration, Jaejin’s shoulders puffed up with pride.
"You were pushed back quite a bit at the end, but I saw your resolve to see it through to the finish. How should I put it... the way you didn't run away even when facing a truly powerful foe was amazing."
"Well, I suppose so. That bit—ahem—that woman’s strength is well-known, but I had prepared some countermeasures."
Lena, clearly not hating the praise, enjoyed the reaction and smiled pleasantly.
"Thinking about that made me wonder... just how incredible is this 'Elise's Ability' you mentioned? I started getting so excited thinking about how much stronger I could get if I used it...!!"
The look in Vivian’s eyes as she stared at Jaejin was unusual. Feeling threatened by her heavy breathing and the way she seemed ready to pounce at any moment out of sheer excitement, Jaejin tried to take a step back, but—
"My, then why don't you try it out today?"
Instead of letting him retreat, Lena pushed Jaejin toward Vivian.
"Le... Lena?"
"In exchange, there’s a condition. You must support us during the second council."
Jaejin was quite flustered by Lena ignoring him to continue the conversation, but he felt relieved when he heard her somewhat demanding condition.
Surely, no one would be foolish enough to give up their status as a Demon Lord candidate in such an important place. But Vivian immediately shattered that assumption.
"Fine! If it's just that much, I'll gladly do it. But the performance is guaranteed, right?"
"Fufu, of course. I’ll make sure you’re strengthened very thoroughly, so don't you worry."