Four Heavenly Kings Ashumar (5)
Sisilia surveyed the wreckage around her and issued an immediate order.
"Kill one more before they recover."
"Yes, ma'am!"
Demons didn't die from buildings collapsing on them. But it had to be pretty fatal damage. Undead's main gimmick was infinite regeneration, after all.
"Ugh, every stab takes out four or five of 'em."
"Nice, right?"
The Windsor Knights' blades were a bit special—undead couldn't come back twice. 'Yep, always confirm the kill.'
Sisilia watched her knights thrusting swords into the building debris with a satisfied smile. Confirming kills was a simple habit that left no room for the enemy to recover. Of course, this was just the beginning.
"Ahahaha!"
A feral laugh echoed as a black magic circle unfurled in the air. From within emerged a single demon.
"Humans sure know how to party. Never thought you'd smash the castle."
Ashumar's guardians—upper-rank demons—numbered four, most likely. This one was probably one of them. Those four wouldn't drop from crumbling walls or a few sword stabs.
"Better not move. Especially you, the silver-haired girl."
Starting with the female demon, they appeared one by one.
"......"
A swift demon had silently appeared behind Lude, knife to his throat.
"Life Vessel barely held."
A lich slowly rising into the air.
And one invisible demon aiming right at them from close range.
Sisilia slowly drew her sword, thinking. 'Ashumar's still watching? Thought he'd show by now.'
Unexpectedly cautious? But she dismissed it immediately. 'If so, he wouldn't have left the dragon's corpse behind.'
Sisilia thrust her sword into the empty air.
Puk!
The demon's invisibility shattered, revealing him mid-strike—dagger raised high, but his throat pierced before he could slash down at Sisilia.
"How...?"
As the demon crumbled to ash with his final words, Sisilia glanced at Lude—still held hostage—and said,
"Lude."
"Yeah."
"Formation One."
Lude's blank expression cracked into a smile. Then he sobered, eyes shifting.
"You, how long you planning to stink up my space?"
"......A mage? Shut your mouth. If you start casting—"
"Die."
Splat!
The demon holding Lude hostage exploded in a shower of brains. Lude blocked the blood with a transparent barrier, grimacing in disgust.
"Gross."
Windsor Knights high knight-mage Lude. Sword Emperor-level as a knight, but mages had specialties. Like his disdain for the weak.
He could instantly kill anyone with less mana than him. Four Heavenly Kings' minions couldn't touch a Windsor high knight.
And—there was another high knight like that here.
"Wh-what? Word of death? Even demons can't do that—how can a puny human—"
Sword Emperor Hyter. Usually the one dropping serious lines amid the Windsors' antics—though they weren't exactly profound.
"Didn't expect you'd line up so nicely for a slice. Sisilia, you from the future or something?"
"When did he—?!"
Hyter's fights had substance. Long charge-up, slow—but devastating if it connected.
Situations like this—hiding in rubble ruins, ambushing a careless demon—made him unmatched.
Vmmm—!
Hyter's vibration-charged thrust pierced the demon's gut. It turned to ash without even a death scream.
"Wh-what the hell is going on?!"
Only the lich remained, hovering high. Its jaw hung slack in shock, nearly dislocating its skull.
"I-I knew the Windsor Knights were strong, but this gap... impossible."
Demons had ears too—rumors spread. The Windsor Knights, humanity's greatest foe to demons, legendary for centuries. Infamous.
But Ashumar's minions—dying without a fight?
It was obvious, really. Past battles were always at a disadvantage: enemy-prepared turf, or too many civilians to protect.
Not here. They'd wrecked the prepared site and evacuated the territory folk.
In Sisilia's judgment, Windsors in a favorable spot never lost.
"Impossible! You sold your souls to the goddess or something?!"
In that instant, a sharp spear lanced toward the lich.
Puk!
It plunged into the lich's gut, sending it plummeting vertically.
"Grah, useless. No matter how many times you kill me, this immortal body won't die."
But the lich regenerated soon enough.
Sisilia murmured low.
"Formation Two."
Liches were classic: infinite respawns unless you smashed the Life Vessel.
Veteran demon-slaying playbook: kill till suicide.
"I bet 10 gold it offs itself in 100 kills."
"Even for a demon, 100's too much, right?"
"Wanna bet your life on it?"
"Wait, for real?"
The lich, surrounded by Windsors, quaked in terror.
'Right on plan.'
Everything flowing smoothly. Year-end evals? She'd crush first place.
Then Lude approached with a report.
"Sisilia, mana at about 5%. That last one was stronger than expected."
Lude's word magic scaled with the target's mana—subtract proportionally. Shitty mileage for a reason.
"How long for grimoire spells?"
Lude munched a mana herb. "Uh, 8%?"
"Hmm. Better pull back here, Lude. Link up with Betty."
"Got it."
He turned to leave, then paused.
"Sisilia, no overdoing it. Our losses are lighter than thought—no soloing Ashumar. Especially since—"
Lude looked down.
"Not a single one here lacks resolve to die."
Don't push to save others.
"Same for me."
"......No wonder Edward calls you 'ashen' or whatever."
Lude sighed.
"Know your worth. We other Windsors? Lose us, empire endures. But you dying here? Humanity's done. Your life ain't yours anymore."
As Lude left amid lich death rattles, Sisilia pondered.
This battlefield? Zero death flags from her view.
Simple reason for Lude's words: she was holding back.
'......Maybe just one-shot it this time.'
Truth was, this stage—built for Windsors—benefited her most. Not Demon King, just a Heavenly King. Even unsealing her true name...
Windsors weren't weak enough to die from fallout.
Plus Beatrice was here. Valhalla to shield others? Sisilia could unleash Heaven-Breaking Powerless Sword no problem.
Greyslam city? Gone, sure.
Point: she could overwhelmingly kill Ashumar.
'But wanna make it hurt.'
Sisilia didn't want quick. Betrayer of cute dragon—evil bastard.
But Lude's words stung. Family-like Windsors. Hated worrying them.
Yet that urge to smash the ugly thing brutally...
'Quick kill or torture? Tough call.'
As Sisilia mulled—
"Enough."
A heavy voice dropped. Windsors beating the lich senseless looked up.
Ashumar approached from nearby.
"......If you wanted a fight, you could've come out. No need for this."
He glared at Sisilia, furious. Ignored other Windsors.
As if she were the only enemy here.
"Pointless cruelty. That's how you earned 'Butcher' rep?"
"Four Heavenly King Ashumar."
Sisilia pointed her sword without hesitation.
"Death sentence for dragon murder."
"Try it."
Ashumar growled, aura surging murderously.
"Plan's on! Everyone, fall back from Sisilia!"
"Hurry! Wind Shear's got wide range!"
Windsors retreated in perfect order. Prepped plan—no hesitation.
"Hey! Don't just leave me!"
......Almost left the lich they'd been pounding, too. Quick-thinking knight doubled back, tucked it under arm, and bolted.
Sisilia smiled oddly at Ashumar.
"Not saving your precious allies?"
"Allies? Delusion."
Ashumar closed to point-blank. Sisilia didn't budge.
No caution even—that nonchalance hit Ashumar familiar.
Leisure. Confidence to handle anything.
"They're just chess pieces. Filled the empty castle."
"Lich'd be sad. Knows you chickened out, showed late."
Sisilia poked Ashumar's cheek.
He froze, uncomprehending.
"Coward."
"......"
Stimulating. His aura exploded uncontrollably.
"Expected sacred duel. Swear, no intent to kill your comrades. Just honorable fight with king-recognized strong."
Killing intent thickened.
Sisilia blinked. Why mad already?
"But now? No mercy. Kill you, comrades as cruelly as possible."
"How?"
Ashumar whipped around. Sisilia—gone from front, now crouched behind.
'Impossible.'
No presence at all. Absurd. He was a powerhouse—dragon-slayer. Miss a human's presence?
"Hm, pretty."
Sisilia stood, holding... a twig.
Common roadside branch.
Ashumar's face hardened. "......What's that?"
"Twig."
"Just to confirm."
Sisilia tucked one hand behind, gripped twig like a sword.
"......You plan to fight me with that?"
Sisilia nodded matter-of-factly. "Yes."
"Joking?"
"No."
Ashumar's voice trembled faintly—Sisilia puzzled. She was dead serious.
One-shot or torture Ashumar? Debating.
So she set twig down, braided her hair. Best for complex thoughts.
"......You dare think a mere twig can take me?!"
Sisilia repicked twig, genuinely baffled.
"But you."
Mere twig? Apologize to trees.
She was deigning to use a twig. Jahar subduing Maui was outlier—Ashumar or Aiden, same to her.
Pointing twig, beaming. "You're weak."
Ashumar snapped, charging full force.
Sisilia murmured blankly.
"Wind—"
Back in Terezia, develop cooler ultimate—
"Shear."
Launched her signature basic—bit shabby now, but iconic.