Chapter 61
Chapter 61
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 61
Chapter Title: Oculeus Levant
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61
4
We'd set out early in the morning, but it was deep into the night by the time we reached the outskirts of Segorian.
The sun had set hours ago, leaving the surroundings pitch black.
The only saving grace was the torchlight illuminating Segorian, serving as our guide.
"...This is bad."
Segorian in the dimness was a wasteland.
Most buildings with red-tiled roofs were half-collapsed.
Not a single intact structure was in sight, and the air reeked of blood.
Suppressing the rising nausea, I urged my horse toward Segorian.
"Where's the Demon Guardian?"
-Can't see it.
Whether it had finished its business nearby and moved on, or was already dead...
Either way, I headed toward the light to assess the situation.
It seemed to be the guard barracks, as several heavily armored guards spotted me and blocked my path.
"Halt!"
Neigh!
I calmed my horse before it could rear up.
As I carefully dismounted, one guard holding a torch approached me.
"Who are you? Actually, who you are doesn't matter. Segorian is currently sealed off due to collapse risks. Turn back."
The eyes visible through his helmet were bloodshot with fatigue.
His armor bore significant scratches.
City guards, whose main duty was maintaining order, rarely ended up with armor that battered.
"I've come at Young Master Drei Hoyman's request."
Just in case, I presented the letter from Drei I'd brought along.
Confirming the wax seal of the Hoyman Viscount family, the guard immediately saluted with a fist to his chest.
"My apologies! Young Master Agrit! I'm Diego, a guard here!"
"I understand given the circumstances. Diego. First... could I hear the current situation?"
"Normally, no, but since you've come at Young Master Drei's request, I'll tell you. This morning, an unknown magic circle activated, and unidentified monsters appeared. The guards engaged, and we successfully exterminated them."
"Casualties..."
"...We estimate about 20 residents and guards sacrificed when the magic circle activated. Evacuation was swift during the subjugation, resulting in 19 minor injuries, 3 serious, and no deaths."
"Fortunate amid misfortune."
I looked around Segorian again.
Compared to the apocalyptic cityscape, 22 injured was indeed light damage.
However, thinking of those sacrificed to activate the magic circle twisted my gut.
The chances they were all precursors... were slim to none.
More likely, all were caught up and absorbed when it activated.
Incantations and gestures enhance a magic circle's power and effect but aren't essential.
Since runes were used, it was structured to activate with a certain amount of sacrifices.
...Getting cold about it.
Assessing the situation comes first now.
I rubbed my dry face and shook my head.
"Where's Young Master Drei?"
"He's resting in the barracks after the battle. I'll guide you."
Diego grabbed a torch and started walking toward the opposite side of the village.
I silently led my horse by the reins and followed.
5
"Theo...!?"
Opening the barracks door, Drei—who'd been leaning back in a chair—sprang up like a spring.
"Why are you here...?"
"Your letter got returned, so I got worried."
Drei covered his eyes with his hand, unable to speak.
Having been through a brutal battle, his sparkling blond hair was filthy, as was his entire body.
He'd used quite a bit of mana too; when he lowered his hand, his eyes looked exhausted.
Being slighter in build than me, he seemed like he'd topple with a nudge.
"...Ahem. Father, this is Theo Agrit, young master of the Agrit Count family."
Clearing his throat, Drei introduced me to the middle-aged man beside him.
A sharp, snake-like man with neatly combed short blond hair nodded.
The scar slashing across his left golden eye... didn't look fresh from today.
"Severus Hoyman."
"It's regrettable to meet under these circumstances, Viscount Hoyman."
"Likewise. Of all times, this disaster prevents me from properly welcoming the guest my son often mentions."
"W-When did I ever...!"
So you've been talking about me at home, Drei.
No idea what you said, but...
"I just heard you came out of worry. Thank you. But this is something our territory can handle on our own. Spare us the unnecessary concern."
Brushing off Drei's flustered outburst, Severus added calmly.
Does he see my visit not as personal but as the Agrit family's maneuvering?
This is why noble society is...
"I understand your concerns. However, I'm here not as a representative of the Agrit family, but simply because I was worried about a friend."
"Ahem! Friend...? We're merely collaborators for research purposes..."
Drei's mouth twitched as his eyes darted around.
Acting like you don't like it when you do.
Drei had no talent for acting.
"My mistake. Will you accept my apology?"
"Yes, it's understandable."
I nodded to Severus.
Meanwhile, an dissatisfied voice echoed in my head.
-Enough with the stuffy formalities. Go check the bastard's corpse! Now!
"...Could I see the monster's body?"
"What do you intend?"
"I have some knowledge of magic. Maybe I can help somehow."
Drei nodded eagerly beside me.
No, you know I don't know shit about magic...?
"I see. This way."
Severus led the way to the back of the barracks.
In the empty clearing lay a massive monster.
Like a gorilla drawn viciously, painted red, with sharp horns and a tail added.
Anyone could tell it was a monster just by looking.
However, its lifeless eyes felt fundamentally different from what I'd seen in the dimensional rift.
Not just the difference between life and death—something more primal.
-As expected, a Demon Guardian.
Tch, I'd hoped it wasn't the right answer.
With the Demon Sword's confirmation... denial would just be escapism.
Demon, demon...
An enemy that never appeared directly in Broken World.
Unknown strength, unknown countermeasures.
Without an information edge, no strategy possible.
At least Deathwise knows about demons well...
"It was quite powerful. We had to deploy several mid-tier spells to suppress it. If it were just the guards, the front line would've collapsed. Even a knight might struggle one-on-one... But Father commanded well, so we held without casualties."
Drei explained proudly.
That's fortunate, but no time to reply.
I wanted to predict the precursors' goals and next moves factoring in the demon variable.
I formed various hypotheses, but the demon variable was too big for accurate prediction.
How much would canon deviate, could we even follow canon—speculation swirled, dizzying my head.
"...You okay?"
"Just thinking a lot. I'm fine."
"Good... No, I wasn't worried about you. If something happened to you, my research..."
"I know."
Drei's thoughts really are easy to read.
If the precursors and demons were all like Drei, things would be so much easier.
Suddenly, beyond Drei—who was rapid-firing self-justifications—the Demon Guardian's corpse began to twitch.
Like filled with gas, its body swelled.
Everyone recoiled at the sudden anomaly.
"What is it? It looks like it's gonna burst...!"
-Good instincts, kid. That thing's gonna explode.
"Tell me that first!"
The Demon Sword always drops the important stuff last!
I immediately scattered mana.
Sending it as far as possible, I swapped coordinates with the Demon Guardian.
As a massive amount of mana drained, the corpse dropped onto a distant plain.
BOOM!!
It exploded simultaneously.
Despite the distance, the shockwave shook the ground.
The gust nearly bowled me over.
I barely held by stabbing the Demon Sword into the earth.
"Damn..."
If that had blown up close by, barracks or not—nothing left.
Chilling dread suppressed my mana depletion aftereffects.
"To think you'd teleport it away to dodge the explosion... Pity, but at last, we meet."
An archaic male voice came from thin air.
Reflexively, everyone present looked up.
Bathed in moonlight, it stood in midair.
Disheveled navy hair draped over pallid skin devoid of any life or blood.
Its red eyes, glowing with eerie light, haughtily overlooked all below.
The luxurious attire and cloak gave a noble impression at first glance, but the single asymmetrical horn jutting from the right side and the tail extending from behind his waist betrayed his inhumanity.
-Be careful. It's a demon.
The Demon Sword whispered.
At that moment, the demon's red eyes flashed wildly.
"Urk...!"
"Hah, heuk...!!"
Everyone froze in place.
Crushed by the demon's presence, breathing was impossible.
Even I stiffened rigidly, but... quickly returned to normal.
Must be the Demon Sword's power.
"Long time no see, Deathwise. Surely you haven't forgotten who I am—Oculeus Levant."
-Ah, Debri's son. Still alive? Should've lopped your head off instead of just scarring that left eye.
At the Demon Sword's words, Oculeus touched the long scar on his left eye.
A bit deeper, and it would've been fatal.
Wait, more importantly, why can you converse?
The Demon Sword speaks in my head.
-Quiet. This blade slays ten thousand demons, has cleaved countless of their kind—conversing with one is natural.
No, it's not natural at all.
But arguing logic is pointless.
Just continue, Demon Sword.
"This scar still throbs. But fortunate. Thanks to it, we've grown stronger. For eternal ages, we've honed ourselves for revenge on our slain kin. And now, we can finally avenge ourselves on you, once called a calamity. What greater joy?"
-Talkative as ever, Oculeus. You nearly died babbling before this blade, yet no growth. Should've killed you then—no such mess.
"No, even if I'd died, others would avenge me. One dead, kill two. Two dead, kill four. Clan massacred, massacre the race. That's our demonic way."
Planning a chain of hatred?
-No point talking to the unreasonable. Wastes breath. Fine—how'd you know I awakened?
"As a final gift. A follower of the God of Peace witnessed it. Plus, you devoured the Prankster Demon and your old foe, my father the Illusion Demon's remnants—how could we not know?"
Follower of the God of Peace.
Otherwise known as precursors.
The only precursor to recognize the Demon Sword so far... was Anirzer.
-Puzzle pieces fit, huh.
"...Yeah, more or less."
Ultimately, my existence started all these variables.
-Thinking later. Slay this arrogant demon first.
"Hah! Slay, you say? Excessive hubris. You're not your former self, Deathwise. A sealed, weakened blade protecting frail humans—think you can beat me!!"
-Arrogant one's you, Oculeus Levant—one of forty-four spawn of the Illusion Demon, Predator of the Crypt. No need for peak power against your level.
"Let's verify. If I slaughter everyone here before your eyes, that proves it?"
Madness laced his sharp question.
My heart sank at Oculeus smirking with a tilted head.
In that instant, a fully armored knight charged bravely at Oculeus.
Awakened by mortal peril, or mind paralyzed by fear—unclear.
But he chose to fight valiantly instead of fleeing.
Without even glancing, Oculeus casually whipped his tail.
Stab! Slash!!
Oculeus's demonic energy erupted from the ground, turning into long, sharp thorns that pierced the knight's body.
No chance to block—the knight, turned into a pincushion, collapsed spewing blood.
Oculeus licked his lips with a smile.
"Already one down?"
Grit. My teeth ground.
I gripped the Demon Sword's hilt tighter.
"Hey, Deathwise."
-Stay calm, fool. Head hot, you lose winnable fights.
"I'm calmer than ever now."
Oculeus is no foe to underestimate.
My animal instincts rang alarms.
Thanks to it, no hot blood rushes.
On death's doorstep, I purely analyze self and enemy.
-Still got talent, kid. Wanted to train you more, but... borrowing your words, no choice. Real combat's the best training—not bad.
Hum. Red runes floated on the Demon Sword's surface.
And under the pale moonlight, the Demon Sword and demon clashed as one.