Howl, Infernal Heavenly Demon Sword

The next morning, warm sunlight spilled through the window. I opened my eyes to the sensation of soft flesh pressing gently down against my torso.

"Nnh..."

When I turned my gaze, a cascade of dazzling silver hair filled my vision. Beneath it lay features of otherworldly beauty, and a naked body built to stir a man's deepest hunger. Lucy was still fast asleep, pressed flush against my side, her breasts mashed firmly into my chest.

She must be exhausted. I was too rough with her.

I stroked her hair with unexpected tenderness, last night's passion rising unbidden in my mind. Her confession — that she loved me — had left me with a feeling I could scarcely put into words. In all the time since I had transmigrated into this world, had anyone ever said those words to me? And coming from Lucy, who had never been one to show her feelings, they had sunk all the deeper into my chest. I had been so unbearably aroused that I had claimed her body again and again, biting and sucking and thrusting into her like a beast, until we had finally fallen asleep with our ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠lips still locked together.

"Mmh..."

Lucy stirred with a cute little mumble of sleep-talk, rolling closer and pressing those heavy breasts even more firmly against me. The sight of that obscenely sensual body sent the blood rushing straight back to my cock.

Easy. Easy now.

At this rate the damn thing would never get a day off. Living every day drowned in sex wouldn't be the worst life — but I had work to do. After giving my tirelessly eager cock a stern talking-to, I pressed a light kiss to Lucy's forehead and carefully sat up.

A rustle of sheets.

"Master...?"

"Ah. I woke you."

"Not at all. I ought to have risen first..."

Lucy sat up with a still-sleepy expression and rubbed her eyes. She really was beautiful even first thing in the morning, the instant she opened her eyes. More than that, though, I felt a twinge of guilt for waking her when she had been sleeping so soundly. I leaned in and brushed a light peck against her lips.

A soft little sound.

"Ah...♥"

"If you're tired, go back to sleep. We've got a little time to spare."

"I am grateful for your consideration. However, I cannot permit myself to be idle while Master is already awake."

"Mm. Then let's wash up and get ready to leave. I've got things to take care of once we're back at the mansion."

"Understood. However."

"Hm?"

Lucy bit her lip and trailed off, leaving the rest hanging. Why did she always have to leave a man hanging like that? I was about to ask what she wanted to say when she opened her mouth first.

"...Would it be acceptable if I were to wash your body for you?"

She was burning with embarrassment, and yet, as always, she was eager to serve. I said nothing, letting my eyes travel over the body she had left uncovered by the sheets. Her breasts and thighs were covered in red bite marks that stood out vividly against that snow-white skin, and when I drew a breath, a thick, musky scent of a woman well-used rolled off her.

I had held myself back through all of that. How?

Grrr. To hell with it.

Cock already swollen hard and ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠straining, I scooped Lucy up into my arms.

"Ah."

"Then let's go wash up together."

"Yes. Master...♥"

Lucy answered with a face steeped in happiness. In the end we went at it once in the bath, once after we got out, and once more while we were getting dressed. Only after three more rounds did we finally leave the inn. Inside the carriage bound for the mansion, just before we pulled away, it hit me.

"Ah."

I had forgotten the Heavenly Demon Sword.

"Oh, for heaven's sake. You got so caught up railing a woman that you forgot your precious sword? ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Don't you think that's a little much?"

"Look, I said I was sorry."

"Hmph."

After riding the carriage back from the commercial district to the mansion, I went alone to the Aura training grounds with the Heavenly Demon Sword in hand and dutifully sat through her sulking. Honestly. To think I had been so lost in Lucy's body that I had walked out and left the sword in the room. Having to soothe an Ego Sword was a pain, but a blade with specs like hers had earned the right to throw a little tantrum, so I let her vent.

I sent a Sound Transmission in the gentlest tone I could manage.

"How about you let it go now? If I'm going to use you in the battles ahead, I need to get familiar with you first. I'd like to start training, so work with me here."

"Hmm. Fine. Then do me one favor."

"A favor?"

"That's right. Don't tell me you're thinking, 'What kind of nerve does a mere sword have, asking for favors?'"

"Of course not. Go on. What do you want?"

"Fill me up with your mana. Stuff me completely full."

What the hell was this now? I was struck speechless, convinced she was launching into another round of dirty talk without so much as pausing for breath. She seemed to read the meaning in my silence, because she hurried to explain.

"Wait. Hear me out. Ego Swords are blades that grow, right? And you know the resource an Ego Sword needs to grow is mana?"

"I do. I read it in a book once. An Ego Sword consumes its wielder's mana and steadily raises its rank."

"You know your stuff. So before we start training, I want you to fill me with your mana. I need it to grow, sure — but communing with you by taking in your mana matters just as much."

Ah. So that's what this was about.

I had wondered what she was on about, but there was an actual reason. I nodded along and answered.

"Understood."

"And honestly, last time, when your mana packed itself into my deepest places... it felt really good. Heheh."

I swallowed the urge to hurl the sword across the grounds. The little addendum at the end grated, but I did need to pour mana into her if we were going to grow together. Setting aside the matter of communing with a masochistic pervert of a sword whose idea of conversation was nonstop innuendo — I was curious what form the Heavenly Demon Sword would take if she kept absorbing my mana. In the original story, some Ego Swords rose so high in rank that they could even Polymorph. What would become of this one?

I pushed the stray thought aside, planted my feet firmly, and wrapped both hands around the Heavenly Demon Sword. I gripped it tight. The early-summer sun, already growing fierce, poured its heat down from overhead. In the sweltering air of the training grounds, I closed my eyes and focused every sense on the blade.

Mana began to stir and flow.

"Oh my. That again?"

The Heavenly Demon Sword spoke the moment she felt my mana move. Yes. That again. Nothing poured mana in faster. Without answering, I invoked my Authority and wrapped the Heavenly Demon Sword in dozens of Invisible Hands. Dozens of channels now ran between us. Then, just as I had in the basement of the weapons shop, I drove my mana through every last one of those channels and flooded her with it.

Mana surged forth in a torrent.

"Hnnnnaaahhh!"

The blade shuddered violently as mana raced down my arms and poured into the sword, and the Heavenly Demon Sword let out the filthiest sound I had ever heard. Why did a sword make noises like a person? The thought crossed my mind unbidden. She was this bad in blade form — what if her rank rose high enough for her to Polymorph? In the original story she had been destroyed by Luke before her rank could climb, so I had never found out. Had I pulled something far more dangerous ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠out of that basement than I realized?

Enough. Quit wandering and focus.

If I let myself get hung up on every little thing, I would never last as an Ego Sword's master. It would work itself out. Swearing I would not flinch no matter whether she moaned like a woman or squealed like a sow, I kept diligently pouring mana into her.

The stream of mana poured on without pause.

"Hnnnns... W-wait...!"

"What is it."

"Something feels weird right now!"

"A weird feeling?"

I had been pouring mana for a full hour. Sweat was just starting to bead on my forehead when the Heavenly Demon Sword spoke into my mind in a sudden rush. Was she about to launch into another round of dirty talk? I answered in a dry, cold tone.

"Given the sounds you've been making this whole time, I'd say weird is your default."

"No! This is different! It feels like a shell is about to peel off!"

She protested as if she had been genuinely wronged. Could it be? Was she about to awaken, her rank climbing a full step? It seemed a little fast even for a first awakening. A question mark hung in my mind — and then, thinking it over, I realized why she had reached it so quickly.

Come to think of it, I dumped an absurd amount of mana into her in that basement too.

I remembered driving mana straight into her core to suppress the demonic energy she carried. To think it would pay off like this. You really never could tell how things would turn out.

And then the Heavenly Demon Sword's black blade began to melt.

The steel ran like ink.

"W-what the!?"

"Hey. You all right?"

"Wait...! I think I know what this is. The mana I absorbed is raising my rank, and the vessel holding my ego is trying to change shape!"

"Uh. The sword is still melting, though? Are you sure you're okay?"

"I don't know! It's not like I understand all of this either!"

Her cry echoed through my mind. Sensing that something was seriously wrong, I cut off the supply of mana at once — but she kept melting. The Heavenly Demon Sword ran like spilled ink and seeped into the shadow at my feet.

What the fuck was going on?

I was thoroughly rattled, but there was nothing useful I could do. For now, all I could do was hope she was right — that this was the process of her rank rising. Time passed. Blade, hilt, everything melted away completely. I stared at my empty hands and cast a Sound Transmission into the space around me.

"Hey. You there?"

Silence.

"If you're there, answer me."

Silence.

I sent the transmission again and again, but no reply came. Only the occasional cry of a bird broke the quiet of the training grounds.

...Had I actually just completely fucked this up?

Something was off. I could clearly sense the Heavenly Demon Sword's energy nearby. I scanned my surroundings — and an old saying drifted through my mind.

The darkest place is under the lantern.

What you are looking for is often closer than you think. Recalling the wisdom of my ancestors, I stared down at the shadow the early-summer sun had thrown at my feet. And then, for the first time in a long while, a message rang through my mind.

"...What is this?"

I turned the messages over in my mind, thrown completely off balance. Store the sword in my shadow and summon it at will? The form conversion from the Ego Sword's awakening must have resonated with one of my own traits. And when I reached for the Heavenly Demon Sword's energy, I could feel that she was bound to me far more deeply than before.

An unexpected windfall. Who would've thought a sword that does nothing but spout dirty talk would turn out to be such a devoted little daughter-blade.

The ability looked useful at a glance, and the corner of my mouth lifted on its own. That said — it had told me to give her a new name for summoning. The joy of the Heavenly Demon Sword's awakening faded as I found myself staring down at the homework the message had assigned.

A name...

What about the Infernal Heavenly Demon Sword? I would say, "Howl, Infernal Heavenly Demon Sword," and the blade would appear.

Mm... no. Thinking it over again, that was a little much.

Then the Heavenly Demon Divine Sword? Not bad, but it was missing something.

I rubbed my chin, sinking deeper into thought — and the voice that had been ringing so noisily through my head came back to me. A voice as alluring as a woman's. If a sword could have a gender, she would unquestionably be female. In that case, shouldn't the name suit her?

I turned over one name after another that might fit. Some I simply did not like. Others did not suit the Heavenly Demon Sword at all. I kept turning them over, and then—

A name drifted through my mind like a breeze.

What about this one? She would probably like it...

Well, if she didn't, what was she going to do about it? If she had a problem, she could try being the master instead. Still, as far as I could tell, she would definitely be pleased.

I finished my brief deliberation. On the training grounds, where a deep shadow lay stretched across the earth, I looked down at the long darkness reaching out from my own body. I parted my lips and spoke the Heavenly Demon Sword's new name, softly, under my breath.