The Maou's Black Pain
What? The Maou. Even after all these long years, the title that still strikes terror across the continent. A thousand years ago from now. Someone who subjugated countless demons proclaimed himself the Maou and swept across the land.
Amid the slaughter of not just humans but demons who dared resist, there was one who stood alone against him.
"She was the first emperor of this Zadenbioum Empire."
Sibylius recited the history related to the Maou in a flat tone, as if lecturing to someone.
"Legend has it she was a half-blood between a red dragon and a human. Who knows if it's true, but seeing the imperial family—her descendants—it's clear they possess a special bloodline and the power derived from it."
The first emperor was the one who first fought the overwhelmingly powerful Maou on equal footing.
She ultimately succeeded in defeating the Maou and founded the empire with those who followed her. She and her subordinates also dealt with the Maou's lingering calamities and all sorts of dark legacies…
"One of them is right there in your hand: Black Pain."
Black Pain. The weapon the Maou used to slaughter countless souls, a demonic sword that concealed sinister dark power.
The first emperor, upon acquiring it, entrusted it to the founder of the Huferion family, who was among her followers at the time.
"Wasn't it kept sealed in a place known only to the family head and heirs, generation after generation?"
"Correct. It was sealed in a place known only to me and Seres."
"May I ask why you brought it here?"
Ares Huferion, the one Sibylius kept addressing, glared straight at her as she answered the question.
"To kill you."
"…You might actually be a perfect match for Arios, in a twisted way."
Sibylius spoke out of exasperation.
"Why kill me?"
"You pretending not to know? Hand over my Seres!"
"Seres isn't here right now."
Sibylius explained the situation as calmly as possible. She said his condition had worsened during confinement, so he was brought here for treatment before heading to the Arsen Kingdom.
"You expect me to believe that nonsense?!"
Ares dismissed it as a lie.
"The emperor threatened you to heal my collapsed Seres?"
"That's the truth."
"Don't make me laugh. If that were true, why send away Seres, whom she supposedly cherishes so much, to a neighboring kingdom?"
"Seres insisted on going, even if it meant pushing himself."
"Why the hell would a sick kid go to some kingdom he's never even heard of?!"
Ares, unaware of the full circumstances, saw it all as a ploy to deceive her.
"You're not giving straight answers after all. I'll kill you and find that child myself!"
"If you weren't going to believe me, why ask in the first place?"
The woman wielding the Maou's sword and the woman who could have become the Maou clashed amid their irritated back-and-forth.
Black Pain. A weapon that didn't appear in the original story. In the original, it was seized and taken to the imperial palace before it could be retrieved from its seal.
But thanks to Seres turning Huferion into an ally, Ares could wield the demonic sword unharmed—and it unleashed terrifying power!
It sliced right through my defensive magic.
Sibylius frowned as the magic she'd cast as a probe vanished before Black Pain.
As expected, that demonic sword is as troublesome as the rumors say.
Raising her guard even higher, Sibylius unleashed an attack spell this time. She aimed for the arm to make Ares drop the sword, but Ares didn't even dodge.
The moment the sharp magic struck, severing the tendons in her right arm—it healed on its own.
So it really does have the ability to regenerate its owner.
No point in trying to wound her enough to make her let go at this rate.
Sibylius reluctantly unleashed a barrage of other spells. She poured on a variety that would be hard to counter all at once—and then something astonishing happened.
The blade of Black Pain deformed freely, adapting to the magic.
This was another of Black Pain's abilities. Legend said the sword was forged from the body of a demon skilled in physical transformation—essentially a perfect weapon in the shape of a sword!
But
"Let's end this now."
No one wielding it who wasn't the true Maou could seriously harm Sibylius.
After exchanging blows for a while, she activated a new spell. White tendrils like ropes wrapped around Black Pain.
Ares tried to cut them immediately, but they wouldn't yield. It felt like hacking at tough fabric with a dull blade.
"What is this?"
"A suppression spell designed specifically for Black Pain."
"You made something like that?!"
"The emperors commissioned it."
No ruler fails to fear a subordinate wielding a dangerous weapon. They informed Sibylius about Black Pain and ordered her to develop a spell to counter it.
"I never imagined it'd actually be used. Now that you can't fight anymore, why not give up?"
"Don't make me laugh!"
Ares refused to yield. She drew her own original sword with her left hand, enveloped it in aura, and severed the binding spell on Black Pain.
What?
Sibylius was startled. The spell exerted its full power only against Black Pain, so it could be broken other ways—but she hadn't expected aura.
"Since when did you become a Sword Master?"
"To save Seres, I can do anything."
Did she seriously awaken just from her determination to rescue Seres?!
Should this be called great maternal love? Or something beyond obsession?
Sibylius felt admiration mixed with annoyance.
This makes suppression impossible. Since Seres could heal it anyway, should I just lop off her limbs?
Even if severing limbs might prevent Black Pain from regenerating them, she hesitated.
This woman is Seres's mother, after all.
She faltered, fearing Seres's reaction. Then—
"Stop!"
A familiar voice rang out to both women as a golden knight wedged herself between them.
Once I learned where Ares was headed, I rushed back there immediately.
After getting permission from the Arsen king, I borrowed their teleport gate. And enduring the humiliation, I let Arios—faster than me—carry me as we raced over.
We even left behind Hairel, who'd relayed the news, and sped there alone at top speed.
"Not too late!"
I jumped down from Arios's arms the moment I slipped in between the two at a perfect standoff.
"Mother, are you okay?"
"Seres?"
Ares stared at me in disbelief, as if she couldn't trust her eyes.
"You're really okay?!"
I calmed the agitated Ares.
"I'm fine. I sent word through the emperor—didn't you see it?"
"Word? You mean that letter that just said, 'Seres is doing well by my side'?"
"…."
"That's your idea of an update? I thought something happened to you!"
She told me to send word, but this is what she sends? Only then did I understand why Ares was so worked up.
"It's not wrong. I was by her side, and I was fine. But yeah, it was too abbreviated."
"So the emperor didn't defile you?"
"She didn't! You're too excited—calm down…."
As I tried to soothe Ares, someone grabbed my shoulder from behind and forcibly turned me around.
"I see your mother, but do I not get a look?"
It was Sibylius.
"You don't even spare me a glance and go straight to her."
"She's my mother—of course."
"Then what am I? What am I to you, after getting attacked by your mother through no fault of my own?"
"Sorry. You went through hell because of me."
"…Damn it!"
What did she want from me? She wouldn't accept my apology and just cursed. As she tried to press me again in frustration, she spotted two swords aimed at her and backed off.
"Let's stop this."
"Keep your hands off my child."
"…I lost my temper for a moment too."
She admitted she'd lost her reason to the threatening Arios and Ares and retreated.
There was a brief commotion, but things finally settled down.
"I'll talk to the emperor and ask her to let me go home."
Once the chaos calmed, I moved to resolve the root cause: freeing Viol from confinement. Even without Ares, I planned to ask to be sent back once I returned.
I couldn't keep staying in the imperial palace when I had a perfectly fine home.
But even after my explanation, Ares stubbornly refused.
"Seres, that woman can't be trusted. No need to say anything—just come home with me."
"The emperor will send troops to our territory."
"Then we'll leave. Just the two of us, to somewhere no one knows."
"She'll still chase me."
"Not my problem. I'll protect you forever—just come with me."
No, that's crazy. Why was she acting like this today?
I held back Ares, who seemed to have lost her composure.
"Mother's strong, but not enough to shake off the emperor's pursuit."
"Right now, I have this Black Pain."
Black Pain? First I'd heard of it.
She was referring to that weird sword she held, which didn't exist in the original story. Was this her trump card?
"Where on earth did you get this Black Pain thing?"
I asked out of simple curiosity at its bizarre appearance—and
"What?"
Ares froze, looking at me with a strange gaze.