Chapter 46
Chapter 46
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 46
Chapter Title: Open Heaven (2)
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Within the Imperial Army, if you were asked to name the most capable unit, the Capital Defense Force would undoubtedly rank among the top handful, no matter how you sliced it.
This was the army stationed where the Imperial Palace—the very heart of the Empire—stood. It would be strange if they weren't competent.
And because they were so capable, they could respond faster than anyone when an anomaly occurred in the capital.
“Grand Duke Chasefield. Thank you for your cooperation.”
Albert Major General, the commander of the Defense Command, offered a stern greeting to Lionel as he entered the command room.
If there was an anomaly in the capital, this man was the first one who needed to be called.
Excluding Dean Shea and the Hero at Cradle, he was the most trustworthy person in the Empire.
“No need to mention it. What's the situation?”
“Word has come from the Orthodox Church that a demon has been summoned in the Kagenov district of the capital. We're currently assembling a rapid deployment team.”
“...Those vile scum have finally caused trouble.”
There had been reports before of Devil Worshippers increasing their activities within the capital.
But no one expected them to brazenly summon a demon right in the middle of it.
“Where's the location?”
“Near the State Guesthouse.”
“...”
...Where his daughter was.
Lionel's expression hardened.
“—Sorry, but can you confirm the situation at that location?”
“We'll transmit it.”
When Lionel asked his adjutant, who was operating the tactical map, a video began playing within the massive round table in the command room.
A swarm of small Death Commanders blanketing the sky overhead. And within them, the forms of two demons moving about.
Lionel clenched his teeth as he identified what lay directly in their path of advance.
...They were heading straight for Gray.
“Commander. Sorry, but can we deploy for combat immediately?”
“I understand your feelings, Grand Duke Chasefield. But the enemy is demons. We need to formulate a careful response.”
“...”
...He was right.
The danger of demons was beyond imagination. Even he, one of the Empire's top martial artists, couldn't guarantee his survival if he charged in recklessly.
“I know family safety comes first. But trust her a little. Isn't she the Hero?”
“...Yes. Understood.”
Lionel replied, clenching his fist tightly.
She was stronger than him to begin with. Even against demons, she should be able to protect herself.
“For now, evacuate the personnel inside the State Guesthouse as quickly as possible. We can't save everyone, but we have to save who we can.”
“...S-Sir, Major General. The personnel inside the State Guesthouse have already been evacuated.”
A quick correction came flying in beside Albert, who was issuing stern orders.
“...”
Albert, momentarily stunned, cleared his throat and asked again.
“Who handled that...?”
“It was on the orders of the Gray Cardinal of the Orthodox Church, cooperating with the Hero!”
“...She was there. We've received great assistance.”
Albert smiled.
What a coincidence. In this dire crisis, to have such a reliable ally.
“Good. Then we can focus solely on demon extermination.”
Following Albert's orders, the adjutant manipulated the screen to zoom in near the State Guesthouse.
The Hero was visible in combat. Opposite her stood a demon, exuding an eerie presence even on the screen.
“—She's fighting a demon alone? A reckless decision—”
Before he could finish.
[Dieeeeeeeeeee-!]
Gray's sword strike, her forehead and eyes blazing with bloodshot veins, cleaved the demon in two.
“...Response eliminated.”
“...”
“...The Hero has successfully subdued the demon.”
“...”
“...”
An awkward silence spread through the command room.
It was fortunate, but...
They had been preparing for a one-on-one showdown with the demon on their end.
It was quite pathetic, having summoned even Grand Duke Chasefield to debate how to subdue it without casualties...
“As expected of the Hero. This makes things easier.”
Amid everyone's daze, Albert was the first to regain his composure and speak.
“But stay sharp. There's still one more left.”
Albert pointed to the other side of the screen.
“...This one's no pushover.”
To begin with, that side was the source of the Death Commander swarm blanketing the sky.
Even the Hero who dispatched a demon so easily had no guarantee of handling that one without issue.
In times like this, calm and rational orders took priority.
“Call in the deployment team. Send them there immediately to support the Hero—”
But once again.
Before his sentence ended, something happened.
A flash.
Light blazed from beyond the screen.
And simultaneously.
-...
-...!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
A massive explosion roared from beyond the screen, and the sound of all magitech observation equipment at that location shattering burst into the command room.
Amid faint screams here and there, wide-eyed Albert bellowed like thunder.
“Report! What happened!”
“M-Magitech core overload! A massive mana explosion detected at that location!”
“...What?!”
If it was worthy of being called a 'mana explosion,' it wasn't firepower a single human could produce.
The natural conclusion was.
“That demon...! Far stronger than it appeared...!”
“...Not the demon side.”
“......What?”
At the adjutant's report, pieced together from hastily reconnecting equipment, Albert blankly retorted.
“...Demon response eliminated. The mana explosion was a single strike fired from the State Guesthouse toward the demon.”
“...”
A heavy silence fell over the room.
What was this?
“...Did you check the equipment properly?”
“...I understand, Major General, but it's not a malfunction.”
Machines maintained through days of all-nighters wouldn't fail so easily.
How poorly checked could they be for everything to blow at once?
Albert fell silent at his adjutant's voice, laced with grievance.
After a long silence, he clutched his throbbing head and spoke.
“If that's the case, then tell me.”
Staring at the screen crackling back to life, Albert Major General continued in a voice drained of reality.
From the State Guesthouse side, the residual mana stretched long toward the sky, entering the screen.
High.
Stretching high into the sky.
Like a massive pillar erected toward the heavens, multiple rings extending endlessly as if to split the blue sky in half.
It even felt majestic.
“—What the hell is that?”
“The most reasonable answer is.”
Even the adjutant replied in a dazed voice.
“It's the remnant trace of the attack aimed at the demon.”
“...Was there a tactical weapon nearby, Adjutant?”
“I don't think we'd place something like that inside the capital, Major General.”
If so, then that was...
The 'aftermath' of a human-wielded attack.
...There was no other answer.
“......”
“......”
An even heavier silence than before descended on the room.
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To cut to the chase.
The moment I unleashed the strike that smashed the demon, I lost consciousness.
“...”
Carlyle stared silently at the pristine white ceiling.
Hmm.
I remember the demon splitting in half from the Hero's strike, but then I blacked out immediately after, so no memories beyond that.
[...Weakling.]
“Shut up.”
How many humans could withstand unleashing your attack?
Groaning, he sat up and fumbled for the Holy Sword.
[The demons have all been exterminated. Cardinal Felix brought you here.]
“...Yeah, surviving that wouldn't make sense otherwise.”
[It was nothing much. Felt like my edge had dulled from not swinging in a while.]
“...”
Ah, I see.
Carlyle gave a wry smile.
Well, but that attack confirmed it for sure.
In this world teeming with superhumans, this one was on another level entirely.
“But what was that?”
[Hm?]
“You came into my body and said something weird.”
I remembered our bodies overlapping, reciting some line against my will.
Like an activation phrase for the Holy Sword?
[Felt good, didn't it? Saying stuff like that pumps me up—it's a habit in battle.]
“Huh?”
[You can say it was cool. I put thought into crafting those lines.]
“...”
...And that was why for that pointless line?
“...It wasn't particularly cool.”
[...]
The Holy Sword fell silent.
The transmitted silence suggested it was quite shocked.
“To begin with, it only lasted 3 seconds—you nearly wasted it all on that weird line.”
[W-Weird-? That's harsh.]
“No, why bother with flashy theatrics mid-battle?”
[...]
“From now on, let's keep it efficient. Okay?”
[......]
The Holy Sword sent up a noticeably sullen silence.
From its demeanor, it genuinely thought it was cool.
[...Can't reason with a philistine.]
“...”
[Wait and see. Next time, I'll craft a line that stirs your heart too—]
“If I say no, then no.”
...The scarier part was it showed no signs of giving up.
Anyway.
“Hero, any side effects?”
It was our first mental fusion. Needed to check for issues.
[...Nothing distinct. It's only connected for 3 seconds—what danger could there be? For now, at least.]
“For now?”
It sounded like problems might arise later.
[When I entered your body and our minds linked, I felt... something risky.]
“Risky how?”
[Like we'd scrape bare every secret we want to hide.]
“...”
[We might learn each other's memories down to the bedrock. Not sure about losing identity from merged consciousness, but that's a possible side effect right away.]
“That sounds... really bad.”
[...Agreed.]
What to say.
Spilling my entire past to her?
All the embarrassing and hidden stuff?
I'd rather die. Same for Gray, probably.
“...Let's reserve fusion for true emergencies only?”
[Hm.]
Carlyle and the Holy Sword sighed in unison after the agreement.
[Well, different angles, but it still feels plenty urgent now.]
“...Huh?”
[How do you plan to explain wielding humanity's strongest sword to the others?]
“...”
[The me from this timeline is furious, and the Gray Cardinal has tons of questions.]
...Right.
Cleanup starts now.
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-System Message
▶ Main event ‘Twin Jesters’ has been completed.
▶ Combined event for target ‘Gray’ and target ‘Felix’ is awaiting.
▶ Relationships will change based on your choice!
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