Chapter 54
Chapter 54
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>Translator: Vine
>Chapter: 54
>Chapter Title: A New Threat
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*Rumble…*
“Ah.”
It wasn't until I saw the thick cloud of dust rising from the collapse that I came to my senses. A gasp escaped my parted lips.
[Alright, then the next move is…!]
‘W-wait, stop!’
[What? Why?]
Just as it had promised, the Demon Sword immediately relinquished control of my body when I stopped it. I stared at the half-destroyed wall, the sword hanging loosely in my hand.
‘What do I do about this…?’
The thought ‘It's a place made for training, so it should be fine, right?’ clashed with ‘What if they make me pay for it?’
This was the kind of worry I'd had back in elementary school when I played baseball with my friends. Back then, I'd broken the window of a 98-story skyscraper (they said the ball bounced around like a bouncy ball and wrecked the inside of the apartment), and I'd even shot down an alien spaceship that was observing Earthlings.
Recalling how I'd handled things back then, I quickly found an answer.
‘Gargandoa, go back into the back of my hand for a bit.’
[But it was just getting fun…]
The Demon Sword whined but obediently followed my command. The blade turned a dark red, then dripped down like flowing blood. The blood-like sword swam through the air and was absorbed into the back of my hand. The sigil, which had been glowing faintly, instantly quieted down.
“Gasp…”
“Wh-what was that…”
I glanced around.
Slaves trembling on the floor, slaves staring blankly with their mouths agape, slaves who had dropped their swords and were just moving their lips silently.
All sorts of slaves were staring at the collapsed wall. I warily watched my surroundings and began to slowly back away.
‘Alright, let's use this chance to escape.’
In a gag world, it was a given that the last one left behind would take the fall. It was a scary world where the clueless one had to take all the responsibility.
I desperately muffled my footsteps as I slipped out of the training grounds.
‘I'm leaving the rest to you!’
I gave the remaining slaves a tearful farewell in my mind and quickly distanced myself from the training grounds.
***
‘N-no way. How am I supposed to kill a guy like that?’
A slave who had collapsed in the training grounds swallowed dryly, unable to control his trembling body. The slave recalled the words of the VIP client he had met recently.
‘He said he was just some punk with no real skill who relied on his weapon! H-how is that the skill of someone who just relies on their weapon?! A-and besides that, he said the weapon used to slaughter the monsters would be taken from the warehouse, so I shouldn't worry!’
The slave recalled the trajectory of Rian's sword swing just moments ago. The elegant arc of the blade, the sharp killing intent hidden within his clean movements. If he had been standing in front of him, he would have been the one split in two.
‘Dammit, I thought those guys were just talking nonsense…’
The slave remembered another slave he had met a while ago. He was a slave who had received the 'request to deal with Rian' before him.
At the time, it had been laughable to see that guy, who always walked around with his shoulders puffed out in confidence, shouting with a half-crazed look not to go near Rian.
He's just a guy who relies on his weapon, right?
He had scoffed inwardly but hadn't acted immediately. It wasn't just one or two slaves who had shown such a pathetic reaction. That's why the slave had decided to see Rian's skills with his own two eyes before making a move.
‘If I'd known he was that skilled, I never would have taken the request! No wonder they were paying so much for the job…’
The slave cursed repeatedly in his mind as he got to his feet. His legs were trembling.
‘I can't do it. I absolutely can't.’
Money was important, but his own life was the most important thing. Backing out of the VIP client's request would also be risking his life, but at least there would be some chance of survival.
The slave staggered out of the training grounds and headed toward the VIP client.
***
“Tsk…”
Sharp, piercing eyes, a face covered in wrinkles, a smooth, bald head.
The man the slave called the 'VIP client' sat on a luxurious sofa, tapping the floor with his cane, its round head held in both hands.
“What's so difficult about getting rid of one slave? I knew I shouldn't have entrusted the request to the small fry on the lower floors!”
His voice was that of a twisted old man, not at all pleasant to the ear. He tapped the floor several times with his wooden cane before stopping with a sharp *thud*!
He narrowed his eyes and licked his lips. He looked just like a frog that had spotted its prey.
“Still, he seems to be quite a worthy piece of prey… It might be fun to play with him myself.”
He grinned and shot up from the sofa. As the old man, who was a head shorter than an average woman, stood up, his shadow undulated. Tapping the floor with his cane, he left the room. His destination was the room of an acquaintance.
He had taken a room nearby, so he soon arrived in front of the room of his acquaintance, 'Totogen'. His shadow stretched out behind him, and a person suddenly emerged from it.
As if it were the most natural thing in the world, the person stepped one pace ahead of the old man and knocked.
*Knock, knock.*
Before a reply could be heard, the man returned to the old man's shadow. Not long after the knock, Totogen's servant opened the door.
The servant's face paled slightly upon seeing the old man, and he moved quickly.
“Yo.”
“What brings you here, Bansuk?”
Totogen greeted his acquaintance warmly upon seeing his face. The old man—no, Bansuk—tapped his cane on the floor as he approached the living room sofa and sat down across from Totogen.
“I hear you've found an interesting slave recently?”
“Hah…”
At Bansuk's words, Totogen let out a sigh, which was unlike him. Bansuk's lips twisted into a grotesque curve. In turn, his crowded wrinkles twisted along with them.
“As it happens, I'm also interested in him… Can you let me in on it?”
“You?”
“Yes. He looks mentally strong, which is just my type.”
Bansuk cackled and lightly tapped his cane on the floor. Totogen was silent for a moment.
Usually, when they desired the same slave, it was customary for the person who had targeted him first to play with him for a while before passing him on to the other as a gift. However, such cases were rare.
It was one thing to get bored and pass him on, but no one would want to give their toy to someone else just because the other person wanted it.
Therefore, unless they were of high status, the one who came later had to ask for the other's permission, just as Bansuk was doing now.
Honestly, Totogen wanted to play with Rian by himself until he died. But…
‘There's no other way.’
He had failed to kill him with hundreds of monsters and failed to have him fight a top-tier slave. On top of that, he had even failed to torment him directly. At this point, he had no way of breaking Rian.
Just then, Bansuk had shown up offering to help, making it difficult to refuse.
‘…Right, what I want is his despair anyway. Joining forces might not be a bad idea.’
Totogen looked at Bansuk, whose face was as unpleasant as his own.
Bansuk and Totogen had similar inclinations. Totogen enjoyed seeing the minds of innocent children break, while Bansuk liked to torture strong-willed humans, break them, and then train them.
It was because of these tendencies that the two had become friends so easily.
Bansuk's method of breaking a slave's spirit was too direct for Totogen's taste, but if it could break Rian's spirit, he no longer cared what method was used.
“Alright, let's do that.”
“Khehehe. A wise decision.”
Totogen and Bansuk joined forces to break Rian's spirit.
***
[Partner, how about this line for when we defeat an enemy? “Ah, this is the difference in our levels.”]
Where on earth does it learn lines like that?
I carefully observed the Demon Sword as it chattered excitedly. It was much more ornate than before and was radiating waves of red energy.
[Or how about saying this where you're holding the sword? “I won't move a single step from this spot. That's the only way we'll be on the same level!” What do you think? How is it?]
I stored the lines in my head, imagining a future, more mature Demon Sword rolling on the floor in embarrassment over its cringey past.
[Why no answer? Ah, is it because my lines are too cool? Of course, since I came up with them, they're bound to be impressive. But! If you don't practice properly, you won't be able to shout them out in an important situation. Let's practice quickly!]
I looked at the Demon Sword and thought.
‘Did it really eat something weird?’
As that thought crossed my mind, I found myself looking down at my own body.
‘…The Demon Sword has only ever drunk my blood.’
Does that mean the Demon Sword's growing chunibyo is my blood's fault?
‘Nah, it can't be.’