Chapter 286
Chapter 286
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 286
Chapter Title: Demon Sword Forging -2
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I dashed out with the group, tearing into Gordius.
"Why the hell did you build that thing into it!"
"I thought it had to be worth the money... Since it was meant to contain an evil spirit, I figured it needed a function to suppress the sword in emergencies. But I definitely set the thrusters to only activate via external signals..."
"Oh, ho...?"
"I thought it was a good idea. I'm sorry, Professor. I'll make full restitution."
Gordius looked utterly ashamed as he pulled a switch from his pocket. It was designed to control the demon sword's thrusters like an RC car.
For instance, if a human got possessed by the sword and started swinging it around, the rocket propulsion would slam it into the ground, rendering it unusable.
Click click.
But it wasn't working now. The demon sword seemed to be jamming the signal, blocking forced commands.
I'd thought he was nuts for slapping thrusters on a demon sword, but he actually had a solid rationale. It was just bad luck that a 1% possession spirit had taken hold—if it'd been a normal one, the safety measure would've worked fine.
Yeah, my fault for not casting the spell right. And if you ranked everyone by fault from top to bottom, the barrier-maker would be at the very top.
Aisha had once mentioned the barrier specs from Willow Leaf Workshop didn't match, but who knew that tiny superfan's slip-up would lead straight to the demon sword's escape?
I ground my teeth, glaring at the sword soaring far into the sky. It was flying ridiculously high. Was I really just going to stand here wide-eyed and let it go?
No.
The thrusters ran on external signals, and they were inside the demon sword. Like the remote session I'd shown to the embedded Roderus via Phase Shift, as long as there was a data pathway, I could do anything.
"Hand over the switch!"
"Y-Yes, Professor!"
If it was jamming signals, then just blast through with an overwhelmingly strong one.
I drew up mana, shaped it, and fired!
Pheeeew.
The radio waves disrupted it, and the wobbling demon sword in midair sprayed its thrusters vertically, plummeting straight down. Projected crash site: inside the academy!
Yuna gasped, worried.
"Th-That thing—if a student grabs it, won't that be bad?!"
"Nah, we sealed it properly, so it'll be fine. The thruster activation proves it. If its brainwashing was that strong, it'd have controlled one of us. A passing farmer might fall for it, though..."
Who am I? Professor in charge of 『Illusion Magic Countermeasures』.
I've thrown everything into teaching students how to avoid getting caught by hypnosis apps on the street—rigorously and entertainingly.
I lectured on solid mental barriers and ran drills. This generation's academy students have higher hypnosis resistance than any before—I guarantee it.
So I'm confident. They won't bend to the demon sword.
"If any academy kid I taught fell for it, I'd strip 'em naked and spank their ass."
No need for a live test on students, though. I cast a voice amplification spell, broadcasting a warning across the academy grounds: Something's falling from the sky—it's a demon sword, so keep your distance and don't touch it.
And when we arrived on scene...
"Grant me! Free time! Too!"
"Eek! Aaaah! The Lady's rewarding me!"
"How long! Do you plan! To follow me!"
"B-But Lady, assassins could appear even in the bathroom! So I, even if it costs my soul... Hiiik!"
...The Pure Princess was walloping her followers with the flat of the demon sword.
"...Gonna stop her?"
"......"
I had no choice but to stay silent at Yuna's question...
The Pure Princess hated the academy.
Classes were fun, there was satisfaction in growing stronger, and leading people through crises was thrilling—but despite all that...
"How dare they pass before the Lady without showing respect!"
"Lady, I borrowed money to buy these rare, nourishing herbs..."
"Where are you headed, Lady? I'll escort you to the ends of hell!"
"......"
...These clingy followers ruined it. They were sucking the joy out of academy life. She didn't even know why they were so obsessed with her.
Today, too, she was surrounded during morning tea time when something unidentified plummeted vertically from the sky?
Reading its mana flow, no need to evacuate. It'd land about three meters from the tea table.
"Something's falling! Protect the Lady!"
"Lady, I'll be your human shield!"
"......No need. That sword's trajectory is way off anyway."
The Pure Princess's prediction was spot on. The longsword dropped from the sky, stabbed harmlessly into the ground without hurting anyone.
This academy never had a peaceful day.
Those thrusters—only Gordius would stick them on a perfectly fine sword. Another weird invention gone wrong in testing?
Should return it. She stood, drew the crashed longsword.
"Lady! It could be dangerous!"
"It's fine. Looks like Gordius the mage's handiwork—he makes bizarre stuff, but never truly dangerous..."
Whisper whisper.
A murmur from the sword: Release the violence within you. A demon sword.
She narrowed her eyes. Demon sword forging was illegal and immoral. Gordius had zero taste in art, but he wouldn't make something like this...
If he did, time for a warning.
Crackle!
She flexed her power, easily blocking the whisper. She'd aced 『Illusion Magic Countermeasures』. The hypnosis waves were weak—child's play to crush.
At the same time, the mad professor's amplified voice echoed from afar.
Not Gordius acting alone, then.
...Bad enough to warrant a warning from that professor?
Followers started murmuring. If the Tentacle Labyrinth's mad prof was warning personally, maybe the Pure Princess would snap in an instant.
Nope. This didn't seem that powerful.
Then it hit her sharp mind like lightning.
This... was a chance to beat her followers?
Blame it on demon sword possession. She could act a bit out of character... totally fine. Pin it all on the sword.
And if she played the weak, controlled princess? Might cool their fanaticism a bit. Perfect plan.
Grip. Her hand tightened on the hilt.
"......"
"Lady...?"
Creak.
She acted possessed. Easy—just let the bottled-up rage flow free.
Like a feral chinchilla, she glared fiercely at her followers and raised the sword.
"You lot..."
"L-Lady?! Lady, are you oka—"
"At least let me use the bathroom alone—!!"
"Th-The Lady's been dominated by the demon sword!!"
And she whacked away.
Venting all her pent-up stress with gusto.
That was the full story of the Pure Princess Demon Sword Incident.
Crystal clear.
"That's acting, right?"
"...Huh?"
"Not possessed. Pupils are clear, she's controlling her strength while hitting people... Faking it."
"Then no need to spank the princess's butt either, huh, Mima? Disappointed?"
Say yes and she'll offer to do it herself. Yuri's attack patterns were getting predictable. Building resistance here.
But Selvia had none. She jumped an octave higher.
"Wh-What shameless talk is that?!"
"Lovers groping each other's rears is shameless? You're still so far behind, Selvia. Can't be choosy about methods when the latecomer's catching up."
"Urk...!!"
"Stay down there. We're about to reach the next realm—three becoming one."
It's bothering me.
What? How's three becoming one? Two haven't even... Wait, not what I'm thinking?
What next realm is Yuri talking about...?
"—Bothered?"
Fwoosh. Yuri whispered in my ear, blowing softly. Overwhelmed by her profound aura, I froze solid.
"...You definitely felt embarrassed before."
"Training."
Training, huh? Lately, Yuna and Yuri had vanished together sometimes—asked what, but they never told. That must be it.
"H-Hey, this isn't the time to flirt! Bro, we gotta clean up that mess first!"
"Nah... It's not real possession. Now that it's confirmed as acting, maybe let the princess rampage a bit longer before retrieving it?"
We had the control device locked tight—no escape.
Plus, Aisha was positioned on a rooftop across the way, waiting.
And as a bonus...
"Feels like something fun's about to happen if we wait."
"...Come to think of it, where's Gordius?"
Underground.
Needed to make amends.
Moral duty aside, it was about practical gains. The thruster was meant to help, but once the accident happened, intent didn't matter.
Customer complaints erode trust—and for a moneymaker, trust was gold.
Compensation... would be hefty. Giant golem dreams fading. Inevitable. But how far? Up to my effort.
To minimize payout, settle the demon sword fiasco quick.
Gordius melted into the earth. A spell turning contacting earth fluid like water, letting him swim through soil.
He approached right under the rampaging Pure Princess and erupted upward.
Whoosh!
"I'll take the demon sword, Lady!"
"Eek...!!"
Ground burst open as he emerged from below. He snatched the hilt from her grip while gathering mana in his other hand.
The mana targeted his own body. Before the sword could dominate him, bind himself immobile with 『Hands of the Earth』, then knock himself out with a head blow.
Even if possessed, it'd be helpless.
But the moment he seized the sword, he was shocked by how pathetically weak the mental waves were. This power... couldn't brainwash the Pure Princess?
Should just squash it with mana, right?
"......"
"......"
Gordius stared at her. She slyly averted her eyes. An awkward breeze passed between them.
He got it. She'd faked possession to beat her followers.
The bizarre silence amplified the crowd's murmurs. Did that pirate girl get possessed too? Nah, she looks fine—princess got hit but she didn't?
The princess blinked rapidly, proposing a deal. Silent exchange.
Negotiations done. Gordius swung the sword awkwardly in the air, starting his act.
"G-Gimme research funds! Invest heaps of gold! No funds, and I'll unleash terror..."
"The Golden Tower mage's possessed too! He's finally snapped over research greed!"
"Princess is off-limits, but we can just beat that guy's ass, right?"
"Her sacred body matters—his doesn't."
"......?"
Shed stood there taking hits from the princess, but who lets a male mage rampage unchecked?
The crowd drew weapons without hesitation.
Moments later.
The academy demon sword uproar ended early—thanks to brave students' group beating.