Let's Start With That
Let's Start With That
The first thought I had when that bastard spoke.
My life was completely screwed now.
I was already fucked because of the Demon's Blood, but it looked like I'd just gotten fucked one layer deeper.
Because the word "Manifestor" had popped out of his mouth. With the stream on, no less.
Of course, I spun up a little hopium for a moment.
Maybe what he said didn't make it onto the stream? Maybe the viewers couldn't hear him because they were too far away?
[Manifestor? What's that?]
[Is it edible]
[It's not lmao]
[Wait, you can just look it up online anyway]
But as if to tell me to drop those expectations, the reactions in the chat window popped up right away.
They didn't seem to know the word "Manifestor" itself yet, but it was only a matter of time before they figured it out. Given how Otherworlders worked, that information was bound to spread like wildfire.
I let out a long sigh.
"Hoooh..."
I thought I'd kept it well hidden all this time, but it finally blew up.
Granted, it had been touch-and-go all along. The number of people coming into the forest kept increasing, and the cave where I lived wasn't completely sealed tight, either.
Still, I never expected it to be exposed so fleetingly.
"Ah, our Otherworlder guest doesn't seem to know the word 'Manifestor'? In that case, allow me to explain it specially."
But my heart was calmer than I expected. I'd thought my chest would be pounding from the anxiety.
If anything, there was a strange sense of liberation. Like peeling off a layer of ill-fitting clothes I'd been wearing all this time.
Of course, thinking about what was to come gave me a headache, but in this moment, right now, it was almost refreshing.
Probably because I'd always been thinking about it.
That eventually, my secret would be found out by people and exposed to the entire world.
From the moment my existence was revealed, it had been a bomb waiting to go off someday.
Thanks to that, I'd actually been able to prepare myself mentally.
Whatever the case, the situation had already happened. When something can't be reversed, it's better for your sanity not to cling to it.
So the first thing I should do right then was solve the problem in front of me.
"A Manifestor is, simply put, someone who bears our Demon's Blood. The demon's flesh and blood you all so detest. People whose very existence can bring disaster upon you!"
Even while I was thinking this, the bastard was in the middle of giving a grand speech.
He looked oddly delighted as he exposed someone else's secret. As if to prove he was a demon spawn, the bastard seemed to have something twisted in his character.
Shiiick—!
Without a word, I readied an attack.
Just in a slightly different way this time. My cover was already blown. In that case, there was no need to hide my abilities.
I pulled back the Sword Aura sheathing my spearhead.
Regrettably, I couldn't use my ability and Sword Aura at the same time.
Instead, I could coat it with something far more efficient.
Slit—
I cut my own palm on the spear tip. Blood oozed out from where the wound formed.
But the blood didn't drip to the ground; it coiled around the spear point just like that. A cold red light reflected in the sunlight, entering my vision.
This was a power that could crumple even a sword coated in Sword Aura like a sheet of paper.
Its durability went without saying, and honed properly, its sharpness could rival obsidian.
Even this bastard wouldn't be able to ignore it completely.
With that, the spear surged toward him.
"Hm?"
His reaction was a little slow.
Maybe because he'd been busy giving a grand speech to the viewers, his barrier materialised later than before.
He must have read my thoughts to some extent, after all.
So I hazarded a cautious guess.
'Does this reading thing have limits?'
For example, maybe he could only read one person at a time. Or only fragments.
It was a plausible thought.
Even while I was making that guess, the attack kept advancing.
His reaction was a bit delayed, but the bastard did manage to raise his barrier.
Just like before, a barrier made of mana blocked my path. But the result would be a little different this time.
Crrrack—!
Soon a sound that shouldn't have come from the barrier echoed out. Instead of a clear ringing note, it was the sound of something breaking.
Shulk—!
Then the sound of fabric—of flesh—being pierced. The spear didn't stop at breaking the barrier; it went on to tear through the bastard's skin.
"Kgh...!"
The bastard's expression, composed until now, twisted for an instant.
Thud. One of his ears dropped to the ground. Blood thick with Demonic Energy streamed onto the dirt.
I grinned and said,
"Now your face is finally worth seeing."
"L-Lord Dantalion...!"
"What in the...!!"
Horror spread across the faces of the cultists behind him. The chat window, glimpsed in my periphery, was scrolling at an unreadable speed.
I didn't bother paying it any more attention.
The bastard had let his guard down and given up a move, but just because that landed didn't mean I could afford to get careless.
He was called a mighty demon, after all. The kind who'd been rated the most troublesome of all the ones who'd descended so far.
"Ho, hoho... I took a hit there, didn't I."
Look at this son of a bitch. His scowl lasted only a moment before he reclaimed that vile smile of his.
Soon his attack came flying again.
Five or six black spears, just like the ones from before. Spears materialising out of thin air were certainly threatening and powerful.
I'd confirmed them, so I could dodge them.
But my hand had already been revealed.
I decided to act the way I always had.
Sink, shunk!
Instead of twisting my body excessively to evade, I permitted a certain number of hits.
Shuk—blood seeped from where the spears grazed past. I didn't even let it spill, gathering it all onto the spear tip.
Injuries didn't matter. No, they were actually good. They became fuel to strengthen the next strike.
Of course, this came with side effects, but something like enchanting a weapon was perfectly manageable.
Regrettably, this attack wasn't a thrust. My stance was too unstable for one.
Instead, I brought the spear down in a great vertical slash.
Shiick!
In an instant, the blood coalesced into a form well-suited for cutting. From its exterior, it almost resembled a shaped guandao. Soon my attack met the bastard's barrier once more.
Crrrack—!
This time, too, my spear bit into the barrier without fail. The bastard's face contorted for a moment.
"Kgh, hrg...!"
The mana feeding into the barrier increased noticeably. As if he meant to forcibly block the already-broken defense with that immense mana.
As a result, his aim succeeded. My strike eventually lost its momentum and failed to touch his body. His defense was still solid.
But one thing remained incomprehensible.
'Why the hell doesn't he dodge?'
Honestly, if he could read thoughts and even knew where an attack was coming, wouldn't just dodging be better?
Yet from his reactions, he never bothered to evade, determined to block everything with his barrier.
He'd sooner cram in more mana than ever dodge.
As I was mulling over that question, my eyes caught sight of the bastard's body.
A feeble body that looked precarious just standing there, let alone dodging.
'Don't tell me...'
It was an incredibly simple guess, but somehow I felt certain it was right.
"Don't tell me you can see it but your body can't keep up, so you can't dodge?"
"..."
"Heh. Seriously."
The bastard gave no answer. But sometimes, silence amounted to affirmation.
Now that I thought about it, with that scrawny body, he probably couldn't react even if he predicted it.
He just covered for it with that monstrous mana and swift spellcasting.
"What, so."
I smirked.
"So basically, if I just punch through that defense of his, there's nothing much to him?"
A truly simple strategy. His silent casting was certainly threatening, but when it came down to it, that was all he had. In a way, he was like a glass cannon.
This was doable. I felt certain I could take him down.
That was when I readjusted my grip on my spear.
Shwaaaak—!
A fierce sound tore through the air from somewhere.
A sharp noise, as if the atmosphere itself was being rent apart.
"?"
Something was approaching this place at extreme speed. At this sudden development, I ratcheted my wariness even higher.
Soon, a single figure burst through the far side of the forest.
"Hah... hah..."
It was a man. A middle-aged-looking man with brilliant golden hair and golden eyes.
I could see he was out of breath, as if he'd sprinted here in a desperate hurry.
The Lemegeton lot recognized who he was and reacted instantly.
"H-Harold, Commander of the 3rd Branch?!"
"What brings you here?"
I frowned. I felt like I was meeting an awful lot of bastards today.
And I didn't like this one who'd shown up, either. Commander of the 3rd Branch.
I'd heard from Nikki he was the one who'd driven a mere 13-year-old child into becoming a Demonkin.
The first thing the bastard did upon arriving was neither attack nor talk.
Shunk—!
"Huh?"
He immediately killed his own ally, the Otherworlder. His sword flashed out like lightning.
A dumbfounded sound escaped the one called Yeopyeop, and then he scattered into particles of light and vanished.
Naturally, the "Player's Eye" winked out as well.
I still didn't know why he'd turned the stream on, but since it was beginning to work against them, he'd simply disposed of it.
No matter how much Otherworlders resurrected, that was a merciless stroke.
Only after he'd eliminated the watching eyes did the bastard introduce himself.
"...A pleasure. I am the Commander of the 3rd Branch. Harold."
"What, you come looking to die, too?"
"Surely not. I simply heard word that the situation had become dangerous and rushed here."
He certainly did look like he'd rushed here.
Because beads of sweat were forming on his forehead.
Even so, to get all the way to this forest that fast?
'Not even an hour's passed since the battle started?'
I couldn't tell if he'd been nearby or had some other method.
It was probably the latter. Considering the way he'd swung his sword just now, or the sound of air being torn. His speed seemed far from normal.
I pulled my wariness taut as I spoke to the bastard.
"So, what's your plan? You wanna die by my hand together with him?"
"You're quite ferocious for a man. Though, I suppose you must have lived a brutal life."
He continued.
"In any case, can you manage? You look strong, but it'll be a bit difficult if you have to face Lord Dantalion here and me together."
"..."
This time, I was the one forced into silence. Because he was right.
The small fry Dantalion had dragged along behind him I could handle. But branch commanders were different.
The biggest problem was, first of all, I'd never faced one before.
I'd heard that every branch commander was strong, but I'd never seen their actual skill with my own eyes.
And the most dangerous thing in a fight was none other than a variable.
Because you never knew what was going to fly at you from where.
An unknown powerhouse whose tricks you couldn't predict was scarier than an S-Rank Adventurer with clear-cut abilities.
Of course, I could cover for it to some extent with my abilities, but with Dantalion right next to me now... I couldn't help but hesitate.
As I stood there glaring at him, the bastard spoke up again.
"So, I have a proposal."
"...What?"
"It seems like further fighting would be a loss for both sides. How about we stop here and each go our own way?"
In other words, a ceasefire.
The demon they worshipped was already wounded. They and I were equally burdened by fighting each other.
So let's call it quits here.
Admittedly, it was a reasonable point. Rationally, he was right.
For my part, I had no real reason to risk myself and keep fighting, either.
But, looking at it a little emotionally, I got a different answer.
"Further fighting would be a loss?"
I scowled.
"I've already taken more than enough losses here. And I'm just supposed to end it?"
No. I couldn't allow that.
With that, I readied for battle once more. There was still enough blood wrapped around my spear tip to be viable.
Rrrrumble!
Thick Demonic Energy and killing intent mingled, creating a vicious atmosphere.
Even as I did, I ran through calculations in my head. How much blood was I going to have to burn this time? If the fight dragged on, the tattoos would definitely spread, wouldn't they? The aftereffects would be severe, too.
But it didn't matter. Even if it meant mutual annihilation, I fully intended to fucking end them.
"...So you'll fight stubbornly to the end, then."
The bastard raised his aura.
Magical power, as if shaped into lightning, swirled around him.
"Then I have no choice."
Soon the action he chose was a move I'd never even predicted.
"Farewell, then."
Shwaaang—!
He grabbed Dantalion and bolted straight away.
Their figures rapidly receded into the distance. To think he'd set the atmosphere like that, then run away without a moment's hesitation.
"Huh?"
At the unsightly display, I spaced out for a moment.
Thanks to that, I could only stand and watch as the remaining cultists fled, too.
"H-Harold, sir...!"
"This is insane! Let's go, together!"
They seemed just as flustered, and looked quite frantic.
And so, all that remained was the ear Dantalion had dropped, and me.
I muttered with a dumbfounded expression.
"What the..."
In many ways, he was a fascinating son of a bitch.
And with that, the battle itself was over.
But the real problem started now, you could say.
Now that I'd been outed as a Manifestor, I had no idea what bastards would come looking in the forest.
I had to figure out a way to dispose of this home, too.
Just thinking about it was already giving me a headache.
Well, still, I came to terms with it fast.
'...Well, it can't be helped.'
The situation had already happened, after all. Rather than agonising over what was done, it was time to slowly figure out a solution.
After mulling it over for a while, I decided on the very first thing to do.
"Alright."
First, let's burn down the goblin house.