Demon Sword (3): "What? He's a Demon Sword User Like Me?"
"What? He's a demon sword user like me?"
"Yeah."
Rozien jumped in surprise at Dainsleif's words. To think that Yi Han-su, the chatty student from orientation, was one of them. But when he thought about it, it would've been weirder if he wasn't.
Hadn't the guy cleaved a massive artificial monster in one strike during the practical exam? Caught a demon sword user all by himself? And in the ranking matches, he'd shattered the barrier itself.
'Damn! I thought he was just that awesome!'
Rozien had personally admired Yi Han-su as one of the standout students, so the sense of betrayal cut deep. Was it all just the power of a demon…?
"Seeing my pathetic brother like this is whetting my appetite."
Dainsleif smacked her lips as she spoke.
"So… what am I supposed to do?"
"Simple. Kill him."
"Huh…?"
Rozien's eyes widened at Dainsleif's words.
'K… kill a person…?'
Sensing his panic instantly, Dainsleif tempted him once more in that alluring voice.
"Don't worry. You won't get caught. Just trust in me."
"…"
Rozien's expression shifted.
'Well… it's just killing a demon sword user…'
****
"Fuck, what?!"
"My brother's nearby. Watch for ambushes."
At Tyrbing's warning, I focused my senses. Sure enough, I picked up a presence in the distance—heading my way.
"That him?"
"Yeah. He's already pretty far gone in his transformation."
"Hey."
The demon sword user spoke up.
"Yi Han-su? Nice name. I'm Rozien. Pleased to meet you."
I turned to look at him. Orange hair, a smattering of freckles, rapier at his hip.
"Uh, yeah. Likewise."
"I know your secret, y'know."
Rozien smirked.
"And?"
"We keep each other's secrets? You must've felt it too."
He pointed at the sky with his finger. What a moron.
****
"Why'd you just let him go?!"
Dainsleif snapped in anger.
"You should've ambushed him right there!"
"Calm down. This is Orbis. I don't want any trouble."
"What? You let Tyrbing walk just for that?!"
"No! I graduated from Orbis too—I have a duty to become a hero!"
As Rozien yelled back, Dainsleif mocked him.
"What hero nonsense after contracting with a demon like me?"
"…"
Rozien's face darkened in an instant. But Dainsleif had seen this coming.
He was already dancing in the palm of her hand.
"Even if Orbis and England turn their backs, I'll be with you forever. What does it matter…?"
"!!!!!!!!!"
His eyes bulged at those words, his face now etched with grim resolve.
"I misspoke. That was ungentlemanly of me, as an Englishman."
Rozien spouted his moronic line, but Dainsleif affirmed him.
"Good. Now you get it."
But inwardly…
Heh, what a fucking idiot.
…
As the sun set, streetlights flickered on, and darkness settled in.
"What's the plan here?"
Rozien chuckled at Dainsleif's question.
"Yi Han-su's famous for his work ethic. I'm timing it for when he leaves the training hall."
"Oh ho."
Solid plan. Rozien gripped the rapier in his hand tight.
Not the standard-issue Orbis rapier, but Dainsleif herself, transformed into one.
"There he is."
The moment the words left his mouth…
BOOOOM!!!!!
A slashing wave tore through the ground toward Rozien.
SCREEEEECH!!!
"Guh!! What the—?!"
Rozien twisted away and blocked it—just barely. An attack he never could've stopped before, thanks to Dainsleif and his mutated right arm. But it wasn't perfect; he was hurled back into the wall.
CRASH!
WHOOSH!! Flames erupted!!!!
'F… fire…!'
"Stay calm."
As Dainsleif spoke, dull demonic energy poured from Rozien's body, snuffing the flames.
He steadied himself and peered ahead. Smoke billowed from the wall impact.
"He's coming."
WHOOSH—!
Yi Han-su burst through the smoke, charging straight at him, black dagger in hand.
'A dagger?'
Han-su gripped it reverse and swung.
'F… fast…!'
The technique itself wasn't fancy, but the speed was insane. Old Rozien would've eaten it.
But not now. Dull mana surged from his twisted body.
And then Rozien's "technique."
Fleche. A simple forward lunge, hurling the body like a spear.
But amplified by his demonization, the thrust speed was beyond imagination.
SHIIIIING!!!!!!
Han-su dodged by a hair's breadth.
"Not bad."
A smile crept across Rozien's face. He stepped forward with his right foot.
Hand pulled back, deep breath in.
"Hoo…"
Even before becoming a demon, Rozien had been called England's best. His signature move, one only he could pull off.
Flash. A thrust like lightning itself.
SHIIIING!!! SHIIIING!!!!
So fast it left afterimages, the faint glow making it look like actual light.
But Han-su's face remained impassive.
His hand went to his sword hilt. The first strike on Rozien had been a stored technique.
Until now, he'd been firing slashes from afar with iaijutsu.
But this was point-blank. Close enough to slice directly, no slash needed.
A chill ran down their spine—
"Hand control to me NOW!!!!"
Dainsleif screamed.
In less than 0.1 seconds, Rozien saw it too.
Death.
He yielded control to Dainsleif.
"Huh?"
But that was a fatal mistake.
"Finally giving up, huh? Pathetic."
A mocking voice echoed from afar. Instinct told Rozien he'd fucked up. Control wouldn't return.
Rozien's technique cut off mid-motion as he stumbled back.
Han-su still hadn't drawn.
"Impressive."
The moment she spoke—
BOOOOOM!!!!
Before full transformation, another slash hit. The second stored one.
"Grrrrrgh!!!"
Now fully in control, Dainsleif blocked it. But flames ignited from the slash's path.
WHOOOOSH!!!!!!
Fwip!
Distracted by the fire, Han-su lunged from the right.
Expressionless, hand on hilt. Dainsleif swung her arm to stop the draw.
'Can't let him draw.'
She clicked her tongue. Tyrbing was far weaker, but that body made the difference.
'With that level of power, he's already dominating the flesh?'
p>
The fusion felt oddly seamless, hard to parse.
Tyrbing must've lucked out.
She'd struggled to find a compatible host. This Rozien kid was decent enough, but the performance left her wanting.
Shing—.
"Where?!"
Spotting Han-su reaching again, Dainsleif whipped her blade—a longsword form now, not rapier.
But Han-su ducked effortlessly… and didn't draw. Instead, he pulled a dagger.
Dainsleif saw her chance. Full-body transformation time.
Then she could erase this human without a trace.
As the black dagger fully emerged, Dainsleif grinned and began shifting her entire form. But Han-su was smiling too.
"…?"
Han-su swung the dagger—then hurled it to the ground.
It clattered limply.
'Shit!'
Then Han-su's "technique."
No fancy name.
Iaijutsu.
He drew.
The instant the blade cleared, hellfire-like flames roared to life.
'Nothing like those embers before.'
The stored iaijutsu had only carried faint afterflames—too intense for more.
But Han-su's direct Flame Blade unleashed the real inferno.
ROOOOARRRR OF FLAMES!!!!!
"D… dying…"
Dainsleif assessed fast and ejected from Rozien's body. The slash was incoming, so she'd dump all the damage on him and slip away.
Drip… drip…!
Red liquid oozed from Rozien's form, shaping into a woman who bolted.
But another blunder.
Sizzle…
Han-su's flames died as he click! sheathed. No iaijutsu released.
"Huh?"
Dainsleif, who'd fled what should've obliterated her, turned back puzzled.
PSSSH—!!!!
"Kieeeek!"
"Long time no see."
Tyrbing's voice rang out. Dainsleif's vision drowned in black.