Demon Sword (4): Natasha
Natasha bolted upright in bed, sensing an ominous presence.
"Iaijutsu…!"
But it seemed like a half-asleep mistake. Natasha drifted back to sleep.
"Gasp…! Iaijutsu…!"
This time, it was unmistakable. Someone nearby was unleashing extraordinary iaijutsu.
Yet once again, the presence vanished as if it had been an illusion.
She cautiously slipped on her earphones and opened the recording file.
[Collection of Iaijutsu Sounds]
[Iaijutsu - Yi Han-su (Training Room)]
The recordings contained all sorts of bizarre treasures. Secret versions she'd edited herself—sounds of Yi Han-su practicing iaijutsu, noise-free clips from his public Orbis Academy videos.
Thanks to these, Natasha had realized how deficient her own iaijutsu was. And Yi Han-su's sweet, soothing iaijutsu sounds had even helped cure her insomnia to some degree.
KABOOOOOM!!!!!
A truly delightful sound.
"Today…"
Maybe start from 1 minute 7 seconds.
Dainsleif found herself transported to an unknown place.
All around was pitch blackness.
Wh… where… is this…?
Above her blazed a sun-like fireball, and on the other side…
Welcome.
There was Tyrbing.
I… I'm not dead yet?
As if.
At Tyrbing's words, Dainsleif examined her body. Black, tentacle-like tendrils were slowly devouring her.
W-wait, just give me one chance to live!!!
Refused. I'm low on power right now.
In that instant, Dainsleif realized the truth: Tyrbing wasn't possessing a physical body.
'That level of power was just from a mere human…?'
Let's make a deal! Let me fully dominate this human! I can do it!
I can just read your memories directly. And I'm quite satisfied with the current situation.
If this continued, she'd truly die. Even if all her fragments reunited into a perfect sword only to shatter again into seven pieces, that Dainsleif wouldn't be her.
Please! I beg you, brother! At least leave my ego intact!
Dainsleif pleaded desperately. Half her body was already gone.
No benefit for me. Refused.
Aaaaaah!!!!!
A gleaming golden sword materialized before Dainsleif's eyes—mostly shattered.
Her body began to glow, the light flowing toward the golden sword.
As her form faded, the golden sword grew ever sharper and clearer.
"All eaten up?"
Tyrbing replied with satisfaction.
Yeah.
"How much recovered?"
About 20%.
I suddenly felt a surge of heat in my body.
"…?"
I wasn't even at full strength to begin with. Right now, my state is like a bowl full of holes.
Tyrbing continued quickly.
This means I've successfully patched all the holes.
"What about the 'authority'?"
Tyrbing sounded a bit surprised.
You knew? Unfortunately, not enough to recover my full authority.
I wondered if killing Dainsleif had really been the right call.
"Hmm…"
But it's fine. I absorbed some authority.
That changed things. Dainsleif's authority was top-tier. Must-Hit alone was elite.
A power worthy of the demon sword lineage.
The authority of Unhealing. You know it?
"Fuck."
…?
The authority of Unhealing. Wounds from Dainsleif couldn't be healed—that was its gimmick.
Insanely overpowered. Just a nick on the side, and you'd bleed out forever.
The problem? I was an Orbis Academy student. I'd get cut by swords plenty in life.
As I sighed, Tyrbing sounded baffled.
Why the dislike? This is an amazing authority.
"Feels like a double-edged sword to me."
That's all?
Tyrbing chuckled.
I can control it that much.
"What?"
In human terms, on/off switch.
What the…!!!!! Had I underestimated this great demon Tyrbing too much…!
"Finally earning your keep!"
Heh, basics of basics. Controlling your own power is a given.
Damn you, Tyrbing! I hadn't trusted you!
So, what about that one?
"Ugh…"
I turned toward the source of the noise. There was Rozien, more than half her body mutated.
Rozien had shockingly survived. But in that state…
She looked pitiful, groaning in agony, but remembering she'd ambushed me made my blood boil.
"I wanna put her out of her misery right now."
Good idea.
"Can't actually do that."
Rozien was a respected student from England despite appearances. Even as a demon, killing her outright could breed grudges.
Her parents were famous heroes. If they ignored the demon transformation and sought revenge for their son's killer, it'd be a mess.
I quickly reported a demon attack on Orbis.
That was when it happened.
Ding-!
You have defeated the demon sword's demon, Dainsleif!
As a reward, an additional authority is granted.
What.
The unbelievable line I'd heard back in my student days.
The authority of Must-Hit permeates into 'Yi Han-su'.
In that moment, I felt something change in my body. Like my rank was rising.
Wait… what did you just do…!
Tyrbing shouted in disbelief.
How can a human wield an 'authority'…!
Authorities—powers held by high-rank demons.
Ever heard the tale of the spear that pierces all and the shield that blocks all?
Short of the supreme concept of laws, authorities reign supreme over everything.
For example, if a hero had a trait to dodge anything, Must-Hit would ignore it and slice them anyway.
That's why humans need relics imbued with laws to hunt demons.
You… are you actually a demon…!
Tyrbing yelled, unable to comprehend.
"Fuck no."
Then how can a human use an 'authority'…!
"How the hell should I know."
You can't be ■■■■■, right…
"What?"
■■■■■.
"…?"
Can't hear? I said ■■■■■.
Whenever Tyrbing said certain words, incomprehensible noise garbled them.
"…."
Dainsleif cautiously opened her eyes.
Huh?
She looked around in disbelief.
Al… alive?
She was in a pitch-black void. She tried to move, but couldn't.
Damn…! I don't get any of this.
A space of pure nothingness. Then—
Whoosh…!
An insanely scorching blaze made Dainsleif instinctively look up.
…!
Flames fierce enough to incinerate the world. Touch them, and she'd be ash.
Wh-what…
Even her brother sword of flame, Leviathan, couldn't produce such fire. But Dainsleif had seen these flames once before.
That human's flames.
She realized the flames she'd endured were mere embers of embers from these.
How can a human wield this much power…
Dainsleif began to understand where she was.
Lose consciousness even briefly, and her ego would vanish for sure.
Shit…
She didn't want to die. Even if all fragments reunited into perfection only to shatter again, that Dainsleif wouldn't be her.
Her current ego vanishing meant this Dainsleif's death.
What… should I do…
The moment that thought crossed her mind, the scenery shifted.
Huh…?
Wake up!
I jolted awake at the alarm.
"What the hell kind of dream was that?"
A nonsensical dream. A beauty with sword-blood-red hair appeared and dueled me with swords.
Shockingly, I couldn't lay a finger on her and lost.
Just a random bullshit dream, huh.