Chapter 109
Chapter 109
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 108
Chapter Title: Demon Sword Forte (10) - Melody
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Truth is a frightening and fearsome thing.
Especially to those who hide and conceal something.
‘Must not get caught.’
The youth had a secret.
A secret that would end his social life—and perhaps his physical one—the moment it came to light.
‘The fact that I’m a demon contractor…!’
Pina Valestia.
The instant the truth emerged that the black-haired girl, descendant of the hero, had a mere porter in her party who was actually a demon contractor, the world would never let him be.
The fanatics of the Pantheon would strip him and his entire family bare, grinding every detail of his life into dust.
Survival would be a long shot, and even if he made it, he’d spend the rest of his days as a fugitive dodging relentless pursuit. The empire might be known for its unbelievers, but it wouldn’t pick a fight with the Pantheon just to shelter him.
Fortunately, he’d managed so far.
If he could stick by this terrifying descendant of the hero and see his mission through, a cozy retirement awaited.
Free of family chains and obligations, he could live blissfully with his revered Lady Divana!
That was the plan. But then.
“Uh, um, sorry. Well, sorry feels weird too, uhmm.”
The reaper was approaching the youth.
Her long, swaying ponytail—glossy and flawless despite its length—swished back and forth.
He’d always likened it to a grandfather clock’s pendulum, but not now.
Now, it resembled a hangman’s noose.
The moment it looped around his neck, his body would dangle helplessly.
“Since you’re just the hero’s descendant flunky, I can’t exactly leave a demon contractor alone…”
The girl looked the same as ever.
Unable to meet his gaze, eyes darting everywhere, words trailing off vaguely.
No confidence, harmless and frail.
But the youth wasn’t fooled.
Why? Because that girl could hole up in a dungeon all day, slaughtering monsters with the exact same face and speech.
She diced golems, mimics, poison gas clouds, even the very idea that humans are social creatures—a slaughter doll that cut down anything in her path.
In a scene of utter madness, the one who seemed perfectly sane was the most dangerous of all.
In her clear golden eyes, the youth glimpsed an indescribable madness.
“N-no, stay back.”
“I-I’ll make it quick! Just like a shot at the doctor’s!”
“M-my…! M-my…!”
“Thanks for everything! Rest in peace!”
“Don’t come near meeeee—!!”
“Oh, Demon Sword says hello too! Here I go!”
Sslash!
“Gaaaaah!!”
The youth bolted upright in bed with a scream.
《W-what? What’s wrong?》
Divana, the demon resting inside his accessory, spoke up in a panic.
The youth blankly scanned his surroundings, then fumbled at his neck and let out a sigh of relief.
“G-good, I’m safe.”
《What the hell’s gotten into you? Nightmare?》
“I dreamed the dungeon-running doll lopped off my head, blood spraying everywhere while she giggled ‘hee hee’… Thank goodness it was just a dream.”
《……》
Divana thought to herself.
Is he broken? I didn’t even use him that long.
Though Divana eyed him suspiciously like a faulty product, the youth luckily kept his contractor spot—no returns.
Not out of her mercy, but because dissolving the contract at Skypiercing Academy and finding a new one was about as easy as a low-rank noble lady seizing control from her low-rank butler.
That’s why you don’t make contracts lightly.
Now fate-bound (locally limited), the demon and her contractor launched Operation: Exclude the Demon Sword.
《How about swiping it during a battle break? I can make a fake. Just swap it in when she looks away.》
The youth quietly shook his head at Divana’s suggestion.
He didn’t chide his beloved demon lady’s ignorance.
He knew the special environment of Skypiercing Academy meant she couldn’t surveil the outside 24/7.
“Lady Divana, that won’t work.”
《Why not?》
“She holds her sword in one hand and spoon in the other while eating.”
《Is she insane?》
Operation One: Target is insane. Scrapped.
《Then during weapon maintenance? Use your connections—say a senior specializes in it. She babies that sword so much; if it’ll get stronger, she’ll bite.》
“Ooh, Lady Divana! So wise! I’ll bring it up in the dungeon today!”
And the next day.
《……》
“……”
《R-remind me what she said? My head’s full lately; maybe my hearing and memory are off.》
“‘Demon Sword says skip the maintenance nonsense and clear one more quest!’”
《Fuck.》
Operation Two: Hearing and memory fine. Scrapped.
《Straight-up ask then. As a fellow swordsman, say you want to borrow it once.》
“I use a shortsword—single-edged. Hers is clearly double-edged longsword or bastard sword territory.”
《Sword’s a sword, right?》
“What kinda logic turns a guan dao into a greatsword?”
《……?》
Operation Three: Weapons incompatible. Scrapped.
No boss spouting nonsense like “keep tradition fresh for the new gen, duh” to approve plans, so luckily, they agreed on Operation Four.
Sneak in at night and steal it.
“Skypiercing Academy runs on quests and rewards. Seems airtight, but internal discipline isn’t that strict.”
Forget the small stuff—staff numbers are ridiculously low.
Even with fewer students than the other top schools, it’s still triple digits.
Professors: three. Total staff: barely ten.
Those three professors wield insane power within academy bounds, but they can’t micromanage every student.
No clue why they keep staff so lean, but it was a golden opportunity for the youth and Divana.
Of course, getting caught “sneaking into a girl’s room at night to steal her sword” meant losing everything—but he’d risk it.
Big rewards demand big risks.
Not that endless dungeon grinding had frayed his nerves or anything.
Dead of night.
Confirming swordsmanship professor Lize Nol finished her final patrol, the youth crept toward Pina’s room.
Demon contractor powers tie to the demon’s abilities.
Demons of the Deception faction wield illusion and phantasm magic like basics, so infiltration was easy.
Footsteps, breaths—all shrouded in utter silence. Illusions cloaked him as a shadow in the dark.
Forcing the lock, he slipped inside to dead quiet.
Pina slept soundly on the bed, sword on a shelf beside her.
One issue.
‘…Why’s there a cushion under the sword?’
Storing a precious weapon reverently wasn’t weird, but something felt off.
Like she worshipped the thing.
‘Sigh, fine. At least she’s not sleeping on it or hugging it.’
In his mind, Pina was the type who’d do that without batting an eye, so this was decent. He convinced himself.
Even knowing spells muffled sound, he reached tentatively.
Gripping the hilt to leave—and then.
“Demon Sword…”
Hic!
He stifled a near-hiccup desperately.
Trembling, he glanced back: Pina mumbling and rolling on the bed.
‘S-sleep-talking.’
Heart nearly stopped, he grumbled inwardly and slipped out.
The moment he relaxed.
～ ♬ ～
A sound.
～♪ ♫ ♪ ♫ ♪ ♫ ♪ ♫ ♪ ♫ ♪ ♫ ♪ ♫ ♪ ♫～
Melody like from a music box.
～♪ ♫ ♪ ♫ ♪ ♫ ♪ ♫ ♬ ♪ ♬ ♪～
Reminiscent of a lullaby, yet eerily ominous.
“W-what!?”
Knowing better, he blurted anyway.
“L-Lady Divana? What the…?”
《No idea. What is this?》
Divana was just as flustered, offering no real answer.
Scanning frantically for the source, they realized two things.
The melody emanated from the sword.
And through the cracked door, someone glared daggers at him.
“……”
“……”
The youth and Divana didn’t know this tune was OST from a famous horror flick, once a phone ringtone.
Didn’t know long hair’s a hassle to manage, tangling over the face—or that half-asleep Pina’s glare was murderously filthy.
So they interpreted subjectively.
Dim hallway.
Eerie melody.
Through the door crack, wild black hair framing bloodshot eyes—a ghost glaring at them.
“Gaaaaah!”
《W-wha?》
The youth fled.
The demon froze.
The disheveled black-haired horror gave chase.
The horror pursuit began.