< 201. Stars and the Four Heavenly Kings >
Kaede gripped her sword properly.
After entering the Demon King's tower and becoming the Dark Knight, this was the first time she faced an enemy.
That the enemy was a hero—someone she never thought she'd oppose in her life—bothered her, but she was a knight.
Even if it was the Demon King himself, she would faithfully follow her lord's orders. That was all.
And borrowing Ernan's words, she had come to like this tower too. It was better than the cutthroat life in the imperial palace. She wanted to protect this peace.
'There's also the promise with brother Rufus.'
The promise that she would never escape the tower, that the heroes' hands wouldn't rescue her.
"Dark Knight? Four Heavenly King? What a joke. You demons putting on some theater play?"
Pablo Barkat sneered.
A hero active in the Southern Alliance. His weapon was a massive greatsword, wielding destructive swordsmanship that crushed everything with raw power and ferocity.
—!
He swung his sword. Kaede parried it, naturally deflecting and flowing it aside.
One clash allowed them to gauge each other's level.
'Strength.'
She was pushed back.
'Speed.'
He was faster.
'Technique.'
He was superior there too.
The imperial swordsmanship, hailed as the continent's finest, had advanced another step under the tutelage of a swordsman counted among the demon world's elite.
Thus, she felt no fear before the title of Star. On the contrary, she was confident of victory.
This time, she struck first. Golden aura traced a long arc through the air. Red energy charged to meet it.
—!
—!
Aura clashed against aura. Gold and crimson intertwined.
Shattered aura fragments scattered in all directions.
Kagagak—
The massive greatsword slid along Kaede's blade. It smashed into the innocent floor, and seawater bubbled up through the cracks.
Pablo recoiled in shock at the salty tang filling his mouth.
"You bitch! You're not a demon—you're a hero!"
No trace of demonic energy. Instead, there was a sense of kinship, brimming with dimensional interference.
And that wasn't all.
"That sword strike. That swordsmanship. That sword path."
It wasn't just familiar. The vague sense of déjà vu from the start sharpened with each clash.
How could he not know?
As the de facto leader of the Southern Alliance, Pablo Barkat had clashed countless times with the empire.
It wasn't identical. But that was natural. Even the same swordsmanship varied by practitioner.
"Why the hell is an imperial hero claiming to be the Demon King's Four Heavenly King?!"
"Does that matter?"
"It matters! It matters a ton! Proof that the empire betrayed humanity is how huge a—!"
A line slashed through the air. Pablo urgently leaped back.
Aura slithered after him like a snake. His greatsword desperately wedged between them.
—!
Pablo retreated two steps to dissipate the impact. Kaede advanced the same distance.
She swung again.
"No. It doesn't matter at all."
She murmured low, like a declaration.
"In this place today, no one escapes."
"Sneaking an ambush like a coward! And you call yourself a hero?!"
"Wrong. I am the Dark Knight. And it's only natural for the Demon King's minions to ambush."
Kaede didn't relinquish the momentum she'd seized.
She deflected every one of Pablo's strikes. She stabbed at openings.
'Strong.'
But weaker than Gordon.
'Fast.'
But slower than her.
Above all, his technique was incomplete. Compared to Gordon's near-perfect swordsmanship, it was crude and instinctual.
Instinctual wasn't bad. But at least here and now, it wasn't superior enough to surpass Kaede.
Kaede advanced a step. Pablo retreated a step.
Kaede's sword gradually accelerated. Pablo's could barely keep up.
His boasted ferocity and savagery couldn't exert their full power when on the defensive. No, it wasn't just that.
'Impossible...!'
It felt like swinging a sword inside a prison.
Every direction blocked. Whenever his sword extended, the Dark Knight's blade inevitably deflected it. The moment he strayed from the designated range, aura flew at him.
Like a beast being tamed, wounds accumulated one by one.
"I am Pablo Barkat!"
De facto leader of the Southern Alliance!
One of the great Ten Stars!
A great hero!
"You think I want to die mocked by the likes of you?!"
He unleashed all his aura in one burst. Kaede retreated from the explosive repulsion.
In that brief gap, Pablo swung. A red wave tore through space toward her.
Kaede calmly sliced the wave's gaps. Amid the parting crimson surge, Pablo appeared as if waiting.
—!
She blocked, but couldn't deflect. The impact shook her stance, her foot cracking the Demon King's ice.
She wrapped her body in aura to dissipate the shock as much as possible. Squeezing her strength, she twisted her sword forcibly. She twisted the aura, twisted space, twisted even her opponent's blade.
The moment he faltered—"Eh?"—his sword followed hers. Pablo's form staggered.
She planted her foot in the glaring opening.
Puk—
With crunching armor, Pablo's body flew back. Kaede pursued.
Pablo couldn't recover his stance. The distance was too close.
Her sword was already poised to descend. He barely managed a defensive posture, spewing all his aura.
—!
But the result exceeded his imagination. His poorly honed aura shattered. His sword cleaved in two.
"...Impossible...!"
His short scream was his last.
Sek—
The sword sliced his chest. His armor tore like paper.
Spraying blood, he toppled backward. As he struggled to endure, a fist smashed his head.
Thud—
Pablo collapsed.
Kaede, raising her sword to finish him, recalled Ernan's request.
"...Keep him alive for now."
She'd asked to bring him to the tower.
Kaede hoisted him over her shoulder.
Ralph Shmitz was flustered.
Since taking up the shield and earning the Star title, the only time he'd endured such overwhelming force was against the Demon King.
But this opponent was no Demon King.
A monster.
Not a titan, but—if his guess was right—a chimera fitted with dragon byproducts.
'Then.'
His gaze slipped between the descending fists.
A masked woman sat calmly on the monster's shoulder, looking down at him.
Ralph Shmitz had deep ties to Rozel Charnt. Naturally, he'd crossed paths with the Akan Kingdom too.
Thus, that demeanor was somewhat familiar. The chimera looked different from before, but traces of its prior form remained.
If his hunch was correct, the woman calling herself the Death Legion Commander was Akan's missing princess, Ravinia Akan.
The monster before him was her titan chimera, Cher.
But was that really true?
Even if Ravinia Akan was an odd woman, becoming the Demon King's minion and opposing heroes?
He couldn't believe it.
Yet as time passed and the battle intensified, doubt and hypothesis turned to conviction.
Finally, he cautiously spoke.
"...Could you be Princess Ravinia?"
"Death. Legion. Commander."
The answer was a denial, but that speech pattern was undeniable.
"Why would Your Highness claim to be the Demon King's subordinate?"
"Princess, no."
"No? Only Your Highness speaks like that."
"No."
"I've met Your Highness... ."
"No."
Her voice dropped lower. The monster's attacks halted. Their eyes met through the subtly extended head.
"No."
Ravinia emphasized each syllable deliberately.
She'd pinky-sworn with the Demon King never to reveal she was a princess.
So, no.
But the oblivious hero didn't grasp her intent. To keep her promise, she racked her brains.
'Not getting caught is priority. If caught, eliminate the witness. No witness means not caught.'
The Demon King's offhand words.
Corpses can't talk, and witnesses can be made non-witnesses.
She'd thought it a novel method.
And now was the time to use it.
"...Princess?"
Ralph Shmitz noticed the killing intent in Ravinia's eyes.
The master's will transmitted to the chimera. Cher roared. Then breathed fire.
"...My god."
A titan spewing volcanic flames.
An impossible phenomenon for any normal being, possible only because it was a chimera.
Red dragon essence perfectly integrated.
No time to gawk in awe. The heat targeted Ralph Shmitz himself.
"...I understand."
Thud—
He righted his shield and wrapped it in aura.
—!
Aura and flame entangled.
"Your Highness must have been brainwashed."
Mind magic originated from demons. Ravinia Akan had surely been kidnapped by the Flame Demon King and brainwashed.
Otherwise, how could she serve as a Four Heavenly King?
"I'll save Your Highness."
Akan's princess. With its abundance of master mages, Akan surely had a way to break the brainwashing.
He advanced through the flames. Stubbornness was his strength. Power from unyielding defense was his specialty.
"The best defense is a good offense."
An ancient adage passed with the words: Prepare for war if you desire peace. In the past, Ralph's master had used it to make him take up the shield.
"If offense is the best defense, the reverse holds too. Defense is the best offense."
"That sounds ridiculous."
"Know why offense is the best defense?"
"To annihilate enemies before they attack, protecting yourself?"
"Right. In that sense, defense as the best offense holds too."
"Huh?"
"Think. Someone attacks you. Defenders usually hold the advantage, right?"
"Yes."
"Solid defense draws them in. Devours manpower, resources, drags them into a quagmire. That's offense in another sense from textbook attacks."
"But that's war. What does it have to do with me wielding a shield... ."
"It induces carelessness. Holding just a shield, they'll think you're a defenseless fool."
"Usually."
"But a shield is heavier and thicker than most maces. It blocks even those. Then you smash them? I guarantee, the shield is the world's finest bludgeon!"
The finest bludgeon. Captivated, Ralph took the shield. Later he learned his master only knew shield arts, but by then he was hooked.
Clank—
Gripping the shield handle with both hands, he kicked off the ice. His form soared high.
The chimera's massive fist blocked his path. He tilted the shield, bouncing the aura.
Tang! The fist veered. Using the impact as a springboard, he climbed higher.
Below, the chimera loomed. The brainwashed Akan princess too.
"Your Highness, I'll show you why defense is the ultimate offense."
Ralph dove vertically. The thick shield charged at the princess.
A massive fist intercepted.
No dodging a frontal punch. Covered in red scales, jaw-droppingly tough. But not tougher than his shield.
———!
The shield shuddered. The monster bellowed.
Crunching sounds as the fist twisted. Ralph's muscles strained to tearing.
But he prevailed.
The shield held firm; the fist recoiled.
Though much power lost to repulsion, it sufficed to knock out a princess whose only skill was creation.
The princess was within reach.
Ralph smirked triumphantly.
But.
Crack—
A pale white hand seized the shield effortlessly.
"...Huh?"
Drained from the clash, but still not weak.
"You. Bad."
The Death Legion Commander raged.
"Cher. Hurts."
A small fist burrowed into his chest.
Pale, childlike hand. How painful could it be?
———!
Ralph cursed his naive self from a second ago.
Aura shattered. Armor crumpled. Breath caught.
It stopped there. But unable to dissipate the shock, Ralph crashed to the floor. A giant's foot awaited.
"Stomp."
The commander ordered; the giant obeyed.
Boom boom boom boom boom!
Dozens of impacts. Ralph felt his body pulverizing.
That was his last memory.
"Pick up."
Cher scooped the unconscious Ralph Shmitz.
"Ernan."
He disliked anyone wounding Cher, but Ernan said to bring them to the tower alive if possible.
"You."
Ravinia hailed a passing monster. She placed Ralph on its shoulder.
"Tower."
Grrr.
The monster turned toward the tower.
Ravinia scanned the battlefield for her next prey.
—!
—!
The axe tore space as it fell. The weight and power at its tip were heavy enough even Waton Colro, a Star, couldn't ignore.
'Just a Demon King's minion?'
Were all so-called Four Heavenly Kings like this?
Truthfully, this was his first time standing on a battlefield subjugating a Demon King. More precisely, sighting one up close and fighting near it.
He'd raided towers many times on attack squads, but his debut heroics were the Flame Demon King subjugation.
He hadn't found the tower despite going with Hillon Kargil and missed further heroics.
But that didn't mean he lacked Star qualifications.
Stars were the greatest among heroes. Waton Colro had ample.
"I am the great Star, Waton Colro!"
"So? Then I'm Luize Berft."
"...Pardon?"
But.
His opponent was a princess who, without being a hero, rivaled a Star's greatness.
A dwarf wielding dragon bone—the finest material—forged by the master craftsman Roger.
"...You're the princess...?"
The unintended mental blow created an opening. A massive one.
Luize's instincts didn't miss it.
———!
"Gahk...!"
Waton instinctively raised his sword. But it lacked power. Aura didn't flow smoothly.
The dragon-infused axe pulverized the sword, cleaving into his armor.
Blood sprayed; Waton screamed.
One blow decided it.
"A Star? Too easy."
"...Us, using a princess impersonation to lower guards. Co, cowardly."
"Who said? Impersonation."
"N, no...?"
"Obviously not. Who'd dare impersonate me."
Luize lifted her mask slightly. The face revealed was one Waton surely remembered.
"Lu, Luize Berft...!"
"Told you. Real. Gonna say you panicked and didn't fight properly?"
"That's true... ."
"Yeah, I know. Kinda disappointing."
She'd wanted a proper fight.
"But can't redo the finish now, right?"
Kwajik—
She stomped Waton.
"So boring, lost the will to kill."
The mad princess had said not to kill anyway.
She grabbed his ankle.
Gauged the distance to the tower, took a running start.
And.
Paat—
Waton's body flew toward the tower.
"Alright, next prey... ."
Luize, axe over shoulder, sauntered in search of the next.
Inside the tower. While all demons and monsters went out to meet the heroes, dwarves and elves still guarded it.
Dwarves operated mana cannons against the buoyancy ship's barrage; Elena commanded elves to receive intruders.
"Water droplets incoming!"
"Sister's power. Don't interfere."
The lightning-fast droplets, upon entering the tower, dropped a person and evaporated.
"It's Aina Diaphrin."
"What now?"
"Shackle her and lock in the dungeon. Special cell, separate from the first prince and princesses."
"Yes."
Two elves dragged her away.
"Another one here."
"Lady Kaede."
Kaede, arriving, set down the hero.
"Pablo Barkat. Not dead, right?"
"Might be risky without treatment."
"We'll handle the rest."
"Please."
Kaede shook off blood and headed back to the battlefield.
A massive monster crossed her, entering.
"Why's the monster back?"
"Person on its shoulder!"
"Set down!"
The bloodied hero was dragged to the floor.
"Ralph Shmitz. Lady Ravinia won too."
"Armor crushed, covered in blood—isn't he dead?"
"Still alive. Treat him and Pablo Barkat properly, then shackle and put next to Aina Diaphrin's cell and the one after."
"Yes!"
Elves who treated the Stars just enough to survive vanished again.
Then.
"Something flying!"
"A person!"
"Don't attack recklessly!"
Elena summoned wind. Gentle breeze slowed the projectile to a soft landing.
"Waton Colro. Lady Luize won. So all Stars except Balaf Disrod subdued."
Hard to believe, but the Four Heavenly Kings truly defeated all Stars. Even with dragon power, undeniable prowess.
Elena and the elves felt victory's momentum.
"Treat him quick and lock in the dungeon!"
"Yes!"
"But that one too, alive?"
Elena's gaze followed the elf's finger.
Battlefield center: Demon King and hero shattering all ice in fierce combat.
More intense and destructive than any other. No monster, demon, or hero dared approach.
"...Who knows."
Elena hesitated.
But she already knew the answer.
Because.
This was the first time she'd seen the Demon King bare such unfiltered killing intent.