202. It Was You
Flames surged like a flood.
The Dragon Slayer Sword reacted. It bared its greedy blade and devoured ravenously.
It showed no restraint in its greed, revealing its antipathy toward the dragon's aura.
That murderous intent, that hostile energy, poked and prodded at Berge's nerves.
His irritation fused with the humiliation from before. And so the battle began—and raged to its conclusion—with full power unleashed from the start.
Crimson-black flames intertwined with ashen aura.
Scales armored his body as claws extended. Razor-sharp energy traced long arcs.
—!
The red sword blocked the trajectory. Shockwaves erupted, sending aura and flames scattering.
The Dragon Slayer's power weakened the dragon's strength, while dimensional interference sapped the might of otherworldly forces.
The flames dwindled, and the hero's power swelled.
Balaf's sword spun in a full circle, shaking off the claws. It spewed ferocity toward the now-weakened foe.
—!
Berge crossed his arms. Flames and magic points pierced the scales. The Dragon Slayer's energy thrashed wildly inside, trying to tear him apart from within.
But that power was forcibly extinguished before a greater force.
"Is that all you've got?"
If so, what a letdown.
They'd both had the same amount of time.
The hero had endured nearly a century, slain a Demon King, and absorbed his power.
The Demon King had subjugated other Demon Kings as subordinates and absorbed their towers, boosting his efficiency against dimensional interference.
And in sheer volume, the Demon King held the advantage.
The entire continent trembled, wept, and raged, calling out for the Flame Calamity Demon King to raze it all—and that raw negativity had become his strength in full.
In that brief instant, the gap between their once-matched powers yawned wide.
A few clashes made it brutally clear to Balaf.
So he resolved to unleash his true full power.
'Could this be what that bastard Jason was after?'
He'd suspected as much, but he had no choice but to play along.
To avoid death.
To kill the Demon King.
For revenge.
He decided to reveal everything he truly was.
Crack—
He unleashed a burst of aura. The massive repulsion shoved everything away: the air, the sea, the Demon King, and the shell encasing his own body.
It had been a disguise.
One that altered his appearance and concealed his identity.
It had been a seal.
One that restrained part of his power as the price.
Transforming him into Balaf Disrod had simultaneously shattered the shackles suppressing his strength.
"...Guild Master?"
"Guild Master?"
Even from afar, a few heroes recognized his face.
'As expected...'
No "ifs" about it. But for now, he had to focus on the Demon King before him, not the fallout to come.
Savoring his restored power, he finished preparing to carve up the Demon King.
And then.
...What the hell?
He faced a vicious wave of killing intent.
The Demon King had changed somehow.
More vicious.
More grotesque.
More seething.
Their eyes met.
His heart plummeted. Goosebumps erupted.
The madness, ferocity, rage, and ecstasy dwelling within knew no bottom.
"...It was you."
"What nonsense is that?"
"It was you."
You bastard. It was you all along.
Black hair, black eyes. Familiar gaze, familiar smirk.
A face etched into Berge's mind, impossible to forget.
The one who killed his subordinates.
Who mocked him.
Who pierced his heart.
Who taught him the folly of the Demon King's Canon.
That damned bastard.
"It was you!"
It was you!
——————!
The Dragon King's roar made everyone clutch their ears and stagger.
Boom.Berge launched skyward. The ice he stood on shattered under the strain. Churning waves swallowed some heroes and monsters whole.
A crimson-black trajectory shot straight ahead.
"What the hell are you babbling about?!"
Kiiing—
Aura compressed. The Dragon Slayer Sword let out a resonant hum.
"When the hell did a Demon King like you ever see me?!"
His feet cracked the ice as he planted them. But his stance held firm. An incomparable weight anchored him. He charged to meet the oncoming enemy.
——————!
Yet the compressed aura melted in the flames. An explosion erupted, as if hundreds of mana cannons had fired at once.
The ice the Demon King had frozen melted entirely. A rough hand slipped through the gap and seized Balaf's throat.
Kwaaaaa—
Immense force dragged him into the ocean depths.
Water poured into his mouth, muffling any scream. Even in the sea, the Demon King's malevolent form stood out starkly.
He shook off the resistance and swung his sword again.
—!
The Demon King's scales repelled the Dragon Slayer's energy. He slashed twice, three times.
Faint wounds diluted in the seawater. How deep had they gone? The abyssal seafloor welcomed him. Even in the lightless depths, the flames burned undimmed. Sharper, even.
Balaf clutched his throat. No time to nurse the burning pain.
『You idiot.』
He sent a message spell, mocking the bastard.
『The Flame Calamity Demon King dives into the sea himself?』
Even underwater, it was just a minor annoyance. He could last days.
But the Demon King? His special flames didn't extinguish easily in water, but they were affected. The slightly diminished inferno was proof.
『Demon Kings really are morons. Choosing your own disadvantage.』
『Yes, that voice. That mocking tone.』
Intentional taunts to grate on his nerves. But the Demon King's response was different.
『I've wanted to rip out that mocking mouth of yours. Yank out that snake-like tongue. Crush those arrogant eyes looking down on me!』
『What?』
『You have no idea how happy I am to have you right in front of me now.』
—!
The Demon King stomped. Crimson-black flame pillars erupted in a straight line. For a split second, they vaporized the seawater and sucked in air.
"Ernyaaaaaan!"
The Demon King called for one of his Four Heavenly Kings.
"Clear the seawater."
He commanded. And a response came.
Kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa—
The ocean parted. Like an invisible wall, it formed a circular space.
"What the... hell...!"
Balaf hastily raised his sword.
Clang. The twisted impact forced him back a step. The Demon King pressed forward.
Claws traced deadly arcs. The sword parried.
Fast, ferocious, scorching. Each strike targeted vital points.
But he wouldn't just take it— not with his reputation, not with all the time he'd invested.
He honed his senses. Desperately batted away the claws. And thrust into the glimpses of openings.
Kagak—
The sword raked across scales. The dragon's tough armor weakened under the Dragon Slayer's energy. It tore open like ordinary flesh.
The Dragon Slayer Sword reacted to the dragon's blood. It gulped it greedily, exploding with even greater power.
"You're eating well. Yeah, just like back then."
The enraged dragon stomped. Heat erupted from the seafloor, splitting into dozens of streams hurtling toward the hero.
But the hero regained his composure. He smiled at the rising heat in the sea.
"I don't know what bullshit you're spouting."
What did it matter?
Kirrr—
The Dragon Slayer Sword thirsted for more blood. Compressed aura tore at the space.
—!
The flames split. In that instant, a massive explosion engulfed the surroundings. It swallowed the hero.
He wrapped himself in aura and took it head-on. The Dragon Slayer Sword's greedy maw weakened the blast.
Beyond the fading flames, the Demon King appeared. The moment he willed himself forward, his body leaped through space.
—!
The blade tip barely grazed a horn. Fierce recoil made his arms buzz.
"Kuhuk...!"
Agony stabbed his chest. The Demon King had deliberately exposed the horn, letting his claws graze the chest in passing.
Masterwork armor crumpled like paper.
Ignoring the pain, he gripped the sword in reverse and slashed down. A sudden wall of fire blocked him.
He collided. Sliced through.
Aura extinguished the embers.
The Dragon Slayer Sword raged fiercer.
The blade aimed for vitals.
Kwajik—
The Demon King bled.
"Close, but no cigar."
The hero sneered. The blood on the blade vanished in an instant.
"A little more to the side, and it'd have been your heart."
The Demon King flew into a rage at the taunt.
"Who the hell are you?"
"Should I answer? Where'd that confidence from earlier go?"
The hero's wound was as deep as the Demon King's—no, deeper. So he feigned calm to buy time. Healing magic enveloped his body.
"You killed the Blood Sea Demon King and the Diamond Demon King? Bullshit. You couldn't have killed just two."
"Yeah, not just two. As Guild Master, I've slain two myself. That makes four already. Not that it's all of them."
"Guild Master, huh."
Berge had heard it too.
The heroes' reactions the moment the bastard revealed his true face.
"There can't be two of you."
"Did Hillon Kargil tell you? That I don't look like Balaf Disrod?"
"And if he did?"
Berge didn't hide it. He'd already guessed Balaf suspected. No need to confirm it outright, but one of them would die here today anyway.
"Guess I'll have to kill Hillon Kargil when I get back."
"You think you'll get the chance?"
"Curious about my identity? Fine, I'll tell you an old story."
Balaf changed the subject. Berge saw no reason to stop him.
"Long ago, there was an exceptionally outstanding hero. He was so superior he accomplished feats other heroes couldn't dream of."
Like, say.
"Killing Demon King after Demon King. It was when I'd slain my second."
Humans revere those who do what they can't. Or fear them.
"Followers sprang up to worship me. At the same time, jealous rivals plotted my death."
"Daniel Dayrus?"
The guy from centuries ago who vanished with a tower while hunting his third Demon King?
"...You know my name?"
Now the hero had a question. But it didn't matter anymore.
He gripped his sword. Preparations complete.
"Stupid Demon King bastard. Listening quietly while I talked? Thanks to that, I've healed completely."
The hero laughed. The Demon King laughed back.
"You're not the only one who pulled that trick, you stupid hero fuck."
Far from just healing, Berge had been gathering power.
"What?"
A wave of flames answered for him.
"That again?"
The hero scoffed.
"I'll admit you're strong. I can't fathom how a Demon King who's only been summoned for two years has this much power."
But.
"As the Flame Calamity Demon King, as a Dragon King, you can't beat me."
The Dragon Slayer Sword was made for that. A blade that devoured fire and slew dragons.
Heroes were made for that. Existences that devoured and annihilated otherworldly beings.
Balaf Disrod—no, Daniel Dayrus—was the perfect natural predator, standing at the opposite pole from Berge.
Throughout the battle, it had feasted on the Dragon King's flames. Now it unleashed a massive 20-meter aura blade.
It cleaved the waves in a single stroke. And the centuries-old hero glimpsed something ominous in the gap.
"Come on, then. Block this too."
The Demon King drew a deep breath.
Sucking in air, mana.
He drew out every drop of the fusion between mana and magic points split between his two hearts.
And released it all at once.
——————!
The air vanished. The dragon's authority closed in on the hero in the blink of an eye.
The hero judged.
Dodging was impossible.
The silver lining: he'd been stockpiling power too. And since its essence was dragon, demon, and flame, he wouldn't lose.
No room for carelessness, though.
He wrung out his aura core, maximizing the sword's energy. It gaped wide toward the flames.
Crunch, crunch—
An illusion of such sounds.
The dragon's authority, which burned all, was halted by a mere sword.
Excess heat leaked out, extinguished by the aura. Thus, the hero advanced.
One step.
Two steps.
The authority's breath, that heat, dared not touch the great hero.
Victory seemed certain.
Cleave the flames, pierce the authority, and run the head through.
Kirrr—
The sword thrummed. Overflowing with power, the Dragon Slayer reveled.
'If I catch him.'
He envisioned a bright future.
This was the strongest Demon King yet—stronger than any he'd slain, promising more power than ever.
If that happened.
'That monster...'
The little shit hiding behind his partner's shell.
Maybe he could finally kill him. No, he would. And break free from that demon's clutches.
One more step.
Kirrr—
The hero noticed the anomaly then.
The sword vibrated. No—screamed.
The heat intensified. Aura melted.
'What...?'
That wasn't.
The cheer of joy.
Kirrrrr—
It had eaten.
Eaten.
Eaten and eaten some more.
Until it could eat no more, endure no more—this was the sword's final scream.
Pajijik—
A faint crack's discord struck the hero's ears.
He gritted his teeth. The instant he realized the empire's treasure—forged from Red Dragon bone—couldn't hold, he judged swiftly.
Distance to the Demon King: about 30 meters. The sword screamed, but it could hold a bit longer.
'Run.'
Thrust through the Demon King's throat before it shattered.
Power surged into his legs. Muscles swelled. The ground unable to bear it crumbled.
———!
The breath split. The sword's scream grew. Their distance closed rapidly.
'It'll reach.'
Recoil intensified.
The heat the sword could handle dwindled. The flames assailed the aura hotter than ever.
Feeling his aura drain fast, he took another step, charging.
Aura melted.
Armor glowed red-hot.
Hair ignited, skin peeled.
And the sword's scream turned to a wail.
'Just a bit more.'
Just a little further.
The hero prayed desperately. Wished fervently.
15m, 13m, 10m, 8m.
Their faces and expressions were visible. One breath away from severing the throat. Yet it felt impossibly distant.
A few more steps.
Just bury this blade tip in his maw. Slice the throat.
Then...!
——————!
Ah.
The hero let out a hollow laugh.
0.0001 seconds until the sword shattered.
But in the hero's eyes, it all unfolded in slow motion.
Cracks spiderwebbed across the blade. It exploded, shards flying. Indiscriminate, destroying owner and enemy alike.
Fragments shattered aura and armor. Burrowed into skin, battered flesh. The unrelenting dragon authority followed.
The world dyed crimson-black.
* * *
His entire body throbbed.
'Did I... lose? For real?'
Daniel Dayrus barely kept his drooping eyes open.
Above, the sky. The sea still refusing to settle. Mist from water and fire swirling around.
And through it, the victor emerged.
"Impressive. Your body's tough as hell."
He mocked him.
"...How the hell."
"You heroes always pull this face."
"What...?"
"I don't get why you look so incredulous in the most obvious situations."
"What bullshit...!"
"Demons are superior to humans. Demon Kings are among the strongest of them. They follow what you idiots mock as the Demon King's Canon because they can."
Because they know they can win.
"That's why even you so-called heroes never challenge a Demon King alone, despite your grand 'hero' title. But you? Overflowing with self-confidence."
No, not just you.
"All heroes make that 'unbelievable' face when they enter a tower and stare death in the face. Figured you'd never die, right? Demon Kings are that laughable."
"That's..."
Over a century, it had become the norm. Humans stood above Demon Kings.
"Kuhhuhu."
The Demon King laughed.
"I always wanted to throw it back at you once. So this is what it feels like."
"...What?"
"Don't worry. I won't kill you right away."
Kwajik—
A heavy foot crushed his chest. Balaf spat blood.
"My rage is too great to let you die easy."
And.
"I've got so many questions for you."
The Demon King laughed.
A mad cackle brimming with the ecstasy of vengeance finally achieved.