The Boy with the Demon Spirit Stone
Adel frowned at the child in bewilderment.
"What the hell? It's a boy?"
[It seems to be going south. Look at those eyes. They're definitely contaminated by the spirit stone's energy. No wonder... That's why I couldn't sense any demon tribe energy.]
Kalderet clucked his tongue.
[The vessel to store a spirit stone is a young girl's belly, but if a boy swallows it, that's a different story. A boy without a vessel like a girl's will instead absorb the spirit stone rapidly.]
"Does that mean he's turning into a half-demon?"
[Exactly. It's highly likely the spirit stone has already spread to his organs and been absorbed.]
Adel bit his lower lip slightly.
"Ugh... ughhh..."
The young boy trembled violently, looking up at Adel in agony.
"Is there no way to fix this?"
[Hmm... If you could attune my void power a bit more perfectly, maybe you could extract just the demon energy... but it's not possible yet.]
"How much more do I need?"
[Well, you'd probably need at least one more god whose blessing you could add to the mix.]
At that moment, Adel recalled the 【Platinum Ring】 he'd obtained from Ralka's warehouse.
But he soon shook his head.
The Nephalem he could contract through the Platinum Ring was a god diametrically opposed to Kalderet. If he could wield Kalderet's blessing perfectly, he might use only Nephalem's divine power, but right now, it would just weaken the power of Kalderet that Adel already possessed.
But that's strange... I figured Mahal would eat the demon spirit stone and turn into a murderer.
The demon spirit stone inside a boy rather than a girl couldn't be separated.
...What the hell happened in my previous life?
"Yohan!!!"
It was then.
Yura, who had been behind Adel, turned pale as a sheet and hugged the boy's shoulders.
Yohan...? No way this kid is the Holy Kingdom's Mad Dog?
Adel couldn't help but be shocked by Yura's words.
It was astonishing enough that this boy on the verge of collapse would later become a holy knight called the Mad Hound, but even more shocking was how he had survived harboring a demon spirit stone.
"Natan. Are there any Holy Kingdom bastards here by any chance?"
"Of course. High nobles from the Holy Kingdom visit occasionally."
"I see."
High nobles from the Holy Kingdom would likely wield priestly powers.
Looks like Yohan gets help from the Holy Kingdom here.
That made sense. It explained why a boy with zero faith became a holy knight and charged into battlefields.
Hmm, too good a talent to let those bastards take him.
Adel knew Yohan's combat prowess better than anyone. During the war with the Holy Kingdom, the blood pooled at his feet could fill a lake.
Of course, I never imagined he'd be a kid on the brink of death like this.
"Isn't there some way..."
If he left him as is, he might receive the Holy Kingdom's aid as in the original history.
But that wasn't certain. In the original history, Mahal was supposed to come here, but Adel had left him incapacitated for the time being.
The incident's trigger itself is twisted, so who knows how it'll play out.
Adel decided he needed to heal Yohan himself.
Kwaaaang---!!
It was then.
The tent flap of the pavilion flew open, heavy breathing filling the air around them.
"Freeze!! Surround them!!"
Adel, supporting Yohan as they emerged from the iron cage, eyed the dozens of guards encircling him.
"Knew it. The vibe felt off."
"Natan, what the hell are you doing here?!"
"What if Durka finds out? How could you pull this insane stunt?!"
Natan's face drained of color at the guards' shouts. He looked at Adel as if pleading for help.
"Hmph."
Adel nodded at his gaze.
"Alright, I'll handle it."
"P-Please..."
Thud. In that instant, Natan's head hit the floor.
The sword at Natan's waist was now in Adel's hand.
"...!!!"
Everyone froze in shock at Adel's sudden action.
"Wh-What the...!!"
"What do you think you're doing?!"
The guards yelled in disbelief, but Adel calmly drew the participant badge proving his arena entry from his pocket.
"I'm an arena participant. I was here because something felt off with that guy, so I checked what he was up to."
"B-Bullshit! You expect us to buy that? You're his accomplice!! We saw you come in together!"
"That's what I'm saying. I suspected he was trying to steal an arena sacrifice. If the sacrifice vanished, do you think Durka would leave your necks attached?"
"Kuh...!!"
"If we were accomplices, I would've cut your necks and run instead of his. Right?"
"What? You little shit...!!"
Smack--!!
The head of the lead shouter snapped back. Adel had lunged forward in an instant, striking his cheek with the flat of his blade.
"Think I won't?"
"H-Huh...?"
The man's cheeks burned red as he stared at Adel in shock and dismay.
"You should be thanking me on your knees, not yelling at me. Isn't that right?"
Sweat trickled down the man's cheek.
Damn, he's just an arena participant, but that kid's eyes look like they'll devour me.
"Am I wrong?"
"Th-Thank... you..."
He stammered without even meeting Adel's eyes as he pressed again.
"The arena starts soon. Don't you need to send sacrifices to the stage? I'll take him myself."
Adel didn't wait for him to finish, hoisting the collapsed Yohan again.
"What the hell are you idiots saying?! Are you insane?! Can't you see that bastard's using the arena as an excuse to scheme?!"
Not all of them were fools. One of the dazed group under Adel's pressure shouted.
"You bastard, you're the one who killed Bamol and Yulta too? And now the guard captain?!"
"Hmm, I said be quiet, but that Simon guy and now no one listens properly. My mistake."
Adel looked at the man.
"Nothing fosters perfect loyalty like death. You'll all die here."
"...Crazy bastard!!"
Hwaaaak---!!!
In that instant, a faint dark aura emanated from the man. It was no human power.
It was a God's Blessing.
[Ho, not bad. To think even this den of trash has someone who can wield a blessing.]
Kalderet eyed the man drawing his sword.
[But which idiot god lent their power to such refuse?]
Chwaruruk---!!!!
The man lashed his sword at Adel. Astonishingly, what seemed a sword extended like a whip, coiling toward Adel like a serpent.
Kang! Kagang...!!
Adel stabbed his sword into the ground, spinning to draw the Lion Bow's string. Two arrows flew, precisely striking the chain sword's blade.
[Uroboros. Figures. No god would empower trash like that. At best, it's an ancient beast's blessing.]
Kalderet growled as he saw the man's eyes turn pitch black while wielding the whip-like chain sword.
"Your name?"
"...Borgan."
The man answered tensely, surprised Adel had blocked his attack.
[Be careful. That power seems to come from Shan. Means the bastard's got some real skill.]
But Kalderet knew his warning was pointless.
"Careful? Against an ancient beast's power?"
Borgan flinched instinctively, widening the distance.
Hwaruruk...!!!
Red flames erupted from Adel's hand gripping the sword. He gripped his chain sword tighter, face tense. The red flames gradually turned a blood-like purple, then black.
"I told you to laugh."
Kwaaaang---!!
Borgan's eyes bulged as Adel closed the gap in a flash. As Adel slashed, the air exploded where it met the flames.
What, what is this?!
Flames from the sword tip touched Borgan's arm, racing up to his shoulder in an instant.
"Gaaahhh---!!!"
He staggered back with a desperate scream.
In that moment, an arrow flew.
"Guhk!!"
An arrow pierced Borgan's instep as he retreated. With both feet pinned, he toppled backward, immobile.
"Kraaaah!!!"
Borgan swung his sword desperately. But its earlier sharpness was gone, his blessing vanished.
[He fled. Snakes are all the same... Ditch the contractor or whatever when it's risky and save their own skin.]
Kalderet clucked his tongue at Borgan charging bare-handed.
Kwoduduk-
Adel drew the Lion Bow's string.
"...Stupid bastard!! A bow at close range?! Die!!"
Chwaruruk---!!
Borgan's chain sword whipped toward Adel's back.
But astonishingly, Adel ducked forward while holding the draw.
"...!!"
Borgan, expecting a retreat, yanked his sword back in panic as Adel dove inside his guard.
Taang-!!
But Adel was faster. He slipped Borgan's head between the bow limbs and released the string.
"...Guhk!!!"
The Lion Bow's string snapped across Borgan's throat like a blade, severing it.
Thud.
Only after Borgan's head hit the floor did they realize no arrow had been nocked.
"You're not even worth an arrow."
Adel tore cloth from Borgan's clothes to wipe the blood from the Lion Bow's string.
"Ancient beast, huh... This is all you've got. Even if dragons are the continent's apex, they're still mortal."
Adel said disappointedly.
It made sense—his first battle with the necromancer in the desert had been so fierce he'd needed to descend a god. He knew only battles pushing him to the brink would make him grow.
"I need someone stronger."
Thud---!!
Adel climbed atop the pavilion and hurled Borgan's severed head out through the tent flap with all his might.
"Kyaaak---!!"
"A-A corpse!!"
"Get out of the way!"
The crowd screamed in horror at the flying head.
"Pathetic. These people came to watch death, yet they scream at this."
Adel swept a cold sneer over the audience.
"Wh-Who is that!!"
The pavilion, bustling with arena preparations, erupted in chaos at the intruding Adel.
Guards around the stage drew swords, shouting at him.
"You know who this is."
"B-Borgan?"
"No way..."
The guards muttered pallidly at the sight of Borgan's head.
"Hey, announcer. Enough with the pointless sacrifice ritual. Time for the real fights. Get lost if you don't wanna die."
"H-Hiiik?!"
Adel tossed his participant badge to the dazed announcer on the arena stage.
"...What a noisy guy. Ruining the arena."
He turned toward the sharp gaze he'd felt since entering.
"Hardly. Now it finally feels like an arena. Liberation King... No, not yet?"
Adel grinned at the man.
"Karno."