The Beast Unaware of Its Lost Arm
The monster's ambush struck silently, without a hint of murderous intent or presence, infiltrating deep into the mansion. True to its reputation as a near-transcendent killer that hunted even demon lords and heroes, it targeted the most vulnerable moment—when one's guard was down. An ambush right after dinner, heading to bed with a relaxed mind... I was almost grateful it was aiming for me. What kind of rotten luck was this, having the very subject of the story we just heard about show up immediately after? ...If being targeted as a male witch meant this, I'd only feel even more guilt and sorry toward Mom.
"...Just trust me once and hand over that sword."
Was it because we'd heard the family story that Ephemera would never speak of, never even mention? A strange sensation I'd never felt before twisted in my gut, heat rising in my chest until my stomach churned unpleasantly. Ah, so this was killing intent? I'd never met anyone I wanted dead in my life.
"I admit, dragging out the story about the person involved without permission was definitely my mistake!"
The Third Prince placed a hand on my shoulder, trying to calmly persuade me.
"Getting angry for that story... You're a truly good person! But let's be real—there's no reason to risk your life for near-strangers like us today!"
I wanted to snap that we weren't strangers, but his words were so spot-on it was hard to argue.
"Even for the grace Poppins showed the royal family, you must survive and escape! Even in a fight where death is certain, as the heir bearing the blood of heroes and dragons, you have to stake your life for the people!"
His epic line shattered my impulse to punch him in the jaw and snatch the sword. Come to think of it, that sword was solidified aura, just like the hero senior used last time—I probably couldn't even lift it. Should I head back to the dining room for a knife? Any decorative swords around? As I racked my brain and froze, the prince slapped his forehead.
Was he about to get mad? No.
"Wait, thinking about it, it was targeting Tendo-kun from the start! If we let him escape, it'd use him as bait to get us all... Better to hold it here! Even if we die, we'll grab its ankles and stall!!"
"Hey, that's not it at all!!!"
A headache pounded from the complex emotions surging up my throat. No, our idiot Third Prince was just too damn nice...!
"Before that, leaving an intruder to a guest is rude! This is our family matter—leave it to us!"
"Orochi!"
"Ready, Your Highness?"
"Heh, you say death comes unannounced... but I'm always prepared!"
Both braced for death, weapons drawn and ready to fight—but my eyes locked on the sword at Orochi's waist. No choice now; I'd have to force it from her and use it. I reached out, but she grabbed my wrist, stopping me.
"Listen up. The young lady's rampaging. If things go south, I'll toss it at the young master. Then run without looking back."
As she said that, wrapping bombs around her waist from who-knows-where, I couldn't bring myself to say "give me the sword." It'd make me look like a clueless, reckless fool right now. No other choice but to trust her—our top student, who never stopped striving to even beat heroes...!
"Horn signal...!!"
"Looks like Ephemera's pushing it back!!"
The Third Prince provided covering fire from afar with the gun Orochi handed him. The Master Killer, blocking their shots not with its sword but its body, traded blows evenly with Ephemera.
"You bastard, daring to use our family's swordsmanship in front of Ephemera's family head?"
The monster wielded perfectly the swordsmanship stolen from devoured father and mother—textbook flawless. Just that alone ignited rage and killing intent hot and deep enough to blow its head off if traded for a curse. And seeing the family heirloom sword, battered and ragged from rough handling... Father's proud displays flashed in my mind. Ephemera hadn't gone mad with fury was a miracle in itself.
Her body boiled like thrown into a furnace from surging mana, yet her mind froze cold and rational. Had she always honed her sword awaiting this moment? No anxiety that the awaited day came too soon. Even burning her lifespan, even if her heart burst or she could never hold a sword again—even then, she'd end it here. That obsession lit her eyes with brilliance, transparent haze rising from her body.
Beyond mana-enhanced strength, a genius reaching swordmaster realm young. And as the superhuman inheriting the family blood thickest, overwhelming talent.
She poured pure intent to cleave into her gripped sword. A normal blade would shatter, but infused with her mana, it glowed faintly in the dark space—like it could unleash starlight any second. Her radiant talent and fury-boosted prowess shone. Yet it was a chick unborn—cracks in the shell, peeking through.
──As exceptional as the countless slain heroes, her brilliant parents? Gauging the foe, her limits, she calmly calculated odds. Facing her nemesis with such judgment proved her worthy family head. Thus, she saw victory. The foe using stolen family swordsmanship was natural; time to revise and improve it.
It wasn't identical, or she'd have been sliced already.
"If it's the same swordsmanship, who's got the edge?!"
The Third Prince shouted amid the fierce clash too intense to shoot without risking Ephemera.
"Weight class."
Without overwhelming mana or divine weapons like holy swords, Ephemera couldn't overwhelm the monster's class. Bone-like structure dubious, its muscular body evoked tentacles with arm elasticity. Each sword clash let it harness recoil, gradually accelerating attacks. Like downhill acceleration into runaway, heedless of self-damage, fighting to kill. All monsters fought dirty like that—headaches to face.
"Whoa!!"
Not even a slash, yet collision fragments exploded like hurled spears, punching holes in walls. Hard to approach, now retreating as their duel intensified. Swordmasters clashed without yielding, Ephemera even pressing in. Matching her advance like a waltz, it stepped forward too.
Thud—the brutal sound shattered the wasp-wing clashes, echoing viciously.
"You coward..!"
Then, the monster changed tactics. Hardly swordsmanship—instinct blending stolen techniques haphazardly. One hand the famed sword, the other black mana "blade" eerie beyond vicious. Swings more like smacks than cuts; footwork? Massive frame danced legs wildly, leveraging weight. Each ground contact rippled mana shockwaves. Even afar, I felt pushed, nauseous—what of Ephemera up close, ceaseless?
Blocking, parrying, shattering, pushing—yet her nightgown tore ragged.
"Blocked the sword, but mana shatters like glass shards...!!"
"No way—demonic mana? Real demon lord class?"
Parrying unleashed black aura-mana shards slicing skin on touch, endlessly scattering, embedding floors. Floor slick with one person's blood—infuriating. Opposite human mana: sinister, malicious black light. Textbook knowledge, but wielders earned eternal infamy.
Flow tipped instantly—what more to say?
"Ngh...!"
Foe ignored flying strikes, mansion crumbling. Wild slashes, crushing with monster durability. Speed ramped assassination-style, Ephemera pushed back. Dual-wielding aura blades, thrusting close. Overwhelming advantage, despairing assault.
'Not trying to kill.' To me, it toyed with her. Fatal openings galore, yet prolonging maliciously. Did she not notice amid this? Covering fire impossible, dodging blind shards taxing—hard to even beg "give me a sword" with burning glares...!!!
Third Prince shielded mana-less me with his own, human shield!! Lived swordside my life, disaster day after leaving it home. If Grand Duke here, he'd morph into one...!!
"...The flow's shifted!"
Orochi shouted. Endless slashes whipped sonic booms, point-strikes blurring. Steps quaked black waves twisting innards. Higher realm polluted body/mana—Master Killer's "strong slayer" lethal. Clashes drained her mana for regen/strength. Momentum swung, her odds zero—but.
Blur-speed hands deflected all. Arms severed midair, its eyes widened. Panic? No, enjoying. Exposed flesh begging cuts. Ephemera endured, seizing counter-moment, revealing true colors. Swordfight: talent/technique key, but reading moves crucial. Victory only when foe can't rise.
Overwhelming didn't mean won till end. Top-student worthy. Orochi buffed prince's mana; he charged death-defying. Like firefighter into inferno for child, no hesitation. Admirable resolve.
"Over here, Master Killer!! Take my sword!!!!"
Flanking, full-throated "declaration." Desperate to draw eyes, pitiful.
"Damn it...!!"
Aura sword swung knowing futility. Blocked blind as expected—prince ground teeth in rage. Should've trained properly with siblings, hero avatar, father hero, dragon-blooded mom!!!
"Born talentless—it's tragic!!"
Couldn't say before mana-less male witch, but blurted now. Royal hero blood, yet this full-effort strike?
"Ignore me and cleave!!"
Too long a second among superhumans. Knowing his sacrificial weight, irony: royal as bait for guardian family head. No retort to man's resolve—how lowly her skill rated? She showed with sword.
Air currents warped. World darkening—space devoured by one. Soon, greatsword space-rend like greatswordsman's loomed.
Mana-less mortal undreamt realm. Razor intent swallowed blade-tip into void. Distance/defense irrelevant—ripping painted world. Dimensional slash stormed. Lingering strokes erupted slashes anew. Hemisphere 2m traces blanketed view.
Crack—!!
Thunderclap post-lightning storm: ──【Space Cleave Slash】
No, not greatswordsman's space-slice "like." Lightning flash blanketing area in traces, cleaving all. Sheathing thunder-wrapped blade, mana to edge. Who'd believe such unblockable prep stance? Counter big motions with bigger disable. Thus fastest sword housed "lightning"—knowing sheathe instant.
Ephemera house ultimate. Guarding fastest pursuit. Talent-elevated, named her flash.
Sheathe-burst signal—sword pierced pre-light burst.
Named 【Flash Annihilation ()】. Heart-piercing, physics-defying draw outshining light—swordmaster epiphany rivaling overlords momentarily. (Overlords swung casually, unfair compare.) Demon-lord beast—fatal hit.
Heart-hole gaping, dumbstruck prince visible beyond. Pre-fall inertia—spinning top follow-up for survival. Lightning past, thunder follows. Golden bolts slashed nape.
Certainty gripped all but one boy. Heart-holed, undefended, ragged—neck strike fatal? Vengeful young head succeeded. All rejoiced her win—in that instant.
Blink—reality collapsed like dream's end.
"Ha..?"
Prince parsed dissipating black/thunder remnants. Ephemera's sword snapped, flung; Master Killer stood evolved.
Grown.
"No way, from the start..."
Intended to toy. New presence crushed courage like broken-legged rabbit vs. winged tiger. Futile strength screamed shredding death. Unlike normal monsters, malice-fueled endless growth defined demon-lord class. Hero-slaying reason body grasped pre-mind. So strong, yet toy till exhaustion... feign hope, then despair.
Knowing beast nature, prince couldn't watch friend die.
""
First maw-open, mocking lifetime effort futile, despair—sword gutted her.
Orochi/prince screamed imagined sight—but Ephemera expected thrust, Master Killer too. Bizarre scene silenced all like actor's flub. Foe/ally alike—arm where?
Master Killer glanced prince; he at Orochi; she at prince/monster. What happened?
"Doesn't notice own arm severed... Monsters just bugs?"
"Weird."
Dripping arm clutching heirloom—boy held it.
"No pain, so fight like that?"
Genuinely curious amid shock, innocent query. Other hand gripped Ephemera's dropped broken sword.
"Gently like newborn foal, or I'll torment."
Calm warning overflowed. Mana-void, empty-air presence warned beast. Utter certainty: killing faster than its fingers twitch.
""
Mock-laugh, arm moved—empty wrist. Floor-slumped Ephemera blinked dazed.
Severed...? Really?
"Sword feels short; rusty after months... Daily practice essential..."
Lamenting rust ignoring beast, inspected heirloom gently, set down. Gripping her revenge-broken sword, boy strolled casually toward it.
"Know this?"
Unspoken—born deeming severing growth metric. Thick bear hide, golem core.
"Torment freely, praised. Lucky you."
Witchcraft "blood" sadism. Innate ferocity unerasable.
"Think bug... Die like bug."
Vivid dismemberment vision, bloodlust. Mana-less lifeform, scenery-mistakable. Strength logically bug-worse.
Master Killer's eyes wavered. Instinct screamed: too high realm, unseen seen, body knew—inside boy's cleave zone.