The Regressed Son of a Duke is an Assassin

Chapter 284: For His Sake (4)

A sword that devours the soul of its owner to hijack that power.

Among the divine weapons inherited from godly strength, it is both the most destructive and the most dreadful sword.

A blade more familiar with blood than any other.

All of these were words used to describe the demonic sword Kairam.

For hundreds of years, indiscriminate slaughter had been carried out by her, regardless of race — humans, demonic beasts, the demon race, and even beings like dragons that had received divine power directly.

She exuded fear and horror to all who heard of her, never feeling any pangs of conscience or fear during her massacres.

A weapon that, legendary as it was, could even dispatch beings in the gods’ realm.

However, even she was now feeling a wave of nervousness so great that her heart fluttered uncontrollably.

A red space reminiscent of the insides of furious flames.

Before Kairam, in that space, stood an enigmatic spirit wavering like smoke.

“To think the horrific demonic sword Kairam would come here. This is indeed an honor.”

Despite having a single form, within it resonated the overlapping voices of dozens.

Kairam silently crossed her arms, giving the spirit a look that said, “What kind of thing is this?”

She had once heard from Sian.

In her past life, she had fought a decisive battle with the Death Sword, the weapon of the Demon King, to weaken his strength.

Although she had succeeded in halving the power of the Death Sword, her personality had been erased as a consequence.

Until then, she had thought it to be mere puffery.

In this world, the only being she considered a match for her strength was holy sword Dyrandark at most.

She had believed there was no weapon to rival herself, the inheritor of divine strength, and she had lived accordingly.

Now, however, she was beginning to believe Sian’s words.

No, she had to believe them.

For even the Demonic Sword could not deny the monstrous power emanating from the spirit.

“You should not have come to meet us.”

“When did you say it was an honor, and now what nonsense do you speak?”

“You, bestowed with ultimate power from the beginning, may not know. You and your master lived receiving grace as creations of the gods, but we did not. We had to emerge from an endless abyss of lifeless earth, climbing with the sole intention of survival. The pains and strength we had to accrue simply to live, to survive — such misery of our demon race is unknown to you.”

“Why? Didn’t you kneel and pray too? Begging for them to take interest in your land?”

“The opposite. We have grown this power throughout the ages to oppose you and those who created you.”

Kairam’s face, which had held a mocking smile, contorted instantly.

“We have seen all that has been done in the human world under the pretext of maintaining order. They have enforced control and demanded adherence to their laws upon humans. As a result, humans evolved into devout followers and mere creations of the gods.”

Kairam did not deny that with bitterness in her heart.

“We did not want that. But you crossed a line in the end. You will pay for it now, and no one can stop it!”

A chilling laughter echoed from within the spirit.

“Your long history of slaughter ends today. Starting with you and your master, we will absorb the souls of the mortal world to enhance our power. Those filthy and loathsome supreme beings can never encroach upon our territory again!”

“…….”

“Make a splendid beginning to this. Demonic Sword!”

* * *

“What in the world is happening inside?”

“That demon from the sky, was that the Demon King?”

“Who is the Demon King fighting inside?”

The demon realm’s inhabitants had evacuated outside Arem to escape the human slaughter.

Ignorant of what was occurring inside, they worriedly wrung their hands together.

“Can someone go and check?”

The demons hoped for someone brave to verify the situation inside.

However, around Arem, a limiting barrier had been created, which made entry practically impossible.

The dragons, following Nagel’s orders to form the barrier, concentrated fully from unseen positions to ensure it was not destroyed.

They too were curious about the situation inside.

Sweat poured down their backs as the relentless collision of powers continued unabated.

-Clang!

With each clash of the sword, bursts of red magic energy and black mists exploded without end.

-Clang! Clang! Clang!

As Velcaryon continued his barrage of strikes, he abruptly stopped and stared intently at Sian.

Sian seemed to struggle, breathing heavily in defense.

Velcaryon then unleashed a torrent of magic energy to deliver a mighty blow.

-Boom!

Unable to withstand the impact, Sian was sent flying and crashed to the ground; the building crumbled instantaneously.

However, soon the rubble stirred, and Sian re-emerged from within the dust, attempting to regain his footing when suddenly—

“……!”

Velcaryon’s devastating punch flew right toward Sian’s face.

-Thump!

Caught off guard, Sian crossed his arms to block the punch just in time.

Yet the Demon King’s fist kept coming relentlessly, and Sian found himself unable to mount any effective counterattack.

Once again, his body was sent flying and smashed into the ground.

“What are you doing?”

For the first time since the fierce battle began, Velcaryon spoke, his expression one of bitter disappointment.

“It’s different from before. I thought your eyes looked haggard, and now I see you’re not even in your right mind. Did you come to fight me like this?”

Without a word, Sian stood up and assumed his stance once more, though he seemed to have no strength left to respond.

“So disappointing…”

The dejected Demon King cupped his face with one hand and lifted his head.

He had thought this was the only being capable of quenching his thirst for battle, but judging from the current state, Sian seemed no better than prey for a hellhound.

Velcaryon put down his Death Sword and began to walk towards Sian.

In desperation, Sian swung his sword, but—

-Swish!

It was but a meaningless cut through the air.

Unable to bear it any longer, Velcaryon kicked Sian fiercely in the gut.

“Try and muster some strength. Rouse even the strength from your baby days. Is it okay for me to kill off all the humans around you? Shouldn’t you be trying to stop me?”

“…….”

“Enough. Just die.”

Realizing further resistance was pointless,

Velcaryon grasped Sian’s neck, pulling him up and slamming him against the wall.

Sian could offer no struggle and simply gasped for breath powerlessly.

“Don’t bother feeling sorry for yourself. I’ll send all humans your way, both the ones you loved and loathed, by killing them all.”

“…….”

Velcaryon slowly raised the Death Sword.

At the tip, red magic energy gathered, and a vivid light gleamed, seemingly hungering for Sian’s soul.

Just as the Death Sword’s energy was about to overwhelm Sian, he suddenly spoke.

“Now….”

“……?”

“Now is the time.”

Sian’s voice was faint, but he unmistakably said, “now.”

The meaning was yet unclear.

Baffled, Velcaryon hesitated for a moment instead of attacking.

“Consume.”

Then came the next word.

“Consume it…”

After saying “now,” Sian inexplicably repeated the words, urging something or someone to devour.

“Devour it. Kairam!!!”

His shout shook the surrounding debris.

Velcaryon’s gaze swiftly moved to Sian’s right hand, which gripped the demonic sword.

“……!”

But it was too late to stop anything — from the blade’s tip, an immense mist spewed forth, utterly obscuring the view.

“Kehehehehe!”

An odd laughter followed.

With the bizarre laugh came a foreign voice that had never been heard before.

“You said I needn’t be sacrificed, yet you wield me like this? As always, from the beginning to the end, our master never considers anyone else’s opinion.”

Velcaryon couldn’t believe his ears.

In this very place, at this proximity, such a clear and distinct voice could not possibly come from anyone other than Sian.

Gradually, as the mist cleared, Sian’s formerly obscured face reappeared.

A chilling grin spread across Sian’s lips, causing a shiver to run down one’s spine.

“Bored now? I can understand. Our master is dreadfully stubborn. So inflexible. Always so righteous…”

It was impossible not to realize.

The Sian facing the Demon King now was definitely not Sian—another personality had taken his place.

“Convoluted struggles between demons, warnings to the gods… why make life so complicated? Living each day is hard enough just satisfying my desires… don’t you agree?”

Velcaryon offered no response.

“Shall we get back to a proper fight? But I have to warn you, I’m in quite a foul mood right now.”

Sian lifted the demonic sword he held, displaying it conspicuously.

“Round two begins~!”

The figure of Sian wielding the demonic sword was the embodiment of unity with the blade.

* * *

In the heart of a verdant forest with leaves dense enough to block out the sky,

Haniel leaned against a tree, wrapping her arms around herself.

Being further inside the collapsing spatial dimension of the holy sword would have meant erasure without a trace, so she too had stepped outside and was staring at the sky with hollow eyes.

“Willius Bert. Where on earth did that man find such a being…”

She seemed quite shaken by the incredible power Sian had demonstrated.

“Yet even if you break free from space, nothing changes. How could you stand against the Demon King in such disarray? If you’re lucky, you might slightly weaken the Demon King’s power.”

Haniel laughed to herself, despite not realizing it.

“But in the end, it’s akin to assisting your son, so I can’t entirely resent it. I am sincerely grateful that you offer your life for Echel, Sian…”

Everything ultimately returned to Echel in the end.

Pleased with how things were progressing, Haniel continued to chuckle.

-Rustle rustle

Amidst this, unfamiliar footsteps approached from somewhere unseen.

The footsteps made Haniel abruptly stop laughing.

They weren’t heavy or light enough to be a demonic beast.

It felt like the footfalls of a human, and that intuition proved correct.

“……!”

Upon seeing the source of the footsteps, Haniel’s eyes widened in surprise.

“What? Why are you here?”

“Is there a reason why I shouldn’t be here?”

Struggling to her feet, Haniel quickly approached and grabbed the woman by the scruff.

“What’s your scheme? Why are you here too?”

-Thud

Something fell to the ground, causing her to instantly divert her gaze.

Haniel, taken aback, picked up the object that had fallen — a pendant.

It was the very pendant she had used to lure Echel into the trap destined for the Demon King.

“Why is this pendant here?”

“…….”

“Tell me! Did you release it? Disable the power of delusion?”

“Do I really need to answer that for you to know?”

Haniel finally shouted in frustration.

“Why? Why? Why would you, of all people, mess this up? Why did you do it?”

“I was never Echel’s person.”

“What?”

“I always was, and still am, Sian’s person.”

Haniel’s face, once marked by shock, twisted into utter despair.

Looking down indifferently at Haniel was none other than Emily, who had silently stood by Sian’s side for a long time.

(To be continued)