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HEL SCANS
[Translator – Kie]
[Proofreader – Kawaii]
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Chapter 102: Thornwood (3)
***
Damien looked at the demonic sword and said with a disgusted expression.
“So you lent your power to Alexander Apple in order to take over his body.”
The demonic sword always leads its users to ruin in one way or another.
It drives them mad or amplifies their negative emotions.
But the worst way is to simply take over their body.
It takes over the user’s body, plays with it until it breaks, and then finds a new user to take over when it becomes useless.
– That’s right! That’s right! I kept feeding my partner dark mana, and thanks to that, my partner’s body became compatible with me.
The demonic sword took a step forward and spun around like a dancer. It looked incredibly light and agile.
– The results are very satisfying! It fits me perfectly as if it were my own body.”
The demonic sword said in an excited voice. Then it suddenly sighed deeply.
– Haah… That’s why it’s even more regrettable. If I had taken more time, I could have taken it over in human form instead of this form.
Damien felt a chill run down his spine at those words.
What if the demonic sword had completely taken over Alexander’s body? What if it had infiltrated human society by impersonating Alexander Apple?
The Apple Kingdom would have been plunged into great chaos.
– Oh, but this is not the time for that. I have to avenge my partner!
The demonic sword clapped its hands. The sound of the clapping brought Damien out of his reverie.
– My partner sacrificed his own body for me! Who else will carry on his legacy if not me?
Alexander Apple.
Now, from the body that had turned into a demonic sword, a high concentration of dark mana emanated.
The concentration of dark mana was so thick that it was visible to the naked eye. The dark mana swirled like a storm, spreading in all directions.
The enormous force pushed Damien’s body back. He crouched down and thrust the Holy Sword in the ground. Even so, his body continued to be pushed back.
– Hahaha! Ahahahaha!
The demonic sword burst into laughter. As the laughter grew louder, the amount of dark mana increased even more.
– I’m using my own power! I’m not being used by others, I’m using it myself!
The entire barrier that Damien had put up shook and began to crack.
The dark magic that Damien had cast was a high-level dark magic of the 7th rank.
It was a dark magic that completely isolated a certain space, and it was not easy to destroy even with the power of the aura.
And yet, the demonic sword was destroying it simply by releasing its dark magic.
– You don’t know! You don’t know how happy I am right now!
The demonic sword stretched out one hand. A sword emerged from its palm.
A jet-black aura erupted from the sword. It was so thick that it could be mistaken for an aura blade.
– My friend, shall we start the second round now?
Before he could even speak, the demonic sword disappeared from his sight. Damien’s eyes widened.
He had missed the move. He had no idea where the demonic sword had gone.
– Oh, my? Is it already over?
A voice came from behind him. The moment he turned around, the demonic sword struck down.
The aura erupted, creating a huge crater.
The building was completely split open by the crater, and the barrier was shattered.
It was an attack so powerful that it seemed like the world was splitting in half.
– Oh?
A look of puzzlement appeared on the demonic sword’s face. This was because Damien was standing there perfectly fine.
– What the hell? Why did it miss? What the hell are you doing…
The moment the demonic sword was confused, Damien spun around. The Holy Sword, drawing a half-circle, cut off the demonic sword’s neck.
***
With a loud crash, the demonic sword’s body was flung backward.
The demonic sword looked up at Damien with a surprised expression.
– Wow… Did I actually get hit?
Despite a clean blow to the neck, the demonic sword was unharmed. Instead, the Holy Sword’s blade shattered on impact.
“Damn, that’s incredibly hard.”
If it had been a human body, Damien’s attack using the Life-Taking sword would have severed the neck.
But now, the body was no longer human. It had fused with the demonic sword.
– Tell me. What did you just do? I clearly swung my sword. It was an unblockable attack. But why did the direction suddenly shift when you did this, this to the sword?
Just before the demonic sword struck, Damien used the Holy Sword to perform Ten Thousand Flow Perception.
The demonic sword’s attack was powerful, making it a bit difficult, but Damien successfully deflected the blow using the technique.
“Even if I explained it, you wouldn’t understand.”
– Wow, that stings a bit. But seeing it now, I guess you’re right.
The demonic sword nodded, surprisingly quick to concede the point.
– Regardless, you’re a tough one. You know how creepy it felt when you slashed at my neck? Pointless, though.
The demonic sword tapped its neck with a mocking gesture towards Damien.
– Whatever you try, it’s futile… but I suppose there’s no point keeping you alive any longer, is there?
The playful smile vanished from the demonic sword’s face, replaced by a chilling killing intent.
Damien clicked his tongue, seeing the demonic sword ready to unleash its full power.
‘This is a formidable opponent.’
Unlike Alexander Apple, the demonic sword was a full-fledged High-Class.
All its abilities transcended human limitations, and it wielded them with exceptional skill.
That alone was a threat, but on top of that, the demonic sword possessed unique abilities.
It could launch devastating attacks by conjuring thorn forests across vast areas, or completely harden its body for impenetrable defense.
From Damien’s perspective, the second ability was particularly troublesome.
With the Life-Taking sword, he could have countered Alexander Apple. But against this metal-encased monstrosity, that technique was useless.
‘How do I pierce through that defense?’
While his other techniques could potentially overcome this obstacle, Damien had a more efficient method in mind.
‘This is perfect. I needed a place to test that out.’
Damien stretched out his hand. The intricate tattoo on his wrist vanished, and a long spear materialized in the air.
– A spear? What the heck is a spear all of a sudden?
The demonic sword cocked its head in confusion.
– The blade is broken too? What use is that scrap metal?
Damien planted the spear butt on the ground and uttered a hushed incantation.
“Erebos, awaken.”
Erebos, bound to the spear’s tip, greedily devoured all the surrounding dark mana.
Suddenly the entire world trembled. The ground shook violently as if struck by a monstrous earthquake. The air howled like a raging typhoon.
In the midst of this chaos, the demonic sword found itself transfixed by Erebos, as if possessed. It muttered unconsciously.
– Demonic sword?
At first, it wasn’t clear. But as Erebos devoured the dark mana and unleashed its power, the demonic sword began to sense it.
The true nature of that entity.
And the horrifying aura it exuded.
– No, it’s similar, but different from us!
The demonic sword shrieked, its face contorted in confusion.
Demonic swords recognized each other. Forged by demons, they shared a bond, a kinship.
But this entity was different. It wasn’t kin.
“You’re also speaking the same way…”
The demonic swords who had encountered Erebos in their past lives all spoke the same words.
That is not a demonic sword.
That is not our kin.
That is an abomination that should not exist.
– You too… what are you babbling about…
“Enough chit-chat. The second round is far from over.”
Damien gripped Erebos with both hands, assuming a battle stance.
This sight alone sent shivers down the demonic sword’s spine. Every fiber of its being screamed with a primal urge to flee.
– …If you’re thinking of attacking, then I won’t back down either.
The demonic sword didn’t pay heed to its instincts.
– That thing you’re holding seems quite… but…
The demonic sword raised its hand. Thorns that had erupted from the ground twisted and aimed at Damien.
– Let’s see if it’s really that great.
The demonic sword was confident in its abilities.
Whatever that weapon was, it couldn’t possibly handle the thorns raining down from all directions.
– I’ll turn you into a pincushion.
The demonic sword pointed at Damien with its finger. The thorns that covered the sky poured down towards him.
Just then, Damien raised his spear. He slammed the bottom of the spear into the ground.
At that moment, a wave spread out from the center of the spear.
The wave spread slowly, engulfing the world. Everything it touched disappeared without a trace.
– What the hell is that…
The demonic sword was just about to speak in disbelief.
As the wave spread out, the thorns it touched turned gray in an instant. They then began to disintegrate from the outside.
– This is…unbelievable…
Erebos’ first ability was to corrode everything around it.
In its completely broken state, its corrosion ability was extremely weak.
However, it could temporarily strengthen its abilities by absorbing dark magic.
– This can’t be… This can’t be happening! My thorns!
The wave engulfed the demonic sword as well.
At that moment, the demonic sword felt as if its entire body had become several dozen times heavier. It was as if an invisible hand was pressing down on it.
The strange phenomenon didn’t stop there. Its entire body began to corrode.
– Krrrghhh!
Its body was being destroyed in real-time. It tried to resist by drawing out dark mana, but it was no use.
The demonic sword hurriedly turned its body around. The only thought in its mind was to escape this area quickly.
However, its heavy body wouldn’t allow it. It couldn’t control its body properly due to the pain of its body being destroyed.
Just then, it heard footsteps behind it. The demonic sword slowly turned around.
Damien was walking towards it.
As Damien got closer, the speed of its corrosion increased and its body became even heavier.
– D-Don’t come any closer…!
The demonic sword cried desperately, but he didn’t stop. Its body disintegrated even faster.
– Please…! Don’t come closer…!
By the time Damien reached the demonic sword, more than half of it had already disappeared.
– P-Please spare me…
The demonic sword pleaded desperately. Damien raised Erebos, seemingly uninterested.
“I made a vow a long time ago. I said I would never let any of you live.”
A look of fear appeared on the demonic sword’s face. Just as it was about to beg for mercy, Damien swung Erebos down.
It shattered as easily as an eggshell.
***
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HEL SCANS
[Translator – Kie]
[Proofreader – Kawaii]
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