Although she withdrew for a moment, in the end, she realized she couldn’t settle down if she didn’t kill the wielder of a Sacred Sword. But Zagan and Nephy... will never allow it.
It was difficult to understand how a sorcerer and an Angelic Knight could be friends, but it seemed to be true. And if she killed that friend, they would not forgive her.
“It’s... comfortable there.” She wanted to stay with them forever. She wanted to depend on Zagan, who said they would be together for a thousand years. And, as expected, that was the biggest reason why Foll had not taken action immediately.
In the end, Foll was likely far too young to carry through her revenge. After all, she felt solitude just as heavily as hatred. And Zagan and Nephy mercilessly buried that feeling away by consoling her. At that rate, Foll knew that if she nestled up against them until she became a mature dragon, she would end up forgetting her revenge.
Then there was Chastille, who should have been a target, but... she was a remarkably strange girl. Since Zagan had told Foll not to kill Chastille, she decided to prank her instead. Of course, Zagan and Nephy seemed angry, but she had no intention of stopping when they weren’t even confronting her about it. If, by some chance, Chastille was angered and pointed her Sacred Sword at Foll, then she would have a reason to kill her.
Or so she thought, but Chastille never once pointed her weapon at Foll. On the contrary, she didn’t even carry around her Sacred Sword despite the fact that she was in hostile territory. And yet, just when Foll began to think she had a strong heart, she caught Chastille glaring at her on the verge of tears. Unfortunately, one look at the girl made Foll lose all strength in her shoulders.
Was it not just ludicrous to want to kill such a girl? Perhaps Zagan had anticipated Foll would end up feeling that way, which was why he didn’t say a thing about it. After all, that sole thought had left her in a state of shock.
“Angelic Knights betrayed Wise Dragon Orobas. I must never... forget that.”
Wise Dragon Orobas... That was the name of Foll’s father. He was a great dragon who lived for a thousand years. His wisdom was profound, and he was sometimes strict, but also incredibly kind. Through his intelligence, he guided not only Foll but even humanity. Foll was proud to call such a distinguished creature her father.
On a certain day, a group of humans who called themselves Angelic Knights stopped by. She didn’t know what they talked about, but her father flew off with the Angelic Knights on his back... and never returned.
By the time the seventh day passed, Foll could no longer wait and took to the skies to search for him. And what she saw was her father... who’d been pierced by a Sacred Sword, and the figure of a man sipping at his blood like a devil. It was no surprise, since a Sacred Sword could easily score a mortal blow even against the Wise Dragon Orobas.
Those Angelic Knights had betrayed her father, who had lent them his power and wisdom many times over. And she would never dare forget that fact. The burning, fiery hatred within her could never be extinguished. And yet, life with Zagan was far too comfortable... It had even almost made her take a liking to her enemy, Chastille.
Is my revenge... so trivial? There was no way it should have been. Sure, she knew there was no way to kill all twelve wielders of the Sacred Swords with her immature powers. But even so, her conscience shouldn’t have allowed her to overlook an enemy that was standing right in front of her.
And so, Foll had traveled to Archdemon Palace to dispel all her doubts. This place must contain something with enough power to kill an Archangel.
She was certain that the Archdemon’s legacy would allow her to go toe to toe with her sworn enemies, so even if it meant betraying Zagan and Nephy, she couldn’t stop. However, just as she opened the doors to Archdemon Palace...
“Wow, to think there’s a castle all the way down here.”
Upon hearing that voice, Foll turned around with a shudder. And when she did, she caught sight of a man stepping out of the darkness.
Someone followed me? Because she was in such a rush, she neglected to be vigilant of her surroundings. Still, she didn’t fail to see the greatsword on the figure’s back, and her eyes shot open as soon as she did.
“A Sacred Sword...!”
She could feel the mana on her skin before she even had the chance to verify the inscription. How could she not? After all, it was the ‘smell’ of the Sacred Sword that cut down her father. She didn’t think there would be another one in town besides Zagan and Nephy’s friend.
Then, as if amusing himself, a smile crept up on the large man’s boorish face.
“You may be a child, but you’re still a sorcerer, I suppose. It’s rather impressive that you saw through me before I even unsheathed my blade.”
And then, Foll finally saw his face.
“You’re...” It was without a doubt the face of the human who drank Orobas’ blood.
“Hmm, who the hell are you? I don’t recall getting to know any dumb brats like you.”
In that instance, Foll felt something snap inside her head.
“YOU BASTAAAAAARD!” Foll roared, then instantly transformed both of her hands into those of a dragon, green wings piercing out of her back.
She never even thought of using sorcery. Her mind was consumed by rage, so she simply slashed at him with her claws.
However, the Archangel drew his sword far faster than even Foll’s full power could muster.
“Ah...” And in response, a befuddled voice leaked out of her.
This is... the power of a Sacred Sword... Aside from an Archdemon like Zagan, no one could just recklessly face such a threat. Foll had become a sorcerer precisely because she knew that all too well, but she had still made a fatal mistake in the end...
The engraved blade came swinging down at Foll’s neck. And her final thoughts at that moment were of the faces Zagan and Nephy made as they gently brushed her head.
“Zagan...” she whispered desperately as she shut her eyes, accepting her imminent doom... However, the pain that she feared did not arrive no matter how long she waited.
In its stead was the sensation of an arm embracing her gently from behind. And then, an arrogant voice resounded throughout the room.
“I suppose I did tell you to act as you please, but I think I should at least set a curfew.”
“...Huh?”
Miraculously, Zagan’s arm stopped the Sacred Sword dead in its tracks.
◇
“Well now... So you blocked my blow, Archdemon.”
Zagan had caught Raphael’s Sacred Sword with his bare hand... That being said, there was a magic circle acting as a shield between his skin and the blade.
It was a greatsword with a pure white blade. And on its surface were crests which differed from those used in sorcery, but were also somehow subtly different from Chastille’s. It seemed the engravings on the Sacred Swords differed from blade to blade.
So that means... it’s the weapon’s inscribed name? Zagan inspected his arm as he held the object of his fascination at bay.
The skin on the hand that was gripping the blade was torn, but it wasn’t burning like the last time. And that was despite Raphael’s sword skills being far sharper than what Chastille had displayed.
It seems even a Sacred Sword can’t overwhelm the Sigil of the Archdemon, huh? If this was ordinary old Zagan, he would’ve lost his right arm already. However, thanks to the mana of an Archdemon, there was no sign the Sacred Sword would be able to cut through it.
Relying on a tool doesn’t feel all very good, though. On that point, since his opponent was also using a powerful tool, it was probably fine to just think that they were even.
Getting back to the matter at hand, Raphael seemed unable to move due to Zagan’s hold on his Sacred Sword. And as the two of them stood there, Foll’s trembling voice leaked out from within Zagan’s arms.
“Zagan, why...?”
“I just happened across a convenient courier. And I figured you were here, so I h
ad him teleport me over.”
Zagan’s feet were still submerged within a dark shadow, but it was clear to everyone present that it wasn’t a result of his sorcery.
“I’m no courier, dammit!” Barbatos barked out, his voice thick with anger. And after he suddenly appeared from the shadow, he took up a position as far away from Raphael as possible. It looked as if he wanted nothing to do with their fight.
“I told you you’d be handsomely rewarded, didn’t I? Don’t complain.”
Zagan had ordered him to monitor Chastille. And thankfully, sorcerers always remained faithful to their contracts. Even after he freed Chastille, this man kept following that order, which was why he got an immediate response as he called out to him upon learning of Foll’s disappearance.
“Master Zagan, is Foll safe?”
It appeared that the shadow was still connected to the castle, so Zagan, of course, replied to Nephy’s question in a gentle tone.
“Foll is safe. We’ll head right back after I clean up the place. Just wait at the castle, Nephy.”
“Understood.” In truth, Nephy definitely wanted to charge over to Foll’s side as well. But even so, she decided to keep her feelings in check as she could tell things were about to get messy.
“...Well, anyway, let’s head back. Children shouldn’t be walking around this late at night. We’re going home,” Zagan said in his usual arrogant tone. However, Foll shook her head.
“No, that makes no sense... I... betrayed you... And yet, why...?”
What, is that all? Zagan gently brushed Foll’s head as tears began to well up in her eyes.
“I told you to do what you want, right? Don’t sweat the small stuff.”
Upon hearing that answer, Foll buried her face in Zagan’s chest. The dragon wings then vanished from her back, and her arms and legs returned to those of a human.
“So...rry...”
“Sheesh... What did I just say, Foll?” It didn’t seem like he was getting through to her, since she kept worrying over the smallest things.
Thank goodness... I made it...
If he had arrived even a single second later, Zagan would have lost her. And compared to that, Foll sneaking into Archdemon Palace all on her own was truly worthless.
Eventually, after staying like that for a while, Zagan stared at Raphael.
“I already warned you, didn’t I? I told you that if you try to do as you please in my domain, I’ll crush and grind you into the ground.”
In response to that, the Angelic Knight with an evil countenance replied in a voice full of confusion.
“Now this is odd... Are you saying a sorcerer is covering for a stranger?”
“She’s not a stranger. This girl... is my daughter.” And Raphael had dared to draw his sword on her.
I have no reason to let this man live, do I?
He wasn’t standing before Nephy at the moment. Plus, there was also the fact that he was the reason for Foll’s grudge, so Zagan decided to torment him as much as he could before killing him.
Raphael then narrowed his eyes as if resigning himself.
“I see... A daughter, huh? This is rather understandable, then.”
“That’s how it is... Foll, back off a little.”
After pushing Foll away, Zagan let go of the weapon in his grasp, and Raphael took his distance without stumbling, correcting his stance with his Sacred Sword at the ready.
The whole situation made Zagan knit his brows. I mean, we’re this late into it and there’s no bloodlust? It wasn’t like Raphael had no fighting spirit, but Zagan couldn’t sense any bloodlust from his sword. And yet, he was surely planning on fighting Zagan with it.
“...Since it’s come to this, allow me to warn you. If you don’t resist me with all your might, I will slaughter you.”
“Though I am reluctant, you’ve left me no other choice. I cannot afford to die in this place,” Raphael muttered, then finally unleashed his bloodlust.
“Heed my call... Sacred Sword Metatron,” Raphael announced that name, which made a pallid flame burst out of his Sacred Sword.
“...” Zagan felt like letting out a groan, but just narrowly endured it. At that moment, it finally dawned on him that he had been toyed with back at the bar.
Brandishing his dazzling, shining Sacred Sword, Raphael began to speak.
“This is the power that has vanquished former Archdemons, reducing all evil to ashes. Come now, face my Flames of Purification. Face the power that only true masters of the Sacred Sword can manipulate.” That was likely why a Sacred Sword chose its own wielder, as wielding such awesome power could not come easy.
So this is... the true power of the Sacred Sword...!?
Waves of heat rolled off the Flames of Purification. And the mere touch of them dismantled Zagan’s magic circle. Even as he tried to weave together new sorcery, they were destroyed as soon as he finished constructing the circuit. At that point, any average sorcerers would have been reduced to a powerless state already.
“The hell... What’s with this guy?”
The destructive power of the Sacred Sword was one thing, but Raphael’s bloodlust had a fierceness to it like that of a beast of prey taking chase. Even Barbatos had felt overwhelmed and drew back in fear.
Despite all that, however, Foll’s trembling voice leaked out from behind Zagan.
“Zagan, why...?” She was likely questioning why Zagan bothered to provoke Raphael. After all, if he had been making light of him, it would have been easier to gain the upper hand.
Zagan then responded to her in a gentle voice.
“I said I would teach you the proper way to enact revenge, right? Trampling your enemy underfoot while they put all their power into resisting you is one way. It will humiliate them and drag them down into the depths of despair.”
Raphael was emanating a near inhuman bloodlust, but there was no doubt in Zagan’s mind that he was an enemy he could defeat. Besides, finishing off an Archangel will become the perfect foil.
On the surface, those who opposed Zagan had vanished, but there were still those lying in wait for him to let his guard down. The defeat of an Archangel’s would serve as the perfect final deterrent.
After mulling over such thoughts, Zagan kicked off the ground. The stone ground was smashed to pieces, and he closed in on Raphael instantly.
“Hnnngh.”
“Too slow,” Raphael said as he swung his sword downward, but Zagan dared to catch it with his right hand.
He was barehanded, but it wasn’t a fist. No, within Zagan’s palm, a magic circle made of condensed mana lit up. It appeared small, but in truth, all of the lights that appeared to form lines were circuits. In fact, the number he constructed easily surpassed 2000 in count. And Raphael’s initial strike was also blocked by this magic circle.
No matter how strong those Flames of Purification were, they could not possibly burn through 2000 circuits in an instant. Shall I name it Heaven’s Scale, then?
Zagan did not put much faith in the power of an Archdemon. After all, he’d once had his sorcery cut apart by a Sacred Sword. And that was exactly why he’d developed a new technique to repel Sacred Swords.
However, despite it being complex in nature, it was not special in any way, shape, or form. Instead, it was simply solid.
It took in not only his enemy’s sorcery, but even the mana surrounding it to continue enhancing itself. It was sorcery that was completely useless in the hands of anyone but Zagan. And that magic circle whose only merit was being solid... threw back the Sacred Sword, a clang reverberating through the air.
The impact was likely similar to striking a lump of rocks with a sword. Any ordinary person would surely have had the bones in their arms shatter from it. But even so, Raphael did not drop his Sacred Sword.
“Well, it’s quite admirable for you not to let go of your sword after experiencing such pain.”
“Ghhh...”
Unfortunately for Zagan, the Flames of Purification still continued
to burn. And even as an anguished expression crept up on Raphael’s face, he immediately adjusted his grip on the sword and came rushing in.
It was a straightforward downward slash with the Sacred Sword held overhead. However, dazzled by the shining flame, a pure white afterimage was burned into Zagan’s eyes. His pure skill with the sword and the power to burn sorcery were nuisances on their own, but Zagan knew having his sense of sight impaired would prove fatal. And so, Zagan quickly pulled back his rear leg and swiveled his body. The tip of the white blade practically grazed his nose as it struck the ground. And with a rumble, the earth shook.
“Whoa—” Foll let out a small scream.
The Flames of Purification ran across the ground. It seemed Raphael’s strike had carved a deep fissure into the stone floor. And with the size of Foll’s body, it was large enough to completely engulf her. This damn mindless brute strength of his...
Enhanced by his Anointed Armor and Sacred Sword, Raphael’s physical strength reached Zagan’s, even though he was a sorcerer who specialized in combat.
It was clear that in a simple bout of physical ability, no Archdemon could ever hope to match Raphael, so it stood to reason that an average sorcerer would only get slaughtered. And even while witnessing that power in action right before his eyes, Zagan’s expression remained composed.
“It’d be troublesome if you caused too much damage to this place,” Zagan said, then sharply stepped in to drive his Heaven’s Scale into Raphael’s face from below. Unfortunately, Raphael quickly pulled back his Sacred Sword and caught the palm with it. And once the two forces clashed, a dull shockwave ran through him with a thud.
“How foolish, a strike with such a long stroke won’t—” Raphael’s sneering face contorted and he cut his words short. That only made sense, as his large body was sent flying despite his flawless defense. Somehow, Zagan’s Heaven’s Scale blew away Raphael along with his Sacred Sword.
“Oops, it’s pretty hard to control how strong it is, huh...?”
The Sacred Sword was categorized as a greatsword, and it had a wide blade. In exchange for the large attack range it prided itself on, it couldn’t be maneuvered well, so when closed in on its destructive potential was halved.
An Archdemon's Dilemma: How to Love Your Elf Bride: Volume 2 Page 13
