“Enemy...?”
Just what was this enemy the Angelic Knights were so desperate to strike down? An Archdemon...? There’s no way, huh? Zagan gulped and waited for Raphael’s next words with bated breath.
And before long, Raphael slowly turned his head. His eyes, however, were not looking at Foll, nor were they pointed at Zagan and Chastille. Instead, they were pointed further over at the stone Zagan had crushed.
“A demon... Within folklore, it is an existence referred to by that name.”
Foll opened her eyes wide at his words.
“Don’t speak such nonsense. I’ve never heard of such things existing.”
“Then, what is that? Is it not a monster that differs from things we have knowledge of?”
“Ugh... That’s...” Foll was unable to answer.
“I understand that you may not wish to accept it. After all, I also once believed that such things had left this world. However, in reality, a demon appeared in the present world, bringing about the deaths of many Angelic Knights and the great dragon,” Raphael said, practically spitting out blood in the process, and then uttered, “And in the not too distant future, they will return.”
Hearing those unbelievable words, Foll looked over to Zagan as if to cling on to him. And Zagan returned a straightforward nod.
“It’s the truth. I don’t know about them returning to this world or whatever, but demons truly do exist, even now. That’s why I’m investigating folklore to try and discover a means of killing them.”
It wasn’t like Zagan sensed the tense situation that Raphael was talking about, but when the time came that he was forced to fight against such things, he needed a means to defy them.
Perhaps the fact that Barbatos was able to even summon a demon is an omen... Barbatos was certainly a sorcerer who possessed uncommon power, but the ritual at that time activated without even needing a sacrifice right as Zagan’s power struck it, so it was incomplete.
A demon should not have been weak enough to be summoned by such half-hearted sorcery.
Even Foll likely knew that Zagan’s words were the truth. They had been gathering nothing but books related to demons in the castle’s archives, after all. However, she still looked up at Raphael like she still couldn’t believe it.
“Then, are you saying father challenged a demon and was defeated?”
In response to that question, Raphael simply shook his head.
“He wasn’t defeated. He merely traded his life for the enemy’s.”
That was simply rephrasing what she said. What differed, though, was that the dragon fought proudly in Raphael’s mind, so those facts were passed along in his explanation.
That surely affected Foll greatly, as she tightly bit down on her lips and muttered something.
“...Then, just who... should I hate?”
“You should not hate, but be proud.”
Foll knit her brows.
“Proud... you say?”
“That’s right. Be proud. Orobas staked his life to protect you and the damned world you live in. If you do not boast of it, then who in the hell will?” Raphael exclaimed, then knelt down before Foll as he continues, “If killing me will make you regain your faith in Orobas, then do as you wish. I shall give this damned head to you.”
Having sustained fatal wounds, Raphael looked down at his own body which continued to regenerate itself.
“The demons are mighty. If they are resurrected in this world where the church and the sorcerers quarrel, we have no way to prevail. We must prepare ourselves. That was why I despicably sipped on Orobas’ blood and walked through that land of certain death.”
That was surely the scene that Foll witnessed. And after saying all that, Raphael shifted his focus over to Chastille.
“However, my role has come to an end already. The seeds in the church are already budding. If my last duty is to be a parting gift to Orobas, then I can ask for nothing more.”
Finally seeing where his story was going, Zagan opened his mouth to speak.
“Then, the envoy of the Unification Faction or whatever that Chastille mentioned really was you?”
Raphael quietly nodded.
“Indeed. While holding the status of an Archdemon and an Archangel, you bastards formed a connection, which is something exceedingly close to what I’ve been trying to do... That’s why...”
“Man, what the hell, none of this makes any sense!”
The one to speak out an objection at that point was Barbatos.
“Come on, let’s be real, you’ve killed hundreds of sorcerers but want peace? Who the fuck do you think you’re convincing here?”
Frankly, Zagan was of the same opinion. And surprisingly, Raphael nodded as if saying that he even understood that.
“I know that all too well. I cannot become the banner for unification. That’s why I needed the Maiden of the Sacred Sword.”
Chastille raised her voice in a fluster as such a preposterously important role was thrust onto her.
“W-Wait a minute. It’s not like I even accepted doing such a...”
Everyone present was unable to hear the rest of what she had to say, since with a clunk, the lump of stone that should have collapsed began moving.
When Zagan looked over to it, he noticed the monster that had been smashed in half was standing upright once more.
◇
“Haaah... Seems there are immortal guys just scattered about everywhere, huh?”
Right after the Archangel who had his entire shoulder blown off came the monster of the preceding Archdemon’s legacy. Compared to those guys, Zagan was surely the one with more human weaknesses to him.
“I’ll take care of it again. Just give me a few.”
“Can you finish it off? That thing?”
In response to Raphael, Zagan shrugged his shoulders.
“Golems are out of my field of expertise, but if it’s something made by sorcery, I can break it.”
“That... is not a golem.”
Zagan knit his brows as he heard the utter conviction in those words.
“What do you mean?”
“That... is what you bastards would call a chimera. Aside from the golem given birth to by sorcery, it is also...”
And with that, Zagan felt a chill run down his spine.
“...No, it can’t be.”
“Just so. That is something Marchosias made, a chimera of a demon.”
Zagan was unable to deny that claim. After all, when he first saw this monster, the thing that came to mind was a demon.
That damn Marchosias, what a nuisance! Raphael then focused on the monster with an annoyed look.
“There’s no mistaking it. That is the wreckage of the demon that Orobas and I defeated. Marchosias likely recovered it, and created that chimera.”
Wreckage was ultimately just wreckage. It was likely nowhere near its original power, but even so, it was still a demon. It only stood to reason that just smacking it wouldn’t bring an end to it.
Nevertheless, a smile crept up on Zagan’s face. Just perfect. Shall I try testing out another ability?
The stone monster, the chimera of a demon, had almost finished regenerating itself. And in response, Zagan wove the ‘Heaven’s Scale’ in his hand and stepped forth.
“Chastille, you should go as well.”
“I still... haven’t said anything about going along with what you said, you know?”
“However, you should already damn well know what you intend to do.”
Zagan couldn’t tell what they were talking about, but Chastille returned a straightforward nod and took up her sword.
“I don’t need you to tell me that. I shall wield my Sacred Sword as I see fit.”
And then, Chastille quietly chanted out.
“I shall no longer waver. So lend me your power— Sacred Sword Azrael!”
The Flames of Purification... were a light this time.
A pale light, which was not at all reminiscent of Raphael’s ra
ging flames, coiled about the blade. However, it didn’t feel transient at all.
Zagan could tell that she was taking the same power that Raphael unleashed as a flame and focused it only along the length of the blade. It had a sharpness to it that could even cut through Heaven’s Scale.
This girl... When it comes to wielding the power of a Sacred Sword, isn’t she even better than Raphael? And as Zagan stared at her in wonder, Chastille stood next to him.
“I won’t ask you to believe in an Angelic Knight like me, but I want us... to fight together.”
Zagan simply shrugged his shoulders in response.
“I doubt you’re the type to try some underhanded scheme.”
After watching her pitiful appearance for the last few days, he could tell that even if he didn’t want to.
“Are you... praising me? Looking down on me?”
“Who knows.”
Chastille puffed out her cheeks sullenly at that response, then turned her head to the side in a huff and spoke.
“So, do you have any sort of plan?”
“There’s one thing I’d like to test out, but I’ll need a direct hit. I have to get right up in its face, you know?”
“Got it. Then, I’ll take on the role of the outrider.”
At that moment, the stone monster finally finished regenerating itself, and its googly and ominous eyeball turned toward them.
“It’s coming.”
“I know.”
And as the hideous mouth on its forehead opened, the light of mana once more began gathering. It was clearly the very same breath of light that struck down Raphael.
Zagan focused his attention on the people behind him. If I dodge, then the two of them will get hit.
Barbatos was out of the range of the light, but there were two others who weren’t.
It may have been possible for Foll to still evade, but Raphael couldn’t move a muscle. Besides, he didn’t like the idea of the attack being aimed at his daughter twice.
And, as Zagan put himself on guard, his field of view became obstructed with Chastille’s back.
“Idiot, you don’t even have your Anointed Armor on... You’ll die!”
“I will hold its attention, so don’t worry!” Chastille dashed forward as she yelled those words.
The monster’s breath shot forth. And that light ruthlessly annihilated Chastille’s body... Or well, it should have.
“HAAA!” Chastille swung down her Sacred Sword along with that spirited shriek. And the breath of light was split right in half by her blade.
Then, the light that split off to the left and right missed Zagan, Foll, and Raphael and vanished.
“Let’s go... Get moving, Zagan!” Chastille kept her pace and ran toward the monster as she threw those words out toward him.
Well, aren’t you just full of surprises? That strike just now left even Zagan astonished. Which made sense, since he couldn’t even see the moment she swung her sword.
Having said that, the difference in physical ability between Zagan and Chastille without her Anointed Armor was far too large. Zagan simply overtook Chastille in a single breath and entered the stone monster’s range in a flash. However, the stone monster swung out its arm to intercept him.
“It’s fast!” Barbatos let out a few dumbfounded words.
Contrary to the monster’s large build, its speed was good enough to rival Zagan. Luckily, the size leads to a bunch of wasted movements.
It was a long sweeping strike, so Zagan had the time to thrust out his fist to meet it.
The stone fist of the monster was smashed as if it were brittle, its fragments scattering into the air.
“What the...?” However, the one left reeling was Zagan.
The scattered stone fragments were connected by an eerie black haze. And that broken wreckage changed its movements in midair as if possessing a will of its own, raining down incessantly onto Zagan.
So this is the reason it returns to normal after being smashed!? The stone body was simply transient, as its real body was the black haze lurking deep within.
“Don’t stop now, Zagan!”
Those countless stone fragments were smashed by a pure white light as he heard those words. They both came from Chastille as she finally caught up to Zagan.
By the time Zagan thought he saw a white streak run through a stone fragment, the next sword strike was already on its way. The number of strikes was easily in the double digits. And it was at such a high speed that one would think they were all occurring simultaneously. However, though the speed was fearsome, the truly terrifying thing was that those strikes came from behind Zagan and struck down objects in front of him. And yet, they never so much as left a scratch on him.
Instead of admiration, a cold feeling ran down Zagan’s spine. If she did this when we first met, wouldn’t I be dead already? If she had employed such swordplay when he first fought against Angelic Knight Chastille, Zagan would not have been able to put any of his techniques to use.
However, right now she was an ally he was entrusting his back to. And so, Zagan gripped Heaven’s Scale he wove in his hand, layering on yet another framework of circuits to it.
“Burn to ash— Heaven’s Phosphor!” And then, Zagan knocked against the monster’s abdomen with a thud.
Yes, it was a fist which only amounted to a knock. It was a truly powerless attack unbecoming of Zagan, who was able to even crush stone with his fist. So, seeing that from behind, Chastille let out a flustered voice.
“Did you misfire?”
“...No, it’s already over,” Zagan calmly remarked. After muttering that and lifting up his right hand, Zagan clenched his fist as if he was crushing something with it. And immediately following that...
With a sudden flare, the stone monster was wrapped up by a black flame. The flame had burst out for but a single instant. And, as it ran across the surface of the stone as if dying it, the flame vanished.
With that, everything had come to an end. The blackened statue crumbled without a sound. No matter what regenerative power it has, once it loses its mana, it’s simple stone.
The broken fragments that spilled over transformed to dust and dispersed before touching the ground. And in the blink of an eye, nothing remained of the chimera.
As Zagan turned around, he noticed that Chastille was standing stock-still with her eyes wide open in shock.
“What... did you do?”
Zagan then wove together a magic circle in his hand to help explain the situation to her.
“There’s this sorcery called Heaven’s Scale, you see. This thing endlessly sucks up mana in its surroundings and continuously accumulates intensity as a shield, so all I did was reverse the effect and throw it into the enemy.”
“Reverse the effect...?”
“It endlessly sucks up mana in the surrounding area... and makes it combust. The reason the flame looks black is because the mana itself is burning.”
Heaven’s Scale and Heaven’s Phosphor... They were sorcery that utilized the same structure, two sides of the same coin so to speak. An anti-Sacred Sword, and anti-demon weapon. After obtaining Marchosias’ legacy, Zagan had focused all his effort into developing those techniques.
And it seemed the proof was in the pudding. After all, it possessed enough power to burn even a chimera created from the remnants of a demon to ashes in an instant.
If a human sorcerer took that blow, they would be helpless. And in fact, it was so fiendish a sorcery that if the other Archdemons were to find out about it, they would be forced to declare it a forbidden art.
“Still, it’s far too imprecise. If I don’t raise the efficiency, it likely won’t work on a real demon...”
The demon that Zagan had confronted possessed far more preposterous mana. As Heaven’s Phosphor was now, a real demon would most likely destroy the sorcery before being burned to ash. Just like how Heaven’s Scale was still incomplete, it seemed this one also still had room for improvement.
“You
’re... a terrifying sorcerer...” Chastille spoke like she was trembling, but her voice made it seem more like she was in awe of him. And that was why Zagan responded in kind.
“Your skills aren’t all that bad either, Chastille.”
As he said that, for some reason, Chastille opened her eyes wide and covered her face.
“...What?”
“No, it’s just... This is the first time... you’ve called me by my name... is all...”
“Is that so?” Zagan wasn’t really conscious of the fact, but now that she mentioned it, he realized he’d only ever referred to Chastille with ‘you,’ ‘that girl,’ or other things along that line.
“Well, sorry about that.”
“Y-You’re apologizing?”
“You’re Nephy’s friend, after all. I’ll at least pay you some respect.”
The manners of a sorcerer weren’t all that different from the dignity of a bandit, though.
Chastille then puffed out her cheeks and glared at him.
“I didn’t come here just for Nephy’s sake. I came... to fight alongside you...”
Zagan stared back at her in wonder as he heard those shocking words.
“Even though we’re a sorcerer and an Angelic Knight?”
“Yes, even though we’re a sorcerer and an Angelic Knight.”
Upon hearing Chastille’s reply, Zagan felt a sense of safety that he’d never once experienced before in his life. Entrusting your back to someone certainly isn’t a bad feeling, huh?
Even if it didn’t fit his nature, he was about to put those thoughts into words. However...
“Zagan!”
As he turned around at Foll’s cry, Zagan saw Raphael collapse in exhaustion.
◇
“Seems I was able to bear witness to the fastest sword among the Archangels.”
Lying down on the ground, Raphael formed a grin. Even now, it was a ferocious smile that made it seem like he might attack at any moment, but he was actually just laughing.
“Don’t talk too much. I’m bad at anything related to healing.”
Zagan was giving Raphael first aid using sorcery, but the wound was too deep. At most, he could stop the bleeding. I seemed Raphael’s luck had run out, as the regenerative ability of a dragon was weakening, barely allowing him to keep hold of his last grips on life.
An Archdemon's Dilemma: How to Love Your Elf Bride: Volume 2 Page 16
