Demon Sword Master of the Holy Sword Academy - Volume 2 - Chapter 6

CHAPTER 6

LOST QUEEN

“Is the ship moving?” Leonis furrowed his brow.

The floor beneath them jolted and shook. There were no windows in the corridor where he stood, so the only clue was the rocking beneath his feet. It seemed, however, that the Hyperion was sailing away from the Seventh Assault Garden at a rapid pace.

“They probably took over the ship’s control core,” Regina said with a panicked expression. “They’ve got Her Highness, and they’re probably forcing her to obey…”

“The princess?” Leonis asked back.

Does having the princess in their custody have something to do with moving the ship…?

“Members of the royal family have the power of the Princess Priestess. They can use the power of spirits. This ship’s core system makes use of that, allowing them to manipulate the Artificial Elementals that control the vessel.”

“I see. So in a manner of speaking, the princess is the Hyperion itself…”

Weapons with living sorcerers as their cores had existed in Leonis’s time, as well. They were mobile fortresses of a sort. Recalling that helped Leonis grasp the situation quite quickly.

The Hyperion was likely built so it could function even without someone to operate the core, but it only showed its true value as a weapon when commanded by a master from the royal family. Leonis wondered if perhaps the visit to the Seventh Assault Garden had also doubled as a trial run for the princess.

“Yes, except…” Regina looked down at the thing nestled against her chest.

It was a white, soft furball with a red gemstone set into its forehead—the princess’s Origin Spirit.

“Even the princess shouldn’t be able to directly control the ship without using this Carbuncle, a spirit of the royal house, as a medium…,” Regina explained.

“You’re surprisingly knowledgeable about the royal family’s spirits, Miss Regina,” Leonis pointed out.

“Th-that’s not true. This is, uh, common knowledge. Everyone knows that!” Regina said, blatantly avoiding Leonis’s gaze. “Uhh…you want some candy, kid?”

“…”

Leonis watched Regina with his eyes narrowed in suspicion as she took a candy from a pocket of her uniform.

“Miss Regina, are you a bad liar by any chance?”

“Uhhh…” Regina gave a small, resigned sigh and leaned toward Leonis. “…Fine. I mean, given the situation, I probably should tell you… But it’s a secret. You can’t tell anyone.”

Leonis nodded.

“Princess Altiria is my little sister,” Regina said.

“…Your sister?! Doesn’t that mean—?”

“Yes. My real name is Regina Ray O’ltriese. House O’ltriese’s former fourth princess.”

Fifteen years ago, on the day Regina was born, an ominous star had been visible in the heavens. Its red glow had been seen as an ill omen since ancient times. A rule of the Human Church stated that any children born to the royal house on the days that star appeared were either to be killed or sent to a convent in the mountains for the rest of their lives.

However, Riselia’s grandparents resented that dictum, and Duke Crystalia flexed the authority of his noble house to take Regina instead.

A star of ill portent. It would seem that such superstitions have survived into this new era as well…, Leonis thought to himself with no small amount of irritation. Upon closer inspection, he quickly realized just how similar the princess was to Regina. Both had beautiful golden hair and large green eyes. The resemblance was actually uncanny.

“So you came to this ship to meet your sister?”

Regina nodded.

“I figured if I went to the wharf, I could at least see her from afar,” Regina admitted with a sad smile. “That’s how I could control the spirit in the library, too. I was never trained, though, so I’m not as good as my sister.”

She had inherited the power of a spirit user from the royal family’s bloodline. Leonis nodded in understanding while Regina looked back at him, her green eyes blinking in surprise.

“…Aren’t you shocked?” she asked.

“About you having a little sister?”

“No, me being from the royal family.”

“Oh.”

Most people certainly would’ve found it startling. Leonis, however, had known many of royal lineage both during his time as one of the Six Heroes and after he’d become the Undead King. Despite looking like a black wolf, his lifelong friend Blackas was prince of the Realm of Shadows.

“Anyway, I think I understand now, Miss Regina,” Leonis said, turning his eyes to the tied-up beastman. “So what do these people want?”

“I don’t know for sure, but I’d guess they want to negotiate for something with the empire by holding the ship and the people aboard for ransom.”

Leonis let out a sigh.

What a tedious reason.

There’d been people who did such things a thousand years ago as well. Even with the threat of the Demon Lord’s Armies closing in on them, humans fell prey to many internal struggles.

Thanks to all that infighting, we seized control of what would’ve been an otherwise impregnable kingdom.

Regina touched one of her earrings, turning on her communication device.

“I can’t get through to Lady Selia. I think it’s safe to assume they’ve taken control of the party hall.”

“I’d assume so, too,” Leonis agreed.

There were multiple academy students at the party, but if the terrorists had taken hostages, they’d be unable to fight back.

“I don’t think the administration bureau is aware of this yet,” Regina added.

“So we’re the only free agents at the moment,” Leonis concluded.

Since the enemy had kidnapped the princess, the royal guard and the ship’s crew had either been killed or were being held captive somewhere. Leonis and Regina, however, had skirted past enemy detection thus far. Regina had boarded the ship illegally, and Leonis’s duplicate was still in the hall. It seemed unlikely the enemy was aware of the two of them wandering about the Hyperion.

Still, those terrorists have made a rather bold play. Leonis smiled indomitably. They will learn firsthand what happens to those who dare lay a finger on a Dark Lord’s kingdom.

More than hijackers, though, there was something else concerning Leonis.

…A Demon Sword, eh?

The biggest mystery Leonis had encountered since his reincarnation was the power of the Holy Sword. If there was someone who possessed a way to grant that power to nonhumans…

Then I will need to capture them and acquire their secret for myself. Leonis got to his feet with staff in hand.

“Miss Regina, we need to save Her Highness.”

“Right,” Regina said seriously, nodding. “But the hall—”

She bit her lips. Doubtless she was concerned for Riselia and her other friends. They could split up or perhaps retake the hall first so they could join forces with Riselia and the others to storm the bridge.

Neither would be prudent, though, Leonis thought.

“Our most certain course of action would be to launch a surprise attack on the bridge and regain control of the ship,” he asserted. Leonis went on to explain there were two reasons for this. The first was that the assailants likely had more people stationed in the hall since they would need to keep multiple targets suppressed. The second was that regaining control of the ship would undoubtedly make securing the party hall much easier. There was even a chance the terrorists could surrender in such a situation.

“Put another way, attacking the hall first would arm the people who took over the vessel with the advantages of information and time.”

“…Understood.” Regina nodded, satisfied with his reasoning.

The explanation was only pretense, however. Leonis didn’t share his truer purpose with her. Taking control of the hall would be easy with his overwhelming power, but he couldn’t risk exposing his full strength as a Dark Lord.

“Let’s hurry, then.” Regina got up, her Holy Sword in hand.

“Do you know which way it is to the bridge?” Leonis asked.

“This little one will show us the way,” Regina said, looking down at the Carbuncle still at her feet.

“It’s quite attached to you, Miss Regina,” Leonis observed. “Despite it being a spirit of the royal house.”

“He’s the same as you in that regard, kid,” Regina retorted playfully.

“I’m not very attached to you, to be honest,” Leonis fired back, shrugging.

“Wow. Color me shocked.” Regina’s pigtails drooped a bit in disappointment.

“I’m only joking,” Leonis appended apologetically upon seeing she really did take it badly.

Shrugging once again, Leonis chanted a telepathy spell.

“Shary.”

“Yes, my lord?”

“Head for the party hall on the lower floor. In the event that danger befalls my minion or the subjects of my kingdom, you have my permission to kill the enemy.”

“Understood, my lord,” came the calm, coldhearted voice.

As ditzy as she was as a maid, Leonis trusted in Shary’s skills as an assassin. He would have loved to call Blackas to his aid, too, but since the ship had sailed out to sea, he wouldn’t be able to use the shadow corridors to reach them.

I suppose I really am overprotective of my minion, Leonis thought, regarding himself with a sardonic grin.

Is the ship going somewhere? Riselia looked around worriedly.

The floor of the hall had begun rocking back and forth, implying the ship was moving at considerable speed. Both of Riselia’s hands were tied tightly behind her, and manifesting her Holy Sword would detonate the Bomb Apple sitting in the middle of the ring of hostages.

Riselia didn’t know how powerful the blast would be, but if nothing else, she imagined the students sitting directly around it would be killed.

Leo…

Riselia turned her gaze to where the children had been sectioned off. Millet and Linze were crying, and Tessera was patting their backs encouragingly, holding in tears herself. Surely Tessera felt some responsibility for the other two as she was older than them.

Curiously, Leonis still seemed utterly unperturbed… Noticing Riselia looking at him, he met her eyes, regarding her with a small, confident smile.

…And I’m sitting here worried about him! Geez! Riselia grumpily puffed up her cheeks.

Leonis aside, Tessera and the children were clearly at their limits.

“Hey, quit crying! Be quiet!” One of the beastmen violently grabbed Millet by the hair.

“…Stop that!” Riselia couldn’t help but get to her feet.

“What was that?”

“Please. Let go of the children…”

“Like I’d listen to you,” Gerðr the werewolf said, smirking.

He walked up to Riselia and ran the blade of his Demon Sword along the nape of her neck.

“…!”

A few locks of silver hair fell to the ground.

“D-desist!” Fenris called out shrilly.

“I’m actually not opposed to human females, see? Just need to break you in a little, right, pretty girl?!”

He brought the tips of his claws to the buttons of Riselia’s uniform, intending to pluck them away. Just then, a crashing sound echoed throughout the room.

“What was that?!” Gerðr exclaimed at the interruption.

Riselia turned around, only to see…

“Oh, hey. Sorry. I broke a plate by accident.” Sakuya was seated on one of the chairs, eating a fish dish with a fork.

“What the hell are you doing?! You’re supposed to be tied up!” Gerðr shouted.

“I cut through it with the knife. I couldn’t eat that way,” Sakuya said coolly, bringing another piece of fish to her mouth.

It was the food she’d concealed in her sleeve earlier.

“A-are you shitting us?!” One of the beastman guards grabbed Sakuya by the arm, but the moment he did that, he stiffened, shivered, and took a step back.

“What’s wrong with you?!” Gerðr bellowed at him.

“Th-this chick, she’s from the Sakura Orchid…!”

“Huh? So what?”

“They’re a group of sword masters whose homeland was destroyed in a Void Stampede. The survivors became a group of lunatics who go around hunting Voids so they can exact revenge on the Void Lord that commanded that attack.”

“…” Sakuya finished her food and obediently presented both of her hands to the beastman. “What? Aren’t you going to tie me up?”

“…N-no sudden moves, you hear me?!” The beastman timidly bound Sakuya’s wrists together.

“Tch, what a buzzkill…,” Gerðr said, pushing Riselia away and heading back to the children.

Thank you, Sakuya… Riselia regarded her underclassman with a silent bow of gratitude, but Sakuya shook her head as if to say, “Don’t mention it.” Riselia sat back down.

“I’m going to disable the bomb,” Elfiné whispered into her ear.

“…?!”

Riselia shot a questioning glance at the other girl. Elfiné turned her gaze toward a certain spot on the ceiling. Riselia followed her eyes and spotted a faintly glowing orb hidden inside one of the hall’s magical lamps.

When did she manage to do that?!

Perhaps it’d been the moment the terrorists had rushed into the hall. The very second the lights had gone out, Elfiné had reflexively activated her Eye of the Witch and sent out a single orb.

I can’t believe she did that all so quickly.

Thankfully, none of their demi-human captors had noticed yet.

“I’m analyzing the bomb’s capabilities right now,” Elfiné muttered.

Her expertise lay not just in tactical analysis of the Voids but also in parsing the power of different Holy Swords. Normally, she used it to give advice as to how to better draw out the strength of the weapons, but it also enabled her to find weaknesses in the Holy Swords of others.

If Miss Elfiné can neutralize the bomb…

Then Riselia and the others would be able to launch a surprise attack on the terrorists and overpower them.

But what do we do…?

As calmly as she could, Riselia attempted to devise a plan that would overcome the deadlock. If she were to show any sign of using her Holy Sword, the enemy would trigger the bomb.

What if I used a power that wasn’t tied to a Holy Sword?

A bolt of inspiration suddenly struck her.

In a dark corridor, illuminated only by emergency lights, stood a girl in a maid’s outfit. She wore a consternated expression.

“…Where am I?” she whispered, cocking her head in confusion.

Unfortunately, there was no one who could answer her question. Despite being an assassin of the Realm of Shadows, one skilled enough to be considered a confidant to the Undead King, Shary had absolutely no sense of direction.

While she’d managed to find her way through the city, a ship with identical-looking sectors and hallways like this one may as well have been an enchanted labyrinth that moved while one wandered through it. The many lowered bulkheads hardly made things easier.

Shary truly had no idea which way to go.

At this rate, my master will scold me!

Using a whip formed of darkness, Shary cut cleanly through one of the metallic barricades. She’d been told not to damage the ship too much, but there was no other choice given the circumstances.

“A-anyway, I need to find that big open place my master told me about…”

Thus, Shary set out running, heading in the opposite direction from the party hall.

Riselia bit her lip, letting the blood run and drip down to the floor beneath her. The little crimson droplets didn’t seep into the carpet, however. Instead, they simply stayed where they were, vibrating.

The image of a blade, thin and sharp…

Riselia closed her eyes, focusing the mana coursing through her body. The blood elongated and stretched, forming a blade thinner than a piano wire. The crimson sword traveled silently across the carpet, creeping toward the old man who’d set the Bomb Apple.

No one noticed. None of them could’ve possibly suspected a vampire capable of manipulating mana was in that very room.

“—Analysis complete. It’s not a response-type bomb. It’s detonated by having mana sent to it.” Elfiné’s whisper tickled Riselia’s ear. “I can’t completely diffuse it with just one orb, but I can use just one to release a pulse that should jam the directional mana wave and delay the detonation. At best, it’d only buy us one second.”

That brief instant was going to be Riselia’s only chance to defeat the elf before he could detonate the bomb. If she managed to break his concentration, his Holy Sword should fade away.

And if I fail, several academy students will die…

As Riselia concentrated with her eyes closed, cold sweat dripped down her forehead. She couldn’t afford to make any mistakes or to have anyone realize what she was doing if she was to succeed.

“Hey, what are you doing?!” the werewolf, Gerðr, called out sharply.

Did he notice me?! Shivers ran down Riselia’s body.

It was not Riselia, however, who the werewolf had barked at. Rather, it was Leonis, who’d abruptly risen to his feet.

Leo?! Riselia’s eyes snapped open.

With the focus on her mana slightly disrupted, the blade of blood shivered slightly. Riselia hurriedly concentrated on it again, forcing it back into shape.

Wh-what is he doing…?!

“Where do you think you’re going, brat?! We told you to stay still!” Gerðr snarled.

“I’m bored. Besides, my lord’s mana is just about to run out,” Leonis replied calmly.

“…Stop spouting nonsense, you little snot!” Gerðr picked up Leonis by the collar.

“…L-Leooo!” Tessera screamed.

Leonis simply shrugged with a composed expression.

“Don’t get too cocky, kid.” Gerðr held the edge of his Demon Sword to Leonis’s neck. “Heh-heh, not that I’d want your sorry mug.”

“Gerðr, that woman…said not to kill the Holy Swordsmen hostages…needlessly…,” warned the old elf who’d produced the Bomb Apple in a low tone.

“Like I give a shit. Who cares if I dismember a kid or two, huh?!”

The werewolf parted his jaws and licked his lips. At that exact moment, however, Leonis’s appearance contorted and twisted, transforming into a cackling, rattling skeleton.

“…Wh-what the hell?!” Gerðr exclaimed, involuntarily releasing what had appeared to be just a child. This time, Leonis was the one to grab him—or rather, the thing that used to be Leonis took hold of the startled werewolf. A blue mana glow began emanating from the bones of the skeleton.

“…?!”

“I shall remove my lord’s enemies. Melgest.”

Boooooooooooom!

An explosion shook the air, sending Gerðr’s body flying backward.

“…L-Leo?!”

Riselia had no clue what had just happened, but an inky smoke began filling the air, clouding the vision of everyone in the room.

“Selia!” Elfiné called.

Riselia ran mana through the blood she had sent across the floor.

“You!” The old elf fired a jolt of mana from his fingertip to detonate the Bomb Apple, but to his surprise, it didn’t explode right away. The Witch’s Eye’s powerful jamming delayed the discharge by a single moment. That briefest of instants proved to be all that was needed.

Vwooooosh!

Riselia’s blade of blood shot up like a whip, slashing into the elf’s right arm.

“Aaah, aaaaaaaaah?!” Blood flew through the air.

Having lost the will of its user, the Bomb Apple broke apart into particles of light.

“D-damn it, kill them!”

The numerous beastmen moved to do as commanded and prepared to thrust their claws into the nearest hostages.

Shing!

A spark of lightning flashed through the air.

“—Too slow.”

Sakuya stood with her katana-shaped Holy Sword, Raikirimaru, in her hands. In the blink of an eye, she’d knocked two of the demi-humans unconscious. Somehow, she’d cut the rope that had bound her hands together just as she activated her Holy Sword.

“F-fall back!”

Having realized the tables had been turned on them, the terrorists sprinted toward the hall’s doors.

“Activate—Frost Wolf!” Fenris called out.

A pack of seven wolves made of ice charged toward the fleeing beastmen from behind. One by one, the former captors were frozen in place. In but a few moments, the party hall had been reclaimed.

“…Leo?!”

Riselia scrambled toward what she believed to be Leonis’s crushed, shattered remains. Bones littered the ground, and his cracked skull clattered around on the floor.

“L-Leo… No, no…!” Faced with the boy’s skeletal remains, Riselia fell to her knees.

“Calm down, Selia. That wasn’t Leo,” Elfiné said, placing a hand on her friend’s shoulder.

“…What?”

“I sampled Leo’s mana data before, and that…thing’s wavelength was different from his. It was a wholly nonhuman reading.”

“Wh-what does that mean?” Riselia asked, looking down at the broken cranium.

The fractured thing rattled at her. It was very similar to the many skeletons Riselia had destroyed while training that morning.

“A body double?” Riselia realized at last.

“I’d assume so, yes,” Elfiné said with a shrug. “I knew his Holy Sword was a multipurpose type, but it really is very versatile.”

“So you knew from the begging that Leo was a fake?”

“Yes. Though I’ll admit I didn’t expect him to explode.”

“No wonder you were so calm…” Riselia puffed out her cheeks and flicked the cackling skull with a finger. “That Leo and his pranks…”

If this pile of bones wasn’t the real thing, then Riselia had to wonder where the true Leo had gone.

With the ship in such a dire state, she worried the terrorists had caught him. Her speculation came to an end as the hull of the Hyperion shook and trembled.

“We should escape while we can,” Elfiné said in a grave tone.

“My Frost Wolves can help guide and guard the civilians until they get to safety.” Fenris snapped her fingers, ordering the Frost Wolves to rip apart the hostages’ ropes with their fangs.

At the same time, Elfiné deployed all eight orbs of the Witch’s Eye. The floating spheres linked up with the ship’s terminal. Elfiné then used them to download a map of the ship’s structure and searched for the lifeboats.

“Wait, Riselia, where are you going?” Fenris called as the silver-haired girl rose to her feet.

“I’m going to look for Leo,” she replied.

“Selia, that’s dangerous.”

“It’s too dangerous!”

Both Elfiné and Fenris tried to stop her at the same time.

“I’ll be fine. You two focus on getting everyone out!” Riselia declared, kicking open the door to the hall and rushing out.

“Selia…,” Elfiné tried calling after her one last time.

“I’ll go with her, too. You should focus on making sure everyone here gets to safety,” Sakuya said.

“All right, Sakuya. I’m counting on you,” Elfiné agreed.

With a nod, Sakuya took off after Riselia.

Elfiné glanced down at her terminal, as her Holy Sword had just finished acquiring all the data from the ship. What she saw caused the color to drain from her face, however.

“No, this can’t be…!” she exclaimed.

“What’s the matter?” Fenris peeked at the screen and went as pale as Elfiné.

The Hyperion was moving at maximum speed toward countless blinking red dots.

“…Is that a Void reef?!”