Demon Sword Master of the Holy Sword Academy - Volume 6 - Chapter 8

CHAPTER 8

SETSURA

She’s quick…!

Skrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

The first slash Sakuya blocked made that evident. The girl she was facing was much stronger than she was. In terms of sheer sword skills, even Sakuya’s upperclassmen were no match for her, yet this masked girl…

…She’s got me on the ropes!

Their blades clashed, spitting sparks. Sakuya exhaled hard and kicked off the ground to leap away and distance herself from her opponent. The masked girl didn’t pursue and simply lowered her katana offhandedly. Despite meeting Raikirimaru, the masked girl’s weapon wasn’t so much as nicked. That shouldn’t have been possible for an ordinary weapon.

…A Holy Swordswoman…

It wasn’t clear yet what power this enemy commanded, but Sakuya couldn’t sense the ominous aura of a Demon Sword about her.

“Are you with the Kenki Gathering?” Sakuya demanded, tightening her grip on Raikirimaru.

“…”

The masked girl neither confirmed nor denied anything. She only raised her Holy Sword again. Strained silence fell over the two. The sounds of their fight hadn’t drawn anyone’s attention, and no one was coming to help.

That struck Sakuya as strange. Yes, the shrine was closed off, but surely Eika and the other guards would have heard their clash and come over by now. When Sakuya looked around, she recognized that the scenery was off.

She narrowed her eyes. On closer inspection, the air over the trees wavered like heat haze.

…A barrier of some kind. This must be her Holy Sword’s ability.

It must have prevented all sound within from escaping.

“You’ve clearly come here prepared. What are you after?!”

Even if this girl was an operative of the Kenki Gathering, she didn’t seem to be working toward the same goal as the others. The Kenki Gathering sought to release the Sakura Orchid god sealed in the Mana Furnace, using it to summon the Void Lord they wanted dead. Killing the priestess, Sakuya, was entirely at odds with that.

The Kenki Gathering did mention they had a princess priestess of their own… Is this her?!

The masked girl took half a step forward.

Here she comes!

Sakuya activated Raikirimaru’s acceleration power. White plasma crackled as Sakuya vanished.

“Mikagami-style swordsmanship—Thundering Lightning Slash!”

Several slashes flashed through the dark of the night. This was a blade technique meant for countering large Voids. A shower of cuts, as elusive as smoke, rained down on the masked girl.

…Yet Sakuya didn’t feel any of them land. Her opponent’s visage faded away like mist.

“…?!”

On instinct, Sakuya whirled and raised her electrified Holy Sword.

Skriiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!

There came an earsplitting, dissonant noise. She was able to deflect the attack, but…

“—Demonic wind!”

An invisible surge of air issued from her opponent’s blade, knocking Sakuya’s body away. Her back hit the ground hard, forcing the breath from her lungs.

“Ngah…!”

The masked girl brought down her Holy Sword, and the sand on the ground around her scattered… Not a moment later, something invisible and sharp bit into the shoulder of Sakuya’s priestess outfit.

“…That Holy Sword… It uses the power of the wind!” Sakuya said through gritted teeth while holding her bleeding shoulder.

Both the afterimage that remained as the masked girl dodged Sakuya’s attack and the unseen cut at her shoulder had been air-based Holy Sword powers. The same was likely true of the barrier.

No good…!

Loath though she was to admit it, Sakuya understood from the brief fight that her enemy was stronger than her.

“…You’re not an opponent I can afford to hold back against,” Sakuya muttered, turning Raikirimaru’s blade.

Void miasma began seeping from her right arm.

“Demon Sword—Yamichidori.”

A black mist enveloped her Holy Sword, and it began to shine with a dark, otherworldly glow. Black lightning crackled, charring the ground.

“…Oh?” The masked girl spoke for the first time. Her voice sounded younger than Sakuya had imagined. “Why do you have a Demon Sword?”

Ignoring her words, Sakuya sped forward and swung Yamichidori down. The blade of wind met with the dark sword, loosing a violent burst of air.

“Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!”

This time, however, Sakuya wasn’t overpowered. She pushed harder, and then…

Crack…!

A fissure ran across the girl’s mask.

“…?!”

The white thing shattered, falling away with a sound like broken ceramics. Long blue locks billowed in the gusts emanating from the girl’s katana. The face of Sakuya’s enemy was unmistakable.

“Setsu…ra…?”

Sakuya’s eyes went wide.

At first, Leonis thought it was just the sounds of the fireworks. But a moment later, a pillar of intense fire erupted with a thundering noise.

“…What?!” Riselia shouted sharply as she stood to shield Leonis and Tessera.

Boom, boom, booooooooom!

A series of intermittent explosions shook the air. Old Town’s buildings began to collapse one after another, and the crowd screamed in terror.

…Just what is going on?! Leonis wondered, startled.

“Lady Selia, look!” Regina called, pointing at the epicenter of one of the blasts.

Eerie figures were moving sluggishly within the burning flames. From a distance, they resembled large humanoids, standing five meters tall.

“…It can’t be! Voids?!”

“But there were no signs of a Void outbreak…,” Regina said, biting her lips.

Normally, when Voids appeared, they emerged from cracks that formed in midair. Excalibur Academy had constructed a system that could detect the subtle distortions in space caused by those fissures and trigger an alarm.

Yet this time, there were no such fractures in reality.

“—lia… Selia, can you hear me—” a voice issued from Riselia’s terminal.

“Ah, Miss Finé!”

“Voids have appeared around Old Town—you confirm—?” Elfiné’s voice was audibly stressed. Only pieces of her message came through because of the Voids’ mana interference.

“Is this a Stampede…?”

“No, it isn’t,” Elfiné stated. “This is only a small colony. I can’t detect a Void Lord.”

“Do we know how large the group is and what class and rank the Voids are?”

“There’s thirty to forty of them, meaning they’re a squadron-sized colony. Each Void’s estimated rank is…unknown. They don’t match any kind recorded in the academy’s data.”

“Roger that. Given how destructive they are, I have to think they’re at least B rank,” Riselia answered, watching the plume of black smoke in the sky. “We’ll move out to guide the citizens to safety. Please provide us with any updates you can.”

“We’re counting on you. I’ve got my orbs flying around, so set up a data link with them.”

“Understood.”

The transmission cut off, and Riselia turned to Regina and Leonis.

“You heard her. Let’s do our duty as Holy Swordsmen.”

“Yes, Lady Selia!”

Leonis nodded. “Okay.”

“Protecting and guiding the citizens to safety is our top priority until reinforcements from Excalibur Academy arrive,” Riselia instructed. “Regina, you take up position on elevated ground and shoot covering fire in every direction.”

“Understood!” Regina moved out at once. “Holy Sword, Drag Striker! Activate!”

With her Holy Sword in its hunting rifle configuration, she made her way toward a nearby building.

“For the time being, I’ll guard these people and make way for the shelter. Tessera, you come with me,” Riselia said.

With a brave look on her face, Tessera replied, “O-okay!”

She knew better than to cry or throw a tantrum now. Undoubtedly she trusted Riselia and Leonis wholeheartedly.

Even so, she’s something. Such grit from a nine-year-old… Leonis thought, rather impressed.

“Leo, you come with me, too…” Riselia trailed off, and her expression suddenly tensed. “Wait. I can’t get in touch with Sakuya. Is it Void disruption? Or maybe it’s the shrine’s barrier…”

As the commander on the scene, Riselia surely wanted Sakuya, an ace Void slayer, fighting on the front lines. Although Sakuya wasn’t the type to sit idle while the enemy was at their door, her knowledge of the situation would be limited if she didn’t link up with the rest of the eighteenth platoon.

“—I’ll go look for her,” Leonis declared.

“Leo…”

“I’ll find Miss Sakuya and handle the Voids on the other side of the bridge.”

“All right. I’m counting on you,” Riselia agreed. Then she directed her attention to the terrified citizens and spoke in a loud, dignified voice. “I am Riselia Crystalia, a Holy Swordswoman from Excalibur Academy! I will guide you to the shelter, so please stay calm and follow me!”

“…I should hurry,” Leonis muttered as he made a break for the forest that surrounded the shrine.

I assume those remnants of the Sakura Orchid must have done something…

There was a chance they were after Sakuya.

“—You have a grasp on the situation, yes, Shary?” Leonis asked.

“Yes, my lord.” Shary’s response reached his mind.

“This is my kingdom. I will not tolerate the loss of even a single one of my subjects.”

“Understood, my lord.”

Leonis summoned the Three Champions of Rognas from his shadow.

“Amilas, Dorug, and Nefisgal, you are to spread out and focus on guarding the underground shelters.”

“—By your will!” The ancient warriors kneeled before Leonis and spoke as one.

“However, make sure not to stand out too much. Should there be any major changes in the situation…do as Riselia Crystalia commands.”

“Yes!”

“By your will!”

“I will redeem myself after my recent failure!”

“Good. I trust you to handle this,” Leonis stated.

The undead champions silently jumped away and began bounding across the rooftops.

“Blackas, are you there?”

“—I am, Lord Magnus.”

Leonis looked in the direction of the reply and spotted the black wolf standing atop a nearby roof. Leonis hastened to his friend and got on his back.

“We must get to Sakuya in the shrine. Hurry.”

“Of course,” Blackas said, preparing to take off at a sprint.

“Wait.” Leonis retrieved a mask from his shadow. “Things might get troublesome if people recognize me.”

He donned the mask, and darkness enveloped his yukata, morphing his visage into that of a Dark Lord.

“—Is it time for the elusive Dark Lord to take the stage?” Blackas asked him.

“Indeed. Now all shall know what Dark Lords are capable of.”

“I-it can’t… It can’t be…” Sakuya whispered. Her voice was trembling, and her face had gone pale.

This couldn’t be real. It had to be a trick.

“I saw Setsura die… She was killed…right before my eyes…”

Sakuya felt the strength leave her body. Only her warrior instincts kept her from dropping Yamichidori. Her enemy’s face was identical to her own, save the color of the eyes, which were a malevolent red, like that terrible star. As her blue locks billowed in the wind, she attacked.

Even when she was battling her younger sibling, Setsura’s expression didn’t betray any hint of emotion. She advanced on Sakuya, devoid even of bloodlust.

“Do you have a problem with my face?” she asked.

“…?!”

When Sakuya heard those words, determination began to swell in her heart.

This isn’t Setsura.

It was only a monster wearing her face.

“Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!”

Void miasma poured out from Sakuya’s body. Grass wilted, and trees grew dry and bare at its touch. Sakuya could tell she’d lost control, but there was no helping it.

She had to cut this thing down. She had to.

…It feels like I’m going to go mad!

Planting a foot powerfully on the ground, she leaped forward.

“Thunderflash Flurry!”

Yamichidori came racing down with the force of Sakuya’s grief behind it. Pitch-black lightning crackled and surged.

Screeeeeeeeeeech!

Demonic wind cried out, and the thing wearing her sister’s face blocked the attack with ease.

“Who are you?! My sister is—” Sakuya took another step and struck again with all her might. Once more, her lightning was deflected, scattering plasma all around.

“Fascinating. It’s consumed you so much already, so why haven’t you succumbed to the emptiness…?”

“Shut up! How dare you talk to me with her face—with her voice! Mikagami-style swordsmanship—Sakura Petal Blizzard!”

Steel flashed countless times in the dark. Every swipe was aimed at the imposter, but Sakuya didn’t feel like any connected.

She’d only managed to hit an afterimage formed by the Demon Sword controlling the wind. Detecting someone behind her, Sakuya spun around to attack.

Yamichidori had no scabbard, but by releasing the magnetic power contained in the weapon, she could reproduce a quick-draw-style attack.

“Lightning Slayer!”

The tip of her blade just barely nicked the girl’s forehead.

It can’t be… How did she dodge my Lightning Slayer?!

The Lightning Slayer was a finishing move. One delivered faster than human perception could follow. However, it left Sakuya wide open after executing it.

“Mikagami-style swordsmanship—Demonic Gale Slash.”

As Sakuya stood there, stunned and out of position, the girl bore down on her. A katana wreathed in sinister wind cut through the young woman countless times, tearing her apart.

“The shelter is this way! Hurry!” Riselia was leading civilians into the open safe area. Noticing Tessera’s concern, she reassured the girl, “Don’t worry! We’ll keep this place safe!”

“O-okay! Be careful!” Tessera nodded and stayed behind as Riselia hurried off.

“—               !”

The Voids howled as grotesque arms sprouted from all over their bodies.

“Holy Sword, Bloody Sword—Activate!” Riselia called.

In response, particles of light issued from her hands, forming a beautiful sword. She brought the shining crimson tip of the blade to her arm, gently pricking it and allowing her blood to drip to the floor. The puddle of crimson around her formed multiple blades. Whistling as they moved, the liquid swords tore at her outfit. The cuffs and sleeves of her yukata went flying and fluttered to the ground in tattered bits.

“This should make it easier to move…,” Riselia said, her eyes glinting with mana as she undid her hair.

…Here they come!

A hulking humanlike Void approached. Its appearance suggested it might be a subspecies of the ogre class. She didn’t know what rank it was, but given how quickly it had smashed through buildings, it no doubt boasted impressive combat abilities.

Six months ago, Riselia wouldn’t have been able to face this monster. Yet now she felt no fear.

It’s all thanks to Leo training with me every day!

The six-armed Void howled as it charged toward her. Using the tip of her blade, Riselia drew a magic circle at her feet.

“Come forth, hunter of shadows, servant to the queen—” She intoned an ancient incantation.

It was a second-order necromancy spell—Grava Rajian, Shadow Wolf Summon.

Three shadowy beasts emerged from the shining array.

“Slow its legs!” Riselia swung her sword down, and the wolves pounced on the Void.

No sooner had they done so than the Vampire Queen ran forward herself.

“Kuh… Aaah…”

The pain nearly robbed her of consciousness. Her priestess garb was stained with blood, and she couldn’t lift her arms. Her stiff fingers refused to budge, and her left eye had been blinded.

The burning pain was torturous agony.

“…Aaagh… Guh, aaah…,” Sakuya choked out.

“So you used your Demon Sword to block the killing move. Impressive,” a voice remarked.

Footsteps were growing louder.

…Have to…get up…

Gathering up every bit of willpower she had left, Sakuya bade her body to get up. And yet her limbs refused. She remained crouched in a puddle of blood, looking down on herself with her one functioning eye. Deep lacerations ran across her skin. Had Sakuya not guarded with Yamichidori, she would have died instantly. The injuries she’d sustained were far from nonlethal, however.

“Wh-why…?!” Sakuya breathed, lips quivering and dripping red.

Demonic Gale Slash was a technique passed down in the Mikagami royal house. How could this girl know it?

The answer was self-evident, but Sakuya refused to admit it.

It can’t be her. This can’t be Setsura…!

Then the girl kneeled before the helpless Sakuya and raised a hand. She caressed Sakuya’s cheek with a finger, wiped the blood from it, and brought it to her mouth.

“…What are you…doing?!”

“—Drawing the blood of a priestess,” the girl replied as she got to her feet and approached the stone altar. She then picked up the treasured sword, nicked her wrist on its edge, and splashed crimson on the altar.

“—Soul of the sealed god, abide by the ancient pact and awaken here.”

A blue light shone from the rock. The blinding glow washed away the night as surely as the midday sun.

“S-stop… Stop it… Sister!” Sakuya cried.

She knew what this meant, for she’d seen it happen nine years ago. Two priestesses were awakening the Twin Gods of the Sakura Orchid.

Before long, the light died down, and darkness settled in again. The girl with the same face as her sister turned back to Sakuya.

“The hero of nothingness will surely come in search of the other god now…”

Was Sakuya about to die at the hands of her sibling? Even if Setsura didn’t finish the job, Sakuya could feel her time growing short. There was no strength remaining in her body, and the Demon Sword in her grip dissolved into black mist and disappeared.

Icy fingers closed around Sakuya’s neck. A face nearly identical to Sakuya’s own stared into the younger girl’s eyes.

“…Setsu…ra…,” Sakuya croaked.

“I won’t kill you. You’re a valuable Demon Sword wielder. It’d be much better if you became a servant of my master.”

“Ser…vant…?”

What was she saying? At this point, it didn’t matter. That doubt was fading away along with everything else…

“—Gerz Zok!”

A shower of dark blades poured down from somewhere unseen.

“…?!”

Setsura released her sister and leaped away.

Although the words were unfamiliar, Sakuya recognized the voice.

…It can’t be!

Through her remaining eye, she saw him, standing there with his arms crossed.

“—You have nerve, laying hands upon that which is mine without my permission.”

It was the Dark Lord Zol Vadis.

“The Dark…Lord…!” Sakuya’s dry lips mouthed the words, even as her awareness flickered.

Why is he here…?!

Zol Vadis landed on the ground and addressed Setsura. “Were you the one who beckoned the Voids here?”

“…”

Silence. Setsura faced the Dark Lord while keeping a cautious distance from him.

“You refuse to answer a Dark Lord’s question? Insolent fool.”

Zol Vadis produced six fireballs in his hand, casting light all around.

“What…?!” he exclaimed upon glimpsing the face of the enemy. “Sakuya…?! No, you’re…”

Seizing upon the Dark Lord’s confusion, Setsura attacked with a horizontal cut of her Holy Sword. Demonic wind surged toward Zol Vadis.

He was not the actual target, however. Setsura’s real aim was Sakuya, who lay beside the Dark Lord.

“Tsk… Li Ralute!”

With a flap of his mantle, the Dark Lord conjured a barrier that stopped the deadly gale.

Whoooooooooooooosh!

The wind raged, felling the nearby trees and kicking up a cloud of dust.

“She ran off…,” the Dark Lord muttered.

Setsura was nowhere to be found.

Zol Vadis directed his attention to the young woman at his feet. “Sakuya Sieglinde, who was that? Why is her face the same as yours?”

“…That’s what I want to know,” Sakuya just barely managed to reply. “Maybe a ghost…”

“Ghosts are low-grade undead. She didn’t look that weak to me.” The Dark Lord whispered something Sakuya didn’t quite understand.

“Why did you save me? I…turned down your deal…”

“I merely came to punish that fool for laying hands on that which is mine.”

“I don’t recall…ever agreeing to become yours…,” Sakuya answered weakly, cracking a wry smile.

“In time, this entire kingdom will belong to me…,” the Dark Lord stated, then he kneeled into the puddle. “At this rate, you will die.”

“…Yes…I know…”

“Regrettably, I’m not capable of healing sorcery…” Zol Vadis shook his head. “However, princess of the Sakura Orchid, in honor of the courage you demonstrated in my castle, I will give you one more chance to negotiate with me.”

“…Wh-what?” Sakuya’s working eye widened.

“—I bid you open, lock of the Realm of Shadows,” the Dark Lord chanted, holding up his right hand.

Countless sparkling jewels appeared in his palm.

No…they’re not gems, Sakuya realized. The little spheres that glittered with colorful light were…

“These are mystic eyes.”

“Eyes…?”

“A collection of mystic eyes is the symbol of a powerful Dark Lord. We then offer them as rewards to subordinates who have made impressive accomplishments on the field of battle.”

Sakuya was struck by a feeling that Zol Vadis was grinning beneath his mask.

“They come from many sources. Demons, divine beasts, half-god heroes, devils, demi-gods, and even dragons. The mystic eyes of beasts. The mystic eyes of petrification. The mystic eyes of ruination. The mystic eyes of the hawk, of the divine, of time. Mystic eyes to break magic, to gaze into truth, to read into souls…”

The tiny orbs glittered in midair like a replica of the starry sky.

“…What are you…trying to do?” Sakuya questioned.

“I will implant one of these in place of your lost left eye. Once the mystic eye links with your nerves, it will repair the damage done to your body.”

“…That’s…rather generous of you.”

“No, not at all,” the Dark Lord admitted. “Taking in a mystic eye means you will discard your humanity. Depending on which you choose, you will become a half-devil, a half-dragon, or something else entirely.”

“…”

“Make your choice, princess of the Sakura Orchid. Will you bravely embrace your demise, or accept the power I offer and serve the Dark Lord Zol Vadis?”

“…That’s a stupid question…Dark Lord.” Sakuya smirked. “I don’t need to think twice about this.”

“…Oh?”

The faces of her companions in the eighteenth platoon surfaced in Sakuya’s mind. Riselia, Regina, Elfiné, and Leonis—her fellow Holy Swordsmen, who’d sworn to fight the Voids alongside her. And then…her sister.

…I can’t afford to die here.

Drawing on all the power she had left, Sakuya extended a hand.

“Dark Lord Zol Vadis. I accept your offer.”

“…I see.” The Dark Lord nodded. “What power do you wish for in return?”

“Speed,” Sakuya replied unflinchingly. “I want a speed she will never be able to catch—to move faster than lightning.”

“…Very well, then. Then I bequeath this mystic eye upon you.” The Dark Lord picked one of the eyes floating in the air and handed it to her. “The mystic eye of time that I stole from the Temporal Devil…”

Sakuya pressed the mystic eye to her own ruined one, and then…

“…Aaah… Ugh, ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!”

It burned. It ached. It seethed. It blazed. It throbbed. It stung. All manners of agony coursed through her. Then there was a light. Something foreign invaded her body. It was torturous. Like something had latched on to her soul and was stirring it up.

“I’m sorry, Miss Sakuya. Bear with it… Just a little longer.”

From somewhere distant, a familiar boy’s voice called to her, but…

“Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!”

Sakuya’s consciousness cut off right then and there.

“It seemed her body didn’t reject the eye,” Leonis remarked as he gently set an unconscious Sakuya down on the ground.

Her wounds were beginning to heal. Riselia had died instantly, so he’d no choice but to make her an undead minion. Fortunately, Sakuya had evaded fatal injury. That said, if he’d left her as she was, she would’ve perished before long.

…And turning her into an undead would’ve been too great a risk.

Leonis’s death sorcery worked in accordance with the compatibility of the target’s soul. Riselia being made a Vampire Queen was nothing short of a miracle.

“Still, who was that other Sakuya…?”

Leonis scanned the area and then discovered something on the ground. A white mask had been split in two.

Isn’t this…? Leonis thought as he retrieved the pieces.

“What’s wrong, Lord Magnus?” Blackas inquired, emerging from the dancing shadows cast by the bonfire.

He’d remained hidden to keep his alliance with the Dark Lord from Sakuya.

“This mask. It belongs to the assassin who disposed of Zemein in Necrozoa.”

“…Hm. Are you certain?”

“Positive. I think the assassin wore some manner of white garb, although I can’t quite remember. I’ll have to confirm it with Shary later.” Leonis stowed the mask in his shadow. “The one who silenced Zemein, eh…?”

Between this and the Voids that appeared in Old Town, it looked more and more like the former lieutenants of the Dark Lords’ Armies were behind the incident with the Sakura Orchid mercenaries.

“…They’re like bothersome flies,” Leonis spat bitterly.

Blackas nodded. “Agreed.”

The ground under them suddenly rumbled.

“…A mega-float of this size, shaking?” Leonis turned and saw that a shining, blinding light had appeared above the Seventh Assault Garden. “Is that… Did the Sakura Orchid’s god awaken?”

The god of the Sakura Orchid was fused with the Seventh Assault Garden’s Mana Furnace, and the light was concentrated over the Central Garden.

Leonis looked at the stone altar, which was now stained with blood. It seemed that the girl who shared Sakuya’s face had performed the ritual to unleash the god.

“Even if Sakuya were to awaken, I don’t think she’d be able to simply reseal it.”

According to her, that Sakura Orchid group was plotting something that would bring about the destruction of the city. Leonis didn’t know what their next move was, but…

“God or not, I can’t let anyone go rampaging through my kingdom…” Leonis sighed and drew the Staff of Sealed Sins from his shadow.