Demon Sword Master of the Holy Sword Academy - Volume 9 - Chapter 8

CHAPTER 8

SISTERS

“Why did you come with me, Miss Selia?” Leonis asked as he walked down the hall facing the garden with his minion.

“I gave Regina some time alone with Princess Chatres,” Riselia explained nonchalantly. Then she turned around. “Of course, that’s not the only reason…”

“…?”

“Enough pretending, Leo. What are you trying to do here?”

Leonis stopped in his tracks.

Blast it, she’s sharp. I guess I shouldn’t expect less of my minion, he thought wryly.

There was no point in hiding it any longer.

“Apparently, an enemy of mine is using Elysion Academy as a hideout.”

Riselia lowered her voice to a whisper. “An enemy of yours? Like that woman who knew about the dress…?”

“Frankly, I don’t know yet. My enemies’ goals still elude me. But I do know that this institution is firmly within their grasp. There’s no doubting that.”

Leonis stood on tiptoe and brought his face close to Riselia’s ear. “You should be careful, Miss Selia.”

“I will. If anything happens, I’ll keep you safe, Leo.”

“I’m counting on you. And since we’re discussing this, there’s something I need to ask you right away.”

Riselia nodded excitedly. “Okay! I’ll do anything!”

“I’m sorry, but I need you to act as a decoy for a bit.”

“Huh?”

Suddenly, Leonis pinched up the hems of his skirt and raced away.

“Ah, Leo, wait!” Riselia called out after him.

But then…

“Ah, it’s Lady Riselia!”

“Oh, it really is her!”

“Could you sign this for me?!”

A group of academy students swarmed Riselia immediately. Leonis pitied her a little, but the more she drew the students’ attention, the easier it would be for him to move around.

She might get mad at me later, but I’m ready to accept that punishment.

“E-erm, uhhh, Lady Selia sure is taking a while!”

“Yes. I doubt they got lost, though.”

Regina spoke nervously, but Chatres placed her cup back on its saucer with aplomb.

“…”

Silence hung in the air. Normally, Regina would be teasing Riselia and Leonis, but faced with her older sister, she found herself speechless.

…Ahhh! When will Lady Selia and the kid get back?!

She cried out for them silently, but there was no sign of the two returning. Left with nothing to do, she kept petting the spirit, which had grown oddly attached to her.

“These cream puffs are quite delectable. Did you put strawberries in them?” Chatres asked, placing a hand on her cheek after taking a bite of one of the cream puffs.

“Y-yes. I picked the strawberries from Lady Selia’s garden, and I splurged and got some expensive whipped cream.”

“I see. May I have another?”

“Of course, go ahead. I made plenty.”

“I’ll help myself, then.”

Chatres picked up another cream puff and partook of it elegantly.

Th-this girl…is surprisingly adorable.

Chatres was the strongest Holy Swordswoman student. Yet right now she felt quite different from the so-called Silver-Blooded Sword Princess. Regina had still feared her when facing her during the Holy Sword Dance Festival, though.

Altiria was a cherubic sort, and the first and the second princesses, who were stationed at the Fourth and the Fifth Assault Gardens respectively, were also known for being very kind and nonbelligerent. As such, Regina thought Chatres was unique among the O’ltriese sisters.

Being entrusted with a Holy Sword that’s so powerful must be taxing in its own way…

While Regina mused on the notion, she noticed something.

“…”

Chatres’s jade eyes were fixed sharply on Regina’s face.

“U-um, Princess Chatres?” Regina asked fearfully.

Had she peered into Regina’s mind and learned the maid’s opinion of her? Regina thought it was possible.

“Regina Mercedes.” Chatres stood from the sofa with a stiff expression.

“Y-yes…?” Regina replied with a high-pitched voice as she also got up.

“This spirit is called Nevan.” Chatres looked down at the bird resting in Regina’s hands.

“Huh? O-okay…,” Regina answered, puzzled.

Chatres reached out, and the bird spirit hopped over to perch on her arm.

“This isn’t an Artificial Elemental. It’s a spirit of the royal family, like Carbuncle.”

“?!”

Regina’s eyes widened in shock as the tacit meaning of Chatres’s remark dawned on her.

“This little one wouldn’t grow so attached to just anyone… Only a descendent from House O’ltriese.”

“Hello there, cutie maid. What brings you here?”

“This is the boys’ dorm area. Did you get lost?”

“E-erm, I…”

Leonis, still dressed in his maid’s uniform, found himself being hit on by guys in front of the fountain.

“Want to stop by my room for a rest? I could serve you some tea.” One noble boy clad in a school uniform casually placed a hand on Leonis’s shoulder.

The nerve. Do you want to be burnt to a crisp?

Leonis’s shoulders trembled with anger, and he was about to chant an absolute annihilation spell when…

“You gentlemen over there, what are you doing?” A girl’s sharp voice filled the courtyard.

“…?” Leonis turned around.

Standing there was none other than…

“P-Princess Altiria?!”

The two boys hitting on Leonis stood at attention. The one who’d called out to them was a lovely girl carrying the spirit Carbuncle in her arms.

“I-is she your maid, Your Highness?” one of the boys asked fearfully.

Altiria glanced at Leonis and then glared at the two young men reproachfully. “Yes. She is. What were you trying to do to her?”

“W-well, uh… E-excuse us!” The two ran off in the direction of the campus building.

“E-erm, thank you,” Leonis muttered, confused.

Altiria smiled. “You’re quite welcome, Sir Leonis.”

“…?!”

“You can’t fool me, even with a disguise,” Altiria said, holding up an index finger.

“So you figured me out.” Leonis shrugged in resignation.

“Why are you dressed like a maid?”

“Let’s just say a few things happened…”

“…Um. You do look quite adorable, though.”

“Honestly, that feels like a backhanded compliment…,” Leonis replied, mortified.

“What are you doing here, by the way?”

“Ah, I was…on my way back to the tea party when I got lost.”

“Oh, I see. It’s easy to get lost if you’re not used to this place. The girls’ dorm area is this way.”

Altiria started to escort Leonis back.

Curses. I can’t investigate like this.

Slipping away now would seem suspicious. Left with no choice, Leonis followed her.

“What are you doing here, Your Highness?” he asked.

“I was on my way to Chatres’s room, but Carbuncle ran off again.”

The rabbit-like spirit thrashed and struggled in Altiria’s arms.

“And it’s not just Carbuncle,” Altiria explained. “Since the other day, all the spirits have been acting strangely. It’s like something has them frightened…”

“The spirits are frightened…?” Leonis echoed, fascinated. “Maybe it’s because of the recent Void attack?”

“Yes, I believe so. It only makes sense that the spirits would be unnerved with that big tear in the sky…” Altiria stopped in her tracks and looked up.

The cleft hovering above the Eighth Assault Garden was clearly visible, even from Elysion Academy’s premises. While Altiria was distracted, Carbuncle hopped from her arms.

“Oh, not again…” Altiria chased after the little creature, and that’s when Leonis noticed something odd.

The shadows near the trees shifted and writhed unnaturally, attacking the unsuspecting princess from behind.

“Miss Altiria!”

Origin Spirits were also known as Wild Elementals.

They were born in the Spirit Forest, as had been the case since ancient times. They differed from Artificial Elementals, which were products of technology. House O’ltriese drew on the blood of the elementalists—the spirit users—making them masters of the few remaining Origin Spirits in the world.

Chatres’s green eyes gazed directly at Regina. There was no fooling her.

“…When did you figure it out?”

“Nevan’s fawning over you made me certain, but I suspected the possibility when I researched your background.”

After the Holy Sword Dance Festival came to an abrupt, terrible end, Chatres took great curiosity in the girl who’d saved her life and investigated her past. Nothing about Regina was particularly suspicious, save her unclear origins. However, when Chatres looked into the Hyperion incident, she discovered that Regina was the only member of the eighteenth platoon who wasn’t listed as having boarded the ship.

“Altiria was held captive by terrorists during the Hyperion hijacking, which left the ship without anyone to steer it. Yet someone managed to resonate with Carbuncle in Altiria’s place, directing the Hyperion away from the Void Reef.”

“…”

Regina’s boarding wasn’t in the ship’s registry because she’d come on with help from Elfiné, who’d hacked her terminal. She’d only wanted a glimpse of her younger sister and never expected to get caught up in such a major event.

“I should have realized it sooner,” Chatres said bitterly. “Back at the training ground, you caught Carbuncle when it ran off. Looking back on it now, that was only possible because you’re a spirit user…”

“E-erm, Lady Chatres…,” Regina began hesitantly. “About my background, could you—”

“I won’t tell a soul.” Chatres bit her lip. “Treating children born under the Star of Calamity as cursed is an old tradition predating the days of the Human Integrated Empire. Even the emperor cannot oppose it. But someday…” Chatres brought her lips to Regina’s ears and dropped her voice to a whisper. “One day, when I inherit the throne, the Imperial Diet and the Elder Council will mean nothing to me. I promise you this, Regina—you will be welcomed back.”

“?!”

Chatres wrapped her arms around Regina in a tight embrace.

“L-Lady Chatres?!” Regina’s eyes widened in confusion, yet she reciprocated her older sister’s embrace. “Uh, I…”

Keeping her emotions in check was difficult. Learning that Chatres knew who she was left her flustered. She’d never expected her older sister, someone so distant and out of reach, to hug her like this.

“Cha—”

Before a bashful Regina could get her words out…

Huh?!

…she felt herself lurch as her legs began to sink into the floor.

“Wh-what?!” Chatres shouted sharply, reflexively moving in to protect Regina.

The shadows would not be denied, however. They swelled like an amorphous blob.

“Are these Voids?!”

“Back away, please! Activate!” Regina manifested the Drag Striker in its rifle form. One quick shot blew a hole in the growing darkness. The shadows melted back into the floor and vanished.

“It’s dangerous here. Let’s get outside!”

“Right!”

Regina reached for the doorknob but found it wouldn’t turn. Shadows seeped from the edges of the door, holding it in place.

“What is this?!”

“Regina!” Chatres called out behind her.

Whirling around, Regina saw that every shadow in the room was becoming a monster.

“?!”

The creatures lunged at the two sisters.

“Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!”

The tree’s shadow twisted to swallow Altiria.

“Phranis!”

Bwooosh!

Leonis’s flame spell burned the shadow away instantly.

“Are you all right?” Leonis hurried over to Altiria.

“Y-yes… Wh-what just happened?” The princess looked around, scared and confused.

Every patch of darkness in the courtyard writhed and rose, becoming a viscous monster.

The trap has been sprung. Did the enemy realize I came to research them?

Leonis called the Staff of Sealed Sins from the shadow at his feet.

“Princess, please close your eyes. This might frighten you.”

“Huh? Oh, okay!” Altiria obediently squeezed her eyes shut.

Leonis had expected the twelve-year-old girl to panic, yet she remained surprisingly calm.

I guess a royal daughter would possess a stout heart, Leonis thought, impressed.

“Flames of ruin, burn the fools who would oppose me!”

Fifth-order spell—the Tyrant Dragon Flame Roar, Vraz Veira Howl.

A dragon made of flame erupted from the tip of Leonis’s staff, snaking around and burning away the dark monsters with ease. Just as he thought the danger had passed, Leonis heard screaming from every building around the courtyard. Looking up, he spied shadows dripping from every visible window.

They’re attacking all the students in the dorms indiscriminately?

Leonis frowned.

“M-my lord, this is terrible!” Shary’s voice echoed in his thoughts.

“Yes, I can tell something is amiss. Report.”

“Y-yes! Countless monsters are emerging from the Realm of Shadows built around this academy. They’re attacking the students and dragging them into the darkness.”

“Hmm. Do you know who the enemy might be or their goal?”

“Not yet. My apologies.”

Leonis dusted off his skirt and frowned again.

I have no proof of the culprit, but I do recognize these tactics.

“Shary, go to my minion’s side. I doubt monsters this weak would catch her off guard, but—”

“By your will, my lord!”

Altiria still had her eyes closed. Leonis took her by the hand.

“We must return to Miss Chatres’s room. Follow me.”

“O-okay!”

“Everyone, run!” Riselia shouted at the students.

Countless shadows swarmed the pathway. Riselia swung the Bloody Sword, hacking the creatures into pieces in a flash.

“There’s so many of them… Are these Voids?!”

There were no cracks in space, though. What were these things?

Are these the enemies Leo warned me about?

“Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!”

“Please, help me!”

Riselia heard screaming behind her. She turned and spotted two girls being pulled into the darkness.

“Hahhhhhh!” Riselia launched a blade of blood that wound like a whip and cut the shadow monsters in half. “Stay calm! Anyone who can fight, summon your Holy Swords!”

“Ah, okay!” one girl replied while Riselia helped her up.

Muffled screaming came from the nearby buildings.

No good, I can’t save everyone on my own! Riselia gritted her teeth. Leo’s got to be okay…right?

Despite how overprotective Riselia could get, she did believe in Leonis’s strength. If Riselia could handle these monsters, he would defeat them handily. She was more concerned for Regina. Chatres was with her, but the princess was injured and couldn’t fight.

The shadows moved for Riselia, undeterred, from the walls and ceiling, forcing her to cleave through them as she ran.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!

The darkness gathering before her was torn to pieces.

“Huh?”

“My word. It won’t do if you can’t fight your way out of this on your own.”

A maid landed seemingly from nowhere, whips in her hands.

“Ah, drill serge—I mean, teacher!”

The maid glared at Riselia coldly. “I am not your teacher.”

“R-right. Thank you very much!”

“You have nothing to thank me for. I was ordered to protect you.” The maid looked the other way peevishly. “I will handle this area. Now go on, shoo.”

“A-all right. Thank you, teacher!”

“I told you I’m not your teacher!”

“Miss Regina?!”

Leonis hurried back into the tea party room with Altiria in tow.

“Di Farga!”

He used a destructive spell to blast the door open and stormed in. The place was empty. A still-steaming teacup sat on the table.

We’re too late…

Regina and Chatres had already been swallowed by the Realm of Shadows.

“Um, where is my sister?” Altiria looked at Leonis anxiously.

“I believe she’s been dragged into the darkness along with the other students,” Leonis replied.

“No!”

“Don’t worry. I’ll save them.” Leonis pulled off his wig. “It’s dangerous here. Your Highness, please allow me to escort you to safety.”

“Huh?”

“Come forth, Soul Collector.”

Leonis summoned a robed, half-transparent monster from his shadow.

“S-Sir Leonis, wh-what is this?!” Altiria asked, alarmed.

“This is a trusted friend of mine. He may look intimidating, but he’s strong and reliable. He can also render himself invisible if need be, so he won’t stand out.”

“A-a friend?” Altiria looked baffled.

Leonis paid her no heed, instead issuing orders to the Soul Collector.

“Take Her Highness back to the palace. Handle her carefully.”

“By your will,” the Soul Collector replied, taking Altiria in his arms.

“Ahhhh!” Altiria let out a frightened cry as the monster hurried off with her.

No sooner had the young princess gone than someone else arrived, as though to take her place.

“Leo!” Riselia called. “Where’s Regina?”

“Miss Regina was taken into the shadows, and Chatres with her, most likely.” Leonis shook his head. “I’m going in to rescue them. What about you, Miss Selia?”

“I’m coming along, of course,” Riselia said without a second thought.

I’d rather not take you with me, honestly.

This Realm of Shadows was uncharted enemy territory. Undoubtedly, countless monsters and traps were lying in wait. However, Riselia would follow no matter what Leonis told her. That courage was what made her worthy of being his, the Undead King’s, minion.

“I’ll be counting on you to guard me, then.”

Riselia nodded readily. “Yes, understood. You’re safe with me, Leo.”

Shary appeared from Leonis’s shadow.

“I come bearing a report, my lo—I mean, master!” She instantly changed her wording upon spotting Riselia.

“Ah, teacher!” Riselia exclaimed, happy to see the assassin maid.

“What happened?” Leonis communicated telepathically to keep Riselia from hearing.

“I found traces of Lord Blackas in the Realm of Shadows. Namely, this.” Shary showed him a jet gemstone ring.

“That ring belongs to the shadow royal family. I can’t imagine him dropping it,” Leonis said.

“Yes. I believe this was a message left by Lord Blackas.”

“In which case, the purpose of his message is clear. The one who created this Realm of Shadows was the former owner of this ring. In other words…”

“The Queen of Shadows—Scheherazade Shadow Queen.” Shary invoked the name.

Leonis nodded curtly. She’d been the ruler of the Realm of Shadows before Blackas destroyed her during his rebellion over a thousand years ago. She was the one who sent Shary, then an assassin for the organization named Septentrion, to kill Leonis.

To think even she has returned.

That wasn’t much of a surprise at this point, though. Constructing a Realms of Shadows and abducting humans in large numbers was Scheherazade’s established modus operandi.

“Can you track them down?”

“Yes, since the abductions were quite conspicuous, I should be able to follow them.”

“What’s wrong, Leo?” Riselia asked, somehow sensing she was being left out of the loop. She appeared a bit jealous.

“Ah, sorry. It looks like we’ll be able to track down Miss Regina’s whereabouts.”

“Leave it to me.” Shary bowed her head.

“Let’s go, then. To the Realm of Shadows.” Leonis removed his maid’s outfit, revealing his academy uniform underneath.

You will pay dearly for trying to lay hands on my domain, Scheherazade.