[– Something is wrong (II) –]
Now I can’t help but wondering whether it makes sense that a person with an overpowered setting like Swordmaster would feel inferior to his brother, but there’s no point in arguing about it now, so let’s move on.
Even though he has talent and worked hard to reach the pinnacle of swordsmanship, thinking it’s all he has. Yugo himself dislikes his own swordsmanship, considering his talent barbaric. Something like that.
Perhaps he envied how calm, smart, and smooth his older brother was in everything he did. Don’t envy that! You fool!
Distracted by confusion my thoughts wandered for a moment, but the truth is the situation is quite serious right now.
It’s because of the entity that revealed itself due to Yugo’s sword aura.
Skin and hair tinged green.
A being that speaks the human language and has a humanoid appearance but is clearly not human. Dark Spirit (Elemental Spirit).
This is the name of the race that opposes humans in The Arlandast Saga.
When you think of spirits, Jin the beastman might come to mind first, but the mechanisms of existence between dark spirits and beastmen are fundamentally different. Our little white one is more similar to the primordial dragon, Alfaynance, and is the complete opposite of dark spirits.
Simply put, dark spirits are akin to the demon races often seen in traditional fantasy novels or games. They exist under the leadership of a being akin to a demon king, known as the “Dark Spirit King” (though they refer to it as the Spirit King), living in the shadows of the human world.
Since their source of power comes from human lives and negative emotions, they can be considered the natural enemies of humanity.
Yugo twirled his sword with a cruel smile.
“I saw you a few times during training, but to think you’d come all the way into the capital? You’ve got some guts. I’ll do my best to kill you.”
With that declaration, Yugo moved so fast that only an afterimage was left behind. The dark spirit ground its teeth, scattering black smoke in response.
That smoke came from the unique black blood of the dark spirit race. A destructive and venomous curse fueled by exchanging their blood. If that smoke touches the body, it causes fatal internal injuries, threatening one’s life.
No matter how skilled a swordsman, falling victim to poison is deadly. Desperately, I shouted.
“…..Yugo, be careful…!”
But my warning was meaningless. Yugo swung his sword so swiftly that it was impossible to see, scattering aura in all directions.
The black smoke was rendered powerless by the sheer force of his sword aura, breaking apart and leaving only faint traces on the ground before disappearing entirely.
Seriously, the Swordmaster title is no joke… Neutralizing gas-like smoke with a swing of his sword? Even seeing it with my own eyes, I can’t believe it. It feels like watching some blockbuster movie.
Once again, I realize how overpowered the characters in this game are. Honestly, I’m in no position to give advice or warnings. The fact that I was worried just makes me feel awkward now…
At least I could take a breath of relief. Thanks to Yugo’s overwhelming swordsmanship, he wasn’t in any real danger.
If that dark spirit could maneuver around and attempt attacks against someone like Yugo, it would be incredibly strong too. It’s just that its opponent is beyond absurd. Yugo is such an out-of-this-world monster that the dark spirit couldn’t keep up.
Now that Yugo’s safety was secured, a question I had pushed aside rose to the surface.
What in the world is going on here?
Normally, due to the inviolability pact that existed in the past, demonic spirits would not appear in the human world…..
At this point in the game, we’ve only just begun to see the characters. It’s only in the middle of the game that the spirits have appeared already.
So why are they showing up now, ahead of schedule? And why have they gone as far as infiltrating the capital?
I bite my lip, trying to clear my head of the mess, and suddenly a chill runs down the back of my neck.
It was an ominous, sticky feeling, like being watched by something malignant. I flinched and turned around.
“Are you with that human?”
Before I realized it, another dark spirit had crept up behind me.
Instinctively, I stepped back, trying to put as much distance between us as possible.
I was careless. Of course, these things could move in groups!
What do I do? With my current level of magic, not only is it impossible to fight them, but even running away seems hopeless.
“You damned bastards!”
Yugo swung his aura-infused sword to keep the dark spirits at bay. The spirit at my side let out a sickening laugh and dodged the blade with ease.
Frustrated, I bit my lip. It’s because I’m weak that Yugo is struggling.
It’s clear that Yugo hasn’t been able to completely subdue the dark spirit he’s been fighting because of me. He has to keep it from getting to me while also ensuring that his attacks don’t hit me by accident. Balancing all of that is an incredibly difficult task.
The art of swordsmanship for “defense” is fundamentally different from that for “offense.” Yugo is undoubtedly an offensive swordsman. While he can easily cut down multiple opponents on his own, he’s not accustomed to protecting someone like me while simultaneously subduing his enemies.
If he were alone, Yugo would have already unleashed his sword aura in all directions, annihilating every single one of these enemies in an instant. But with someone as overwhelmingly weak as me in the same space, the situation becomes a tangled mess.
And now, to make matters worse, another dark spirit has turned its focus on me. The situation has reached its worst possible state.
“Hey, snap out of it!”
Yugo’s aura slams into the ground between me and the dark spirit again, forcing it back.
He’s right. This isn’t the time to be lost in thought. Even though he could’ve ignored me and fought without any distractions, Yugo is choosing to protect me, taking on this annoying battle for my sake.
I can’t afford to stand here uselessly like an idiot in a situation like this.
As Yugo unleashed his sword energy in relentless bursts, I desperately tried to keep my distance from the dark spirits, thinking as fast as I could.
I know I’m weak. I know I’m a burden.
But if that’s the case, wouldn’t it make more sense to struggle desperately and find some way to help, even if it’s by relying on someone else’s power?
“――O wind, bearer of the messenger’s fate, hear my call!”
As soon as I started casting magic, the dark spirits naturally turned their attention to me. One of them stretched an arm toward me, but I narrowly dodged, leaping backward to maintain distance while focusing intently to ensure the spell I had begun wouldn’t falter.
“Haah!”
Yugo closed the distance toward me, keeping just far enough to avoid touching me but skillfully aiming his attacks to put the precarious line at risk for the demonic spirit. He deflected the spirit’s sword with a calculated flick. The blue and white sword auras mixed together, slicing the ground and carving a deep wound into the left arm of the smaller demonic spirit.
At the same time, I reached my arm upward.
A white, clumped mass began to coalesce, shifting and transforming into the shape of a butterfly.
Soon, the butterfly-shaped messenger took off at high speed toward the royal palace—a mana signal urgently relaying the current situation.
I’m sorry, Yugo. I lack the strength to deal with this. The only thing I can do is send for help from my friends in the royal palace. Please hold out until they arrive.
However, my magic unintentionally created an opening against the demonic spirit.
Perhaps guessing I was about to cast an offensive spell, the spirit pulled back defensively, but the movement left them vulnerable.
Yugo didn’t miss that moment when their face reflected dismay. He swung his sword again, unleashing a powerful wave of energy.
“Aura Blade!”
The smaller demonic spirit’s right arm was also deeply struck this time. The wound was so severe it seemed the arm might be completely severed. Black blood began to pool and soak the ground.
“You… filthy human… Breaking the non-aggression pact was your primordial dragon’s doing first. We’ll-…”
“Save your nonsense for purgatory.”
With a blinding flash of crimson light, Yugo’s sword sliced through the air, exploiting the brief opening. The demonic spirit collapsed helplessly, coughing up blood. The black blood it spilled corroded the ground as if sulfuric acid had been poured onto it.
“You were the one who came charging in first, so no complaints, right?”
Yugo smirked as he flicked his sword clean. That smile… Yeah, definitely the younger brother of Prince Kalt. The crazy vibes are unmistakable.
No, this isn’t the time to be thinking about stuff like that. Did he say the primordial dragon Alfaynance broke the non-aggression pact? That’s impossible.
Of course, it’s possible that the demonic spirit was lying, but even the fact that a demonic spirit managed to infiltrate the capital is strange. If the primordial dragon had taken action and the demonic spirits were moving in response, then that would at least make some sense.
…But why? Why is everything unfolding so differently from the game?
“Hey, watch out!”
Yugo’s sharp yell startled me out of my thoughts, and I rolled to the side. In that instant, Yugo’s aura blade cut through the air once more. The last remaining demonic spirit failed to evade and had its right leg severed cleanly.
At the same time, the demonic spirit let out a booming laugh.
“Haha! Ahahaha!”
“Have you lost your mind?”
Yugo frowned and sent another blue aura slash toward the demonic spirit.
With its leg severed, there was no way it could dodge. Under the overwhelming force of the aura, its life would surely be extinguished.
Unable to bear witnessing another death up close, I squeezed my eyes shut.
“――With this life, I shall reach the Primordial Mother, the Spirit King.”
As soon as the demonic spirit finished its incantation-like words, a grotesque sound that I didn’t want to trace the source of filled the air. And then, silence fell.
“………….”
“Hey, it’s taken care of.”
Yugo’s voice carried no emotion, no excitement, just the cold detachment of someone for whom eliminating enemies was routine.
This world… this fantastical realm was a stark reminder of how vastly different it was from any societal structure I had ever known.
A foul stench hung in the air. It was like blood, mixed with the repulsive odor of rot, a lingering trace of the lifeform that had been there moments ago.
Somehow managing to steady my trembling legs, I stood up, making a conscious effort not to look toward the corpse. I brushed off the dirt that had clung to my clothes from rolling on the ground.
“….You okay?”
Yugo’s question broke through the silence, probably because my lack of reaction seemed odd to him. Only then did I realize that I hadn’t properly thanked the person who had saved my life.
“Ah… Sorry. Thank you for saving me.”
“It’s nothing. More than that, it’s a serious problem that those demonic spirits managed to enter the capital’s borders….. I’ll have to tell my brother.”
Even though he acts like a rebel, his reaction is as responsible as ever, befitting the “Pigeon Prince.” Sure enough, the royal family would need to take measures. There also needed to be an investigation into the claim that the primordial dragon had broken the non-aggression pact.
After brushing off the last of the dirt, I let out a heavy sigh. Hesitantly, I turned to glance at the corpse of the demonic spirit.
The demonic spirit, which had laughed at us and recited what sounded like a prayer, now lay on the ground, glaring in our direction with wide-open eyes.
The moment my gaze met those dead eyes—
“……!? Hey, wait!”
Black tentacle-like appendages suddenly sprouted from the corpse, dozens of them, and darted toward us at an alarming speed.
“Haap!”
Yugo was quicker to react than I was. Before I could even process what was happening, he swung his sword, severing the tentacles.
However, the severed appendages regenerated almost instantly, and one of them—
“Ah…!”
—wrapped itself tightly around me.
The slimy tendril oozed a black liquid that seeped into my skin, staining my body with its blood.
“Ahh… guhh…”
In that moment, a chilling realization dawned on me.
―The blood of the demonic spirit, imbued with lingering resentment.
It was a curse born of its own blood, trading its life for an overwhelming destructive force and poison.
That demonic spirit had cast a curse using not only its blood but also its very life as the price.
“………Senephin!!!”
Helpless, I blacked out.
