Chapter 423

Crash!

The crescent blade of moonlight wielded by Luna crashed against the magical blue sword that Eleris summoned.

“...!”

Eleris’s magical sword shattered on contact with the moonlight sword.

It was hard to accept that Eleris was an Archdemon, but Eleris was clearly not only skilled in magic, but also excelled in close combat.

Clang! Clang! Whirr!

Eleris summoned a sword made of magic and engaged in a duel with Ellen’s mother.

It was surprising that Eleris was skilled in close combat, but Ellen’s mother overwhelmed her nonetheless.

Moreover, the abnormally-enlarged moon was not an illusion, and I didn’t know what it was.

Was it even magic in the first place?

The crescent blade, which had seemingly been drawn from the enlarged moon, exuded a subtle, cold moonlight.

Above all, the movements of Ellen’s mother, Luna Artorius, were bizarre.

It was hard to find a way to describe it.

Luna Artorius appeared human, but did not move like one.

“...”

She did not perform typical swordsmanship moves like jumping, charging, or striking with a draw. None of her movements seemed to carry much force.

Yet, Eleris could not respond to any of her slow movements.

If I attacked, I would end up hurting Ellen’s mother, but such concerns were unnecessary. I knew better than anyone that intervening would be suicide.

Clang! Crash!

Every time Eleris’s magical sword met the moonlit blade, it shattered, forcing Eleris to summon another magical sword with each clash.

Eleris struggled to parry each seemingly slow strike.

Bang! Clang! Crash!

Over dozens of exchanges, Eleris was always forced back.

I was seeing with my own eyes, even though it was hard to believe, that Eleris’s close combat skills were incredible, and yet Luna Artorius was surpassing them effortlessly.

Luna Artorius attacked as though her movements transcended perception, slow yet fast.

Eleris, barely managing to hold on, created some distance between her and her opponent.

“I don’t know who you are,” she said, “but we don’t need to fight.”

Eleris, of course, had to know that Luna Artorius was Ellen’s mother.

But Luna slowly shook her head.

“Archdemon, no one in the world desires war. The last Great War between the Demon Realm and humans wasn’t born from desires, but from mutual fear. All conflicts arise in such a manner.”

Luna Artorius, holding the crescent blade of moonlight, slowly walked toward Eleris.

“What you desire is irrelevant to me. Whatever the previous Demon King wanted or was attempting to do is of no importance. I couldn’t discern whether the former Demon King Baalier was good or evil, and I still don’t know. Nor am I curious. However, the existence of the Demon King incited a great war throughout the world, which resulted in my son’s death.

“Even now, I don’t know if you are good or evil. You might be good, and humans might be evil. Or both might be good, or both might be evil. Perhaps my son’s actions in killing the Demon King were ultimately evil. But none of that matters. What matters is that it is fear, not desire or greed, that calls forth conflict.

“Just as the mutual fear that the inhabitants of the Dark Land and humans had towards each other birthed the Great War and took my son, the fear of the current Demon King will birth another conflict, and this time, it might take my daughter.

“I don’t know what you want or what you aim to achieve through these actions. But even if I knew, it wouldn’t change anything.

“You are already a symbol, and you manifest fear by merely existing. As long as you exist, you will inevitably incite conflict, and my daughter will be caught up in it.

“Just as everyone fights because of fear, so do I. I fear that you will take my daughter. Therefore, I intend to kill you, not for trivial reasons like good or evil, or the legitimacy of existence. I intend to kill you because my daughter is precious to me.

“It is an action born from simple fear, beyond good and evil. As a mother, I want to protect my only remaining daughter.”

It didn’t matter that I was Ellen’s friend, nor did it matter what I truly desired. Ellen’s mother saw my existence as a seed of conflict and intended to kill me. No amount of sincere persuasion would reach her.

Luna Artorius, moonlight shining behind her, spoke again. “So, die.”

Swish!

As soon as she took a step, she seemed to have already crossed the intervening space and appeared in front of Eleris. Her movements were slow, but her ability to traverse through space left Eleris with no time to respond.

Clang!

“Ugh!”

Eleris was struck in the chest by the moonlit crescent blade and was sent flying. She crashed to the ground and rolled several times.

“Ugh... Ugh...”

It seemed she had avoided a fatal injury, perhaps through the deployment of a barrier, but she still clutched her chest, gasping for breath and coughing violently.

Eleris covered her mouth, coughing up blood.

Though the blade hadn’t pierced her, the impact alone seemed to have wrecked her body.

Once more, Luna Artorius took a step forward. If she took another of those slow steps and crossed through space again, Eleris would die.

‘Could I do it? Could I stop her?’

Countless thoughts tangled in my mind, but my actions were faster than my thoughts.

Clang!

I had already summoned Alsbringer and attacked before Luna Artorius could take another step.

The immense recoil sent me flying back, but she narrowed her eyes at the sword in my hand.

“... Alsbringer?”

For the first time, something resembling an expression appeared on her face.

Luna Artorius didn’t know me, but she must have heard about me from Ellen.

Ellen would have told her mother about what kind of person I was. Luna would have also heard that I was the master of Tiamata, and would know that I was Alsbringer’s master as well.

Luna Artorius’s expression hardened as she pieced together the puzzle in her mind. “Could it be... You’re Reinhart?”

It was an inevitable revelation, as only a holy relic could withstand that moonlit crescent blade.

Her finding out that I was Reinhart was definitely not good for me.

“Have you been toying with my daughter all this time?”

Such a reaction was natural. The woman who had been moving slowly now glared at me and sprang forward.

Swish!

Clang!

“Ugh...!”

Blocking that single strike was enough to break my wrists, and Alsbringer slipped from my grasp.

“Was it fun, Archdemon?”

Murderous intent surged in Luna Artorius’s eyes. All she could see was that I had toyed with Ellen’s feelings.

If she realized that the Reinhart that Ellen spoke of was actually the Demon King, her thoughts would inevitably lead her to that conclusion.

Thus, Luna Artorius, who had intended to kill me emotionlessly, now felt anger towards me.

Alsbringer had fallen from my hand, and my chest was wide open. Whether she stabbed me with her sword or grabbed my neck, I would die in the next moment.

Both Eleris and I would die.

Was I going to die at the hands of Ellen’s mother, in the place where I had set up to capture Cantus Magna?

But perhaps it was fortunate that I had provoked her anger.

Grab!

“Ugh...!”

Instead of killing me, she grabbed my throat with her left hand and lifted me into the air. Her eyes, filled with rage, bore into me.

The moonlit blade in her right hand glinted dangerously.

“Archdemon, why did you toy with my daughter’s heart?”

She glared at me. If she applied even a little more pressure, my neck would break. Mana Reinforcement, Incantation, and Self-Deception were all useless.

She was Sabioleen Tana’s equal, or perhaps even greater. In the face of this absolute being, my life was as insignificant as a fly’s.

“Is this your revenge? Toying with the heart of the sister of the one who killed your father? What were you trying to achieve? Is this petty act your revenge? Is this all you can do?”

This was the only path her thoughts could take.

The son of the Demon King somehow meeting and getting close to the sister of the fallen Hero would be incomprehensible to her, no matter how detached from emotion she might be.

Luna Artorius, who seemed to lack some human aspect, could not abandon her humanity as a parent and was trying to kill me.

It was inevitable that she would think this way, now that she knew the truth, and she knew about the relationship I had with Ellen. She could only believe that all my actions were for the sake of revenge.

“Did you enjoy imagining the pain my daughter would feel when she found out the truth later? Even if you die here by my hand, would you think you’ve won because your death would sadden my daughter? Why... Why did you target my daughter? Not the empire, the imperial family, or humanity... But my daughter...?!”

Squeeze...

“Speak, Archdemon.”

She was unable to fully control her emotions, her eyes filled with boiling rage, and the grip of her left hand on my throat tightened with each passing moment.

Revenge? I had no such vengeful feelings, so how could this be revenge?

In a practical sense, as well, this couldn’t be revenge.

That was why, along with anger, there was a note of suspicion in Luna Artorius’s eyes.

Wrapped up in the suffocating pain, feeling as if my breath would be cut off at any moment...

“Shi...t...”

I barely managed to lift my hand, with its broken wrist, and grabbed hold of the hand which was clutching my throat.

“Isn’t it... okay?” I muttered.

‘There’s no way this can possibly be revenge. Come on, you don’t understand my actions either!’

“Can’t I... just like... your daughter...?”

“... What?”

In the end, it was just because I liked her.

There was no other reason than that silly one.

Luna Artorius was clearly surprised by my words. Her grip weakened.

Desperately, I pried her fingers apart and shouted, “Yes... I’m the Demon King, and I like your daughter! So what?! What are you going to do about it?!”

“Huh... Huh?”

Luna Artorius’s anger faded, replaced by a bewildered expression.