The Melancholy of the Demon Army Officer
Translator: Tsukii
Editor: Millinia
Read at Watashi Wa Sugoi Desu!
Chapter 008 – The Meaning of the Duel [B]
As expected, Gillium’s first attack was his claw.
He swung his claw from the right, seemingly convinced it would hit my head and kill me.
“Ah? …Kukuku, what was that?”
“Wha—?!”
I merely bent my body a bit to avoid his attack.
It was interesting, since Gillium made an astonished voice.
“Bastard!”
“It seems you don’t understand. No, it’s not like I could see—“
“!!!”
“Hm… seems like it’ll come from this direction.”
This time, Gillium swung his claw from the left which I avoided by bending over.
“H-how?! It must be a coincidence!“
“What can I say? It had an oddly familiar feeling. Was it because your claw’s attack was similar to a sword’s movement? Somehow, I could roughly tell how it would move.”
I avoided the slashing claw by following my gut feeling.
Gillium kept doing a series of attacks, finding it hard to believe the situation.
“DIE—!!”
“…”
I avoided the attacks. Avoided. Avoided. I kept avoiding the incoming attacks, following my intuition.
What was this, I wonder? Precognition? Something like a mind’s eye? Regardless of what it was, it made me able to read the enemy’s attack.
Rather, even my eyes had started to get used to it—
“Ah… let me retract my earlier statement.”
“Die die DIEEEEEE!!!”
“Guess you’re not listening… sorry, but I guess it was a lie to say I couldn’t see it. My eyes are seemingly getting used to this.”
“?!”
Surprised, Gillium drew back at once.
A demon general shouted as he saw Gillium’s movement.
“Oh sh*t! Everyone, evacu—!”
People behind me hurried to move away from the trajectory.
“!!!”
He unleashed his Breath with a voiceless sound.
If the attack had been at close range, it would have finished me considering how much damage I’d already taken— but thankfully that wasn’t the case.
“While I couldn’t read your Breath attack, I could easily see it coming with all that movement.”
“?!”
After having moved away from the Breath trajectory earlier, I firmly held my sword with both hands.
A thin, visible aura began floating around my surroundings.
“I’m coming at you, so defend properly.”
“!!! Guh— Don’t look down on me!”
I swung the demonic sword Orpheil down as he blurted those words.
Gillium somehow managed to parry with his claw, and tried to push my sword away with his strength.
But I made use of the momentum produced by the impact to rotate to the other side.
“Wha—! Guh!”
Gillium also defended against that swing, and once again I rotated due to the momentum the impact produced.
“Gah?!”
This time he failed to fend it properly and a red line appeared on his arm.
But my attacks are relentless, and I keep on slashing.
“Ah, Gah! Gih! Goh!”
Slash. Slash. Thrust. Slash. Sweep. Slash. Thrust. Thrust. Sweep. Slash. Sweep. Slash. Slash. Slash. Slash. Slash. Slash. Slash.
He failed to adapt with my barrage of attacks and new cuts were added every time he failed to defend against them. Oi oi, to think I could fight like this. I’m surprised by my own growth.
I could keep attacking if I moved like that at this point. If I moved like this, I would keep my advantage. If I move my body like this, the gap of my movement will be gone.
Ideas flowed through me one after another like an avalanche, and I could execute those ideas. It was fun to wield a sword like this.
Did the sword always feel this free and limitless? Yes, there was still something beyond to be sought! Even if I managed to reach the end, I was convinced I wouldn’t escape from the charm of the sword.
More, let me reach the pinnacle of the sword!!!
For those who reached such heights, they would naturally understand.
The unprecedented. The legend. The master amongst masters. Balance Breaker. 1 His talent blossomed as he became a majin.
“…Sword Combat LV. 3”
“To think it would develop into this…”
The surrounding majins, demon generals, and demon captains were getting excited and chattering.
While the two majins in question…
“Kuku…!”
“GUuUUUh, to… to think this kind of stupidity…!”
Gillium was terribly upset and confused.
This was weird. What was this weird situation?
I was the proud and mighty dragon majin! The new king of dragons who was worthy of the Living Crown Camilla!
There was no reason for me to lose against a human!
Countless wounds were carved on his body, and the amount only kept increasing as the sword swung.
Meanwhile, Gillium’s attack was unable to reach his target— rather, he no longer had any chances to attack. It was his opponent who kept on attacking. The flurry of attacks kept coming regardless if he hid or guarded.
The enemy he had once overwhelmed, now had him cornered instead.
Majin Leonhart, the very sword demon in front of his eyes who kept swinging his sword, was filled with unrepressed joy; he had a grin on his face and confidence in his voice.
“…Sorry? To think it would end up like this. It’s like I was awakened to something after getting a beat down. Talk about a lame and cliché development, right?”
“Kuh!”
Leonhart joyously prattled away with him which also served as provocation. His impression of him had completely changed from before.
“I do feel bad for you… sure sucks to be preached to while getting a beat down, right? That’s why—
—I will end this now.”
“…! Wa-wait?!”
Leonhart, who wore a cold expression, raised his blue sword in a counterclockwise rotation.
“…“
A flash.
He rushed past me, and my body froze as if time itself had stopped.
Unlike before, the surrounding area was silent and everyone seemed to be holding their breath.
Wha-what happened to me? Why can’t I move?
…No, my hand… my upper body could move. There was no problem there.
…Then, what about my lower body?
As Gillium thought of that— his body started to slip away.
???!!!
Gillium noticed the situation of his body.
“A-Aa…!”
No. Stop, stop it. Please spare me from that.
As Gilium’s heart kept on denying it, his wish was not granted.
“aaaAAAAAA—!!!”
His body was split in two.
Gillium’s Body was filled with pain, but at the same time he gradually lost the sensation of his body.
Majin Gillium’s life was about to reach its end.
As he understood that, Gillium’s sight moved toward someone in the distance.
Leonhart— it wasn’t him. There was no Leonhart in Gillium’s eyes now that it had reached this point.
“Ca…milla…”
He squeezed out words to call his dearest one.
Please, help me Camilla. I was supposed to be one of your few remaining compatriots left in this world— the man who was supposed to become your mate.
“…”
But Camilla didn’t answer him. On the contrary, her gaze toward him was similar to how someone would look at a dirty bug.
Aah… Why, why, Camilla… my dearest one…!
Gillium was still unable to understand Camilla up until his final moments. Perhaps, he was better off that way.
“I-it was a victory for Leonhart-sama…”
Majin Gillium’s body turned into a red sphere, the demonic blood soul, and the silence persisted even after the duel ended.2
Everyone’s mind was filled with thoughts about the victor of the duel, Leonhart, who now served as the new member of the Four Elite Majin.
His attitude suddenly changed mid-battle, which led him to an overwhelming victory against Gillium; this not only spread fear into them, but at the same time earned their respect.
Demon’s justice was defined by the strong. Since Leonhart had shown his abilities, at least nobody there would deny his appointment.
“…”
And the majin who was now at the center of their attention, Leonhart, slowly picked up Gillium’s demonic blood soul and went straight ahead.
The place he moved toward, was the absolute ruler of this place, Maou Ssulal.
“…”
“…”
Both of them silently met each other’s eyes.
After a short pause, Leonhart dropped his knee and presented the demonic blood soul to her.
Ssulal stared at it for a while, then suddenly her eyes flashed and shot through the demonic blood soul.
The demonic blood soul was absorbed into Ssulal.
The re-initialization of the demonic blood soul meant the complete death of a majin.
A majin would turn into a demonic blood soul when they died, and if anyone swallowed it, the original consciousness could take over the host body and revive.
However, if a maou re-initializes the demonic blood soul, then the consciousness within it would be erased forever.
At that moment, Majin Gillium was completely erased from the world.
As she finished the deed, she glanced back toward Leonhart and spoke so everyone there could hear her.
“…You have done well.”
It was a commendation from Maou. And following that,
“I officially declare that Majin Leonhart will be included in the Four Elite Majin, and will assume his post as the demon army officer as well. Are there any objections?”
As everyone realized that question was meant to be directed at them, all the demon captains and demon generals that were present all together said in unison,
“Hah! There are none!”
There was nothing to object. An additional powerful majin was welcomed into the ranks.
That day, a new member of the Four Elite Majin— Leonhart, was born.
After the duel, Maou Ssulal brought Leonhart to her private room to heal his injuries.
“Ooh… that was the first time I’ve received divine magic, but the pain sure flew away.”
3
“That’s because only a few people have been known to use it.”
His body was mended with my healing. However, his curious expression looked odd.
“That should take care of it, but… how do you feel?”
“There isn’t any pain… and I can also move my body normally. It’s just… it’s kinda hard to say.”
I urged him to continue his sentence.
“What? Just say it.”
“…I feel very tired. Is there any place I could sleep?”
What, so it was about that?
“Just use my bed.”
“Ha, Hah?”
“? Why do you sound like you hate the idea? Just sleep if you’re tired.”
Even if healing cured his wounds, it wouldn’t restore his lost stamina. Perhaps that’s the reason he felt sleepy.
Even so, he told me himself that he wished to sleep, yet why did he refuse the bed? Ah, was it about how it didn’t feel right to use his master’s bed?
“No, ah… uhm… oh well. I will borrow the bed.”
“Ah, yes. Good night”
“… Good night.”
For some reason, he kept looking at me with a weird expression, but he fell asleep as soon as he laid down.
…I guess I asked too much of him.
He must be very tired. Now that I think about it, it hasn’t been very long since he became a majin.
There usually wasn’t much of a problem for a majin to get by with little rest, but that doesn’t mean they don’t rest at all.
“…”
I sat on the bedside and looked upon his sleeping face. My impression of him sure changed when he closed his eyes. He usually had a sharp gaze in his eyes that left you with a placid impression, but as I looked at him like this it felt more tranquil. I guess it was because he was sleeping.
During the latter half of the duel earlier, he had shown his tremendous power. I had expected people with a LV. 3 skill would be capable of that, but that felt kind of scary. I would remind him about it later. That would make him no different than Gillium…
“…“
The moment I thought about Gillium, I pressed my hand to my chest.
Now that I have calmed down, I realized that there was no need to go that far.
The duel was also the same. I didn’t need to suggest such a rule where the loser would die.
And the moment when Leonhart cut down Gillium…
…my mouth slightly rose up then.
I was thrilled to see that the majin I made, had managed to make the arrogant majin made by the previous maou suffer.
I wished to see more blood of that majin be shed. It made me think there was no better spectacle to see.
I didn’t need to go that far. I only need to show off my desire for a bit, but I failed to restrain myself.
All of those were just excuses.
I stood up and looked at my reflection in the mirror inside of the room.
Yes, I was the maou.
Regardless of what was said, I was still just a maou.
“…I sure am a terrible person.”
Ssulal’s muttering failed to enter anyone’s ears.
—Maou Castle
During the time when Ssulal brought Leonhart to her room for healing, Camilla of the Four Elite Majin was sitting on the sofa of her assigned room.
Her expressionless face and her listless gaze were true to form.
However,
“…Ku, Kukuh.”
A voice had leaked out from Camilla’s mouth.
If one looked closely, they could notice there was a slight smile on her face. That was a face that Camilla had never even once shown to anyone since she was born.
“…Kukuh…Kukukuh…”
Camilla failed to restrain her laughter as her lips formed a smile.
“…Kukuh… to think… everything happened… this perfectly…”
It was something Camilla had never even imagined in her dreams.
The reason for Camilla’s joy— was the death of Majin Gillium.
Among the dragon races who were exterminated by god since they bore him, Gillium was the sole one who could be called as her compatriot.
Therefore, it was no wonder why he was concerned about Camilla. Every member of the dragon race was more or less the same. Even if they were not her target of affection, there was no reason for her to hate them.
However, Camilla hated Gillium. It was a natural thing to happen, though.
For a coward… who hid and was afraid of fighting…! To actually dare– … show himself in front of me!
Gillium was a dragon who sided with Avel during the Last War between Maou Avel and Dragon King Magiihoa.
But as soon as he noticed Avel was unable to win against Magiihoa, he quickly went into hiding.
During that war, every dragon participated and fought to the end. Other dragons on Avel’s side also fought to their death, and while Avel kept hiding and escaping, Avel also kept challenging Magiihoa.
When the dragons were hunted down by angels, Camilla felt quite a shock. Then the new maou appeared— who Camilla had come to meet.
And there, Majin Gillium appeared. He kept spouting irritating words of love.
—Please be my wife. I love you. The current strongest dragon in the world is me.
Don’t screw with me…!
She had thought about killing him then and there. Since Gillium was weaker than Camilla, she could easily do so, but since it was right after her fellow dragons had been hunted down by angels, she hesitated.
Even so, his attempts to flirt didn’t stop.
To think he could keep spewing those words. Even though he was merely a coward who hid up until then. To think he dared to claim to be the strongest dragon of all in front of me.
Forget being compared with Magiihoa or Avel, you don’t even compare to the Four Great Saint Dragons despite being a dragon majin.
And those words of love keep going, along with remarks that made him look superior.
That was 100 years ago today. He kept approaching her and insisted on an ancient law from the last generation.
And he kept looking at her bosom and hips to the point where it felt disgusting. She lost count of how many times she thought about killing him. Did he think she didn’t notice? Camilla also had her pride. At very least, she could proudly declare her body was not so cheap as to be shown to the likes of that jerk.
His obsession for her was to the point where Avel’s obsession looked cute.
Then there was the gathering today.
Maou wanted to introduce a new majin. She honestly didn’t care. He seems to be a human known as the King of Swords. She didn’t give a damn.
But it seemed that this new majin was the favorite of Maou Ssulal, and she even went so far as to declare him to be a new member of the Four Elite Majin and to take the post of demon army officer. She thought they could do as they liked.
However, since Majin Gillium rebelled against such an opinion, she thought to relieve my resentment of him for a bit.
Leonhart was Maou-sama’s favorite. She thought, “What would happen if she made use of his jealousy?” It would only result in the wrath of the maou. Just suffer a bit. As she thought about that, she approved Leonhart to take the title of the Four Elite Majin.
Sure enough, Gillium asked for a duel. Although it did surprise Camilla to see Leonhart manage to kill Gillium and Maou Ssulal re-initialize Gillium’s demonic blood soul.
—However, it was at that moment, Camilla felt she was freed from the curse that bound her since.
As hateful as Gillium was, he was still her compatriot, but seeing his death made her feel nothing. Rather, she felt relieved. If only she knew about it earlier, she would have killed him herself.
“…Kukuku… Maou-sama and Leonhart… I even felt like giving my gratitude to them…”
For a while, Camilla kept laughing in her room.
That was surprisingly satisfying to read, really nice to see Camilla’s thoughts on this matter. Yikes, an entire century of this guy thirsting for her
you’ll understand if you read further, but she not exactly have good past