The Melancholy of the Demon Army Officer

Translator: Tsukii

Editor: Millinia

Read at Watashi wa Sugoi Desu!

Chapter 013 – The King of the Beast [A]

Majin Leonhart and the King of the Beasts, Galtia. 

Both of them collided for the first time. Naturally, since Leonhart was a majin, he came out superior.

“Fuh—!” 

“—gh” 

Orpheil, Leonhart’s demonic sword, swung toward Galtia with a speed that was beyond normal human capabilities.

Galtia somehow managed to block it with his long sword, but he was unable to fully deflect the terrifying power of the majin, which grazed his body.

Galtia definitely wasn’t bad with swords. Rather, his skill with it was considered to be at the level of a genius—so much so that he’d never met a better swordsman up until this moment. Even without his mushis, Galtia still would have been the strongest man in his settlement.

Galtia was outclassed in swordsmanship. There was certainly a difference between the existence of a majin and a human. 

—However, there was a bigger reason than that.

If Galtia’s level of swordmanship was considered to be that of a genius, then Leonhart’s level of swordsmanship was already considered to be legendary. His achievement with swords had already reached a point where it was doubtful that anyone, even those who would appear in the future, could match his skill.

Galtia didn’t know the difference of the Skill LV. However, he understood it using his instinct as a swordsman.

“—Tch! It seems to be tough using just a sword…!” 

“Kukuh…! Then you may choose to just give up—!” 

Leonhart understood the depth of his sword as he wielded it. Using his sword talent which awakened as he turned into a majin, he responded strongly to both his majin blood and his instinct to face a worthy opponent.

The joy of wielding a sword, slashing it toward his opponent, made a joyous smile spread across his face.

Galtia, who felt the effects of Leonhart’s sword with his own body, decided it was foolish of him to insist on facing Leonhart using a sword alone, and gave up doing so. He might have a talent with swords, but that wasn’t the best thing he could do in this situation. That wasn’t the true essence of the man called Galtia.

“Hah! I told you! It would be tough to use just a sword, right—!!” 

“gh—?!” 

Suddenly, a flame blew out from Galtia’s body. The flame struck Leonhart, who was within the sword’s range. 

Without a moment’s hesitation, Galtia continued to attack with his mushis.

“You guys, help me out—!!” 

“’—!!!’” 

All mushis inside of Galtia responded to his will. 

The next moment, a thin thread was shot at Leonhart.

“What, is this…?!” 

Leonhart tried to cut off the thread that entwined his body to hinder his arm’s movement. 

However, that thread had a strong adhesiveness and elasticity, and even with Leohart’s strength as a majin, he couldn’t escape easily. Feeling annoyed by this, Leonhart tried to cut off the thread using his sword—but a gap was created and was used by Galtia to continue his assault.

“Eat this—“ 

“Gh!!” 

A large amount of mushis within Galtia exerted their power all at once. 

They shot poison needles, fire, cutters, tentacles, acid bombs, lasers, regular bombs—and many other things which were hurled toward Leonhart, who received most of them.

As the bombs temporarily caused smoke to billow around, Galtia kept on attacking and plunged into the smoke—blocking a flying slash with the help of his mushi’s defensive abilities.

The shield failed to completely block the incoming attack and a thin wound was carved on Galtia’s body.

“—Tch. Oi oi… that shield was made out of 10 mushis with guard abilities, yet you managed to put a scratch on me despite that? That’s cheating.”

“—I don’t want to hear that from you.” 

As the smoke cleared, what stood before Galtia was Leonhart, with some scratches and dirty clothes. The thread that restrained him had already been burned out by the previous flame and the bomb. 

Leonhart replied as he stroked the wound caused by Galtia’s attack with his thumb.

“I heard that most mushi users would be dead if they housed more than 10 mushis… but it seems such a thing doesn’t apply to you?” 

“I’m known as the strongest mushi user for a reason. I’m quite proud of the number of my mushis. There are 48 of them right now.”  

“…You sure are quite something to house that much.” 

“…Isn’t it better to have a large number of family members?” 

“That sure surprised me… however, it convinced me that you defeated a majin.” 

“He-h, right?” 

Galtia proudly spoke of his mushis. For him, the mushis were his precious family. 

Yes, if Leonhart was the owner of an unparalleled talent in his sword—then Galtia’s talent lay in his ability as a mushi user.

A common mushi user was considered a full-fledged user, and even if they did increase the number of mushis they housed, they would at most increase by two or three. The number of mushi users who actually housed more than 10 mushis could be counted by a single hand.

However, Galtia greatly exceeded that number by reaching 48 of them—and he made it sound like he could still house more mushis inside of him.

This was the reason why Galtia was known as the strongest mushi user, and as the King of the Beasts.

Even if several more mushi users would be born in the future, there wouldn’t be anyone who could best Galtia. He was a legendary mushi user who would carve his name in history.

If it was the sword for Leonhart, then it was mushi for Galtia. They were the legendary swordsman and the legendary mushi user that might never have any equals in the future — they were quite similar in this regard.

“—Kukuh.” 

Leonhart’s voice leaked out as he sensed that. 

He acknowledged Galtia’s strength. The world’s strongest human may be Galtia.

The reason Leonhart’s talent for swords took such a leap was because he turned into a majin. If they were to compare their swordsmanship alone back then, they might be about the same. In addition to that, Galtia was a mushi user.

This guy is strong. At the very least, stronger than I’d been when I was human. 

Leonhart was filled with such feelings, and a strong joy arose within him.

He spoke to Galtia with a wry tone, as he tried to keep those feelings from showing. 

“—well then, it’s okay right?” 

“…Ah? What do you… ah, forget it. I think I get what you meant.” 

“He-h… then try to guess it.” 

“You’re going to do it right—fighting seriously.” 

“…Kuh-kuhahah.” 

Leonhart laughed aloud as he was told that. He was laughing like he found the situation funny and his friend managed to guess his thoughts. 

“I’m surprised that you really get it. Ku-Kukuh…! Maybe we really get along?” 

“…What would you do if I said I just randomly guessed that?” 

“Kuhahahahaha! Don’t make me laugh!” 

Leonhart laughed heartily. It might have been his first time in his life to laugh like this. If not for his master’s existence, Leonhart might have turned over to Galtia’s, to the mushi users settlement’s side. He admitted he could get along well with him. Among the people he has met so far, he liked him the second best. 

Leonhart wielded his sword as he thought of his master. He could neither go against her, nor did he want to do so. The order was absolute. 

On top of that, he has already sworn to carry out her order by his own will. That was the wish of Maou Ssulal’s—and Majin Leonhart’s.

 

“Okay! Then I don’t need to say it again, right? I’ll beat you down without holding back from now on, so don’t die so easily, okay? 

“What a joke, that’s my line… You guys, let’s do it! It’s time to go all out—!” 

“’—!!!’” 

“Kuhahah! Do your best to survive—!!” 

The confrontation between legends couldn’t have been more fierce. 

The match had been struck.

 

 

 

During the time Leonhart and Galtia resumed their battle— 

A change happened on the battlefield. 

“Ora, die—!” 

“Gufu…!” 

“What happened to the poison you’re so proud of?! Try to throw it at us—!” 

“Kuh, regret…”

The demon soldiers who broke through the frontline mercilessly killed the mushi users one after another. 

The mushi users were devoted to their defense as Galtia told them to. Normally, the mushi users wouldn’t be losing so badly just because they were exhausted. They would usually spread poison in the wasteland which served as a battlefield, right at the border where the enemies and allies would have fought. The demon soldiers were unable to overcome that easily, with most of them dying from poison, while those who were lucky enough to survive the poison would still be killed by the mushi users that gathered together. As a matter of fact, two hours ago, the Demon Army was still unable to break through the poisonous land, and many demon soldiers fell on top of that land.

Yes—fell on top of the land. 

The Demon Army passed though the poisonous land by walking above it—using the mountain of corpses as their foothold. 

“Forward, forward—!! Dedicate their blood to Maou-sama and Leonhart-sama, and for comrades who fell on this land—!!” 

“OOOoooooooohhh—!!!” 

Under the command of the demon general, the demon soldiers trampled upon the allied corpses and invaded the mushi users’ encampment. Of course, the demon soldiers who made the first assault ended up dying due to the obstruction by the mushi users. However—there were not many of them. 

The first one who stepped upon the corpses of the demon soldiers and charged to enemy encampment was Majin Leonhart. He easily broke through the mushi users’ obstructions, and killed many of those mushi users. 

The mushi users fell into confusion, because of both the majin’s appearance and merciless slaughter of their allies. The demon soldiers used that opening to cross by stepping on top of corpses.

This was the strategy that the demon generals came up with before executing the sortie1. It was a tactic that was normally impossible to execute. Yet right now, it was as good as it could get. 

Even if the demon soldiers on the front died, it would reinforce the path for other demon soldiers behind them. They mercilessly trampled upon allies who died right in front of them, and let the difference of numbers do the judgment.

It was because they also fought here two hours ago. It was because the morale of the demon soldiers was high. It was because Leonhart led the first assault. It was a strategy that needed those conditions to be cleared in order to be executed.

A total of sixty thousand troops broke through the frontline one after another, overrunning the mushi users. Once that happened, there wasn’t much the mushi users could do. 

Their last resort, Galtia, could no longer be relied on. He was facing the majin. Whether he knew the situation or not, he didn’t have the leisure to care about anything else.

It was only a matter of time before the Demon Army annihilated the mushi users.


Want early access to Executed Sage, Melancholy of the Demon Army Officer, and I Was a Man Before Reincarnating, So I Refuse a Reverse Harem ? Support the translator on Patreon!

Also, Tsukii has picked up a new series called “A Story of a Cannon Fodder who Firmly Believed He was the Protagonist, Misunderstood the Actual Protagonist as the Cannon Fodder, and Ended up Victorious!” The title really says it all. It’s available now for patrons.

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