Chapter 121 – The Sword of the Usurper

Roy dangled Cast Eater while glaring at his parents and siblings.

Before anyone could release them, I deployed a Shield and stood blocking his path.

“I don’t know what kind of mechanism this is—but it seems you can use magic. So that’s why my pawns were crushed.”

Roy clicked his tongue in irritation. Normally, magic couldn’t be used under these circumstances. Earlier he’d said he didn’t want to dirty his own hands, so he’d let the cultists handle it—but apparently he believed he could achieve his goals through direct action alone.

This guy… He probably wants to break through me somehow and attack the royal family behind me. But that won’t happen. I won’t allow it.

I momentarily created distance and swung my arm sideways, creating an ice wall that divided the dining hall. Albert was also standing by with Shield magic tools and such. Caduceus was there too.

…I couldn’t just crush him with Great Magic without giving him a chance to speak. I needed to make him reveal the location of the item containing Marlene’s sealed voice. But—I wouldn’t let him off easily.

I charged straight at Roy. Roy also took my strike head-on. The Dragon Staff and demon sword clashed, sparking with the intense light of a close-quarters struggle.

I felt a strange sensation. The magical power I’d wrapped around the blade—around Ouroboros—was being absorbed. Was it being drawn from my body too? …An unpleasant feeling.

The demon sword’s effect. But it only reduced the destructive power of my attacks, not completely neutralizing them.

“—A magician—why can you stand at this distance?”

Roy furrowed his brows.

The demon sword was taking effect. Judging from Roy’s reaction—it probably wasn’t working as effectively as it should against my magical power, whose properties had changed through circulation.

The name Cast Eater. And Roy’s reaction and confidence.

Normally, it would probably interfere with spell formulas from mid-range—pulling magical power like a magnet and disrupting the construction of techniques through interference.

Anyway, if you closed to close quarters, it would more powerfully draw out magical power and cut down magicians who couldn’t resist.

The absorption seemed to have a bias. It probably worked most effectively in the direction the blade was facing.

Considering Roy was a Magic Swordsman, it wouldn’t be strange if the owner was exempt from the magical interference.

It shouldn’t be a problem to wrap Ouroboros in magical power for close combat. The magical strikes from the Dragon Staff weren’t delicate things like spell formulas. It seemed I could construct spell formulas from body parts farther from the blade. But I should assume that constructing advanced spell formulas would likely be hindered.

Then—I’ll just keep advancing and crush him.

Gripping the Dragon Staff, I unleashed continuous strikes from left and right. We exchanged blows, parried, dodged. Trading strikes and slash attacks.

I was attacking with enough power to have long since crushed ordinary assassins, but Roy was neatly blocking them. This probably wasn’t because Cast Eater made him unbreakable. After all, I was attacking with power that would crush his arm bones if he took them directly.

Not magical power—but a body enhancement technique using Fighting Spirit? While blocking my strikes, he tried to push back relying on his weight and physical strength.

But not enough. I momentarily focused power then relaxed to parry, and as Roy’s body flowed with the motion, I swung up with the reverse end of the Dragon Staff as if scooping from below.

“Tch!”

It grazed his chin. Roy, who had leaned his upper body back, clicked his tongue and retreated backward.

I closed the distance by the amount he retreated. As he tried to move backward and slip past to my rear, I controlled him by blocking with Ouroboros’s strike trajectories.

Roy was nearly driven to the wall. Before that could happen, he leaped far back, shattering the window as he flew outside—into the mansion’s garden.

I’d separated him from the dining hall. Up to this point was under my control. I closed the distance toward Roy’s predicted landing point—when he showed an unexpected move. He stopped mid-air and thrust Cast Eater straight from his hip.

I poured magical power into the Dragon Staff’s tip and collided with his point, entangling and diverting its trajectory.

Magic Shield light appeared at Roy’s feet. He’d probably heard about my aerial combat methods and had a Magic Engineer create it with Termwills—.

Realizing his ambush had failed, Roy made an irritated tongue click.

“Monkey see, monkey do.”

I declared this and closed in on Roy. When it came to Experience Points in aerial combat, we were on completely different levels. I wouldn’t fall behind. His version could at most let him stabilize his posture in the air.

Roy probably understood this too. Rather than insisting on staying airborne, he landed on the ground and took up an intercepting stance. Did he plan to stay on the ground and cross blades with me, using magic tools only as supplements? That was probably the correct judgment.

I charged while deploying a large Shield. The sensation of being drained was blocked—but. Cast Eater bit its blade into the Shield. Though it slightly slowed the sword speed, it tore through the Shield and came at me.

I blocked the slash attack with Ouroboros. Sliding into close range, I struck upward from below with a palm strike infused with magical power. Roy blocked with his free arm while being sent flying. The impact was mitigated, but he was thrown high upward.

I raised my hand toward the ascending Roy. Deployed a Shield. Behind it, I deployed a Magic Circle. The Shield pointed with the sword tip showed wavering, but the effect didn’t reach the Magic Circle protected by the Shield.

Roy’s eyes widened. Yes. I’d already figured out how to counter that demon sword.

Fourth-class Earth Magic Stone Spread. The moment the Shield was released, stone pellets shot out.

But Roy kicked off mid-air to escape the line of fire. Of course. The correct choice. That’s exactly why I anticipated that evasion.

Without even watching the result of firing the stone pellets, I’d already kicked off the ground. I circled around to Roy’s evasion point and struck down with Ouroboros, forcibly dragging him into aerial combat.

I knocked him flying backward with Ouroboros, then kicked off mid-air to pursue. Activated Mirage Body. Roy’s judgment hesitated for a moment at my movements splitting left and right.

But the Mirage Body form pointed at by Cast Eater distorted.

By a hair’s breadth. He blocked my strike with Cast Eater. The blade facing upward. I deployed a Magic Circle on my instep. No hindering effect.

A kick wrapped in ice greaves from Water Magic. Roy must have judged he couldn’t avoid it, so he concentrated Fighting Spirit in his flank and took it.

“Guh!”

A heavy sensation. Roy made a pained face as he was sent flying, but still counterattacked.

Fighting Spirit coiled around the blade. He swung with brute force, and a Sword Flash flew toward me.

I intercepted it with Ouroboros, tracing exactly the same trajectory.

“Really—you’re a frightening brat.”

Saying this, he transferred Cast Eater to his left hand and pulled something from his chest.

It was—an item that looked like a sword hilt without a blade. Something gem-like was embedded in the guard area. I was about to pursue regardless—but I stopped, eyes wide open.

Because the gem began to shine, and tremendous magical power started gushing out.

Cast Eater didn’t consume that magical power. As I thought—it’s probably a weapon that steals magical power from designated targets.

Anyway, I understood his aim. He seemed to plan to use the Cast Eater in his left hand as a shield and attack with the one in his right.

“Heheh. It takes a little time to deploy, which is a drawback—but this thing’s power is intense? Rejoice. Since I rarely get to bring it out, you’ll be the first to fall prey to it.”

Slowly—a blade of light extended from the hilt.

“That is—”

Not that—. It wasn’t that I hesitated because of the amount of magical power. Of course, it wasn’t because I wanted to hear Roy’s speech either, that’s even more impossible.

It’s because I remembered the wavelength of the magical power that light blade possessed.

“That is—Marlene’s magical power?”

There was only one thing that could mean. My thoughts. I could feel my emotions growing cold.

“Oh? You can tell? That’s right. I had the voice I stole from that girl incorporated into a magic tool. The sealed voice of Marlene, said to become the generation’s foremost Shrine Maiden. Can you imagine the power born from that mystery?”

Roy floated a proud smile as if showing off his favorite toy, and when he swung the light blade, it carved slash marks into the garden’s stone pavement.

…You’re mistaken. I—took a deep breath and said.

“Now I understand perfectly.”

That means there’s no reason to hold back anymore.

“W—”

The next instant, I stepped in with explosive speed. Roy hastily blocked it with the Cast Eater in his left hand.

But who cares? I roughly slammed magical power with brute force. After striking two or three times, Roy’s expression twisted from the impact.

Roy gritted his teeth and swung his right hand. The presence of a slash attack passing over my bent head. Indeed. Impressive power. If it hit, I’d be cut in two.

But that’s Marlene’s. Not yours. You stole Marlene’s voice. Stole her—mother. That’s how you obtained it, right?

Cast Eater and the light blade. The crossing of two swords and Ouroboros. He blocked Ouroboros with the light blade and scattered the magic fired from my Magic Circle with Cast Eater.

I see, I see. In terms of moves, we’ve reached a stalemate. That light blade would probably be a One Hit Kill if it connected. So? What about it?

Exchanging blows, crossing blades, mowing down, sweeping aside, thrusting and entangling. In that exchange, I laughed.

Circulation circulation circulation circulation. Mix and turn, cycle cycle cycle. Answer me, Ouroboros. More more more more. Take in even more and elevate further.

Ouroboros grew white-hot, roaring and scattering pale Sparks, illuminating the surroundings with reflected light.

“Wha, what… that, ridiculous—”

I charged at Roy, who wore a dumbfounded expression, giving him no chance to speak.

Each time we clashed, a creaking sound echoed around us. What sound? The sound of Roy’s skeleton creaking. With each strike I landed, Roy’s expression twisted in agony, and I bared my teeth in a grin.

He was moderately skilled. Reinforcing himself half-heartedly with Fighting Spirit. That’s probably why he didn’t lose consciousness from just that much impact.

On Cast Eater’s blade. On the Mermaid’s Lament Cursed Tool. Fine cracks began to form.

“O—o, ooooh!?”

I’d noticed—since a while ago. The magical power Cast Eater absorbed was gradually decreasing. Becoming intermittent. As the cracks in the silver blade grew larger, magical light leaked from between them.

“Shatter.”

I said, and swung down with Ouroboros’s roar. He crossed Cast Eater and the light blade to receive my strike. But it was useless.

Cast Eater, having exceeded its capacity, snapped, and then the Mermaid’s Lament Cursed Tool shattered too. The excess magical power stored in the sword exploded. Before that, I deployed a Magic Shield and leaped back. Roy couldn’t even do that, caught in the Magical Shockwave and sent dancing high in the sky.

I pointed Ouroboros at that Roy. And saw. —His eyes had rolled back white. His arms seemed bent in unnatural directions too.

Letting out a small sigh, I thrust Ouroboros into the ground. A moment later, Roy’s body fell to the ground.