What I encountered as I advanced was a school surrounded by a pitch-black forest.
Judging by the state of the facilities, it was either an abandoned high school or middle school. Despite being in Tokyo, it was far away from the city center, so the schoolyard was spacious, and the school building surrounding it was like a wall.
I couldn't sense any magic power.
Nevertheless, my heart raced and my muscles tensed as if in anticipation. An indescribable pressure filled me with intense nervousness.
——They're here.
Lisha is here, and the demon (mazoku) that kidnapped her.
I stepped forward to the center of the schoolyard. Lisha is probably inside the school building, but this is where I should stand now.
And the answer was revealed.
Under the moonlight, magic power distorted beautifully.
In the blink of an eye, the twisting irregular blue light disappeared, and a man appeared in its place.
He stood calmly a few meters away from me.
He was wearing a dark blue cloak that covered him from the neck to the knees, and a silver gauntlet on his left arm.
His appearance from the nose up was that of a young man. His physique was average, and at first glance, he didn't seem capable of fighting. If it weren't for his extraordinary magic power, many people would underestimate this boy.
But I am different.
From the moment I saw him, a flood of memories burst forth in the depths of my brain. Magic power burst on top of my armor, and my palms clenched into fists on their own.
"'Why?'"
It's impossible. That's what reason is screaming. He shouldn't be here.
"'Why are you here?'"
When I, as the Hero, set off on a journey to the Centraris Kingdom a year ago, this guy suddenly appeared before us.
And he killed my comrade, Glaive, with whom I had been fighting since the day of departure.
I had no power to stop him, so all I could do was escape, leaving behind the life that had become a shield in a pitiful manner.
I can still vividly recall that moment. The regret, the humiliation, the sadness, and the anger.
The man who dealt me the first and worst defeat as a Hero.
"'Why are you here‼――Larkan Mines‼'"
The bombardment by the power of words shook the atmosphere and rustled the forest.
While receiving it head-on, the man calmly stared at me without a hint of wavering. His blue burning eyes were like specters flickering at the bottom of the sea.
Unchanging.
Although my mind is trying to deny it, the overwhelming presence of the man is telling me otherwise. This is Larkan Mines.
"It's been a while, Silver."
Larkan said in a calm voice. Even though it had been several years, his voice shook my memories vividly.
"Answer my question."
If the demon in front of me is the Larkan Mines I know, there is something I must ask.
Originally, he shouldn't be here. No, even if it's Asteris, it's impossible.
I can't forget the scene of that day. In the storm where countless magics clashed, steel danced in the wake of blood. In the blink of an eye, countless lives were torn apart, and screams and shouts overlapped.
The Third Knight Order of the Centraris Kingdom, which Glaive had previously led. Borrowing their power, we confronted Larkan once again.
And after paying numerous sacrifices, I finally defeated Larkan with my own hands.
I ran through a narrow path that all humans had exhausted to open. Taking advantage of an opening, I cut off the left arm that had become a shield, and with a flash, I severed his head.
I can still remember the vivid sensation.
"Yes, I know."
Larkan must also know that. He lowered the cloak that covered his mouth.
The truth hidden in the darkness was revealed.
I could see a huge gash from his neck to his mouth.
"On that day, I was defeated by you and fell into the ravine due to the aftermath of the magic. Your blow undoubtedly severed my life, but whether it was the protection of the demon god or the caprice of the Hard God, I survived."
The voice echoed in the night.
"But when I regained consciousness, the Demon Lord had been defeated by you, and the God-Demon War had ended."
There was no room for doubt at this point. That wound was inflicted by me.
I never thought that Larkan was still alive...
Certainly, at that time, the area was blown away by the magic we both unleashed, and as a result, I couldn't confirm Larkan's corpse.
But my sword had definitely cut off his head, and the captain of the Third Knight Order who was nearby saw it. It was a wound that even a demon could not escape from.
Larkan survived because of his terrifying vitality and a miracle from himself.
To us, he is nothing but a nightmare.
But now it finally makes sense. The reason why he went through the trouble of not killing Kanami and taking Lisha with him to lure me out.
"'Did you come back for revenge?'"
The hands of the dead clinging to my body.
The past that I thought I had abandoned appeared in the worst possible way.
But Larkan lowered his gaze while putting his cloak back on.
"That's not it."
"'Then what?'"
If that's the case, why didn't he kill Lisha and Kanami? There is no reason to keep them alive in the ongoing God-Demon War.
Larkan looked back at me and continued.
"Indeed, I was defeated by you once, and my lifelong master was also killed. If you ask if there is any anger or resentment, it would be a lie. But the defeat was my own weakness. And I cannot allow such arrogance as avenging the Demon Lord."
"'Then why did you appear here? Is it to bring victory to the demons in this battle?'"
Asking that, Larkan narrowed his eyes and snorted.
"That's an impossible story. The victory or defeat was already decided when the Demon Lord died. There is no way such a way of turning the tables would be accepted now. If that is the reason, then..."
At that moment, Larkan's atmosphere changed. His old and experienced aura ignited fiercely.
"It is an insult to the soldiers who scattered and to the Demon Lord."
His magic power surged like an avalanche.
The powerful wave of magic power was so intense that it felt difficult to even stand.
I let the magic power flow into my armor and directly repelled it.
Despite the near-fatal wounds he had suffered, this magic power was equal to or even surpassing that time.
"'If you think that's unreasonable, then you should quietly spend the rest of your life. It was you who attacked Kanami, wasn't it?'"
Upon hearing those words, Larkan fell silent for a while.
"I have done something terrible to that girl. But she stood in the way as a warrior, and I crushed her for the sake of my path."
"'For your path?'"
Suppressing my anger, I asked. Not for revenge, not for the God-Demon War.
If that's the case, why did he appear before me? Why did he hurt Kanami?
"I have only one path."
Larkan raised his left arm. On the hand that had been cut off, a silver prosthetic hand was attached, and the fingertips reflected the moonlight, pointing at me.
"I have come here to settle the score with you, with my life. Our battle will end with one of us dead."
Straight to the point.
Larkan's declaration of war struck me.
I couldn't help but be taken aback. This man had no sense of justice or duty, he simply participated in this battle and even reached me in this other world, following his own conviction.
Yes, that's who he is.
If I were to describe Larkan, a demon, in a nutshell, the word "warrior" would be the most fitting.
Unwavering loyalty to the Demon Lord and a pure belief in the fight.
Such a man took a hostage and called me here. It would be easy to mock him, saying that he just wanted to settle the score, but I couldn't bring myself to laugh.
He is serious.
With no master to serve and no one to protect, he resurrected solely to seek the one and only resolution, and now he stood before me.
In the face of his determination, I trembled, forgetting my anger.
This is Larkan Mines.
'The Blue Spear,' 'Lord Slayer,' 'The Demon Lord's Spear'...
Among the many different names, there is only one that everyone thinks of first. It is a two-character title that only seven demons are allowed to use, along with the proof of their status as generals.
[Distord Lord - Larkan Mines.]
The monster that I was miraculously able to defeat with the help of Eris, Rist, and the Third Knight Order at that time is now standing before me, sharpening its fangs as a challenger.
I felt a tension that I hadn't felt in a long time, as if a blade was pressed against my neck, my throat dried up and stuck, and my whole body trembled.
However, it doesn't matter who the enemy is.
If the past is approaching, then I will cut it off for the sake of the future. I gripped my sword as if to crush the trembling.
"'I will give you the ending you desire, Larkan.'"
"Yes, let's settle this, Silver."
Emerald and blue magic power burst forth, and we kicked the ground at each other.
Please bookmark this series and rate ☆☆☆☆☆ on here!
Donate me
Support Me with USDC
(ERC20)
Support Me with XLM
(Stellar Lumens)