The clash of the two swordsmen tore the ground apart, losing even its ability to contain. The flying winds shattered stones into tiny pieces.
The will to pierce each other’s bodies was conveyed through the tips of their swords, and their blades clashed, reaffirming that will.
Whaaaaaam-!
The sound of metal clashing was absurdly loud.
The concentrated energy exploded in place, sending both figures staggering back with their swords.
“Drawing your sword against me?”
Na-me twirled her sword in the air, as if finding it amusing.
Mephistopheles remained silent, gazing back with a murderous look in his eyes.
“…”
[Mephistopheles – Phase 1]
[HP: 3,329,079/4,444,444]
The demon’s body, repeating severing and regeneration, had its joints oddly deformed.
Colors mismatched, a grotesque amalgamation of hardened clay forced together.
No matter what blade technique Mephistopheles attempted, Na-me had perfectly countered it thus far.
She didn’t back down even a little.
Instead, she boldly cut through the dangerously reckless attacks that ripped the space around her, closing the distance.
“The distance for a swordsman is like…”
Na-me ran toward the ground, drawing a straight line with her sword.
“It’s like a ticking time bomb.”
The end of that line pointed directly at the demon’s torso.
Swish-!
Had the Imperial Palace been standing there, the banquet hall would have been split in two.
Despite wearing armor of overwhelming hardness, the demon couldn’t withstand the shock and crumpled to the ground.
“The shorter the fuse, the more certain it is that something will die.”
This is why beginners were always advised to keep their distance.
Na-me understood that this advice stemmed from the need for survival.
The longer the distance, the cooler one could think and draw on their true capabilities.
However, if the gap between them is short, the time for judgment becomes extremely limited.
Thus, one must draw the best move instinctively, which is nearly impossible without countless experiences.
The moment when the difference in skill levels is maximized is when their breaths are almost touching.
The demon still struggled. He had no fear of humans.
He drew his sword against the man who kept coming back after falling.
The sword of the demon was gradually taking shape.
Its speed increased, responses sharpened, and his stance slowly stabilized.
Yet, in the flurry of dozens, hundreds of strikes, Na-me was always the one to claim victory.
Swish-!
With a quick flick of her sword, blood sprayed everywhere.
The previously deafening clash now felt like a chilling silence had fallen.
Adella looked at Na-me with trembling eyes.
‘M-Madness…’
Which one was the demon?
The young man who was rendered helpless without a proper resistance?
Or the girl who wore a ghostly smile while ruthlessly tormenting her opponent?
The more frightening fact was that her swordsmanship was not even at a level that was hard to follow with the eyes.
Just how far ahead was she looking while executing her moves?
Mixing swords with her felt like being dragged into a swamp, swinging uncontrollably without even realizing it.
Continuing to provoke attacks, her perfectly calculated foresight ensnared her enemy.
-Are you insane, NoName!
-Perfect until now? Did you not get hit once?
-Is that really a person? That first part was really suppressing.
-Healer (physical)!
-Why hasn’t this guy used any magical items?
└ He used them a lot in part 1.
└ Even then, it was with a mace, lol.
-This is a truly awesome mad movie…
-Why is her swordsmanship so good?
└ She was a Heavenly Demon in her past life.
└ Heavenly Demon Reincarnation, let’s go! Heavenly Demon Reincarnation, let’s go!
A gaze filled with astonishment poured forth.
Even the viewers, who had been trained by countless mad movies on V-tube, couldn’t help but gasp in awe.
Yet, Na-me, who had never taken her gaze off the demon, coldly snapped back.
“Get up. You’ve still got plenty of stamina left.”
[Mephistopheles – Phase 2]
[HP: 2,848,500/4,444,444]
With so much health left, there was no need to hold back.
How much stress had he endured throughout his life? This lifetime also hadn’t been smooth.
He had just hidden it well.
“How dare a mere creature…!”
Mephistopheles spread his massive bat-like wings, easily several meters wide, but…
“You’ll spread diseases with those wings.”
[Kaizen-style Sky Slash]
The suddenly enlarged blade pierced the tent with precision.
Approaching the demon sprawled on the ground, she tossed her sword aside.
“Bite down hard on that. If you think of it as someone else taking the hits, it won’t feel unfair.”
Bang-!
Her fist was charged with aura.
As she unleashed it, the ground buckled as the demon’s head sank into the earth.
“Grrargh! Enough…!”
“It’s all the orphan brats’ fault for messing around like this.”
Bang-!
Even under the tremendous noise, she continued speaking.
The thoughtless trolls online, the neglect she faced during academy interviews, the unreliable game companies, and more than anything, the organizations that imprisoned her and her mother.
Having lived 25 years in a world where the sanctity of life was scarce, Na-me was facing an incredibly tough time keeping it all inside.
Especially how she had managed to endure while her emotions became uncontrollable.
She packed all that simmering rage into her fists and kept pounding the demon’s body.
Bang-!
*
The Year 874 of the Kaizen Empire.
“Enough, enough!”
Marquis Bastion, who had just gained the honor of teaching the most noble of the continent, intervened urgently.
“Your Highness, are you regaining consciousness? Your Highness! Call the doctor immediately! Hurry!”
Those who were absentmindedly watching the duel played out in the martial arts arena suddenly sprang into action.
The Marquis’s gaze turned sharply to the opposite side.
Three princes nervously fidgeting, alongside the ‘problematic princess’ who casually set down her wooden sword. Her face showed no signs of guilt.
The Marquis unconsciously clutched his head.
“What the hell is going on?! When did I allow emotions to taint a mere duel?”
The voice of the old man, long since retired from politics, grew increasingly loud. It was an added embarrassment that his voice cracked from the shouting.
Yet the Marquis vaguely acknowledged his missteps.
He had long recognized the exceptional nature of the princess.
But who could have expected that this mere nine-year-old girl would utterly destroy the talent-rich seventeen and fifteen-year-olds?
Even the current Empire’s Swordmaster, Sir Verstappen, could hardly have predicted it.
Marquis Bastion strode toward the princess, pressing her for answers.
“Princess Estasha.”
That address held no honorifics.
The outcast of Kaizen. The blemish on the Iron Emperor’s legacy. That was the current status of the Fourth Princess.
Yet the calmness in which she regarded the Marquis revealed no wavering.
“They started it first over there.”
The girl responded curtly.
“I know.”
“Then try saying it was my fault again.”
“This time it’s your fault, Fourth Princess.”
“Why?”
The girl’s gaze changed abruptly.
The Marquis swallowed hard.
She wasn’t merely a child caught up in childish anger.
How terrifying it was for a swordsman to know how to endure.
He felt pity that such talent happened to belong to a princess.
“Recognize your position. This is my utmost advice and today’s final lesson. If you take this lightly or think of disregarding it, it would be wise not to pick up a sword again.”
In this world, matters aren’t resolved solely with power.
Sometimes, a noble’s words can lead to the execution of the strongest warrior.
Having gone through countless tribulations at the center of power, Marquis Bastion sincerely offered her this advice.
On his way back to his mansion, he couldn’t shake thoughts of the princess.
A talent so unique that it surpassed all others.
If that talent were to be backed by experience, what kind of swordsman could she become?
Perhaps she would become a legendary figure who would be celebrated in history, in fact.
However, all those assumptions were futile.
As he rummaged through his desk drawer, he pulled out the letter he had received a few days ago.
A sense of tension filled his hand as he opened the letter, sealed with wax.
As he slowly read the contents, his expression gradually stiffened.
If she were to make a name for herself, it would likely be on the side of ‘infamy.’
[The Emperor’s Outcast is indeed the seed of the Demon King.]
Perhaps, since Emperor Airogen allowed her to learn magic and swordsmanship, the young princess was already caught up in the dirty political struggles.
[So I hope you’ll use this card with utmost care on our behalf, Marquis.]
“This upcoming succession battle won’t end with just a few deaths…”
The perceptive nobles must have already begun to align themselves with their preferred parties.
Perhaps the scope would need to be expanded.
Even the Third Prince and Third Princess could be granted claims.
Or perhaps even the Fourth Princess.
