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[Translator - Kiteretsu]
[Proofreader - Kyros]
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Chapter 22
Only Chris could subdue the Holy Sword.
That was the truth.
Not even the Demon Emperor could do it, given the inherent flaw in the Holy Sword’s nature.
But did he actually subdue it?
Not exactly.
The reason Chris could wield the Holy Sword—or more precisely, the reason he could hold it without suffering any adverse effects—was because he exploited a loophole in the way the sword rejected demonic energy.
In other words, a trick.
Far from subduing it, he was merely handling it carefully through a workaround.
But it didn’t matter.
Whether he had truly subdued it or was simply using a trick, the important thing was that the Holy Sword was in his hands.
"Impressive. To think you could subdue the Holy Sword. But… did you really subdue it?"
Melin, standing in the training grounds, spoke.
"Not completely. More like… halfway?"
In reality, not even a quarter—he was just treading lightly around it. But he stated it boldly.
"If you’re feeling admiration, you’re welcome to pledge your loyalty to me."
Melin smiled.
"You're quite amusing, Young Master. This is fun."
With those words—
Flash!
Melin lunged.
Fast.
A speed incomparable to when she had previously used 1-star demonic energy.
I can’t keep up with her speed.
Chris admitted it.
The difference in skill—no, the difference in class—was too vast.
The physical abilities they could wield, the demonic energy they could command—there was no comparison.
But that didn’t matter.
Why had he gone through so much trouble to obtain the Holy Sword?
Above… a downward slash!
He couldn’t match her speed, but he could predict her movements.
And with that, even slow reactions could keep up.
Ordinarily, reacting alone wouldn’t be enough—she could simply crush him with overwhelming strength.
But in Chris’s hands was the Holy Sword.
A weapon that was the natural enemy of demonic energy.
Clang!
Melin’s descending blade clashed with the broken Holy Sword.
The demonic energy enveloping Melin’s sword was neutralized by the Holy Sword’s effect.
Just like fire and water meeting, both forces canceled each other out.
At that moment, Melin realized why Chris had said what he did earlier.
— A powerful weapon can narrow the gap in strength.
Chris had brought the Holy Sword as a countermeasure against demonic energy.
No matter how talented he was, he had no chance if she simply overwhelmed him with sheer demonic energy.
"So, you think as long as you can block my demonic energy, you can take me on?"
Melin let out a smirk.
Demonic energy was merely one of the many powers at her disposal.
A demonkin who specialized in martial combat—their true strength lay in the extreme mastery of martial arts.
Melin began pressing Chris in earnest.
Her specialty, a series of powerful and relentless sword strikes, rained down on him.
Clang! Clang!
Chris was pushed back.
It was clear he was no match for her.
At any moment, it looked as though he would be forced to his knees.
However, as time passed, Melin’s expression grew increasingly puzzled.
'He's blocking all my attacks? Every single one?'
It was obvious he was outmatched, yet he had not allowed a single clean hit.
Melin soon realized why.
'He's reading my attacks in advance.'
'In advance.'
That was the key.
Before she could even extend her hand, Chris was already moving—as if he had caught a glimpse of the future and knew exactly how her attacks would unfold.
At first, she thought it was coincidence.
It wasn’t.
If it were mere chance, the same thing wouldn’t keep happening over and over again.
'How in the world…?'
Melin’s expression twisted in confusion.
Of course, predicting an opponent’s movements wasn’t impossible.
The higher one’s martial attainment, the greater their understanding of combat, making it easier to anticipate an opponent’s next move.
Melin herself could easily see through the actions of weaker opponents.
But that wasn’t the case with Chris, was it?
In reality, Chris was predicting her movements using an entirely different method.
'I’ve got a pretty sharp eye, after all.'
Swordsmanship had fundamental patterns.
For example, certain preparatory stances were unavoidable for specific techniques—like how one had to raise their hand before executing a downward slash.
And before raising the hand, there was yet another necessary movement—activating the muscles in the shoulder and upper arm.
This applied to both masters and novices alike.
Chris, having acquired extensive knowledge in the past, possessed a deep understanding of human movement.
With his keen observational skills, he picked up on minute motions, allowing him to anticipate the next attack.
Meanwhile, the spectators observing their duel remained silent.
They were shocked.
“…What do you think, Sister? Was I right?”
“……”
“He may be my son, but he is truly a genius.”
“…Are you seriously saying that?”
“…Huh?”
Count Khazar frowned.
Merian had never liked Christian.
Because of all the disgraceful acts he had committed.
But even so—wasn’t it undeniable that he was exceptional?
Who could possibly display such a feat?
There wasn’t a single noble heir in the main family who could block a 4-Star Demonkin’s sword with just 1-Star power.
“At this rate, he might even be—”
“He might? You idiot, that’s not the point!”
“…What did you just say?”
“Can’t you see it? Look at how Christian is manipulating his demonic energy!”
At Merian’s outburst, Count Khazar widened his eyes.
Only then did he notice it.
Christian’s demonic energy—it was moving in a bizarre manner.
The flow was unnatural, and the energy within his core was trembling erratically.
“Why…?”
Count Khazar frowned in confusion.
The son he knew possessed exceptional control over demonic energy—so much so that it was hard to believe he was only 1-Star.
During training, his energy flow was always stable, never showing the slightest fluctuation.
Is there something wrong with Christian’s core?
But no—this wasn’t the case.
Count Khazar soon realized—Christian was controlling his energy like this on purpose.
But why?
Wouldn’t that be like performing acrobatics with his own demonic energy in the middle of a fight?
“I have no idea why he’s doing that.”
“…Ha, of course you don’t. Of course you wouldn’t understand.”
“Sister?”
“He’s doing it to avoid the Holy Sword’s rejection!”
“!!”
Merian shut her mouth tightly.
Insane… Is it really possible for a person to pull something like that off?
She was the daughter of Duke Nordian, a Demon Lord.
Among her many siblings, she was the one most favored by Nordian.
That was why she had been present when her father attempted to subjugate Grunade.
— I refuse.
— Even you can’t do it, my lord?
— No, it’s not that I can’t. I just won’t. It’s filthy and underhanded.
The Demon Lord had muttered those words while looking at the Broken Holy Sword.
— It’s possible… but only for someone with an utterly insane level of sensitivity in controlling demonic energy.
— But hasn’t Father already reached the pinnacle of energy control?
— It’s not simply about mastery. This requires an innate, almost instinctual ability to control demonic energy—like breathing. And on top of that, you’d need the brainpower of two people at once.
— ??
The Demon Lord had explained it to her in detail.
— What is demonic energy?
— It’s vital energy converted into dark energy. Just like how mana converts vital energy into light energy.
— Then what exactly is darkness? And what is light?
— …
Merian couldn’t answer right away.
She knew, yet at the same time, she didn’t.
Such was the mystery of darkness and light—a concept far too complex to define easily.
- Even you, a high-ranking demonkin, can't easily answer this question. Then how would this fool, the Holy Sword, distinguish between darkness and radiance? It is merely an inanimate object, after all.
- …….
- It’s a matter of characteristics. Demonic energy has a unique characteristic that differs from mana. The Holy Sword uses various magical methods to detect these characteristics. Normally, it compares the waves to detect them, as demonic energy and mana have fundamentally different wavelengths.
Duke Nordian flicked Grunade with his finger.
Despite the contact, surprisingly, the Holy Sword didn’t react.
- However, this one is damaged, and part of its ability to sense those waves is lost.
- Then?
- If you manipulate demonic energy with a wavelength that it can’t sense, it becomes possible to deceive it. That’s likely why the corrupted hero could use it. Their wavelength matched.
Duke Nordian continued to flick the Holy Sword playfully.
The Holy Sword continued to not respond.
Then, isn’t it possible for Father to handle it too? If it's just about beating the demonic energy’s wavelength, Father would have no trouble.
- In actual combat?
- …….
Merian couldn’t respond.
Duke Nordian, with an almost mocking gesture, flicked the Holy Sword forcefully.
Zing. The Holy Sword shook as if it felt pain.
- For a moment, perhaps. But as you know, demonic energy constantly changes its wavelength as it moves. In other words, whenever you move the demonic energy, you’d have to continuously shift it into wavelengths that this sword cannot sense.
- …That would be impossible.
- Right. If someone could do it, they would be someone born with an innate ability to handle demonic energy as naturally as breathing.
Duke Nordian continued.
- That’s not all, though. To fight while manipulating demonic energy like an acrobat—you’d need to be able to manage that balance in battle. One mistake, and you’d fall into a trance, unable to act. It’s not something a human can do.
Duke Nordian added one more comment.
- That fool would be a crazy monster born with the ability to manipulate demonic energy as easily as breathing, with the added gift of having two brains. Such a person wouldn’t exist in this world. Perhaps demons from Gehenna or Dragon Lords could manage it, though.
That kind of person wouldn't exist in the world.
Merian agreed with his statement.
Changing the wavelength of demonic energy was a matter of innate perception.
It was only possible if one was born with the natural sense to move demonic energy as effortlessly as breathing.
But even those born with such ability couldn’t handle the Holy Sword.
As Duke Nordian had said, to do this while fighting an opponent—being able to control the demonic energy in that acrobatic manner and fight simultaneously—was an impossible task unless someone’s brain was split into two.
Yet, such an impossible feat was unfolding before them.
‘It’s not even just fighting. He’s manipulating the demonic energy in that acrobatic way, fighting while predicting Melin’s movements?’
To do even one of these things was already shocking, but Chris was performing several of them at once, in the most unbelievable way.
“…Impressive.”
Unable to defeat Chris quickly, Melin took a small step back and began to invoke dark magic.
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[Translator - Kiteretsu]
[Proofreader - Kyros]
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