The Incubus King of Holy Sword Academy (WN): Chapter 4

 

Chapter 4: The Noble Demon and the Beast Hero

 On the day of the duel with Setanta, Christo left his lodgings at noon and headed for the sparsely populated academy.

 Yesterday was the entrance ceremony, and classes would begin the day after tomorrow.

 The training grounds were also reserved for the duel, so at this point, two hours before the duel, there were quite a few students who had arrived at the academy. Even so, there were a certain number of students in the courtyard and other areas.

 The students seemed to be all upperclassmen, judging from the color of their ties.

 The ratio of races is one to one, human to beastmen.

 However, since there are various types of beastmen, the majority was practically the human race.

(In the Holy Tree Religion, the first hero Lou, who is counted among the lowest ranks of the gods, was a warrior discovered by the human king Naaza at the time. It was the humans who started the attack against the demons, and it was also the humans who took the most wealth from the land. It is natural that the majority of the nobles should be human.)

 Despite the strange stares from those around him, Christo pushed forward to the training grounds northwest of the academy grounds without a care in the world.

 After arriving at the training grounds, he greeted the church knights standing at the entrance and entered the dimly lit interior corridor. He then quickly sets up the oak tree branches he had prepared in the back of the warehouse and in the shadows behind the stairs.

 Magic [Divine's Roar]ーー To use magic that creates thunderbolts by clapping, it is necessary to set up a field with six oak tree branches.

 Since the branches would be unusable if someone retrieved them, he carefully sets up 30 branches instead of the six that were needed.

 Thirty is the maximum number of branches that can be set up.

 The oak branches are also used as catalysts for other magic, so he cannot use all of them.

 Supplies are limited.

 After setting up the branches, the [Clay Dolls] that were made last night can now be manipulated and moved under the arena. Since it is impossible to move all of the grave soil underground, only the parasitic plant and the dead man's teeth, which will serve as the core, are wrapped in grave soil.

 After the activation spell is chanted, the core will engulf the soil in the arena, and the [Clay Doll] will appear.

"Alright, with this."

 Christo stood up as he thrust the thirtieth oak branch behind the crate.

 He came to the academy at noon, and it was already 30 minutes before the match started when he finished getting ready for the various preparations.

 He could hear people talking from the spectator area in the arena.

 It was about time for the spectators to start arriving.

 In another 10 minutes, a good number of people would be filling the spectator seats.

 All that's left is to check the catalyst and prepare.

 × × ×

 The sun has turned south.

 When Christo entered the arena, a large blond man in heavy steel equipment was already wielding a sword in the center of the square. It was Setanta Lou.

 The person who wants to kill him――.

 He looked at Christo, but his eyes narrowed and he showed no further reaction. He just thrust his shiny silver sword across the air, slicing it in all directions.

 After a while of warm-up exercises, an elderly man in priestly robes―― Archbishop Eneko, entered with a large number of priests. Eneko only greets Christo and Setanta and then heads back. He would watch today's match from the spectator's area.

 The referee looked like a middle-aged priest.

"Both fighters, come forward. Face each other!"

 He doesn't know the details of the ritual actions before a duel.

 But it did not matter, since Setanta did not seem to know the word "ritual" at all.

 Setanta is wearing the standard armor worn by knights of the Kingdom of Yggdrasil.

 It is a mass of iron weighing a total of 60 kilograms.

 Since the theory of knights in this country is to fight by activating one of the six holy arts, "Swear to the Blue Holy Tree", to improve their physical abilities, the weight is not a disadvantage at all. Like a tortoise, the harder it is, the better.

 His weapons are a long sword with a blade a little over one meter long, as used by church knights, and a large battle-axe on his back. The battle-axe has a griffin crest engraved on it, which seems to be the crest of the Hero's family.

 Christo, on the other hand, wears a white shirt and black slacks.

 His shirt has a leather holder attached to it, which holds a needle made of polished lodgepole wood.

 His weapon of choice is a single saber in a sheath.

 The sword has a protective iron attached to the handle.

 On his waist belt hangs 20 small bags containing catalysts.

"Yo, I praise you for not running away."

 Setanta's eyes gleamed through his helmet as he smiled ferociously.

"Aren't you going to use a pseudo-holy sword?"

 Christo looked at the black-haired beast woman and the dull gray-haired woman behind the fence in the audience area. The woman with the dull gray hair―― Setanta's no. 3 wife, who is called Gwendolyn, does not have a pseudo-holy sword inside her.

"Don't worry. Even if I didn't use it, I can kill you instantly."

"The use of a pseudo-holy sword on a human being is forbidden by church law."

 The middle-aged bishop interrupted.

 Christo tilted his head.

“I have heard that it is used to subjugate bandits.”

"Bandits are not people."

 The bishop smiled as if it were a matter of course. ''There is nothing wrong with using a pseudo-holy sword against beasts that disobey God's teachings."

"I see."

“Christo-dono, did you bring the seed of the holy sword?”

"Yeah, I've already given it to the knight over there."

“I see. Alright. Setanta-dono, have you brought the prize for the bet?"

"My sister―― Melvina isn't here."

"What?"

 Setanta spat with a sullen look on his face.

“That one, she said she wasn't feeling well and retreated to her room. Pat is taking care of her, but she won't come out. She's a clueless idiot!"

"Most women would be so shocked that they would retreat to their room if they were the object of a bet. If they were mentally stable, they will probably commit suicide. Poor girl."

 As for Christo, he only accepted today's duel to protect his honor and pride.

 He's not interested in Melvina or any other woman.

 If he got a woman, he would only use her for sex for dinner.

 Even if he doesn't get her, there are plenty of women in the royal capital.

(Or rather, this guy's sister is probably a gorilla woman anyway. Considering that they were raised in the same environment, she is likely to be just as arrogant and self-centered as he is.)

 Well, even if he can't use her for food, he can train her to become an excellent warrior.

 She would be Christo's first subordinate.

 The bottom line is that he can take whatever he can get.

 Setanta bared his teeth.

"It's nothing to worry about! My blade will cut your throat in a few minutes, and you'll return to the holy tree!"

“Then, if Christo-dono wins, the prize will be sent to his room later.”

 Christo nodded while thinking that she was being treated like a prostitute or something.

 The priest also nods and spreads his hands.

 Setanta was just at the center of the square and held the long sword.

 Christo, on the other hand, was just on the edge of the square, keeping as much distance from Setanta as possible.

"Duel, begin!"

 × × ×

 At the same time as the signal, Christo clapped his hands.

 The dry sound was barely audible, drowned out by the cheers of the students.

 However, the magic [Divine's Roar] seemed to have been activated without any problem, and at the same time as it started, a bolt of blue lightning flashed from the upper right, diagonally of Setanta, which was about to run into him.

"What!?"

 A roar of thunder.

 The thunderbolt was as big as an adult male.

 Setanta, perhaps sensing it with his wild intuition, stopped rushing forward and quickly drew the mark of a shield with his left hand.

 In the next instant, blue particles rapidly rolled up and a blue phosphorescent circular shield appeared around his upper right shoulder.

(One of the six hoy arts, "God's Shield")

 Christo quickly retreated diagonally to the right while continuing to clap his hands.

(It can be activated by tying the holy seal of the shield. One shield appears for each one tied. It can nullify any magic it touches, and also boasts high defense against physical attacks.)

"Guhh! What the hell!?"

 The blue phosphorescent [God's Shield] can be maintained for about five or six seconds.

 Setanta blocked seven shots of lightning aimed at his head and then used his right hand, which also held the sword, to generate the next shield.

 Christo claps his hands without pause.

 Setanta is dressed in heavy armor that weighs several dozen kilograms and has not used the holy arts to enhance his physical abilities. Because of this, he was stuck in the middle of the arena, unable to get through the lightning and come close to him.

"Arms of clay, feet of clay."

 Christo slows down and moves slowly in a circular motion.

 He begins chanting the incantation while clapping his hands.

"Replacing the pulsation of the branch for the heart.

 Return, earth giant.

 I, the descendant of the holy tree.

 In the abyss, I call thee.

 Fill it, close it, fill it again.

 Borrowing the teeth of the dead, the first cry rises."

 Finally spinning a curse.

 The words shake the air and permeate the earth they step on like poison.

 It reminds him of the covenant God made with the spirits in ancient times.

 Christo opened his eyes and held his left hand up to the sky.

"Activate, Clay Doll. Kesed Vav Tifaret."

"――――!?"

 The ground of the arena shook.

 Screams erupted from the audience.

 In front of Setanta, who was taken aback, four clouds of dust rose nearly three meters high, as if to protect Christo.

 Vuoooooo!

 The sound of whale cries echoed from beyond, overrunning the screams in the arena.

 Setanta's body trembled from the tremendous pressure of the sound, and his huge body was sent flying several meters backward by the thunderbolt of [Divine's Roar] that fell immediately afterward.

 Before long, four golems with rock clubs in their hands emerge from the dust.

 The heads of the four golems were covered with a crown of branches like the crown worn by the Pope, and their large mouths, which looked as if they could swallow a rabbit whole, were covered with brown fangs.

“A golem for engineering work!?”

"Kill."

 Christo pointed at Setanta.

 The golems rumbled and rushed toward the big man, who was shrinking like a turtle.

"Kuh! Guah, ughhh!"

 Four golems surround Setanta and strike him on top of the [God's Shield].

 The golem's fist disintegrates each time it touches the [God's Shield], but it regenerates itself by collecting sand while striking with its other fist. Setanta is gradually torn to pieces by the impact of being hit over the [God's Shield] or directly by it.

"Activate, Clay doll."

 While Setanta is being pushed around by the golems, another four are summoned. The dead's teeth, which he had spent two hours collecting last night after paying four silver coins to the gravedigger at the cemetery.

 He wants to use it as much as he can so that it does not go to waste.

 However, after summoning the eighth golem, the soil in the arena has been depleted, exposing the plaster and the iron lid that was used to bring in the monsters and beasts during its Colosseum era.

 On the exposed iron lids and other surfaces, blue particles of ash from the [Blue Holy Tree], which magic is not good at, have settled in thin layers like sand in the desert and are glistening.

 Judging from the amount of soil, it seemed that if he called too much and it would interfere with the regeneration of the golem's body.

"Dooorrryaaaaahhhhhh."

 Setanta, who was being beaten by four golems, let out a roar.

 Suddenly, a huge blue phosphorescent sword sprouts from the body of the golem that had surrounded him, and slashes in a sideways cleave.

 The golem bursts apart under the pressure of the sword.

 Christo's eyes narrowed.

"[God's Sword]. It can be activated by tying a sword's holt seal. If you tie one, the sword will appear for a few seconds. It is extremely powerful and requires skill to handle. It cannot be defended by magic......"

 From the other side of the cloud of smoke, a large man with a crushed right eye and left leg emerged.

 Most of the heavy equipment he was wearing was destroyed and fell to pieces at his feet.

(I see. The heavy equipment that had been shackling him was destroyed, allowing him to move quickly. In between the creation of the [God's Shield], he sacrificed his left leg, right eye, or both to create the [God's Sword].)

 While he was thinking this, Christo struck his hands one after another, and thunderbolts fell on his head in rapid succession. With the golem gone, the line of fire became passable again.

"Guhhh! D-damn it! At this rate, it's going to be one-sided...! I have to do something! Something...... W-what!?"

 From behind a shield that blocked the lightning, Setanta seemed to have confirmed the appearance of four regenerating golems.

 The golems had been reduced to grains of sand for a time, but the branch and the teeth of the dead were intact.

 With that said, the four clay dolls stood up again in front of Setanta, who was defending against the [Divine Roar].

"Stop it! This isn't a duel!"

 A heartbreaking cry echoed in the arena where the cheers somehow turned into a bewildered groan.

 A woman with dull gray hair was leaning against the fence of the spectator's area, the one into which Setanta had been pushed. Behind her is the beast woman with black hair and cat ears.

 The dull gray-haired woman―― Setanta's wife, Gwendolyn has tears in her eyes and tied a holy symbol that meant healing.

 One of the six holy arts, [God's Mercy]. It is a healing art that heals the target's wound.

"Stop!"

 Setanta howled before the holy seal could be activated.

 He spat blood from his mouth as he turned his murderous intent on Gwendolyn.

“Don’t interfere with my duel! I will win! I'm the strongest! So, retreat, Gwendolyn!"

"...!"

“I will win! Win! Uuoooorryaaaaa!"

 Setanta's muscles all over his body creaked, and he seemed to lower his posture for a moment, and then, within a moment, he made a vertical leap of more than three meters.

 Quickly tying the mark of the [God's Sword] in mid-air, he then attacked the four newly regenerated golems with a spinning fall attack, like a wheel. Clearly, this is a move that is beyond the scope of a human being.

(This movement without any physical enhancement. It is a physical ability reminiscent of a warrior of the dragon race. So, this is the blood of the Hero of light.)

 Christo sent the four golems that had been waiting toward Setanta, while he himself circled to the right.

 With a quick clap of his hands, he dropped thunderbolts from all directions, front, back, left, and right.

"Oooooohhh!"

 Throwing away his long sword, he tied the holy seal of the [God's Shield].

 It seems that he reacted only to the sound of his clapping hands.

 He slammed his body into the [God's Shield] changed direction by rotating and sliced through the thunderbolt with the [God's Sword].

 It was a tremendous move that could be described as a perfect technique.

 No wonder no one would duel with him to obtain the seed of the holy sword.

 If it is only physical ability, he clearly surpasses Lancelot.

 What would happen if he used the pseudo-holy sword and also enhanced his physical ability?

 Only warriors of the demon race would be able to engage him in melee combat.

 It is also impossible for the fairy race, the subterranean race, elves, and dwarves.

 Would the vampires, dragons, and giants be able to compete with him?

 In Christo's eyes, Setanta was a monster.

 But the match was already decided. Setanta's [God's Shield] had been deployed above his head, leaving him empty from the waist down. One of the golem's fists, which had already charged at him, caught his broken left leg once more. Setanta screams and flies through the air, slamming into the bare plaster floor.

 Christo clapped his hands once more, aiming for the moment of his fall.

 Setanta's ears twitched and he jumped up, hitting the plastered ground hard with his right hand.

 Just in time.

 A thunderbolt struck the spot where he had been lying, spreading a line of blue light across the ground.

 The dispersed thunderbolt also touched the thin layer of ashes of the "Blue Holy Tree" and disappeared.

 Christo opened his eyes wide.

 It was perhaps the biggest surprise in the battle so far.

 It was as if he was being protected by God.

 The hero has the divine protection of the holy tree―― that might be true.

"Guooohh, gaaahh."

 The golem kicked Setanta, who had rolled over.

 It was a painful blow that would have killed an ordinary person three times.

 Setanta's body, which bounced like a rubber ball, was grabbed by the golem in the air and mercilessly slammed to the ground. Setanta immediately covered his face with his arm, but his forehead hit the corner of the iron lid of the arena, and his blood spurted out.

"Stop――"

 The referee, unable to see what was happening, tried to rule Christo the winner.

 But this was also interrupted by the golem, which Christo had unintentionally...... manipulated.

 The middle-aged priest was knocked unconscious by the earthly body and slammed into the wall.

 Christo saw that Archbishop Eneko in the audience was still smiling down at Setanta, and he clapped his hands five times, aiming at the waist of the hero.

(Die.)

 Emotionless, cold-blooded, and thorough.

 Christo never let his guard down.

 This time, the thunderbolt that he unleashed to kill his enemy fell all at once, mercilessly.

“Onii-samaaa!”

"……What?"

"Wha……?"

 Christo, and perhaps Setanta as well, were convinced that the next moment Setanta would die and the duel would end.

 However, the five thunderbolts that Christo unleashed didn't trigger.

 No thunderbolts were produced.

 He made a hasty decision to have the golem aim at Setanta's head.

 However, Setanta took advantage of the momentary gap when the thunderbolt failed to strike and obliterated the golems around him with the [God's Sword]. A large man with arms and legs springs up like a spring. He coiled like a snake around the swinging earthly arm and bit into the crown that pulsed in the golem's head.

 The branches are bitten off in an instant.

 Leaping like a monkey away from the sand and crumbling golem, he moved across the floor of the arena with only the strength of his arms to break free of the golem's encirclement.

 Christo and Setanta's gazes focused on the blond girl standing in front of the fence.

"Melvina!"

(The woman who helped me measure the arena that night!)

 The blond girl has her hair tied up at both ends.

 She was wearing a black blazer and a white skirt, a school uniform.

 She―― the girl Setanta called Melvina had her right hand holding an oak branch raised high into the sky.

"Onii-sama! I broke the magic totem! That man can't use thunder anymore!"

(This woman...!)

"Melvina!"

 Setanta shot a murderous look at the blond girl as he slashed at the golem's arm which he narrowly avoided.

"Oniisama, do your best――"

"――How dare you interrupt! This is my duel!"

"...Eh? B-but."

"You always, always, always, always!"

 Setanta yells as he cuts off the golem's crown and returns another one to the earth.

"Don't bother me! You're in the way! You're annoying me!"

"Ah......"

 From Setanta's point of view, his pride must have been deeply hurt.

 She has crossed a line that shouldn't be crossed.

“Get out of my sight, you failureee!”

"――――, …………"

 The girl who came to help her brother.

 Tears spilled out from those large ash-blue eyes.

 She opened her cherry-red little lips in disbelief and cried silently.

"Blue Holy Tree!"

 Setanta, who had completely regained his posture now that Christo's thunderbolt was gone, landed in the center of the arena with his three limbs, manifested the [God's Sword], and raised it above his head.

"I will annihilate the enemies of the Holy Tree! I hereby pledge victory!"

(Holy Art [Swear to the Blue Holy Tree]. Activated by raising the sword when [God's Sword] is activated. The blue particles in his body strengthen his physical abilities.)

 Christo drew the needle from the leather holder on his chest while keeping his distance from Setanta.

"[God's Spear]! Ora!"

 Setanta threw a short, blue phosphorescent spear through a gap in the golem, which had been thinned out.

 Christo dodged and threw the needles at the crumpled golem.

"Scales of grass, flesh of pebbles.

 Rise up, serpent of the earth."

 The remains of the golem rose, and an earthen serpent raises its sickle neck.

 It slams its great mass down, covering it from overhead.

"[God's... bow] !"

 Setanta avoided it by jumping up more than five meters into the air.

 Although he had lost one of his legs, he was free in the air.

 He made a bowing motion with both hands, and a large blue bow appeared out of the void, radiating an awesome light.

 There were five arrows that were nocked.

 All aimed at Christo.

(My clothes will get dirty.)

 This is the first pure evasive maneuver he will do in this battle.

 He rolls sideways.

 Then he leaps backward.

"Ugaaaaa! Gyauuuu!!"

 Slipping through the golem's arm and using its shoulder as a stepping stone, Setanta jumped straight up.

 It was like a shark swimming in the air.

 Like a dart, it leaps toward Christo.

 In his right hand is the [God's Sword].

 The earth serpent.

 It makes a sideways charge.

 The enemy is in the air.

 The [God's Sword] mowed it down.

"Dieeee! You fucking bastaaaard!"

 Christo is――――.

"[Ice Flower]"

 He cast a small, final spell and scattered the needles in the sky.

"――!? Ugyaah!?"

 Frost fell around Christo.

 While the ground near the surface cooled rapidly, a strong hot wind blew through the air as Setanta plunged into the air.

 Setanta seemed to have suffered damage to the mucous membranes of both eyes and mouth, and after crashing right behind Christo, he held his face in his hands in agony.

"Hagya! Ah, agya, aah!"

(It's like a beast when he's vulnerable to heat.)

 The golem that had caught up with him kicked Setanta's body sideways.

 He slammed into a wall and coughed up blood.

"Ah, ahhhhh!"

 Still, he rushes toward Christo with two arms.

 A thick line of blood formed after he crawled away.

 Perhaps the students watching are also slightly drawn to this situation.

(No, this is Holy Sword Academy. There must be few people laughing at a warrior who fights bravely like this. Although, all the students are probably afraid of Setanta after seeing him like this.)

 While thinking so, Christo held out his saber, which he had just drawn for the first time.

 There is a thud and a dull sensation as Setanta's chest is skewered.

"Ah?"

 The blade had gone completely through his chest with the tip showing from his back.

"It cut an artery."

 Christo took his hand off the handle of his saber, and Setanta staggered backward like a broken doll.

"If you pull it out, you'll die. If you fight, you will probably die. If you give up your sister, surrender."

 Christo looked at the girl who was watching over her brother with the fingers of her hands interlocked.

"But if you want to defend her honor, stand up for her. With this distance. You might be able to take me down."

"……Ah, ah……"

 Setanta falls to his knees.

 Blood was rushing down his throat, apparently preventing him from breathing.

 Blue particles dispersed from his body, as if to announce that the effects of the holy art [Swear to the Blue Holy Tree] had ended.

 He put his hand to his chest and saw that his palm was stained with blood.

 Fear flashed in his blue eyes for a moment.

 But he soon smiles madly and tries to draw saber himself―― removing his hand from the hilt in the process.

 Had he given up?

"That's enough!"

 A loud voice rings out in the arena.

 It was the middle-aged priest who Christo had just hit with the golem, the referee.

 Christo looked at Setanta.

 There was a pool of blood around him.

 It is completely lethal.

"That's enough! Stop! Stop!"

 Men and women in priestly robes appeared at once from the doorway of the arena and surrounded Setanta, who remained seated and motionless.

 Christo gave a small shrug and left the scene.

 × × ×

"Good work."

 As he walked out of the arena, he came upon a figure leaning against the wall.

 Piercarlo D'Alessio.

 He is a stylish man with silver hair and pure white skin who took the trouble to walk him to the academy on the first day of the entrance ceremony.

 As he had seen when he first met him the day before yesterday, he had long silver hair tied up with a black ribbon to make it look like a horse's tail. As usual, his shirt was open at the chest area.

 He patted Christo on the shoulder as his pale gray eyes softened.

"It was a wonderful battle. I didn't think a magician could fight so well against a melee warrior. What kind of magic did you use?"

"Nothing. I just spent a day poring over the three magic books I bought in the [Magic Street] and buying all the catalysts I needed to activate the spells."

"So, money wins, you say?"

"And a lot of time and effort. He was a great fighter. He almost died."

"He's alive."

 Piercarlo―― Pierre looked toward the arena, where the priests were in an uproar.

"Why didn't you kill him?"

"You sound as if you wanted him dead."

"I didn't mean it that way. I was just genuinely interested."

 Pierre gave a wry smile and poked the ground with his cane to break the subject.

“What about the prize, Melvina-san? Do you want to take her now?"

"No, tell her to visit my room tonight. Let her say goodbye to her brother and come to my room of her own volition."

"I understand. This is the seed of the pseudo-holy sword. I will give it back to you."

 With these words, he accepted the small sack offered to him.

 Inside the cloth was a blue, shiny, candy-ball-sized sphere.

 It is the seed of the pseudo-holy sword. It is said that if a suitable maiden swallows this, a pseudo-holy sword will sprout in her belly. He saw the actual seed for the first time the day before yesterday.

“Is there anyone whom you can give the seed? By the way, not Melvina-san. She is a "failure". Even if she swallows it, it will be excreted. If you like that kind of play, you can give it a try."

"Failure... Setanta also mentioned it earlier. What did he mean by that?"

 Pierre bowed and turned his back to Christo.

“You should ask Melvina-san for the details―― I'll see you later. I'm sure you'll be very popular from now on, but good luck."