After Hans left, I lingered in the sunlight for a while, enjoying the warmth and recharging my spirit. Then my eyes fell on Vlad, lying carelessly in the grass.

“Hm.”

The calm surface of my mind rippled into a storm.

Anger surged through me as I rose and strode toward it.

“You insolent bastard. Come here.”

I seized the sword tightly, glaring down at it.

“Hey. Do it to me. Just like you did to Wolfgang. Try making me go berserk.”

“……”

“What, are you picking and choosing people now? Do you want to die?”

This wasn’t something I could forgive with a laugh.

If I hadn’t handled things quickly, Wolfgang’s life would have been drained to the last drop.

And not just him. Who knew how many more lives would have been lost until he finally burned out? Even if the knights had swarmed and subdued him, the curse would have repeated the moment someone else picked it up.

That was Vlad’s true terror—endless cycles of disaster.

Which meant the calamity Ophis had feared so deeply had already begun to sprout here.

And in that cycle, people would die. People would suffer. Even Joy, that cheerful girl who’d once made flower bracelets for the knights, could have been hurt.

The thought made my blood boil all over again.

“You evil bastard. You dare put Joy in danger?”

“……”

“I should dunk you in a cesspit for a hundred years. Maybe then you’d learn your place. You want to be a dung-sword?”

I berated it for a long while, but the cursed blade gave me nothing.

Not even its usual ominous hum.

It was like yelling at a wall. No fun at all.

I sighed and reached out to my teacher.

“Master.”

[What is it.]

“This thing’s acting mute. What do I do?”

[Hm… I’ve never dealt with a sword that has its own will. But you remember when you first touched it, and that blood-red thing invaded your mind?]

“Of course.”

[That means you can invite it inside yourself.]

“Oh?”

[Grip the sword, focus like you would when circulating your energy, and extend an invitation with your qi.]

“Oh-ho… an invitation. Sounds exciting.”

I crossed my legs, gripped Vlad, and closed my eyes.

Sinking inward as if in meditation, I soon hovered above myself, watching my own body from outside.

Streams of warm energy coursed through my meridians like sunlight. But from Vlad, a red, sinister aura pulsed and writhed.

I hadn’t even fed it qi, yet it moved like a living thing.

This wasn’t just any hunk of steel.

So it really is an Ego Sword…

It had never spoken to me, but that didn’t matter. I would make it talk.

I focused on the hilt. There, I felt a passage—like a door tightly shut.

I sent a surge of qi toward it.

The energy shaped itself into an image, like a dream.

I became a soldier of qi, marching toward the locked gate.

Knock, knock, knock!

“Hello? Anybody home, you bastard?”

“……”

“I’ll give you until ten. If you don’t open, I’m breaking in. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

“……”

“One… ten. Time’s up. You’re dead.”

I gathered energy in my fist and slammed it against the door.

Boom!

The gate shattered with a roar.

Not bad. My imagination was pretty vivid.

“Anyone here?”

I stepped into the darkness.

“Mr. Vlad? Vlad, are you in? This is Sherwood Mercenaries, house call service.”

It was pitch-black inside, completely unlike the inner spaces of ordinary swords. My qi wandered aimlessly, searching.

As I groped through the void, a chill ran up my spine.

Predatory killing intent, sharp and feral.

A beast’s breath brushed the back of my neck.

[Graaahh!]

I spun, energy coiling in my hands.

Two blood-red eyes gleamed in the dark.

No wonder Wolfgang had been devoured instantly.

But me? I wasn’t Wolfgang.

I smirked and greeted it.

“Well, there you are, Vlad.”

[Kyaaaahh!]

It lunged like a wild beast.

“Careful now.”

Behind me was a jagged wall. To keep it from smashing headfirst, I drove a qi-fueled punch into its gut.

Thud!

[Hrk!]

Its body folded, floating up slightly.

“Oops. Watch your step.”

I kicked it sideways midair, sending it crashing into a corner.

Bang!

[Ugh…]

It gasped, winded. I followed quickly, adding a flying kick for good measure.

Wham!

[Gghk…]

And with that, Vlad slumped unconscious.

I studied it calmly.

Feral, vicious—but not impossible to subdue.

Was it my stronger will? Or simply that I was stronger than Wolfgang?

Didn’t matter. The important part was that I had it.

I grabbed it by the scruff like a scolded pup.

It looked like a wild man with waist-length crimson hair, but its body was oddly small.

No more hiding.

“Welcome to the Chamber of Truth.”

Dragging it, I returned to my inner world.

When Vlad opened his eyes—

“Slice here.”

[…]

“And here.”

[…]!

Vlad jolted back in shock.

[W-what are you doing?!]

I just stared at him, holding my Starlight Dagger in one hand, ready to grill him like a suspect.

I tapped my shoulder with the blade, strolling closer at an unhurried pace.

“Ah, you’re awake. Good. Nothing much, just thought we should talk. But you’re more beast than man, and beasts can’t hold conversations. So I figured I’d beat you into something human first. Then we could have a nice, proper chat.”

Snarrrl.

Dark killing intent poured off him as he glared.

[Do you even know who I am? I am the ferocious Crimson Demon Sword—Vlad!]

Ashuban clicked his tongue.

“See? This is what I mean. You can’t talk to a beast. Humans have their way of speaking, and beasts have theirs.”

Without warning, he swung his sword.

Vlad sprang aside, nimble as a cat—but Ashuban had already anticipated his path. His boot slammed into Vlad’s stomach.

[Guahk!]

The blade spirit doubled over, coughing as he crashed to the ground.

Ashuban strolled toward him, offering mock advice.

“Hey, brat. Do you even know where you are? Think this is still your cozy little cradle?”

Vlad darted panicked eyes around him.

There was a small pond. A starry night sky overhead. A world that was not his own.

[Th-this place…?]

“This is the Chamber of Truth. Only those who shed tears of true repentance get to leave.”

Realization struck—this was Ashuban’s inner realm. Vlad’s body trembled.

[W-where’s that monster?]

Ashuban smirked and glanced aside.

“Master. He just called you a monster.”

[…Unpleasant.]

The Heavenly Demon strolled forward at a leisurely pace, eyes as cold as the void.

[I am no petty ‘monster.’]

[Hiiieek!]

The moment Vlad met those disdainful eyes, he screamed and scrambled backward on his hands.

[Stay back! Don’t come near me, monster!]

Ashuban’s expression hardened—though his lips twitched as if holding back laughter.

“You’ve lost your mind. How dare you call my heaven-sent master a monster?”

The Heavenly Demon snorted.

[Handle it however you like.]

Then, bored, he faded away.

Ashuban tapped his shoulder with the Starlight Dagger, swaggering toward Vlad.

“Don’t come! I said don’t—aaaargh!”

For a while, the air resounded with the beat of blows and Vlad’s pitiful screams.

When Ashuban opened his eyes again, afternoon sunlight poured down on him.

He squinted. The sun had shifted high above—time had slipped away.

So the inner world has its own clock…

His grip tightened on Vlad, who now hung at his waist. He’d spent hours in the Chamber of Truth, beating sense into the blade.

He had lectured it thoroughly: never again should it lash out at a new wielder. Whether it truly listened remained to be seen.

If Vlad went berserk the moment he left… that would be trouble.

“Hm. What to do with you…”

Just then, heavy footsteps crunched the grass.

Ashuban turned his head—and froze.

Wolfgang approached, body wrapped in bandages, hobbling on crutches. His face was pale, but his eyes sharp.

“……”

Ashuban watched silently until the knight stopped before him.

Finally, Ashuban sighed.

“Sir Bol-cock. How’s the body?”

“…It’s Wolfgang.”

“Right, Wolfgang.”

“……”

“I heard you lost a lot of blood.”

It hadn’t been Ashuban who drained him. That had been Vlad, spraying Wolfgang’s own blood across the battlefield.

Wolfgang answered at last.

“…They say my life isn’t in danger.”

“Good. You came to report that?”

“……”

But Wolfgang didn’t leave. He just stared, as though wrestling with words.

Ashuban rubbed his temple.

“Well? Got something to say? Out with it and get lost.”

At last, Wolfgang spoke.

“Devil.”

“What?”

“…Why didn’t you kill me?”

Ashuban blinked, then let out a long breath.

Of all the things—

“I told you to kill me. The Prince commanded it as well. You should have. If you’d hesitated longer, more might have died. Even the Prince himself could have perished. Why didn’t you finish it?”

Ashuban shrugged.

“But nobody died, did they?”

“Devil. You should have ended me.”

Another sigh slipped past Ashuban’s lips.

First the Black Prince, now this one. Men and their obsessions.

“Sir Bol-cock.”

“…It’s Wolfgang.”

“Just say thank you and piss off.”

Wolfgang stared, unreadable, then inclined his head.

“…Thank you. I’ll repay this debt someday.”

“Don’t bother. Just try not to die like an idiot.”

Wolfgang said nothing more. He turned and began limping away.

Ashuban watched his back, then called out.

“Hey, Bol-cock.”

Wolfgang paused, glancing over his shoulder.

“What is it.”

“Tell the Prince this: next candidate for the demon sword, pick someone with a strong mind. Forget strength, forget cleverness. Mental fortitude comes first. That’s the only thing that matters.”

Wolfgang nodded once.

“…I’ll deliver your words.”

He hobbled away, leaving Ashuban alone with his thoughts.

Strong mental fortitude, huh?

Ashuban smirked faintly.

Guess that’s the only thing I’ve ever had. Even back with those bastards in the Sherwood Mercenaries, they called me a mad dog…

His stomach growled.

“Damn. Haven’t even had lunch.”

He pushed himself to his feet, rubbing his belly, and started back toward the annex.

Only to hear a bright, unwelcome voice.

“Ah! Found you!”

Linda popped out from behind the building like a rabbit, darting straight at him.

“There you are, Devil!”

“…For fuck’s sake.”

Ashuban spun and bolted.

“Hey! Devil! Wait for me! Let’s go together!”

“Get lost!”

Nine days remained until the decisive battle.

Ashuban’s left arm was still wounded. The demon sword’s true master had yet to be chosen.

And Linda was hot on his heels.

(End of Chapter)

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