The Regressed Sword Demon Is a Catastrophe-Class Inquisitor - Chapter 32

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 32. But Fortunately.

“Did you hear? The Heresy Inquisitor came looking into this disappearance case.”
“Right. He supposedly defeated the Evil Book Society and played a major role in capturing Envy of the Seven Deadly Sins?”
“Really? Then we can finally breathe easy. Business has been terrible because of all this, and the children haven’t even been able to play outside.”

The rumors spread naturally among the residents.
And they reached the Demon’s ears as well.

‘Caught.’

The Demon, wearing the guise of an ordinary adult man, concealed his smile.
The Demon had gone to the Holy Capital, posing as an attendant of Cedric, and placed disappearance requests in various locations.
It was to draw out someone stronger than that middle-aged Knight.

‘Since I couldn’t cause a commotion in the Holy Capital where strong humans gather, I lured him to this Estate instead.’

Indeed, that foolish Heresy Inquisitor had come here without even realizing he’d been deceived.

‘Well, by now he’s probably heard from the Count that he didn’t place the request, but since the disappearances themselves are real, he must have accepted the commission anyway.’

I had planned to hunt him down if he simply left.

‘Regardless, the fact that he came here means the plan is already half-successful.’

Even if that Heresy Inquisitor proves stronger than expected, it matters not. I can simply regenerate from any wounds.
In fact, the middle-aged Knight I killed just before was quite skilled, but I was able to eliminate him using the Demon’s inherent regenerative power.

‘As long as the Twelve Holy Knights who wield holy power don’t arrive, there’s no real danger.’

Now I need only find the Heresy Inquisitor and dispose of him, and everything will be finished.
After that, I can evade the Holy Knights’ gaze and move to another location.

‘Tonight, I become stronger still.’

The Demon, baring his fangs, wandered about gathering information as darkness deepened.
From what I heard, the Heresy Inquisitor was staying at the Mansion for the night as evening fell, and would begin his investigation in earnest tomorrow.

‘Of course, you won’t have a tomorrow.’

The moment the sky darkened completely, the Demon made straight for the Mansion.
He vaulted over the fence, infiltrated the estate, and wandered through the corridors of the Annex Building.

Thump, thump—

The Annex Building was dark, and no servants were present.
It wasn’t unusual; guests sometimes dismissed their attendants based on preference.
The Demon stood before the only room in the Annex Building where he sensed a presence.
He drew his blade and opened the door.

Creak—

Inside the room, a man in black priestly robes gazed out the window.

“You came, cockroach.”

The man spoke without turning around.

“I thought an entire day had passed just watching the full moon.”

The Demon’s eyes narrowed.

“Did you know I would come?”

Judging by his composed demeanor, it certainly seemed so.
If that were the case, perhaps the servants had been dismissed to keep them out of the fight.

“Demons reek of a foul stench. You creatures always think you’re clever because you’ve devoured humans.”
“You fell for my deception.”
“No, in the end you walked into my trap, so I’m the one who deceived you, fool.”

The Demon fixed his gaze on the man’s back. Despite not even drawing his blade, there were no openings.

“Arrogant bastard. If you knew I was coming, you should have called the Papal See for help.”
“Come to think of it, I belong to the Papal See as well.”
“Ha, so you’ve faced a few half-wit fools before—do you really think you can win against a true Demon?”
“There’s no reason I can’t.”

At the Male Inquisitor’s response, the Demon’s lips curled into a sneer.
Though he had fallen into a trap, it was far too late to turn back now. Besides, the Demon was confident he could slaughter anyone who came at him, no matter how many.
The Male Inquisitor asked.

“How many have you consumed? Judging by how you’ve hidden that ashen skin, you must have devoured quite a few.”
“Around thirty. But ordinary ones barely left a trace when I ate them.”
“So you consumed the middle-aged Knight.”
“Thanks to him, I could perfectly mimic human appearance.”

The Demon leveled his blade.

“And next comes you.”
“I see.”
“When do the others show themselves? I’d prefer we started quickly.”
“The others won’t intervene. You’ll face only me.”

The Male Inquisitor turned, drawing his sword from its sheath. His appearance was the kind that could easily captivate humans.

“Only you? Do you truly wish to die?”
“I don’t wish to die—that’s why I’m alone. Does that answer satisfy you, cockroach?”
“Ha, I see.”

The Male Inquisitor made a proposal.

“So here’s a thought—what if we fought outside the building? Just the two of us, intimate beneath the full moon.”
“Rejected….”
“As expected. Bah, you creature without romance. No consideration for the building’s feelings either. A cockroach of a Demon.”
“….”

Caught off guard by the sudden barrage of insults, the Demon’s expression hardened and he lunged forward.

Clang!

Their blades collided, and the Male Inquisitor drove forward with tremendous force, separating the Demon from him.
The Demon had already reverted to his ashen skin, gripping his blade.

“A demon wielding a sword… It must have gained knowledge from the Knight it consumed.”
“What? Have you never seen this before?”
“No, it’s simply been so long that the sight stirs my emotions anew.”
“What?”

The Male Inquisitor lifted his head, gazing up at the ceiling.

“Ah, those were difficult times. No matter how much I cut, it would regenerate and cause such trouble….”
“….”
“But fortunately, I no longer need to endure such tedious inconveniences.”

At the Male Inquisitor’s murmuring, the Demon furrowed its brow.

“Why do you keep muttering like that?”
“Are you curious? If you’re so curious, whether I tell you is entirely my choice.”

The Male Inquisitor suddenly drew forth power, and scorching flames wrapped around the blade.
Though it was a sight never before witnessed, the Demon was far more astonished by the source of those flames than the flames themselves.
A power of exceptional purity, distinct from demonic energy or dark magic. The very instinct carved into the Demon’s being made its skin tremble.

“That… surely that cannot be….”

Never having witnessed it before, only hearing of it in rumor, yet merely facing it was enough to know.
This was the power that slew demons, granted only to those chosen by Ella—
The sacred divine power of a Holy Knight.

“Heh heh….”

As the Male Inquisitor laughed low, the flames surged violently.

“Do I still appear to you as merely an ordinary Heresy Inquisitor?”

* * *

I had been suppressing my divine power as much as possible all this time, fearing the Demon might flee.
Among demons, there are those perceptive enough to recognize a Holy Knight without my even manifesting divine power.
The sword-wielding cockroach spoke in a bewildered tone.

“A mere Heresy Inquisitor daring to….”

But we had already exchanged enough words, so I unleashed the Sword of Wrath upon him.

Crash!

He swiftly repositioned himself and blocked with his blade.
But he could not withstand the newfound power behind my strike and was driven backward.

Whoosh!

He immediately drew upon his demonic power.
Black energy roiled across the blade’s surface, and as he swung, a torrent of black sword energy came crashing toward me.

Boom!

I brought my blade down directly, shattering the sword energy. The impact sent debris scattering throughout the chamber, and dust billowed into the air.

‘So he can even wield sword energy.’

Just because a demon devours knights who wield sword energy does not mean it can necessarily command it.
One must possess equal mastery over demonic power to wield it with such freedom.

‘Without holy power, I would have struggled considerably.’

This opponent would prove formidable even for Sebastian, a Holy Knight.
It is not that Sebastian is weak—this demon is simply stronger than I anticipated.
Still, having spared him in this life, perhaps Sebastian will grow stronger than he was in my previous one.

Whoosh!

Suddenly, the tip of his blade pierced through the dust and descended toward my face.
I twisted my body to evade and immediately counterattacked with my own blade.

Clang!

But the demon reacted instantly, meeting my strike with his own.
Thereafter, the air became woven with sword strikes infused with holy power and demonic energy.

Crash! Boom! Thud!

With each exchange of blows, the room crumbled around us.
The bed was sliced clean through, the mirror shattered, curtains whipped about, and a section of the ceiling collapsed….
The sounds reminded me oddly of Cedric’s screams, and I found myself laughing without thinking.

“Haha.”

Still, wasn’t a building crumbling preferable to the lives of the residents crumbling instead?

‘Damn right it is.’

So I swung my blade without hesitation.
Its counterattacks were formidable. Though its understanding of swordplay was still lacking, it compensated with overwhelming physical prowess.

Slash!

As its blade grazed my cheekbone shallowly, I severed its forearm, and when its blade raked across my chest, I drove my leg into its abdomen.

Whoosh!

Then, perhaps growing impatient that its wounds weren’t regenerating, it launched a massive assault.
My blade found the opening, and the creature couldn’t fully absorb the impact with its sword alone—it crashed through the wall and flew into the corridor.

Boom!

In that moment, I lowered my stance and gathered the flames dancing along my blade, condensing them toward the tip.

Screeeech!

A sphere of flame that emitted an otherworldly shriek.
The darkened room flickered with crimson light, and tremendous heat radiated outward.
But my blade, unlike before, didn’t melt in the intense heat—it held firm and unyielding.
Just as I was about to turn this room into a sauna.

Crash!

The Demon wouldn’t allow it—it rushed forward to intercept my technique.

Clang clang clang clang!

But the flaming sphere was already complete.
It was possible because I had reduced its power compared to when I destroyed the previous Envy of the Seven Deadly Sins’ building.
After all, my purpose was simply to kill the cockroach hiding in the building.

Whoosh!

I thrust my sword forward at the creature charging toward me.

BOOM!

A deafening roar shook the building as searing flames erupted forward in a straight line.
The point-blank explosion pierced through the Demon without stopping, obliterating the walls and the rooms beyond in its wake.
A pillar of fire shot up into the night sky.

Crash!

If a cockroach has already appeared in a building, it’s already too late. Even if you catch it, another will eventually emerge.
That’s why I believe the wisest course of action is to completely demolish the building.
Of course, the homeowner’s opinion hardly matters here.

“…What is this!”

But to my surprise, the cockroach was still alive.
It seemed that just before taking a direct hit, it had twisted its body violently—only its arm holding the sword and shoulder were blown clean through.

‘Truly, an astounding will to survive.’

But I am a man who takes responsibility for what I set in motion, so I charged at the Demon to finish it cleanly.

“Begone!”

Whoosh!

The Demon, now without a sword, lashed out with its remaining arm.
Before its fist could strike my face, I brought my blade down and severed its arm.

“Ugh!”

Stripped of his means of attack, the creature immediately spun around and bolted toward the gaping hole in the wall.
Beyond lay a Garden bathed in moonlight.

‘A wise choice, perhaps… but futile.’

He was already a rat trapped in a poison bottle.

Whoosh!

I pursued him relentlessly into the Garden, and there the Demon and I began our solitary game of hunter and hunted.

“Ha! You should have fled sooner!”
“You absolute madman!”

The creature crossed the Garden using only his two legs.
Normally, his arms would have regenerated by now, but the holy power that had struck him demanded far more time for restoration.
I had no leisure to wait. I pushed hard against the ground and closed the distance rapidly.

Whoosh!

In a final, desperate gambit, the creature twisted and unleashed a spinning kick with his remaining leg.
But without arms to maintain balance, the attack was clumsy and off-center.
I leaned my upper body back to evade, then slashed the leg rising before me cleanly with my blade.

Crunch!

Armless and legless, the creature’s face twisted into a grotesque mask of anguish.
Fearing his visage would become even more hideous, I showed mercy and swung my sword with purpose.
This time, my target was his neck.

“Checkmate.”
“No—”

Crunch!

My blade, wreathed in flame, carved through his neck. His head and body separated cleanly, falling to the ground in a grotesque arrangement.
I decided to title this work: “The Garden’s Cockroach.”
I gazed upon what had once been a living creature, planted my sword in the earth, and offered a prayer.

‘Goddess, I offer you this one cockroach that has tormented your weak flock. Even if you do not favor insects, I pray you accept this gift with grace….’

A black mass seeped from the demon, then began to purify into white light as it always did.
The concentrated divine essence flowed into me, and I gathered it all, making it my own.

‘Excellent.’

A greater quantity than when I had captured Baron Scalen before.
Baron Scalen had been human tainted by demon blood, but this creature was a true demon—the difference was only natural.

Crunch, crunch—

I walked a short distance and approached the building where Cedric stood. Then I called out loudly.

“It is finished!”

The light in the room flickered on, the window opened, and Cedric appeared.
Cedric spoke.

“I am relieved it ended safely! Are you unharmed, Interrogator?”
“Yes!”
“I see. Thank—!”

That was when it happened.

Crumble…

A section of the annex building where I had been staying collapsed.
The structure itself remained intact, though there were gaping holes in places, and the room I had occupied was torn open as if gnawed through by rats.
Seeing this, Cedric wiped his eyes with a handkerchief.

“Sob, sob… thank you….”

He seemed so overjoyed he was actually weeping.

(To be continued in the next chapter)

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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