The Regressed Sword Demon Is a Catastrophe-Class Inquisitor - Chapter 85

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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 85. What’s Wrong?

I asked as Brock continued to remain motionless.

“Hey, are you dead? You can’t die yet. Just one more hit. No, exactly two more hits. Then you can die.”
“….”
“Can you do that?”

But no answer came back.
The Hooded Knight, who had been standing listlessly, opened her mouth.

“…What is that lunatic doing?”
“A madman. And far stronger than most.”
“The most dangerous type. You never know which way he’ll jump.”
“That’s right.”

The female voice belonged to the Knight, and the male voice to the Mage.

“Listen. Don’t just stand there watching. Check if he’s dead. Isn’t he your comrade?”
“….”
“If he dies, it’s your fault. He would have lived if you’d caught him, but you dodged instead.”

I pointed at the Knight.
She let out a heavy sigh and walked toward Brock. Then she drove her sword into his chest.
Brock coughed blood, his body convulsing before going limp.
She reported without any emotion.

“He’s dead.”
“That’s unfortunate.”

I turned and walked back toward where the sword was. Even though I showed them my back, they didn’t rush forward recklessly.
I grasped the sword I’d driven into the ground and spoke to Bella.

“Bella, help those people. At this rate, they’ll all die.”

Doran’s side had numerical advantage yet was being pushed back. It was likely because of that Hooded Knight.

“Yes, Interrogator!”

The way they addressed me had changed, but it no longer mattered. Those thieves had crawled out on their own feet, after all.

Whoooosh!

Bella extended her hand and unleashed a massive torrent of flame. It carved a boundary between ally and enemy.
One of Brock’s gang was caught in the inferno, while the others retreated and evaded.

“M-magic?”
“Why is a Mage attacking us…?”
“Wait? Isn’t that person a Porter?”

As the mercenaries faltered in confusion, Bella barked out sharply.

“Focus! This isn’t over yet!”
“Y-yes!”

The mercenaries regained their momentum, and Bella rushed toward them with urgency.
Only then did I turn my attention to my own opponents.

“Are you the thieves who stole our magical stones?”
“Ha, that’s rich. Those stones were never yours to begin with.”

At the Knight’s words, I hardened my expression and shot back.

“No, they’re ours.”
“What, so you’re guarding them now? Quite the dedicated mercenary. I prefer men like that, though.”

I let out a scoff.

“Who said I’d accept you? Women like you aren’t my type.”
“Ha, looking at that face, you must have quite the way with women. But I’m different from those other girls, you know?”
“Different how?”
“My face, obviously.”

The Knight waved her hand in front of my face. I tilted my head in confusion.

“Are you hiding it because it’s ugly?”
“Ha! That’s not it!”
“Then take those things off. Let me see just how pretty you are.”

The Knight asked gravely.

“Do I look like such a fool to you?”
“Tsk tsk, you know one thing but not the other.”
“What do you mean?”
“There exists a strategy called the beauty gambit. With your appearance, I could be swayed to your side, and even if you lost to me, you could beg for your life. But with that hood on, I have no choice but to sever your neck. Truly a tragedy.”
“….”
The Knight fell silent, considering my words.

After a moment of thought, she spoke.

“Is that… so…?”

Seeing her nod in agreement, the Mage beside her interjected in alarm.

“What are you doing? Don’t talk to that monster. You’ll surely be deceived.”

I turned my attention to the Mage.

“Are you jealous? Or are you two already lovers?”
“Hey! That’s not it! Who would be with this ugly─ Mmph!”
“Please… just… stop….”

The Mage covered the Knight’s mouth with her hand, trembling at the shoulders.
I gazed at the Mage with sympathy.

“Oh my, you’ve been rejected.”
“….”
“Why the long face? Don’t be so sad. There are plenty of women in the world.”

Then, as if remembering something, I added.

“Ah, but perhaps not for you.”
“You shut up too!!”

As the Mage extended his hand, a colossal ice sword materialized in the air and plummeted toward me with terrifying speed.
Indeed, it was the kind of devastating power that would leave ordinary mercenaries helpless.
I leaped lightly to the side and evaded it; the ice sword shattered the ground where I had stood.
The Mage gritted his teeth and spat out his words.

“I don’t like you… you bastard…”
“Hey! How dare you not like me!”
“Just shut your mouth already…”

I spoke to the Knight.

“Don’t worry. He’s just being stubborn about his pride.”
“See? I told you. You don’t like me, but you can’t beat me either?”
“Please, just stop talking…”
“Tsk tsk, is your pride more important than your feelings? Act like a man.”
“Yeah! Be honest about it! Or someone else will steal her away from you?”
“…”
“Well said. Just like how you two stole my finest mana stone.”
“Once you leave, there’s no second chance! Though depending on what you do, there might not even be that!”
“…”

The Mage trembled silently, his body quivering. The Knight and I each added another jab.

“Are you crying?”
“Is he crying?”
“…AAAAAAHHHHH!!!!!”

Then suddenly the Mage roared and thrust both hands high into the air.
The Knight beside me flinched in alarm as the Mage condensed an immense surge of magical power.

“SHUT UP ALL OF YOU!!! YOU CRAZY LOVERS!!!!!”

Whoooosh!

A massive fireball materialized in the Mage’s hands—as if he had compressed the sun itself. The scorching heat reached all the way to where I stood.
It descended toward me at an unhurried pace, neither fast nor slow.
I cried out as I stumbled backward.

“Bella!”
“Yes!!”

The moment Bella responded, the fireball struck the ground.

KABOOOOOM!

A tremendous explosion erupted from the fireball, carrying with it a wave of searing heat.
I swung my flaming sword with all my strength to deflect the force bearing down on me.
But the blast spread in all directions, and the surrounding area was engulfed by the scorching wave. Trees and grass withered away as if consumed by flame.

“….”

As the explosion gradually subsided, I surveyed the situation.
Everything except the area behind me had become a wasteland.
Yet the mercenaries, Mabu, the horses, and even the highest-grade mana stones remained unharmed. Bella had shielded them with her magic.
Since they were positioned farther away than I was, she had managed to protect them without difficulty.

“Huff… huff….”

The Mage breathed heavily. She had just expended a tremendous amount of mana through that spell.
Originally, the Mage would have fought while supporting the Knight. But with this expenditure, her support would become far more limited than before.

“Now stop wasting time and fight. I’ll provide support from behind.”
“Hmph! The nerve of you!”

The Mage lacked even the strength to retort, fixing her gaze solely upon me.
The Knight exhaled deeply and took her stance. As she channeled mana into her blade, something extraordinary occurred.

Whoooosh!

The center of the blade gleamed with azure light, and flames coiled around the blade itself.
It wasn’t some rare bloodline ability, nor was it an unusual sword technique like mine.
She had simply channeled mana into her blade, yet the attribute of fire had been imparted to it.

‘A mana blade, then. Now I understand who’s behind this.’

That was a Demonic Sword, crafted through the Empire’s magical engineering.
By simply channeling magical power through it, the user could wield various elemental attributes depending on the type of magical runes inscribed on the blade.
Even those incapable of wreathing their blades in magical energy could do so.
In other words, merely by wielding a Demonic Sword, ordinary people could experience a dramatic surge in power.
Those who wielded such blades in later times came to be known in society as “Mage Knights.”

‘Of course, unlike me, the limitations of Mage Knights are quite clear.’

The magical stones embedded within the Demonic Sword could only channel a finite amount of magical power, and relying solely on the blade meant one’s true skill would never develop.
Yet it remained an undeniable fact that wielding a Demonic Sword could instantly elevate even the most ordinary of people to formidable strength.
Much like this Mage Knight now charging toward me.

Clang!

Two flaming blades clashed against each other.
The force was greater than I’d anticipated. She must have been considerably stronger than most even before becoming a Mage Knight.

‘But that’s all there is to it.’

She poured all her strength into her grip, attempting to force me back, but I stood firm as a pillar.
A knight who could only grow stronger through dependence on the Demonic Sword.
Her technique might deceive others, but to one who had reached the pinnacle of swordsmanship, it was merely laughable.

“You belong to Gearnek Tower.”

Gearnek Tower was the place that had first unveiled Demonic Swords to the public.
After that, other workshops and Magic Towers began crafting them as well.

‘Considering the knight who fought Doran didn’t use a Demonic Sword, this must be before they became mainstream in the market.’

That’s why the knight before me had drawn the Demonic Sword without hesitation.
Even if I recognized the blade, there was currently no way to determine who was behind this.

“…What are you.”

The Mage Knight reacted beautifully. If she’d played dumb, I’d have been in trouble—fortunately, her stupidity worked in my favor.

“Young Master of a fallen Family Clan.”

I let out a cold chuckle before swinging my blade to sever the Mage Legion warrior from my presence.

“So that’s why you were after the highest-grade magic stones. You’d need them to forge that magical sword.”
“….”
“From now on, source them yourselves. I have no highest-grade magic stones to distribute to you.”

The Knight regarded me with tense vigilance. Even without seeing his expression, I could read the emotion in his stance.
The Mage ground his teeth audibly.

“We must kill him here. If word of this spreads, it will be problematic.”
“I know!”

The Mage Legion warrior kicked off the ground and charged, bringing her blade down in a vicious arc.
I parried with force, and the moment she was driven back, she surged forward again.

Clang! Clang!

Dozens of exchanges unfolded in mere seconds.
I relentlessly pressed the Mage Legion warrior back, but whenever danger loomed, magic flew to bolster her defense.
Yet her attacks posed no true threat to me. The Mage had already exhausted considerable mana with his initial spell.
Had he been at full strength, this workshop would have become a prolonged battleground.

Whoosh!

I deflected the flaming blade and raised my sword toward the Mage Legion warrior, whose upper body lay exposed.

Screeeech!

As I brought my blade down, a razor-sharp ice spear shot from the Mage toward my skull.
This time I didn’t dodge—instead, I pivoted and charged directly at the ice spear, twisting my head slightly at the last instant.

Shhhhink!

My cheekbone was cut deep and long, but I pressed forward without hesitation.
The Mage flinched and extended his hands to deploy a protective barrier.

“Pathetically thin.”

But that barrier was as fragile as glass—nearly all my magical power had been consumed supporting the Mage Legion.
As I swung my blade with force, the barrier shattered pathetically.
The Mage couldn’t withstand the recoil and flew backward, tumbling through the air.

“Lucas!”

I turned at the voice from behind. The Mage Legion commander was swinging a magical sword at me.

“So you’re Lucas.”
“…!”

The flustered Mage Legion commander raised her blade to block my attack.

CLANG!

But even that magical sword shattered against my strike.
Magical swords had magic stones embedded within their blades, making them less durable than ordinary weapons.
In the future, such flaws would be corrected, but this particular blade was not one of them.

“Kyaaaah!”

The embedded magic stone burst, and the Mage Legion commander’s body was hurled backward. After rolling across the ground several times, the mask and hood she wore were torn away.
I walked toward her impassively. Then, on impulse, I slashed my blade through empty air.

WHOOSH!

The incoming fireball scattered. It was a final spell the Mage had squeezed out with her last reserves of power.
The Mage tried to rise, but with her magical power completely depleted, she collapsed back onto her knees.
Only then did I step forward and look down at the Mage Legion commander.
She breathed heavily, then smiled deliberately.

“…Well? I wasn’t lying, was I?”

She certainly possessed the kind of enchanting beauty that could captivate most men. There was a reason for such foolishness.
With her chin slightly tucked, she gazed up at me with fox-like eyes, her expression alluring.

“Take me in. Do with me as you please—my hands, my lips, anything. I’ll follow your every command like a faithful dog.”
“….”
“I won’t betray you. I prefer men stronger than myself.”

I didn’t answer, simply wiping away the blood trickling from my cheek. The wound had already regenerated.

“Have you survived like this before?”
“Exactly once.”
“What happened to that one?”
“Looks like they’re about to die by your hand.”
“…I see.”

The Mage was certainly formidable, but the Mage Legion was only marginally superior to the others.
Without the Demon Sword or the Mage, they would have fallen to me long ago.

“What’s your name?”
“Kardian. You can call me whatever you want.”
“Fine. Kardian. How were you planning to smuggle this magic stone inside? At this rate, you’ll definitely be caught.”
“There’s paper in my inner pocket. If you go where it’s written, you can meet the higher-ups.”

Kardian rolled her eyes and gestured toward the inner pocket on her chest.

“Take it out.”
“I don’t have the strength to move.”

As she spoke, she thrust out her ample chest slightly. She was clearly desperate to survive.

“Before you bleed out.”
“You’re cold.”

Kardian pouted her lips and pulled out the paper, handing it over.
I took it and scanned its contents.
It was the location of the Dog Hole leading into The City. It clearly showed how to move without being detected to reach it.

“That’s all I know. So please grant me one request. Not just me, but—”
“When did I.”
“What?”
“When did I ever say I’d let you live?”

As I pocketed the paper and pressed down on Kardian’s shoulder with my foot, she let out a gasp.
She endured the pain and spoke.

“…Why? Not your type? Though I wouldn’t say it’s a face that’s too particular.”
“That doesn’t matter. The heart is ugly.”
“Ha, I can’t deny that.”

She laughed, and I silently raised my sword.

“Damn….”

She muttered hollowly, watching the blade’s edge approach.

“If I’d known this would happen, I should have─.”

Her words never finished. My blade pierced through her heart.
I left her limp form, spitting blood, and approached the Mage.

“Let’s see what Lucas looks like.”

I snatched the mask from the kneeling Lucas. It was a mask connected to a hood.
Lucas was shedding tears all the while.

“Tsk, crying makes you even uglier.”
“You bastard….”
“Now do you understand the pain of losing something? That’s exactly how I felt when you stole my supreme-grade magic stone.”
“That’s not the same as─!”

Crack!

I slapped Lucas across the cheek, cutting off his words.

“If I say it’s the same, then it is. Understand?”
“How dare you to her….”
“Did I kill her? Your greed killed her. Thief, you talk too much.”

I observed the silent one and deliberated.
Now that I’d learned the Gearnek Tower was behind this, I needed to deal with these wretches too.
After all, the Gearnek Tower would later stage a rebellion as the Mage Legion, and they’d committed numerous crimes to establish the tower.
The problem was I hadn’t had the leisure to apprehend such small fry, so I’d been waiting for an opportunity—and now they’ve handed me another justification.

‘The real question is how to deal with them.’

Gearnek Tower, as it was called, was quite expansive in scale.
If I possessed the authority of a Heresy Inquisitor, this would be simple, but I couldn’t use my identity within the Empire.

‘There’s always the option of asking the Papal See to lodge a protest with the Empire over this matter.’

The Papal See would certainly want to check the Empire’s power, so they wouldn’t overlook this opportunity.
But that would take far too long. The Empire might even settle for a lenient punishment and call it a day.
That wasn’t what I wanted.

‘Then I have no choice.’

I placed the mask I’d taken from Lucas over my face.
As long as my identity remained hidden, the Empire would assume it was some villain acting alone.
Besides, Lucas and I were similar enough in build.
While such methods would be difficult to employ against nobility, they were more than sufficient against Gearnek, who had only recently become a Magic Tower.
I asked Lucas.

“Who are you?”
“…?”
“As expected, you don’t recognize me.”

I nodded with satisfaction.
Lucas studied my face intently, then recalled Bella casting magic, and his eyes widened in shock.

“No, you couldn’t possibly─!”
“Hmm? Look, a shooting star over there…?”
“…?”

I suddenly pointed toward the sky.
The moment Lucas turned to look, something passed through his neck.
When I turned back to Lucas, his head was gone, and his body lay sprawled before my feet.
I nodded in understanding.

“Guess he went to see the stars.”

Truly, he was an impatient one.

“Your Excellency, the Inquisitor!!!”

That was when Bella came rushing toward me at full speed.
Her side had finished safely as well. After all, Bella alone was more than capable of handling that level of threat.
Bella tilted her head, examining my appearance.

“Um… are you the Interrogator?”
“Call me a thief from now on.”
“Oh… yes.”

I gave Bella an order.

“Bella. When dawn breaks, proceed with the original plan and go to the Arcana Workshop with them. I’ll rest for a bit and then head somewhere else.”
“Where are you going?”

I picked up Lucas’s full-length robe as I replied.

“To steal.”

If anything, I wasn’t just going to take their wealth—I was going to claim their lives as well.

(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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