Act 44

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In ‘Let’s Kill the Demon Lord,’ the sacred artifact known as the ‘Demon God’s Horn,’ crafted through the power of the ‘Demonization,’ grants the user immense strength but comes with deadly side effects.

‘Demonization’

By embracing the residual will of the demon god Barbatos, the user loses their sense of self and becomes a demon, driven solely by instinct.

“Arghhh… AAAAAHHH!”

Crack, crunch.

The transformation was truly grotesque. The user’s body twisted and swelled with the sound of bones and muscles contorting, while a purple, viscous substance oozed from every orifice.

The pained screams gradually turned bestial, and the creature’s eyes filled with nothing but murderous intent.

“What the…!?”

Joshua recoiled in horror at the sight.

“Alphas… you insane bastard! You said it would grant me the power of a demon, not turn me into one!”

“Ah, so that horn was brought by you, then?”

I remarked lightly, watching Joshua claim ownership of the ‘horn.’

Only the Dawn Society knew how to use the ‘horn,’ so I had assumed it was brought by the wizard, presumably a member.

“That… Alphas, Alphas…”

Joshua’s mutterings, however, gave me a rough idea of how he had come into possession of the ‘horn.’

Alphas Mayhand.

A member of the Dawn Society who harbored particular animosity towards Julian.

While the exact nature of Joshua’s relationship with Alphas was unclear, it seemed they had some sort of connection.

‘Fortunately, the horn is not genuine, but a replica.’

Similar to the demon we dealt with in the slums, it’s likely related to the ‘demonic phenomena’ Elenoa had inquired about.

Naturally, a replica cannot mimic half the efficacy of a horn crafted from Demonization, being a low-quality product that, at best, produces power at a third of the original’s capacity due to impurities.

“Kekek, Krrr… Aaaack!”

Even if the wizard turned into a third-rate demon, a healthy Joshua could have managed. However, given his exhaustion, this was no easy opponent.

Joshua, now facing the demonized wizard, was visibly terrified.

The constriction of fear.

Sensing Joshua’s dread, the demon turned its gaze toward him.

“I, if I win, I can live. I can live.”

Even as a flawed replica, the moment of transformation did not result in total demonization. It seemed the remnants of consciousness dictated its actions momentarily.

“Hiiiek!”

The raw, unrefined malice now directed at him twisted Joshua’s face even further.

“Julian…! I, I was wrong! Please, take down that demon!”

“There’s still one of you left, isn’t there?”

“You, you’re a member of the Crypart family! You should protect me!”

The irony of someone who had belittled me as a distant relative and ambushed me in my own home now begging me to eliminate the demon was palpable.

As Joshua pleaded with Julian in terror, the demon took step by step towards him, its eyes, devoid of any trace of humanity, fixed on Joshua.

“I live, I live.”

With a leap, the demon, repeating the same thought over and over, closed the distance to Joshua instantly. The injury on its shoulder, sliced open by Joshua’s sword, seemed healed in the process of turning into a demon, allowing it to swing its right arm without hindrance.

“Ah, ahhhh!”

Joshua, who had not neglected his training, instinctively raised his sword to block the demon’s attack, but…

“No, no!”

Clang!

His strength failing, the impact caused him to lose grip on his sword. The sword fell behind him, and turning to retrieve it would mean facing the demon’s swift strike — a certain death.

“Haha, if you don’t put in the effort, you might actually die.”

Observing the deranged demon and then me, Joshua’s face fell.

“Y-Julian… brother, please…”

Brother? Ridiculous flattery from someone who had ranted about my inferior lineage at the wedding.

Grunt… Grunt…

The demon, fully absorbing the horn’s demonic energy, emitted animalistic noises rather than human sounds.

Observing Joshua, who had completely lost the will to fight, the demon then turned its gaze towards me.

‘A demon remains a demon, after all.’

The last vestiges of humanity gone, the wizard fully transformed into a demon stirred something within me.

The instinct of a demon hunter that Julian possesses. The disgust boiling up from deep within turned into a killing intent, which the demon sensed.

‘Detestable creature.’

To despise demons so deeply yet covet their power was the duality of the ‘Julian’ character. I drew my sword, infused with moonlight.

The demon, sensing my killing intent, charged at me with ferocious speed. It was similar to the lesser demons I had encountered, but to me, who had mastered the ‘Moonlight Sword,’ it seemed painfully slow.

“A bug crawling up to me.”

How dare it show me malice.

Angered that the demon dared to exhibit hostility towards me, I sliced its leg with my moonlight-imbued sword. Despite its thick body that had repelled Joshua’s sword, it was effortlessly cut through by my mana-charged blade, causing the demon to tumble forward.

Scream!

“Yeeek!”

The bizarre cry of Joshua filled the air as the demon’s purple blood sprayed in all directions. Ignoring Joshua’s horrified gaze, I swung my sword again at the demon’s shoulder.

Scream!

Whoosh-

In that moment, my innate trait as a ‘Born Swordsman’ sent a warning signal. Sensing danger, I stepped back, and the demon’s massive hand swiped through the air where I had just been.

“Hmm.”

Despite having its leg cut, the demon stood up unfazed, prompting me to scrutinize it closely.

Certainly, I had cleanly sliced the demon’s leg with the ‘Moonlight Sword,’ and now… the wound was bubbling? It was regenerating?

‘A demon with regenerative abilities.’

According to the game’s lore, a demon’s pre-transformation abilities are typically heightened, but in some cases, if the remaining consciousness is strong, those abilities can manifest in the demon’s powers.

The demonized William, perhaps driven by his fear of Julian and a strong desire to live, had gained regenerative capabilities.

“How am I supposed to kill that…!”

While Joshua panicked, I realized this actually simplified matters. The demon had been a mage, capable of high-level magic as a fourth-tier wizard. Typically, demonization could result in a demon with troublesome abilities, but if it was merely ‘regeneration,’ it was manageable.

Thanks to my ‘Insight’ trait, its core was clearly visible.

Even demons with regenerative powers aren’t immortal. Like a human’s ‘heart,’ demons have a ‘core.’

‘Seeing is believing.’

With that thought, I enhanced my physical abilities with mana and charged at the demon.

Growl!

Seeing me approach, the demon swung its right arm in a fierce attack, but I raised my sword from below in a diagonal slash in rhythm with its movement.

Slash!

The mana-charged sword easily cut through the demon’s arm, spraying thick blood and obscuring my vision.

Ignoring the demon’s scream, it lunged at me again with its remaining arm, but its patterns were already imprinted in my mind.

“Such futile resistance.”

“To dare attack me, a ‘Demon Hunter,’ truly befits ‘trash.'”

Almost instinctively, Julian’s typical sneer slipped out, causing me disdain as I spun and slashed with my sword again, this time aiming for the left arm.

Scream!

Ignoring the demon’s cry, I stabbed towards the demon’s head, targeting the core as indicated by my ‘Insight’ trait. The demon, sensing the imminent threat to its core, tried to regenerate its severed arms to block my sword, but…

“Perish, vermin.”

My sword, surrounded by a soft moonlight, pierced the demon’s regenerating arms faster and struck its core.

“I am the ‘Demon Hunter,’ Julian. Heh.”

Gurgle, croak.

The demon’s noises ceased as it lost its strength, its madness-filled eyes losing focus before it collapsed lifelessly.

‘Perish, vermin?’ What kind of line is that?

Shaking off the habitually uttered phrase with annoyance, I turned to Joshua.

“It’s impossible…”

Witnessing the scene, Joshua was utterly stunned. I looked at him with a clear smile, flicking the thick blood off my sword near him.

Considering he had attempted to ambush me at night, severe punishment would have been justified. Yet, Joshua was soon to hold a significant share of the Crypart family’s wealth.

‘It might be wise to put a leash on him early.’

Given the audacity alone, it seemed necessary.

“Please, have a seat.”

I offered Joshua a chair with a smile brighter than any I had worn before. For some reason, the thickest purple haze I had ever seen was swirling above his head.

“Yes, yes! Brother!”

—

“Replica horns, huh…”

After settling down the chaos, I muttered to myself while placing the horn taken from the demon into the case. I never expected to encounter a ‘replica’ in the capital at this time, although the original story did include the Dawn Society’s reach extending into the capital, causing various problems due to these ‘replicas’.

“It’s too early.”

This was supposed to happen after Linne Londebell, the prized pupil of the Sword Saint, graduated from the academy, mainly because her vengeance was closely linked to the creator of these ‘replicas’.

Consequently, the story involving these ‘replicas’ revolved around her.

‘Not being a player now, it seems I won’t be deeply involved with her…?’

But encountering ‘replicas’ in the capital still feels premature.

I moved to the window, where the full moon in the sky came into view.

“If things had gone as planned, stopping the development of these replica horns would have been the job of the ‘Black Knight.'”

The Black Knight, a key figure in the game who hid his identity behind a black mask and clandestinely thwarted the Dawn Society’s efforts with his formidable power. His true identity was the player’s avatar and protagonist, the Sword Saint ‘Hayden Reich’, leading a double life.

‘If the ‘Black Knight’ had already made his appearance, the introduction of the replica horns wouldn’t have been this sudden, and there should have been at least some rumors.’

How can the capital remain so silent?

The story’s progression dictates that the ‘Black Knight’ begins to make a name for himself after thwarting Bishop ‘Pintel’s attempt to collect a ‘soulstone.’

‘That’s why I clearly remember Pintel’s name.’

The story’s branching point indeed involves stopping Bishop Pintel.

‘It’s too quiet.’

Has the ‘Black Knight’ not yet appeared?

‘That would be problematic.’

From my perspective, wanting to prevent the resurrection of the Demon God and dismantle the Dawn Society, the ‘Black Knight’ is an unseen ally. If he’s not active…

‘No, that can’t be.’

I shook my head, dismissing the thought. ‘Hayden Reich’ wouldn’t ignore the people’s peril, independent of the story’s progression. My trust in ‘Hayden Reich’ stems from his character as the protagonist.

‘Anyway, what’s important now is…’

Shaking off my thoughts, I shifted my gaze back to the case containing the demon’s horn.

“It seems a demonstration is needed.”

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