ALL NOVEL Chapter 264
The Demon King must always fight against injustice.
And a prime example of injustice in the Intermediate Realm is the ‘Holy Sword.’
Because of the Holy Sword, no Demon King has been able to recklessly conquer the Intermediate Realm until now.
Five hundred years ago, I secured the Holy Sword, but I didn’t have any intention to use it.
– Can a Demon King even wield the Holy Sword?
That’s what I thought.
Upon researching, I found out that using it was indeed possible, so I did give it a try.
– But is there really any need to use it?
I felt considerable reluctance to draw the Holy Sword simply because of its very name.
– I can fight just fine on my own without it!
That’s how I thought.
With my powerful body as the last Black Dragon, and my unparalleled high magic on the ground, my demon army instills fear across the entire continent.
Both personal strength and collective strength reached their pinnacle, and I subdued all the most dangerous enemies, the Heroes of the Holy Sword.
So, I thought it was unnecessary.
However, after 500 years, I changed.
The Holy Sword is power.
The Holy Sword is a tool.
I realized this as I taught Lucius such concepts!
In the end, power and tools only have meaning when they are used!
“Burn bright, Flamberge!”
I swung the Sword of Flames wide.
Red flames unfurled throughout the Papal Office, engulfing the Inquisitors who aimed their spears at me.
“Endure! That kind of flame cannot compare to the Divine Power of the Goddess, Kaaah?!”
The first Inquisitor to come into contact with Flamberge let out a scream.
“Impossible. You think I wouldn’t be able to handle something like this?”
Though he seemed to have wrapped himself in the Blessing of the Goddess to withstand it, it was utterly useless.
“The flames of the Holy Sword burn even Divine Power.”
Wagh!
The Inquisitor wrapped in red flames rolled on the ground, trying to extinguish the fire.
Those around him hurriedly poured Divine Power and water on the Inquisitor, trying to put out the flames.
But it was all in vain.
“Magic conversion. Sorry, but your faith will soon become the flames that burn your body.”
Whew.
I tucked Flamberge inside the spinning form of the Holy Sword behind me.
“This, this is petty…!”
“What’s petty? You killed Arpe and stole the Holy Sword. Can’t I use something like this?”
“How are you able to use it?!”
“You just can. I just chose not to until now.”
The five Holy Swords, excluding Wind and Light, vibrated in harmony, creating a pentagram.
“I didn’t refrain from using them because I couldn’t. I avoided using them because I shouldn’t.”
The Holy Sword is the cornerstone of the Intermediate Realm.
It is a system responsible for the circulation of mana in the Intermediate Realm. If these Holy Swords were to disappear, it would cause severe disruptions in the flow of mana here.
“But since someone has already disrupted it, do you think I can just sit back and do nothing?”
I grabbed the Holy Sword of Earth, Pangaea, and swung it wide.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
“Ugh!”
I sent the Inquisitor, who tried to ambush me during our conversation, flying with the Holy Sword.
“That… looks like the claw of a Black Dragon. Are you controlling the Holy Sword freely?!”
“No. It’s the basic form.”
The Pangaea imbued with my mana transformed into a sharp, elongated blade.
“You couldn’t even check something like this while stealing the Holy Sword? Do you have any idea how boundless its power is?”
“Ugh…”
The Earth Sword is something I can actively use.
Why?
Because I obviously know its true name, ‘Bahamut.’
“I’d love to summon a Spirit Device to blow this place up, but there’s no need; I’ll show you with brute force.”
Calling a Spirit Device takes time.
So instead of summoning it, I can just take the power it carries and use that.
“Split the earth.”
I gripped Pangaea reverse-style and plunged it into the ground.
In an instant, red mana began to pour out from the blade as it burrowed downward, causing the barren land to crack with a blaze of mana light.
Rumble!
The entire Papal Office shook.
The Inquisitors struggled to maintain their balance, while only Lucifer gritted his teeth and glared at me.
“Do you think I’ll let that happen?!”
Slish!
A red whip charged with Divine Power shot towards me.
While it looked like a whip on the surface, at the end, mana and Divine Power vibrated and quaked like the chainsaw I used previously.
Boom!!!
An explosion erupted where the whip made contact.
Thank goodness I raised a protective shield with my mana; otherwise, I might have been obliterated by the explosion it caused.
“Crazy. That’s amazing, really.”
“Kuh…!”
“When you combine mana and Divine Power, a collapse phenomenon occurs. To attack while causing an explosion by using that—impressive, Lucifer.”
The synthesis and division of mana and Divine Power.
Maintaining an unstable state through the continuous collapse phenomenon, then dealing a physical shock to cause an explosion.
Using the indivisible mana that neither Demon World mana nor Celestial Realm mana can intermingle is quite the attack.
“Impressive. If we’re just talking about pure destructive power, you might be the strongest.”
“You’re overflowing with confidence!”
“Of course. Even if you wield such power, you’re still the Demon King, while I’m the Hero of the Holy Sword.”
“That’s hilarious!”
“Once you hold the Holy Sword, everyone is considered a hero.”
I casually extended my hand to the side and drove five Holy Swords into the ground in a circular formation around me.
“Especially against an enemy trying to disrupt the system of the Intermediate Realm and the natural order of mana, anyone can become a hero.”
Even the great Demon King who sought to overthrow this world 500 years ago.
“Do you think I wouldn’t touch the Holy Sword 500 years ago? Do you think I didn’t summon Demon Races back then?”
Without any interference from the Celestial Realm or the Demon World.
“I aimed to end everything using only the power of the Intermediate Realm.”
I had to cultivate strength from the beginning in the Intermediate Realm.
“So that the wills of all the spirits and the mana here wouldn’t turn against me.”
Like Celcius.
Or Bahamut.
Or Lux Machina.
Or even Sleipnir up on that Sky Island.
To avoid making the system governing the Intermediate Realm an enemy, I aimed to resolve everything as much as possible within the Intermediate Realm.
“You’ve turned them into enemies now. By tainting Lux Machina with the Divine Power of the Goddess, without the will of a god, but with the mana of the Celestial Race instead, you’ve disrupted the order of this world.”
“Is that the secret to you being able to use the Holy Sword…?!”
“Yes.”
Mana imbued within each Holy Sword began to gleam as if ready to explode.
“Hey. Those spirits are different from us Demon Kings. The seven spirits interact with each other to maintain balance; do you think they’ll just sit idly by if you disturb that balance?”
If I were to face Zephar, the mana wouldn’t increase to this extent.
“This is the will of the spirits towards you who tainted Lux Machina with the colors of the Celestial Race.”
“T- take all infantry, attack now!”
As Lucifer raised his hand high, the Inquisitors also began to swing their whips of collapse towards me.
“Not gonna work.”
The magic was already completed.
“Circulate.”
Mana spread out around the five Holy Swords.
Mana of different colors stretched out like a prism, forming a defensive barrier to block the attacks.
“I can’t believe this…!”
“Then why resort to such tactics with the Holy Sword?”
The moment the gate to the Celestial Realm opened, nature and the spirits had already turned their backs on the Celestial Race.
“Dispersion. Seven Stars.”
“…! W- wait, could it be…!”
“The power to purify and destroy those who disturb this land.”
The five Holy Swords began to resonate.
Simultaneously, with a ‘pop’ of light, they all transformed into the same shape.
Elongated gemstones.
On the surface, they seemed amorphous, but their essence consisted of countless polyhedra of mana.
“Feel honored. This is the original form of the object humanity called the Holy Sword.”
There are only five.
“Flame. Water. Earth. Darkness. Illusion. The remaining two are lacking, but—”
“The Philosopher’s Stone…!”
“Well done. I guess that’s to be expected from the Original Archangel.”
The Holy Sword.
The first name that called these sustains of nature was ‘Philosopher’s Stone.’
“A natural crystal that emanates infinite mana. Are you ready?”
“I- impossible…! There are five! One belongs to your disciple, and the other one is in my possession!”
“What’s inadequate can be supplemented.”
This is not the true Holy Sword.
“One will be this one.”
Snap.
As I snapped my fingers, a golden trajectory fell from the sky, beginning to envelop the pentagram.
“You really think I wouldn’t gather mana since I’m the mentor of the Hero wielding the Wind Holy Sword?”
“T- this…!”
Lucifer’s hand began to tremble.
Already, the six mana began to stabilize gradually.
No matter how much the Inquisitors swung their whips and caused explosions by collapsing mana and Divine Power, they could not suppress the magic circle, which was beginning to achieve perfect balance.
“B-but the final power—”
“I’m right here.”
No light mana.
No Divine Power.
“The last piece of the Philosopher’s Stone. The Sage of the Hero Party. How’s that?”
“Y- you must be kidding…!”
Based on the Magic Cores of six Demon Kings, and built on the physical form of Asydia.
“Unification.”
I become one of the pillars of the Philosopher’s Stone.
Gathering the five Holy Swords and one mana, I reached my hand toward the sky.
“You have to destroy something more important than you and the Inquisitors, right?”
That up there, the rift in the Intermediate Realm.
“Your most precious thing.”
Reaching both hands toward the sky.
“Ultimate Bright Ray.”
“What are you trying to do!!”
“Naturally.”
Through the Philosopher’s Stone, I concentrated all the mana above me.
“I’m going to shoot it.”
“Stop! If you do that, not only will the gate be destroyed, but the Celestial Realm will…!”
“Not my concern!”
If I had to give it a name.
“Seven Stars Bombardment.”
The strongest, perhaps.
“Lucius Blaster—!”
A golden trajectory that seemed like it would engulf the world burst forth towards the gates of the Celestial Realm.