The Second Strongest Has Returned

Chapter 54

Madness of Depravity

Jehad Dainons

Jehad was the eldest son of the Dainons family, a small noble house, and had followed the typical elite path of a noble knight.

His younger brother, Eli Dainons, had little desire for status or material wealth, so he withdrew from the competition for succession from the start.

Jehad’s fiancée, Rain Leford, favored him, knowing he would likely take the position of head of the family, and Jehad, too, did not refuse the opportunity to secure an alliance with the Leford family and its beautiful daughter.

However, since his father, Zen Dainons, was still healthy and active, Jehad needed to build his achievements and career as a knight to solidify his foundation.

The position he chose was that of a swordsmanship instructor and bodyguard to the Reinhardt family’s young lady. Though the Dainons were of lower noble rank, their close ties with the Reinhardts made it relatively easy for him to secure the position.

“My future had a vision. It definitely had a vision.”

But that promising future was disrupted by the existence of Leonardo.

“If it weren’t for you…! I wouldn’t have ended up like this.”

His father and mother treated him as if they had abandoned him. His younger brother was now being recognized as the one fit to lead the family in his place.

His fiancée had abandoned him, and was now desperately seeking another man.

“If it weren’t for you…!”

“Yes. You were so kind and capable that you abandoned Arias and fled, while I, being so cruel and cunning, fought Balrog one-on-one. How unfair is that?”

In the end, it was a pathetic display of self-justification and blaming others.

“Hey, if you hadn’t pulled that pathetic stunt, at least your family wouldn’t be cursing you to your face. Where do you get off acting all high and mighty, when you’re worse than a cockroach living in a trash can?”

From the start, Jehad’s downfall was inevitable, and it only came sooner because of his own pitiful behavior.

“Did you really think you’d get praised for abandoning a girl to save your own life? Did you sell your sense of decency and intelligence to a demon?”

For the record, he probably never had any sense of decency or conscience to begin with.

Upon hearing these words, Jehad’s face twisted in anger. His eyes narrowed, revealing sharp, prominent pupils, and his teeth, now fangs, jutted out menacingly.

“…I’ll tear you apart and play with you until you beg for your life…”

The purple skin on his arms and his saw-like claws seemed to testify to his intent.

That might have been the case if he hadn’t been engulfed by a swirling ball of fire. As the fireball spun and repeatedly shot out, Jehad was blasted away, consumed by the explosion.

“Why would I want to play with you? It’s already annoying enough to keep my mouth moving while setting up the magic circle.”

Leo hadn’t been wasting time idly. While constructing the magic circle, he needed to provoke Jehad to hold his attention.

In truth, Leo didn’t care whether Jehad ended up dead or locked in a cell.

“Just a few more minutes, and the guards will arrive. In the meantime…”

[…Wait…! Move!!]

A massive wooden crate came flying toward them, far too large and heavy to be thrown by a body covered in burning muscles.

Clang!!

The wooden crate was cleaved cleanly in half in front of Leo’s sword. The problem wasn’t such a smoke screen attack.

‘…Fire Storm is the most powerful spell I can muster… The fact that he withstood it…’

“…A cowardly brat like you… should be chopped to pieces, huh? Taking advantage of the moment to launch a sneak attack…!”

A portion of Jehad’s head had indeed been blown off. His skin and muscles had burned away, revealing his exposed bone.

And yet, it didn’t seem like he was about to die.

“…Did you think… I just vanished for two years without doing anything…?!”

Screech!! Boom!!

Then came the scream and the explosion.

But this wasn’t from Leo or Jehad.

The sound came from outside, from the city. The Sage quickly darted out of the alley and ascended into the air.

[…The city’s been completely devastated… Monsters are rampaging. But to call them monsters…]

They were eerily similar to humans. So much so that it was deeply unsettling.

“…You… Did you do all this… just for something like that?”

Leo might have been mistaken.

He had thought that everything so far was merely on the scale of individual incidents, like disappearances and personal revenge. He had believed that everything would be resolved once Jehad, the mastermind, was dealt with.

But that was a dangerously optimistic and naive assumption. He should have realized when the Masters of the Magic Tower were dispatched, when so many magicians were disciplined, that the appearance of these demonic beings was a sign.

“Heh heh… I wanted you to experience the hell I went through…”

This was a large-scale massacre, a slaughter carried out by demons and dark sorcerers when given the chance.

And the ones who usually perpetrated these massacres were…

“…Didn’t I tell you?”

They were no longer human, but demons who had killed so many that the term was apt.

〘Demonization〙

Jehad’s body regenerated with blackened flesh, and his facial structure twisted, with fangs and horns grotesquely jutting out, ready to tear through skin.

His entire body swelled up, growing even larger than an adult Balrog. The form he took was like a nightmarish depiction of a demon, as people might imagine in their darkest fears.

“You said you’d tear me apart and play with me until I begged for mercy…”

“…Shut up.”

Cutting off the demon’s words, Leonardo raised his sword.

“Shut up and come at me. I’ll sew your mouth shut so tight you won’t even be able to beg for your life.”

A fury greater than rage swirled around him.

“You insolent… bastard..!”

The demon charged. His speed far exceeded that of a human, so much so that even Arias couldn’t react in time.

Crash!!

The first strike came in a straight line; Leo succeeded in dodging it. But the wall behind him shattered like glass under the demon’s hand.

[It’s collapsing!! Get out of there!!]

Leo quickly extended his arm at a right angle and began to cast a spell.

“Wind Burst…!!”

He barely managed to time it right by chanting the spell. The gale force cannon blasted from his arm, propelling him out of the alley with the recoil.

Boom!

The wind projectile struck the demon, causing its movement to pause momentarily. Normally, it was a strike powerful enough to crack boulders, but it didn’t leave so much as a scratch on the demon.

“…Is that all…?!”

“Do you think that’s all?”

However, the plan wasn’t over yet. The collapsing debris from the building fell directly onto Jehad.

The following impact was intense; even a high-ranking demon wouldn’t escape unscathed from such a weight.

[Look to the sides!!]

On both sides of the city, everything had been reduced to ruins. Something devouring the corpses of the people suddenly rushed toward Leo.

“Screeeeech…!!”

An attack from the right and left. The black blade transformed into twin swords, slicing through the necks of the approaching grotesque figures.

[…These things… they’re human…]

The Sage’s shocked words and expression made Leo inspect the faces of the grotesque figures he had just beheaded.

“…Even these bastards…!”

It was an unexpected development, and the last one he wanted to face.

“Why are cyborgs here…?!”

“You know about them…!?”

A sudden voice, followed by flying debris.

‘…I can’t cut through this with twin swords…!’

Twin swords weren’t suitable for cutting through such debris. Although fast, their shorter length and dispersed power made them less effective than a longsword.

“Ugh…!!”

He couldn’t cut through all the debris. Pieces struck his left arm, abdomen, and ribs.

[Leonardo!]

Blood splattered from his mouth. His ribs had broken and were stabbing into his lungs. Though his arm hadn’t broken, its swelling indicated it wasn’t in good shape.

‘But still…’

“Still…! You haven’t screamed yet, have you…?!”

The demon charged through the debris and dust. There was no way to dodge. Its speed surpassed even Arias.

In desperation, Leo launched the lightning spear. His plan was to slow the demon’s movements with the Lightning Lance and then counterattack with the twin swords.

[Stop it!! That thing…!]

The demon punched through the lightning without being stunned or even shocked, landing a direct hit on Leo.

“Kraak!!”

Even though he blocked with his twin swords, the impact was powerful enough to overwhelm his defense. His weakened left arm caused him to be thrown sideways.

He quickly cast a modified 1st Circle wind defense spell, Wind Wall, which enveloped him in armor-like wind.

‘…It’s weaker in defense, but…!’

It couldn’t fully block a punch like that, but it did help slow down his momentum and minimize friction with the ground.

<…That guy… He clearly took a lightning spell…>

[Some demons have high anti-magic resistance. That guy knew that and intentionally strengthened his body with that trait.]

Moreover, Jehad’s body had already regenerated. The twisted arm had realigned, and the wounds on his skin had completely healed.

[He has exceptional regenerative abilities, and his physical capabilities already surpass yours. On top of that, his magic resistance is so high that it would take at least a 5th Circle spell to break through.]

He had abilities designed specifically to counter Leo in every way.

[He’s your natural enemy.]

Right now, Jehad was the most difficult opponent Leo could face. Moreover, considering those cyborgs from earlier, it was likely that these grotesque beings had been spread throughout the entire city.

If only there were more Masters of the Magic Tower or magicians available, the situation could be resolved somewhat more smoothly. But such an ideal scenario was unlikely.

[…Then escaping isn’t an option either…]

Leonardo said this as he started to run.

[What? Didn’t I tell you…! Reinforcements will be…!]

As he spoke, Leo began to reshape the twin swords in his increasingly battered hands. He dashed forward, buying time.

“So, all you came up with was running away!? In the end, you’re no different!!”

Jehad pursued him, and in terms of speed alone, the demon had the advantage.

‘…There’s no choice but to try…!’

Leonardo threw a dagger made from the black stone toward Jehad.

“Is this child’s plaything all you’ve got!?”

The daggers embedded themselves in Jehad’s arms, but their impact was no more than a scratch to the demon.

[You’d be better off running away! If you keep this up, he’ll catch you…!]

With that, Leo threw the remaining daggers at the buildings.

The daggers lodged firmly into the exterior walls, and the wire connected to the black stone began to retract, pulling Leo’s body with it.

[You’re using the black stone like this?]

The black wire retracted rapidly, allowing Leo to move swiftly through the air. His speed was such that even a flight spell couldn’t keep up.

“Clever tricks…!!”

Jehad scrambled to catch up to Leo. Although Jehad was faster, Leo made up for the gap with his experience and skill, maintaining the upper hand.

[You can’t keep running like this. If you keep manipulating the black stone this way, you’ll run out of mana first.]

The rapid transformation of the black stone was taxing on both his mental strength and mana. There was likely not enough time to gain a significant lead.

“It doesn’t matter.”

Leo’s escape had never been about survival.

[…A cemetery?]

A knight of valor only retreated to ensure victory.

“How poetic…!? So, the orphan brat didn’t want to die alone after all!!”

Leo didn’t respond to the provocation. Instead, he smiled, relieved that the plan was going as expected.

“…The truth is, I was prepared to die when I started running. If this fails, there’s no other way to kill you.”

Leonardo spoke as he gripped the daggers he had formed from the black stone.

“Do you really think you can kill me with those toys!?”

Jehad roared as he lunged at Leo with his claws. Leo dodged by using the gravestones as cover and began throwing the daggers in quick succession. This type of hunting-like combat was almost second nature to Leo.

“Stop tickling!! With this…!!”

By now, half of the tombstones had been destroyed. There were no shelters nearby to hide behind.

“It’s over!!!”

Jehad threw a punch. But for some reason, Leo no longer tried to find cover.

“…You said it’s over, didn’t you?”

Because there was no need to.

“Why?”

Leo’s plan had already succeeded.

“Is it because your arms and legs aren’t moving the way you want them to?”

Jehad barely managed to throw a punch at Leo. But at this point, the punch of the already dulled demon was nowhere near hitting Leo.

Instead, the torn joints twisted even further, and Jehad collapsed to the ground.

“If the toy I threw had bounced off your skin, even I wouldn’t have had a way to deal with it.”

But Leo’s dagger had accurately penetrated the demon’s flesh. Jehad had only judged it as non-threatening because the blade was short.

“No matter how great your regenerative abilities are, as a living being made of flesh, you can’t regenerate up to the point where the dagger is embedded. Especially if it’s stuck in critical areas like the joints of your knees or elbows.”

Upon hearing that, Jehad hurriedly tried to pull out the dagger with his hands. But with his joints reduced to rags, it was impossible to pull it out with brute strength.

However, Jehad’s face was still twisted in a mad grin.

“You really are just a kid…!! To prattle on about such important facts…!!”

If that’s the case, all he needed to do was enhance his regenerative power and push the dagger out along with the flesh.

“…If that’s what you’re thinking, it’s a bit disappointing, isn’t it?”

“Why…?! Aaargh…!?”

Even after enhancing his regenerative power, the dagger didn’t come out. Instead, the regenerating flesh twisted strangely around the dagger.

“Why would I tell you how to escape? Scum like you need to die more humiliatingly for me to feel satisfied.”

As he said this, Leonardo kindly revealed the secret of the dagger in front of Jehad’s eyes.

“When I was traveling and sailing, an old whaler taught me this technique. He said that no matter how strong the beast, it can never escape if you make a harpoon like this.”

After leaving the hero’s family, Leo had learned to craft harpoon-shaped blades, which later became a highly useful weapon when dealing with demons and monsters with high regenerative abilities.

The dagger that had been embedded in the outer wall earlier had been fixed so securely because it was made in this structure.

Thunk.

Soon, the harpoon-like dagger stole the light from Jehad’s eyes.

“Aaaargh!!”

As both eyes were crushed by the dagger, a scream was wrung out of him. Leo grabbed the handle of the dagger and twisted it to completely remove Jehad’s vision.

“Scream as much as you can now. Soon, you won’t even be able to if you want to.”

Saying this, Leo drew a magic circle of fire in the demon’s mouth.

“Normally, I’d do this with a torch, but since the situation is urgent, you’ll have to understand.”

Anticipating what was about to happen, Jehad began to struggle desperately. The scene resembled a spider with all its legs broken, being slowly devoured by a tiny ant.

Ignoring the struggling, Leo gathered some straw and dry branches near the tomb and stuffed them into Jehad’s mouth.

“Mmph…!? Kragh…!”

“No matter how strong a demon’s regenerative power is, if it’s scorched by fire, the wounds heal slowly. And oddly enough, since your base is still human, you’ll die if you can’t breathe.”

Fwoosh.

“That’s why I like this method so much. The worst pain I’ve ever felt was from burning and suffocating.”

Using the straw and branches stuffed into Jehad’s mouth as a fuse, Leo’s flames began to burn his lips, flesh, and even his organs.

As the firewood’s flames grew stronger, the melted flesh and organs deformed and gradually blocked the passageways of his throat and respiratory system.

The oxygen remaining in his lungs slowly decreased due to the burning flames, subjecting the demon to the simultaneous agony of burning and suffocation.

“I told you I’d sew your mouth shut.”

There was no response.

A few minutes after Leo left, the demon died silently.