Tsuyokute New Saga (LN)

Book 9: Chapter 9

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Seran and Yuriga rushed down the path indicated on the map. Since there was no reason for them to hide any longer, they took the shortest route as quickly as possible. Yet despite that, nobody attempted to block off their path.

According to the map, there should be a hidden passage here. As for actually opening it

Haaaa! Yuriga just smashed the wall in as Seran tried to figure out the solution.

With a rumbling noise, the wall in front of them broke down.

So it really was hereBut how come Kyle knew about that? Yuriga was surprised to have hit the mark, voicing the obvious doubt.

WellThats not important right now. We have to get to Luiza as quickly as possible.

Naturally, Seran knew the reason, but they didnt have time to get into that.

This isIts close to the throne room, but why?

Yuriga looked around, but Seran pushed her.

I can feel a presence. Hes waiting, he said and took a deep breath.

***

Ugh

Having regained consciousness, Luiza first tried to reassess the situation she was in. She tried to move her arms and legs, but they were still bound to the wall as when she was initially brought here. Checking her own body, she didnt spot any obvious injuries. Understandably so, since her immortality would make every wound heal over time. However, she couldnt move her body. It felt sluggish, most likely because of the chains powers that sapped her of her magic power. And in this weakened state, she lost consciousness again and again. It wouldnt happen immediately, but if this process continued, she might meet her end eventually. She might be immortal, but she wasnt indestructible.

Deathhuh

Luiza confirmed the situation she was in and could feel that the existence of death, something she had never thought much about, was now slowly creeping up on her. If all this happened just a year ago, she most likely would have accepted it. Even in the fight with the black-winged demon, the arrival of the dragon was definitely unexpected, but the Demon Lord is supposed to win against any enemy no matter the odds, so she had no room to complain about the result of that battle. And rather than determination, she had simply given up on arguing about it. With a rule of listlessness and reservation, she had sat on the Demon Lords throne simply as a force of habit. Be it that throne or this prison, just one year ago she would have rejoiced at the fact that she could finally die.

But right now, she had a lingering attachment to the throne. And that, for the most part, was thanks to that human she had encountered. At first, she only saw him as the owner of the sword she desperately wanted, but he ended up not caring much for her title and overstepped any boundaries between them. Not only that, he was also incredibly strong. Having been able to defeat the strongest demon Three-Arms was a feat deserving of praise and admiration. And at the same time, he resembled the man Luiza was once attracted to, but who betrayed her.

It was honestly exasperating how easily her mood had been moved thanks to that man. Even the plant she had received from him as a present, she watched every small change with joy and excitement. It might be because of her simple mind, but she didnt want to die. She didnt want things to end here. And once those emotions entered her mind, she could put more strength into her limbs, finding the energy to fight back.

Stop wasting your time.

The only person watching over Luiza, the demon Two-Blade, muttered these words, seemingly having guessed what she was feeling. Luiza didnt know every single demon under her command, but it was rare to see a demon using a sword, so she faintly remembered him.

I heard about Three-ArmsThat he picked up an orphan and raised him. And someone odd who ended up learning how to use the sword. I think your name was

Before Luiza could finish her words, the tip of a blade was pointed at her, telling her to stay silent.

The blade itself didnt carry much of a presence, but the pressure coming from Two-Blade himself was strong enough to make Luiza falter.

I will tell you one thing. Stay still for a bit longer, and someone will come to try and save you. But dont hold out hope, because the only thing waiting for you is despair.

Saveme?

Luiza found that rather hard to believe. Now that she had lost, she was no longer the Demon Lord, and the other demons had no reason to serve her. And yet, for whatever reason, she could think of several people who might come to her aid. Servants like Yuriga and the others who were all wasted on a lord like her. Of course, she thought of one more person, but that was nothing but a hope in vain.

Seems like theyre here, the demon with two blades stared at the entrance of the room, where he spotted two silhouettes.

One was Luizas servant, Yuriga. And the otherwas the man she had given up on seeing. It should be impossible for a human like him to be here. And yet, it made total sense that he would be there. Thats the kind of man he is.

Seran She muttered his name and sighed in relief.

Luiza-sama! Apologies it took us so long! Were going to save you right now! Yuriga screamed and started running over to Luiza with tears in her eyes, but the one who stopped her was Seran, one hand on her shoulder.

Dont take another stepOr youre going to die.

The reason he stopped her was obviously because of the two-sworded demon standing next to Luiza.

Finally. Ive been waiting for you, Two-Blade slowly moved, yet showed no opening whatsoever.

Sorry to show up lateJust out of curiosity, did you know of the trap we happened to walk right into?

Trap? What are you talking about? The demon didnt seem to be playing dumb, and instead genuinely looked like he didnt know what Seran was talking about.

I seeNo, its fine. Its out of your control, so theres no need for you to know.

Yousaid that on purpose, right? Two-Blade grew frustrated at Serans roundabout way of phrasing things.

Surely, the demon would have not allowed Targ to plot that surprise attack. He was probably locked in here, tasked to watch over Luiza.

Well, dont worry about it. Whats important is that we can now fight to our hearts content.

That is true.

Two-Blade still seemed concerned but eventually let it slide.

Thats how it is. Just wait a little longer, yeah? Seran called out to Luiza, who responded with a faint smile.

You think you can win?

Seran maintained his confident attitude, but Yuriga seemed worried. Yuriga knew that Two-Blade was stronger than her, so she could only rely on Seran to deal with him.

Of course. You know how strong I am, right?

But hes got two blades

A dual-blade style isnt necessarily stronger than a single-blade style. If it was, Id be doing exactly that. Whats most important is the skill. Ive learned plenty about how demons fightso now Ill show you how we humans do it, Seran flashed an arrogant grin.

If Lieze and the others happened to be here, they would definitely scold him for generalizing humanfolk.

All rightI will leave mine and Luiza-samas lives in your handsCounting on you, Seran, Yuriga looked over at Luiza and then left everything to Seran.

Now, lets do thisAlthough, I never heard your name, right?

Very well. You struck down Three-Arms, so I will tell you. My name is

Right as the demon prepared to declare his name, Seran closed the distance between them and swung his sword.

Kugh?!

Two-Blade barely managed to avoid suffering a lethal strike, but he still took on an injury.

Tch, you reacted faster than I hoped you would.

Y-You bastard!

Seran regretted not leaving a deeper wound, as Two-Blades expression twisted into one of rage and fury.

You literally did the exact same thing when we first met. Im just clapping back, said Seran with a calm tone. Youre going to tell me your name after I win, right? Two-Blade is enough for nowOh? Is someone angry? Wasnt it Three-Arms himself who said that anything goes?

Two-Blade glared at Seran with a gaze that could kill, but Seran provoked him further.

Two-Blade knew that getting blinded by rage would only be playing right into Serans hand, so he forced himself to calm down and shake his head.

Now, lets get to the meatWait just a little longer, yeah? Seran smiled and looked over at Luiza, who responded with a smile of her own. Here we go!

Together with his roar, the two leaped at each other.

As for the actual battle, Seran just ran around. In terms of speed and sharpness of strikes, his opponent was superior. If so, he had to overcome this wall with sheer speed of his own. Once pressed against the wall, he attacked back at the demon and struck at his feet to ensure a definite strike. However, the demon guessed this very intent and instead attempted to finish it off with a single strike to Serans chest. This repeated over and over. Seran evaded this just barely and rushed away, only to go for a counter.

You sure love to move!

And youre just watching from the sidelines!

Yuriga apparently guessed that this strategy was working, because, in her eyes, it looked like a somewhat equal fight. However, this could only continue for as long as Seran had the stamina, and it very much wasnt limitless. This situation of them being equal wouldnt last forever. As proof of that, Seran already began sweating profusely, and he was out of breath. And since it took a lot of attention out of him, his thoughts were slowly beginning to numb.

Contrary to that, Two-Blade seemed like he barely broke a sweat. His swords may have been filled with rage before their battle began, but now he calmly countered Serans wild attacks. It was clear as day who would come out superior in this battle. Eventually, Serans attacks and defenses began weakening. He tried to finish the fight quickly before it was too late, but the demon naturally anticipated that move, continuing to block.

Whats wrong? Your movement is getting worse. Why dont I start now, too?

The demon could easily tell that Serans attacks dulled, so he continued to attack together with a calm voice.

Just becauseyou might have the upper hand a little bityou shouldnt get all careless like that, Seran gasped for air as he fired back, but his attacks spoke for themselves.

Despite the disadvantageous situation he was in, his eyes had not given up. Seeing that, Two-Blade raised his caution again. The only person visibly shaken was Yuriga. At this rate, Seran would suffer defeat eventually. Before that could happen, she could very well jump into the battle to sacrifice herself and create an opening for Seran. As long as Luiza would be saved thenBut Seran stopped her.

I told you not to worry His voice sounded exhausted, but his expression was confident. I found one point Im superior in Seran mumbled in a voice nobody else could hear and then sucked up all of the strength he had left to go for one final struggle as he struck at the demon.

Two-Blade then attacked with a calm strike with his right sword to aim for Serans throat. He evaded this at a hairs width, but a wound not all too shallow sliced along his shoulder. At the same time, he snuck right up to the demons chest, which should make it harder for the both of them to attack. The aim with all of this was the demons left sword. After striking at it a few times, Serans Holy Sword Rand was absolutely of higher quality, and he hoped that destroying the demons weapons would be possible. Having suffered an initial injury, losing one sword might bring Two-Blade to a disadvantage, so Seran was willing to risk it. After a metallic clashing sound, Seran managed to half-break the blade. However.

I figured youd do that.

Wha!

Before Seran could break it completely, Two-Blade let go of his sword and used his free left hand to strike Serans wrist. As his grasp on Rand weakened, Two-Blade then used the hilt of his other sword to ram it into Serans head. Seran aimed to break Two-Blades weapon, whereas the demon wanted to steal Serans weapon from him. As a result of this, the weapon dropped to the ground and Seran was blown into the distance. When he managed to raise his body again, the black sword was already in Two-Blades left hand. His shoulder and head were bleeding, and he had lost his sword. The situation was as bad as it could be.

You did cause me some troubleBut now its over, right?

Seran readied himself for a possible attack, but Two-Blade just walked over to Luiza instead.

I know that this black sword is specialAnd now, youre finally useful as a hostage, Two-Blade said and stabbed the black sword into her right thigh.

Ugh! Her face distorted in pain.

Because the Holy Sword Rand was used by the past Hero Randolph when he struck down Luizas father and the previous Demon Lord Adonis, it was showered in his blood and had the ability to ignore Luizas immortality.

It really doesnt heal

Pulling the sword out and the wound remaining, Two-Blade couldnt hide his admiration.

Y-You bastard! Yuriga was beyond herself in rage when she saw that.

Seran said to stay out, but this was too much for her.

You fool Two-Blade tried to strike her down, but Seran stopped Yuriga before it was too late.

I told you not to get in the way!

But!

Hey, youIs hurting a woman who cant fight back really what you wanted to do? Seran said, which made Two-Blade glare at him.

Are you treating her like some normal woman? Shes the former demon lord, remember? Two-Blade cursed, speaking with contempt.

However, this contempt was not really directed at Luiza, but at himself.

That person wants to use this woman for their own good, but now that we have the chance, I want to get rid of her, said Two-Blade as if he wanted to tell himself, glaring at Luiza.

Its okay A faint voice came from Luiza.

Yuriga couldnt believe such a voice came from the master she admired so much.

Just step backYou have no more reason to fight for my sake, she forced out her voice as she struggled to suppress the pain.

That wont do. We need youno matter what.

Serans words made Luizas heart jump. She had felt a similar emotion before. When the hero by the name of Randolph was still alive. Through whatever stroke of fate it may have been, they continued to fight on the battlefield until they became attracted to each other. The hero of humanfolk and the daughter of the Demon LordThey were not supposed to be together no matter what, and yet with their relationship growing, she began to believe in his words and guided him to her fathers bedroom. As a result, she was betrayed cruelly as she watched Randolph strike down her father. But in reality, she had known why this would happen. He showed himself worthy as the demon standing at the top of all the demons. And she respected him for that.

But in reality, he had used his subordinates to move in the shadows and made them fabricate his own achievements for him. Thats why he met his end just like that, too. It was self-deserved in a way. Thinking back on it, her father might have simply been panicking, knowing about the strongest demon Three-Arms, and his own daughter being immortal. Ever since then, she had lived her life in listlessness, but because of his appearance, she had begun to change. Her lifeless and gray world showed colors blooming, and she experienced joy again. But thats also why she couldnt let him die here.

I will not let you!

Just shut up and watch! Ive decided Im gonna save you, so nothings gonna stop me now!

As Luiza ignored her injuries to break free from the chains, Seran started running. Anybody watching this would have known that Seran had no chance at victory considering the situation, and he knew that better than anybody else. Yet, he showed no hesitation.

If this is your attempt at striking me downthen you are much more foolish than I thought.

Two-Blade understood what Seran tried to do and ran his way. Between them was the tip of the broken blade. Two-Blade knew that Seran would try to use that as a weapon, but it was all a desperate attempt. And right as Seran lowered his posture to pick up the blade, he also entered Two-Blades range.

This is the end!

Two-Blade swung the black sword in his hand, a horizontal strike aimed at Serans neck. With timing that made it impossible for Seran to evade it, the black blade approached him. And as a result, his head fellor so it should have been.

This sword cant kill me, buckaroo.

WhaWhat?

Two-Blade couldnt believe the scenery in front of him. Seran had clapped his hands together, catching the blade between his fingers. However, this should only be possible if the other party had an advantage in terms of skill and raw power, which couldnt have been the case for Seran.

After exchanging clashes with you over and over, I knew just how fast your strikes were, and Ive been using that sword for quite some time nowNow as long as I know from which direction youre coming, its not possible

Two-Blade was sure of his victory, yet his final attack had been fended off so easily. The demon then changed his thought process and attempted to finish off Seran with his other sword, but it was too late. Seran kicked up the tip of the blade that laid on the ground and shot it right at Two-Blade with his knee. As Two-Blades sword got closer to Seran, he saw the broken blade stab the demon right in the stomach.

You speedybastard Two-Blade coughed up a pool of blood and fell backward.

I heard that a lot, though Id be a lot happier if you called it skillful. Anyway, Ill be taking this, Seran said and picked up his beloved sword from the demons hand, then sighing to himself.

Luiza-sama!

Right as Serans victory was decided, Yuriga rushed over to Luiza. Seran followed and cut off the chains with his sword.

Look after her, yeah? Seran left the collapsed Luiza to Yuriga and headed over to Two-Blade.

Yo, still alive?

His eyes were open, so Seran knew the demon was still alive. That said, it was only a flicker of life left, and Seran knew that all too well.

I lostLosing against you in a duelI guess I really could never catch up to Three-Arms, Two-Blade muttered without any strength, but this stabbed Seran right where it hurt.

That would have been fineHonestly, this was a 2 versus 1 again. Kyle apparently had experience fighting you.

?

As you would expect, Two-Blade didnt understand what Seran was talking about. When Kyle gave Seran the map, he had also written down more of Two-Blades habits. The two-blade style aside, his swings from the left were a lot sharper and stronger, possessing more impact and speed. He also had the tendency to try and finish things with his left sword.

Of course, I knew about that before, but hearing that just gave me the last confirmation. Thats why I could bet on myself stopping the blade at the very end.

You could see this as Seran complaining. In fact, he already had a problem with him beating Three-Arms simply thanks to a strategy. He figured this was a chance for him to go all out immediately, but his desire to save Luiza was stronger. And even Kyle must have felt like Seran would struggle with this battle. If Kyle had attempted to tell Seran about these weaknesses, Seran most likely wouldnt even have listened. Thats why he wrote it on the map so hed see it no matter what. And once he learned of it, whether he liked the idea or not, he would use it to win.

Ill punch his head in later.

That said, Seran didnt resent Kyle for it, and he most definitely made the right choice. Even so, Seran was frustrated.

Well, I certainly didnt think youd be stabbing Luizas leg like that. If youd attacked me then, you would have won for sureThough I understand how you feel. You wanted to get revenge because she was the one who directly killed Three-Arms, right?

Normally, Seran wasnt the type to talk with those he had defeated, but he couldnt stop himself just this once.

You say what you want, but the truth isYou admired him, right? And your resentment toward Luiza and me clouded your judgment.

Two-Blade didnt comment on that statement.

That saidYou were incredibly strong. Sorry that I wouldnt let you get your revenge.

Two-Blade seemed to have accepted this apology as he flashed a faint smile. Seran saw that and opted to return to Luiza, only to remember something and stop in his tracks.

Oh yeah. I never heard your

Name, Seran wanted to say, but by the time he had turned around, the demon had already turned into a lifeless corpse. At a loss for words, Seran looked up at the ceiling and grit his teeth to swallow this bitter aftertaste.

After Seran shook his head and got back on his feet, he returned to Yuriga and Luiza. Thanks to Yurigas first aid and a thick bandage around her leg, the bleeding seemed to have stopped, but the wound was ever-present.

Im used to pain itself. But having it continueand suffering an injury that wont heal is definitely new, she tried to stand up, but her legs were wobbly.

Sorry. If only he hadnt stolen that sword from me Seran looked down at his sword in pain.

You have no reason to apologize after saving my life. You bet your own life to get me out of here, right? Luiza tried her best to smile, but she was evidently pale and in pain.

Im really happyyou came for me.

Your words are wasted on me, Yuriga immediately grew emotional at such gratitude, luckily not realizing that these words of Luiza were probably meant for Seran.

Being on the other end of these words, Seran grew bashful, rarely enough.

Becausewe need you, so, he tried to hide his bashfulness, but the word need really hit Luiza where it was effective.

A-Anyway, we should get out of here.

Seran was curious about how the others were doing, but he had accomplished his goal of freeing Luiza, so they had to get out of there as quickly as possible. However, Luizas injuries were deep, making it rather difficult to walk on her own.

Then I shall Yuriga was about to offer her help, but Luiza denied this.

I want to avoid any unnecessary fighting, so you have to lead the way, Yuriga.

Ah, okay

What Luiza said was true, but there was another reason that forcedYuriga to accept this.

So

Luiza glanced at Seran with a wishful gaze, and since he felt guilty for his sword being used, Seran reluctantly nodded.

Got it. Leave it to me.

Ah

Luiza wasnt even given any time to prepare herself, as Seran already reached for her. The first thing that popped up in her mind was the termPrincess Carry. After having read about such a thing in a human story, as an injured maiden, she had gotten her hopes up that maybe she would get to experience that. Yet, in reality, Seran just put her over his left shoulder, carrying her like she was luggage.

I-Isnt therea better way to carry an injured person?

With her upper body hanging down Serans back, she couldnt see the front and just forced out a faint voice.

Sorry, but your horn would be in the way. And I dont know when we might get attacked, so I need to keep my dominant arm free.

As a matter of fact, Luizas horn was rather big, and it would probably also get in the way while shes sleeping.

WellI guess it cant be helped.

What Seran said was absolutely correct, and Luiza understood that this wasnt the time to act like a little girlBut despite that, she didnt quite hate the situation.

Anyway, I did what I set out to do. Were getting out of here.

Since there was no more reason for them to stay any longer, they immediately began evacuating.