The Bastard Swordsman Of The Imperial Guard [EN]: Chapter 71

“Supreme Sword Art, First Form!”

Swish-!

Lucas’s sword energy sliced through the demon’s arm.

The Supreme Sword Art he created had already surpassed the swordsmanship taught at the academy; it was a divine skill.

“Lucas!”

Of course, Carlson wasn’t backing down either.

Carlson’s holy power sword energy was deadly to demons.

“Kuh, Kuaaaack!”

The demon retreated with every touch of the two swordsmen’s blades, trying to create distance.

He couldn’t believe he was being pushed back by mere humans, but their swords were too sharp.

“Damn it. Damn it…! To put up such a struggle when you’re just food…!”

The demon clutched his severed shoulder with his remaining arm and looked around.

One arm was already gone, and his leg wasn’t in good shape either.

If he fought any longer, he might really die here.

“Trying to escape?!”

However, Lucas’s sword didn’t give the demon any openings.

Carlson, following closely behind him, was the same.

The two quickly coordinated, driving the demon into a corner.

Thwack-!

In less than a minute.

Carlson’s holy power sword energy pierced the demon’s heart.

“Keuheok…! Keu, Keuheuk…!”

Swish-!

As Carlson withdrew his sword, the demon’s body slowly began to crumble.

He, a mid-level demon, had been defeated by two humans.

‘This is absurd… Damn it…’

The demon’s vision gradually blurred as his life force faded.

The holy power sword energy lodged in his heart made it difficult for even a demon with strong vitality to survive.

“Did we get him!”

Carlson raised his sword to behead the demon as he fell.

But at that moment.

Swishhhhh-

Mana [magical energy] began to descend from the air.

“Ugh…!”

The demon, feeling the mana seeping into his body, widened his eyes.

It was the power of the Demon King, Maledrak.

“Ah, Aaa… Aaaaa! Demon King! You’re granting me power!”

Crack- Crack-

The demon, who had been on the verge of collapse, rose to his feet.

At the same time, the demon’s hunched back began to straighten.

The long, grown nails and long arms shortened, gradually transforming into a human form.

“I can feel the power. Power…!”

Dense mana began to emanate from the demon’s body.

His mana was so overwhelming that it couldn’t be considered that of a mid-level demon.

“A, an upper-level demon…! It’s an upper-level demon!”

Lucas took a step back without realizing it.

He had once witnessed an upper-level demon attacking a female student at the academy.

The academy professors who arrived while he bought time with his life had hunted it down, but the strength of the upper-level demon was so great that the academy professors had to cooperate to defeat it.

“What?! You’re saying it evolved into an upper-level demon right before dying?”

“I’m not sure either… But, we have to run!”

Thud-.

The dense mana enveloped Lucas and Carlson.

It was hard to breathe in the mana, and they couldn’t draw up their magical power.

“Kuh, Keuheuk…”

“Lucas!”

“Th, thank you. Sir Carlson.”

Lucas felt the pain of the mana gnawing at his soul.

He was able to endure it to some extent thanks to Carlson’s holy power, but the strong mana made it impossible for them to escape.

“Ah, Aaa… My body is overflowing with power. You trash-like humans!”

“In the name of the God Gaia!”

Carlson raised his sword.

As a paladin [holy knight], he could withstand the mana better than Lucas.

“You think you can defeat me with such holy power!”

Clang-!

However, the holy power was weakened due to the upper-level demon’s mana.

The holy power sword energy that had pierced the demon’s heart was buried in the mana, and Carlson was struck by the demon’s fist and sent flying backward.

“Keo, Keuheup…”

The fist filled with mana injected mana into Carlson’s body.

The immense pain made it difficult for him to even stand.

“I, I’ll buy time… Aaaack!”

Lucas was the same.

His sword energy couldn’t withstand the mana and collapsed.

The demon’s power itself was similar, but the problem was the mana, which had become too dense.

‘Carlson and I are hopelessly outmatched…’

They were both strong, surpassing seasoned graduates, but to kill an upper-level demon, they would need at least eight more swordsmen of Lucas’s caliber.

That was the power of an upper-level demon.

Just as Lucas was despairing in the face of overwhelming power.

Swoosh-

The dense mana was cut.

“Kueeehk!”

The demon, who had been growing stronger, suddenly flinched and stepped back.

Because the string of mana that had been providing him with mana had been severed.

Thud. Thud.

Carlson, who had been struggling with the mana, turned his head.

And his eyes widened at the familiar face.

“B, Brother!”

“Sir Raiel!”

“Tsk, sorry I’m late.”

Raiel clicked his tongue and took care of Carlson and Lucas.

Even though he jumped straight out of the window from the 5th floor, he was still a little late.

‘What the hell… Why is a guy like that popping up?’

He was also a bit frustrated.

A mid-level demon had evolved into an upper-level demon.

It was truly unheard of.

“I’ll handle it, so stay back.”

Raiel drew his sword and stepped forward.

In the meantime, he didn’t forget to scan the high-level demons with his eyes.

‘Did it evolve by receiving mana? To think a demon would be strengthened by mana being sprayed from the air, what was that familiar?’

The demon evolved when the mana from the eyes touched it.

It was a fascinating yet frustrating phenomenon.

“Ha, how come nothing goes the way I plan it.”

Anyway, Lucas is destined to become a hero.

What’s wrong with bringing it forward a little bit?

Raiel looked at the demon in front of him and raised his sword.

‘The rank itself has risen… But the physical wounds remain the same.’

Raiel cut the eyes that were emitting mana as soon as he arrived at the fountain.

If it had received more mana, it would have healed its body as well, but it’s okay now.

The guy isn’t a proper upper-level demon.

“R, Raiel, Brother. It’s dangerous. You have to run away!”

“That’s right! He’s an upper-level demon! We need the Knights…!”

“It’s okay, stay back. You’ll get sick if you eat mana.”

Humans can develop mana sickness if they are frequently exposed to mana.

Of course, these guys handle mana well, so it’ll be fine, but you never know.

Raiel raised his sword and looked for an opening in the demon.

The guy was still hunched over, unable to break free from his hunchback days.

Since there’s still a wound in his heart, he can be easily dealt with.

“Brother! Please run away! Please…!”

“Sir Raiel! I understand your noble heart. But everyone has already run away!”

“…Aish. Seriously.”

However, the words coming from the side broke Raiel’s concentration.

Why don’t these bastards listen when I tell them to run away?

Raiel sighed and poured magical power into his sword.

“Be quiet, and if you’re not going to run away, at least watch and learn.”

Raiel held his sword diagonally.

Slowly concentrating his mind, he sharpened his senses.

The opponent is an upper-level demon.

Accordingly, it was emitting tremendous mana, and its physical abilities were also outstanding.

‘But the wound is still there.’

Thanks to Raiel cutting off the eyes that were emitting mana, the guy didn’t receive enough mana to heal his wounds.

Therefore, it wasn’t a difficult opponent after all.

The guy’s strength is only his strong mana.

That wasn’t a problem for Raiel at all.

“Celestial Execution Sword, First Form. Entering Heaven.”

Raiel’s sword absorbed the surrounding mana.

A thick and dense sword energy was created on Raiel’s sword.

A sword that slays demons. It was the Celestial Execution Sword.

The power contained in the sword was strong enough to cut down the demon in an instant.

‘I can test how strong it is.’

The Celestial Execution Sword Master said it was a sword that slays demons.

Now I can properly know its strength.

“Amazing.”

Lucas gasped as he looked at Raiel’s sword.

The unbelievable power contained in the sword energy was amazing, but how could he generate such power in this environment full of mana?

‘As expected, Sir Raiel is on a different level…!’

He also grew up hearing that he was a genius, but that person is from another world.

Lucas looked at Raiel with sparkling eyes.

“Get out of the way! I’ll kill you and devour the guys hiding behind you!”

The demon kicked off the ground, spewing mana.

He still couldn’t handle his mana properly.

But it was enough to kill a human!

Taat-!

The demon charged at Raiel with mana.

Its momentum and power were strong and sharp, befitting an upper-level demon.

Thick mana covered Raiel’s entire body, and the demon’s fist rushed towards him.

At that moment.

“Do all demon bastards have anger management issues?”

Raiel charged backwards towards the pouring mana.

Such an attack is close to suicide against Raiel, let alone other humans.

Ta-dat-

His sword wriggled like a snake, cutting through the mana and digging into the demon’s wounds.

The demon, who was attacked in the heart by holy power, unknowingly gave an opening.

Swoosh-!

At the same time, the sound of skin tearing followed.

Raiel slashed past the demon, appearing behind him.

“Kuh, Keuheuk…”

The demon, whose entire body was cut in an instant, stopped in his place as if his body had hardened.

He is definitely an upper-level demon. This level of attack was nothing.

But… His body wouldn’t move.

“Wh, why…”

He was clearly standing, but his vision was slowly turning upside down.

The demon saw his body standing upright and died like that.

Thump-

The demon’s head fell to the floor, and the remaining body also fell and slid down.

“Th, that can’t be…!”

Carlson’s eyes widened.

Anyone who directly witnessed Raiel’s movements just now would have reacted like this.

With a single movement, he deeply cut the heart and continued the momentum to cut off the demon’s neck.

“O, One sword strike… Sir Raiel. What on earth are you…?”

Lucas muttered as if his soul had left his body.

He finished off an upper-level demon with one sword strike.

That was… truly the realm of a Sword Master.

“Tsk. Don’t overdo it. He wasn’t that strong. Lucas and Carlson, you guys would have won if you had a way to withstand the mana.”

If he had been appointed as a hero and had the Holy Sword, he could have easily defeated a guy like that.

Besides, he had wounds, so Lucas would have caught him alone.

“R, Raiel, Brother.”

“Carlson. …Tsk. Sorry about that. I should have come sooner.”

Raiel sighed and looked around.

The body of an Inquisitor was visible behind the fountain.

The Guardian Deity seems to have handled things properly.

But, Raiel killed the demon.

He ended up failing to make Carlson and Lucas heroes.

And there’s nothing to gain even if I do a good job.

‘Let’s just say today’s events are a secret.’

Even if it’s not anyone else, it’s Lucas and Carlson.

Those two would listen to me.

“G, Gaia. Is what I saw really true?”

However, Raiel had to turn his head at the sudden voice.

The senses that had been focused on the battle belatedly discovered a person.

A high-ranking clergyman of the bulky Order.

It was Cardinal Bernardo.

He heard the news that a demon had appeared in a place where the Inquisitors had gone out as a group.

If he rescued them from encountering the demon, he would obviously receive a huge donation, so he rushed over faster than anyone else.

“The hero of the Empire has appeared…! Gaia-men…!”

But what he saw was not the Inquisitors in danger.

The hero of the Empire who cut down an upper-level demon with a single sword strike and the honorary knight of the Silver Cross Knights.

And his friend, Raiel.

“…This is messed up.”

Raiel sighed as he looked at Cardinal Bernardo, who seemed moved and teary-eyed.