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Ose was said to be a leopard demon with a strange ability: teaching humans knowledge and convincing them they were false kings. One could only wonder what the point of making someone think they were a king was, but he was one of Solomon’s demons.

He was a Western demon. And yet…

“Why is this guy a samurai?! This has nothing to do with demons at all!” (Lanpeach)

“The answer is simple: he’s a musclehead who sought strength and superhuman physical abilities. I think he didn’t care what kind of demon he had to be as long as he could obtain power.” (Mira)

Lanpeach and Mira were grumbling as they clashed with Ose. Their swordsmanship reached a level where even masters could no longer see their strikes despite being in the middle of complaining. The slashes they delivered left only streaks of light behind, aiming for blind spots, with every blow carrying lethal power.

Yet, Ose, wielding two swords, effortlessly defended against their transcendent strikes. Even when they targeted his arms, he parried with the tips of his blades. If they aimed a horizontal slash at his torso, he redirected it upward. Strikes to his legs were countered with downward thrusts. Even perfectly synchronized attacks from the duo were read and deflected by his blades.

“This guy…! And he isn’t even moving his lower body! He’s blocking all our attacks without stepping or shifting at all!” (Lanpeach)

“It’s not precognition… It’s pure, refined swordsmanship. A demon with this level of raw martial skill is a rarity.” (Mira)

Lanpeach’s expression twisted with frustration, but Mira responded calmly. Ose had, unbelievably, surpassed Lanpeach and Mira in sheer technique.

“I, too, am impressed. To think warriors this skilled in martial arts would emerge. I don’t know how much time has gone by, but it is truly remarkable.” (Ose)

Ose wore a relaxed smile even as he praised them. 

Lanpeach gritted his teeth and stepped forward to close the distance further, channeling immense power into his arm to enhance the cutting force of his hand strikes.

Exhaling lightly, he aimed to cleave through Ose’s blade with a glowing hand strike imbued with overwhelming energy.

“Let’s see which has the sharper edge—bueh!” (Lanpeach)

—And then, Lanpeach was sent flying by a kick from the side. He skidded across the ground painfully, but his body beyond reason took no damage.

“Ow! What the hell?! Betrayal? Are you betraying me now?” (Lanpeach)

Lanpeach quickly stood and glared at the kicker, Mira, who still held her leg extended mid-air. She suddenly kicked him without any warning. He wasn’t letting this slide unless she had a damn good reason! At least not unless Libra hugged him chest open to calm him down!

“That’s enough, Pla-san. I’ve figured out the nature of this trap. If we continue, we’re just playing into the enemy’s hands.” (Mira)

Mira spoke nonchalantly, showing no remorse for her actions.

“A trap? Weren’t they just trying to lure us into a home-field advantage battle? Isn’t that what we discussed?” (Lanpeach)

“No. After hearing Libra’s comment and seeing Ose block our path, I’m convinced this is a layered, multi-part trap. First, the residual energy from our fight is being absorbed by Vapula.” (Mira)

“What? Vapula’s absorbing the energy from our battle? Does that mean we can’t go all out until we reach Vapula’s core?” (Lanpeach)

This is bad news. It seemed this wasn’t just a simple home advantage situation.

“That’s why you, Pla-san, a walking power leak, need to head forward. I’ll deal with this demon.” (Mira)

With that, Mira readied her sword and turned to face Ose. Her expression was unusually serious. Looks like it is no time for jokes.

“The second trap is normally an undetectable one.” (Mira)

“What kind of trap?” (Lanpeach)

“It seems there was a demonic force stationed to either guard Vapula or protect this area. It’s a system that selects which demon awakens based on the threat level of the enemy.” (Mira)

Hearing this, Ose chuckled while stroking his chin.

“Ah, so that’s it. I see now. So there’s someone clever enough to exploit a flaw in the system.” (Ose)

He spoke cryptically, like a stereotypical villain withholding details. Why do villains in manga and anime always drop vague hints? Saying stuff like “That guy” or “The master plan”. Can’t you just said it out straight?

“Destroying a Greater Demon was too easy. The only reason to use traps like these is that someone is trying to recruit the awakened demons for their own forces. Harkein’s demons currently awake aren’t very strong despite being immortal after all.” (Mira)

“Why not just awaken them without worrying about us?” (Lanpeach)

“It seems they can’t. I suspect waking the sleeping demons is strictly forbidden. That’s likely why they’re testing out various loopholes in the system.” (Mira)

Mira’s assertion shed light on the rigid hierarchy within Harkein’s organization. The long-slumbering demons were likely under strict regulations that greatly limited their actions. Why those rules existed was anyone’s guess… 

—But it sounded like a hellish, oppressive system even if put lightly.

“There’s no way we can let the enemy continue having their way. At the very least, take down Vapula. Go on, Pla-san. Leave this to me and move ahead. We can’t afford to let them stall us here.” (Mira)

“This feels like a death flag, but I’ll leave it to you!” (Lanpeach)

“You can trust me to support Soldier!” (Libra)

Nodding at Mira’s grave -presumably grave- words, he turned on his heel and started running.

“Be careful. There might be a Demon King with a second form that turns him into a delicious-looking cookie!” (Mira)

“That Demon King’s second form isn’t a cookie! Don’t act like  being transformed into a snack counts as a second form! Though… I did think I wanted to try a bite though!” (Lanpeach)

He waved lightly at Mira, who continued her joking remarks, and  grinned as he headed deeper in.

◇◇

Mira watched as Pla-san and the others disappeared into the distance, letting out a sigh of relief. Pla-san would surely defeat Vapula before it could revive. Breaking through those cliche, underhanded setups was his specialty.

“But you won’t pursue them. I see. So, you weren’t stationed here to guard Vapula after all.” (Mira)

She cast a freezing glare at Ose and spoke to confirm her suspicions. Ose chuckled and shrugged, the gesture somehow suiting him despite being a leopard. She mentally noted this for a later joke comparing Ose’s dignity to Pla-san’s lack thereof.

“Vapula is a weapon. The massive fortress Vapula isn’t something to guard—it’s something to use. Its activation was triggered because the defense system detected a potential threat capable of destroying the base.” (Ose)

“As expected… And now you’re using telepathy to order a rendezvous… No, if you are deceiving the system, perhaps you are employing tricks like deception and redirection?” (Mira)

“You are right. It seems there’s been a vacancy in the system’s operators. Such a thing shouldn’t occur, yet it did. Surely you can guess why, Hunter.” (Ose)

Mira immediately realized it was Botis. That must be why Harkein had decided to change strategies. Botis was likely one of the top-ranked operators among the enemy. They were now trying to secure combat personnel to compensate for the loss.

It was clear that the enemy had staged this emergency to make hostiles infiltrate, as they couldn’t proceed under normal protocols.

“In that case, I just need to take you down before you regroup. Let me show you the culmination of my research: the power of the Million Blade.” (Mira)

A gleaming sword came into view. A blade created using a vast amount of resources on the colony. There’s no telling what the Million in its name alluded to.

“Do you see this sword, Ose? It is the pinnacle of sharpness and durability. Unlike Pla-san, I don’t even need to attack with full force. I declare that anything it touches will be sliced apart.” (Mira)

The Million Blade, on closer inspection, was crafted by combining countless spirit stone fragments. It was like assembling diamonds one by one to create a weapon. A ludicrous process resulting in what could be called one of the strongest weapons in history.

“Interesting. Your flowerfield bed brain thinks a weapon’s power can bridge the gap between us? Such naive thinking is amusing. Let me shatter that illusion with reality.” (Ose)

“Bold words, but they’re textbook lines for a villain destined to lose.” (Mira)

Mira responded calmly, sliding her feet as she moved effortlessly into Ose’s range. Her movements were so natural that Ose didn’t even notice her drawing the blade. It was a level of technique surpassing what she had displayed before.

A metallic clink rang out as their weapons clashed. Mira wasn’t surprised by the result, but Ose’s eyes widened slightly in shock.

“Your technique has improved. What happened?” (Ose)

“My third eye awakened. I prayed for your head to fall, and suddenly, my skills improved.” (Mira)

Mira unleashed a series of relentless strikes with movements as unpredictable as falling leaves. Ose, now using his entire body instead of just his upper half, barely managed to block them.

“Your quick decision-making is impressive. If you had relied solely on your upper body, you’d have been sliced in two.” (Mira)

“Always prepared for battle. Though surprised, I won’t be caught off guard.” (Ose)

Mira danced with her katana, her form leaving afterimages like scattered leaves. Her attacks were graceful and brutal, and Ose, despite his effort, could only barely fend her off. 

Yet, his smile remained.

“I see. So you trace your opponent’s movements and mimic them?” (Ose)

“Who can say? But if that’s true, don’t you think you’re already outmatched?” (Mira)

Mira’s blade left trails in the air as she pursued Ose. But then…

“How disappointing. I thought this form of yours might make for an enjoyable battle.” (Ose)

With a smooth motion, Ose evaded her strike and countered, twisting his wrist and using his right foot as a pivot. His blade deflected Mira’s attack effortlessly. 

Moreover, he now wielded two blades, leaving afterimages as he counterattacked.

“Kuh?!”

Mira tried to trace his movements and replicate them, but…

“This is…!” (Mira)

Forget defeating Ose, she couldn’t even break through. Her every move was blocked with precision.

“You are the copycat type, aren’t you? But such tricks won’t work on me.” (Ose)

Ose’s blade created a gale that forced Mira back with broad, sweeping movements.

“You’re no match for me. I heard your body was sealed, but with such feeble techniques, you won’t even touch me.” (Ose)

The wind pressure slammed Mira against the wall. 

Realizing that this fight wouldn’t be easy, her face took on an unusually serious expression -one rarely seen of late.

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