An Archdemon's Dilemma: How to Love Your Elf Bride: Volume 5

by Fuminori Teshima

“Roger!” Chastille replied. And then, after taking care of the sludge, she moved to cover Nephteros’ back. At that point, Nephteros put her hand to her chest and began singing.

  “[Thou art he who rules over terror. Accompanied by the god of war, become he who brings about destruction and chaos.]”

  The atmosphere shook, and the chimera’s body collapsed as if it was being pressed against the ground. It was something Chastille would be informed of later, but this was celestial mysticism that manipulated gravity. There was sorcery that was capable of manipulating the atmosphere, but this was the first time Chastille saw power that could manipulate the force of gravity itself.

  Its body was still pierced by crystals. And so, as its wounds were gouged open, the chimera let out a shriek. Following that, its limbs stretched out as if it was trying to stop the pain.

  “I won’t let you!” Chastille yelled as she severed each and every one of those limbs. And, as Nephteros continued chanting, the pressure that assaulted the chimera grew stronger.

  We can do this! This was clearly an enemy who could be defeated by combining the powers of a Sacred Sword and celestial mysticism. Chastille grew sure of that fact, but a certain doubt came to mind.

  This is weird. Can an enemy sent out by an Archdemon really be defeated so easily? At that exact moment, a voice rang out as if answering that doubt.

  “Wh-What is this? What’s going on here?”

  A cait sith girl holding a cane was standing still in the plaza, having somehow slipped through the encirclement of Angelic Knights. Seeing the cane in her hand and the lack of light in her eyes, Chastille could tell that this girl was blind.

  Has she not noticed the chimera!?

  “Fall back, Pastor Kuroka! This is a battlefield!” one of the Angelic Knights surrounding the plaza shouted out. Hearing that, Chastille realized that this girl was the newly appointed priest. Unfortunately, the Angelic Knight’s warning was in vain, and the chimera stretched out its arm toward the young girl.

  I won’t make it... The girl was too far away for Chastille to reach. And so, the repulsive chimera’s arm reached in to reduce the poor girl into minced meat. However, just as that image came to mind... a sharp ringing sound resounded in the area. Then, the arm that had attempted to assault the girl crumbled to bits. A moment later, a wooden rod fell to the ground with a clank.

  Chastille could tell that it was the cane the girl was holding, but it was far too short. At most, it was only about half the size of the cane. And after looking at what was now in the girl’s hand, her eyes shot open.

  It was a thin short sword. It seemed that it was hidden within her cane. It reminded her of the anecdotes of a weapon called a sword cane that they had in the island country to the east, and it also seemed all too familiar. Of course there was no way Chastille would mistake it for something else. Last night, that short sword had cornered Chastille and dismembered Barbatos. It belonged to Azazel.

  Why does that girl... have Azazel’s short sword...? The blind cait sith turned toward the chimera, then brandished her short sword in an underhanded grip as she charged in.

  “Stop! If you touch that thing, you’ll die!” Chastille exclaimed. However, the girl didn’t stop. And even though it was being pressured by Nephteros’ celestial mysticism, the chimera shot several of its limbs toward her. The moment it looked like the girl was about to be crushed by the limbs coming in overhead, they went astray and struck the ground next to her instead.

  “...Huh?”

  Someone let out a dumbfounded voice. Even the arm that came sweeping in from the side only brushed by her bangs as if it misjudged the distance. And then, the third attack that should have struck her head on only hit the air at the edge of her clothing.

  “Why... can’t the chimera attack her?” one of the Angelic Knights muttered. However, Chastille alone came to an understanding.

  She’s dodging it... It looked like she was just charging straight in head first, but the girl’s posture was extremely low to the ground, and she was shifting her pace by switching between accelerating and decelerating to throw off her opponent. Because her movements looked so natural, it simply appeared as if the attacks against her had gone astray on their own.

  Her movements were practically prescient, but Chastille could tell that she was moving by reading the flow of sounds and the wind from her opponent’s movement.

  The cait sith girl’s reflexes didn’t simply surpass that of a normal human’s. It was likely a technique that was only possible because she had lost her eyesight and honed all her other senses.

  That’s why my sword couldn’t even scratch her... Even if the room they fought in put her at a disadvantage, Chastille’s sword didn’t find its mark once in their fight the previous night. Sure, she had used the Sacred Sword’s light as a flashbang, but there was no way that would work on an already blind target.

  After closing in on the chimera in the blink of an eye, the girl drew her second sword and struck at its limbs at their root.

  “It’s no good. That’s too shallow!”

  Perhaps in exchange for her agility, the strength of her attacks was weak. The short sword was unable to cut into the chimera’s thick skin. That made sense, since she wasn’t even wearing Anointed Armor. However, Chastille realized something in that moment.

  This girl cut down the chimera’s attack mere moments ago... And as if answering her thoughts, the girl swung down her second shortsword.

  “Take this!”

  Her sword came down, accompanied by a battle cry, and severed the chimera’s thick arms right at their root. Nephteros’ celestial mysticism was still at work, so having one of its main supports severed made the chimera collapse on the spot. The girl then mounted the chimera as if to decapitate it.

  “It’s not... here either. Just... where is it?”

  The voice of the girl who was cutting down the chimera was still uneasy to the point where it felt like she would break down in tears at any moment. However, despite all that, she struck at the chimera all the same.

  “Are you... an ally?” Chastille muttered. Upon hearing that, the girl turned toward her with her vacant eyes. And what she felt from that... was bloodlust that stifled her breath, leading her to spontaneously tremble.

  That’s completely different from what I’ve felt when fighting sorcerers or monsters in the past... Was this girl an enemy or an ally? It was too hard for Chastille to tell. Nephteros also instinctively stopped chanting and looked over to the girl. And then, a repulsive voice rang out once more.

  “Hey there, aren’t you a little late? Special Enforcement Squad Azazel — Kuroka Adelhide.”

  Like I thought, this girl is Azazel... Chastille gulped audibly. She would never have thought that the ominous figure from yesterday was a girl who was younger than her. She then realized the reason that Bifrons casually began chatting with her even after unleashing that chimera on the church. The chimera was just there to buy time until this girl arrived.

  “...Who are you?” Kuroka coldly replied to the voice that came from the chimera beneath her.

  “You already know, don’t you? It doesn’t really matter who I am. All you need to know is that I know what you desire most. It’s not this child that you’re trying to kill right now, correct?”

  Kuroka pointed a sharp gaze toward the chimera. It wasn’t even being pointed at them, but Chastille and the other Angelic Knights in the area all felt a cold sweat go down their spines.

  “Then tell me, why is that girl’s smell coming from you?” Kuroka asked, clearly focused on Kuu’s clothes, which had been reduced to mere scraps.

  Could it be that she was looking for Kuu? Now that she thought of it, Chastille had received a report that the vulpin girl was brought in by the newly appointed priest. It may have been that she was out looking for her. That was why she attacked the chimera before going after Chastille.

  “Oh, are you talking about the girl who was wearing these clothes? You don’t have to worry about tha
t. She’s already being sheltered by that ‘Mister’ you know so well.”

  “I-Is that true?”

  “Trust me. If she’s under that ‘Mister’s’ patronage, no one can touch her.”

  “...Thank goodness,” Kuroka said as her expression loosened up in relief.

  “Now then, carry out your mission. Your vengeance lies right before you,” Bifrons said, then declared to her in an even grander voice, “The one who killed your foster father, Raphael Hyurandell, was Chastille Lillqvist!”

  “Wha—” Chastille exclaimed before catching herself.

  Kuroka slowly turned toward Chastille, then pulled out a pure white mask from her breast pocket. Chastille could tell that she was now this girl’s target.

  “Wait! You can’t believe them! I never laid a hand on Lord Raphael!”

  “Raphael...? Isn’t that the one at Zagan’s—” Nephteros tried to say, clearly perplexed, before being cut off.

  “Don’t say another word, Nephteros!” Chastille said as she stuck her finger to her lips and urged her to be quiet, to which Nephteros knit her brows.

  “What... is it something we can’t talk about?” Nephteros asked. It seemed she didn’t know about the circumstances of how Raphael came about to serve Zagan. Even so, she was likely able to guess to an extent and held her tongue.

  “...Don’t worry, I don’t believe what this person has to say. Luckily, you admitted to you crime earlier,” Kuroka said in the tone of an executioner preparing to dole out punishment.

  “Huh...? I did?” Chastille questioned Kuroka, tilting her head to the side in confusion.

  “You were proudly boasting about how you killed him yesterday, weren’t you?”

  After wondering what she was talking about for a moment, Chastille immediately remembered what happened.

  It’d sound like you’re all happy he’s dead to those who don’t know what’s going on, you know?

  On that evening, she certainly did end up having an awfully misleading conversation upon hearing Alfred’s report.

  “You really are a wreck at the most important times...” Nephteros said with a sigh.

  “Sh-Shut up!” Chastille retorted while holding back the urge to burst into tears.

  “We’re... done talking,” Kuroka said as she donned her mask, which was engraved with a cross. That was the signal for the battle to begin. Kuroka held her shortswords at the ready, and charged in.

  She really is fast! Kuroka stepped into range with a single breath, and Chastille somehow managed to fend off her shortswords using her Sacred Sword.

  “Listen, calm down! This isn’t the time! The chimera you cut down is still alive!”

  “...Like I care. I’m only here to take revenge for that man.”

  If I can get her to understand that it’s just a misunderstanding... However, Chastille had no way of explaining that to her in the moment, so she was out of luck. And just then, a quiet song broke out.

  “[Battle gives birth to the vanquished, and rule over them beckons chaos. Panic becomes a bridle, and with no harmony nor friendship, under the name of chaos and discord, the battlefields run rampant.]”

  “Huh!?”

  It was Nephteros. Upon hearing the song of celestial mysticism, Kuroka collapsed to the ground. It seemed that Nephteros split the gravitational pressure that was pushing down onto the chimera in two.

  “I’ll hold her here, so go finish off that chimera!”

  “Nephteros... Sorry. I owe you one,” Chastille said as she ran past Kuroka and charged in at the chimera.

  “You won’t... get away...!” Kuroka barked, swinging her shortsword with her strength alone despite her body weight being multiplied severalfold.

  “What!?” Nephteros raised her voice in shock as Kuroka’s shortsword severed the field of gravity itself.

  It’s not... just a simple shortsword? As far as Chastille knew, the only swords that could break through celestial mysticism were Sacred Swords. There was no mistaking that Kuroka’s shortswords were extremely sharp blades, but they possessed no crests like those of a Sacred Sword. The aura of a sacred sword was granted to it by the crests carved into it using Celestian, so even if that shortsword was the Thirteenth that Zagan was talking about, there was no way it could be a Sacred Sword. And yet, how else could the power it just displayed be explained?

  “I can’t let you go just because of that — Selini Chavliodous!” Nephteros exclaimed, immediately putting her next hand to play despite her surprise. Pillars of crystal jutted out all around Kuroka as if to obstruct her. And after that finished, Nephteros gestured to Chastille to tell her to keep her mouth shut.

  Is she telling me... not to raise my voice? Right as Chastille figured out Nephteros’ intentions, Kuroka kicked off the crystal pillars, leaped into the air, and slipped through their gaps.

  “I thought it’d come to that!” Nephteros said as she snapped her fingers. Immediately following that, the crystal pillars shattered with a noisy clang.

  “Agh...” Kuroka let out a small cry, then fell to the ground while covering her ears.

  I see. Her sense of hearing is so strong it can be used against her... The sound of glass shattering was sharp enough that it felt like it pierced one’s brains. If someone was subjected to that at point blank range, even a normal person’s hearing would be paralyzed. And so, in Kuroka’s case, it likely wasn’t something shallow. Thanks to Nephteros, she had surely even lost Chastille’s position. If she didn’t raise her voice, then Kuroka had no means of locating her.

  Please lend me your power — Azrael! Chastille called out to her Sacred Sword in her mind. Heeding her call, the Sacred Sword once more let out a brilliant light. However, this wasn’t a technique that enveloped the sword’s blade in light. Instead, it was designed to fire off light in a wide area in a similar fashion to Raphael’s flames. The light pierced into the sky, and Chastille swung it down right at the chimera.

  “GYIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!” the chimera let out a repulsive scream as it writhed about. Its body visibly shrank, and the hood that had stubbornly remained affixed began falling off.

  This is the end! Chastille thought. And right when she swung down her Sacred Sword at the now exposed head...

  “Huh...?” Chastille muttered as she froze on the spot. She was supposed to remain silent, but she completely forgot that and let out her voice. She understood that since it had the arms and legs of a human, that its face would likely be that of a human as well. However, she never thought it would be a face that she knew...

  It was the face of a girl with pointy ears, which were the characteristic features of an elf. She had slightly darkened white hair. Her skin was dark, and her seemingly sad eyes were golden. Her disheveled white hair stuck to her face, and her golden eyes seemed to possess no reason in them, yet they still let out black tears as if she were crying. It was Nephteros’ face.

  “Why...?” Chastille asked. She knew if she brought down her sword, she would defeat it. However, she was unable to.

  Nephteros surely also saw that face, as she fell to her knees with a thud. She probably understood better than Chastille. It was without a doubt something similar to Nephteros.

  Is this... something an Archdemon comes up with...? Zagan had warned her to be ready for the worst. She also thought she understood from the battle atop the ship that Bifrons was one who liked to use absolutely repulsive means. However, the ‘worst’ an Archdemon could come up with far surpassed what Chastille imagined.

  “AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!” the chimera let out a sorrowful shriek as its body shook. Chastille, who was still frozen, was blown away and thrown to the ground, landing on her butt.

  “Lady Chastille!” one of the Angelic Knights shouted at her in an attempt to warn her. And as Chastille turned around, she caught sight of Kuroka leaping in at her with her shortswords. This time around, she didn’t think it was possible to stop those blades.

  ◇

  “So, what’s your request?”

  While
Chastille and Nephteros were fighting in front of the church, Zagan was still sitting in a plaza on the outskirts of town. He was speaking with Orias, who was sitting on a bench with Kuu on her lap.

  “Mm... That dark elf girl... I think she was called Nephteros?”

  “Yeah. What about her?”

  “Back when I met her, she asked me ‘what am I?’ I have spent quite a bit of time around sorcery, so there are many things I can tell at a single glance,” Orias said in a somewhat languid fashion.

  “...You didn’t,” Zagan’s tone grew somewhat critical, to which Orias nodded apologetically.

  “I noticed after I talked to her that I said something quite inconsiderate, so I chased after her in a hurry, but she seems to be quite the talented girl. I’m disappointed to say that I ended up losing sight of her. By the time I realized it, I was already within your domain.”

  Zagan let out a grave sigh, and Orias looked up at him while brushing Kuu’s head.

  “By the looks of it, you’ve also noticed, huh?”

  “I just thought... it would’ve been nice if that wasn’t the case,” Zagan declared. Then, he finally put the truth into words in a tone that made it seem like he didn’t want to admit it, saying, “Nephteros... is a clone of Nephy.”

  Within sorcery, there was a technique that was said to be capable of creating homunculi. To put it simply, it was the creation of a living being. It was power that clearly surpassed the territory of mere sorcery, and had never been perfected before.

  However, it wasn’t like there weren’t any results. They were unable to create something from nothing, but they succeeded in duplicating life. Using that technique, it was possible to give birth to an existence that replicated the flesh and blood of the base subject. And depending on the way it was done, it was even supposedly possible to use the technique to swap an old body with a younger one to extend one’s lifespan.

  Still, something created through such a method wasn’t a complete lifeform. The first problem was that it was unable to possess an ego of its own. The cloned body did not possess a soul or anything else required to define a sense of self. Furthermore, its mana and vitality would deteriorate rapidly. A clone’s lifespan was extremely short, and its mana and physical strength were nothing compared to the original’s. Also, perhaps due to the introduction of foreign matter, cloning lowered the efficiency of rituals that used them as sacrifices.