That was kind of fun.
He felt like he understood Gremory and Manuela just a little bit. Well, it was troublesome when he was the one being watched, but even so, he found it strangely pleasant. And just at that time...
“HYAHYAHYAA! Well aren’tcha havin’ some fun here!? Lemme join in!”
An insane laugh rang out over the beach.
Decarabia!?
He did declare that he would target Chastille and Kuroka first, but this really was the worst timing to do so. Zagan’s reaction was immediate. Before taking even a single step, he deployed a barrier of wind. The multilayered barrier of wind sealed off all sound. This was what he had prepared earlier in the evening, so he was able to deploy it in an instant, severing all sound between Decarabia and Barbatos. And with his next step, the scenery of the island warped.
It wasn’t like space itself was being warped. Using Memorandum, Zagan drew over the scenery using his own imagination. By the time Barbatos and Chastille turned to look, they couldn’t see Zagan, Nephy, the Angelic Knights, and naturally, even Decarabia.
There was no third step forward. Zagan’s body was already in the sky delivering a roundhouse kick to Decarabia. This was a form of martial arts to deliver a full power kick. Decarabia was fully focused on Chastille, and didn’t even recognize Zagan was there by the time a heel was digging into his face.
He plummeted into the ground, smashed through trees, dug up the earth, and was sent flying to the other side of the island. It all happened in less than three seconds. Zagan was still floating in the sky, but Barbatos and Chastille couldn’t see him because of the barrier obscuring their sight. By the time Zagan struck down Decarabia, Barbatos and Chastille had finally finished turning around.
“Huh? I feel like I heard his laughter just now.”
“Sounded more like screaming than laughing didn’t it? Only heard it for a second though... Doesn’t it mean he was found by that ass Zagan and slugged in the face or something?”
“...That’s possible. Let’s start by looking for Zagan and the others.”
“Right on.”
The two of them began running down the beach, but Barbatos turned to look at Chastille, and muttered out quietly.
“...Well, those clothes ain’t bad you know?”
Immediately following that, Chastille fell face first in dramatic fashion, but that’s a different story altogether.
◇
“You said your name was Decarabia, right? You’re a lucky one. I’m in a good mood right now. So I’ll play with you until you’re satisfied,” Zagan declared in good humor as he landed gently on the ground... though it wasn’t clear whether Decarabia could hear him, being completely covered in shattered trees and dirt.
I never thought that watching the romance of others would be so amusing.
Well, if it ended up with them severing ties, it felt like it would end up being rather depressing, so it would probably be better to keep such side shows to a limit, but it truly was unbearably fun.
And just then, Zagan clapped his hands together, having suddenly remembered something.
“But, I guess my subordinate would put it this way, apparently it’s more beautiful to view such vexing matters from a distance affectionately. It’s better not to get in their way.”
If Decarabia were to plunge in there, he would likely have been slaughtered by Barbatos and Chastille. Having only been kicked aside by Zagan, it could even be said that Decarabia was saved. It was to the point where Zagan was hoping for some gratitude.
Decarabia stood back up expressionlessly. Perhaps because he was kicked too strongly, he looked to be in a daze like he didn’t even know where he was.
Hm? His wounds seem to be worse than before?
Without his eye-patch, the area around his pitiful right eye was smeared in blood. Rather than saying his wound from the Sacred Sword had yet to heal, it was more appropriate to think that he had inflicted this on himself.
And just then, Richard and the others came running in.
“Lord Archdemon! We shall assist you!”
“Mm. But keep it quiet. If we cause too much of a ruckus, Chastille and Barbatos won’t be able to keep the mood going. I want to go back to watching them after this.”
Or perhaps he would prefer setting that aside and going back to walking down the beach in a relaxed manner with Nephy at his side. As Zagan gave this matter serious thought, Decarabia seemed to have finally come back to his senses, and leaped into the air with a laugh.
“HYAHAH! You’ve really gone and done it now ZAGAAAAN! Didn’t I say I’d leave you for later!?”
Decarabia twisted his upper body and let loose his fist like an arrow. And in response, Zagan casually stuck out both his clenched fists straight towards him.
“Don’t be so cold. Aren’t you the one who started fooling around first?”
“Gak!?”
Zagan’s right fist dug right into Decarabia’s face, leaving the Angelic Knights astir.
“His fist connected?”
When they fought earlier in the afternoon, all of Zagan’s punches were easily dodged. The Angelic Knights witnessed this themselves.
Zagan let out a laugh as if he had won the lottery.
“Oh? I got a hit. It’s been a while since I’ve done it, but it went rather well. Maybe I should go teach the brats in Kianoides next time.”
Of the two hands Zagan thrust forward, his left hand collided with Decarabia’s fist, while his right hand dug into his face. This was one of the arts he learned when he was a waif. If there was a certain level of effectiveness even against sorcerers, then it wouldn’t be all that bad to teach the brats in town who would get targeted like the vulpin Kuu.
Blood came spattering out of Decarabia’s nose. However, his face was twisted with a sense of ecstasy.
“Heehee, that’s right. Don’t go puttin’ on airs like that and use some arts ya hear? Show me what you got at your best! HYAHAHAAAAH!”
After laughing, Decarabia came to a complete stop.
“But ya know? Why don’tcha use some sorcery? You so weak that you can’t use sorcery no more while usin’ some arts? You ain’t, right? There’s no way my Zagan is that weak, right? You teasin’ me? You bein’ a tease, right? If ya keep teasin’ me, I’ll start teasin’ ya right back, ya know?”
“Don’t say such gross things. This is called the composure of the strong.”
“HYAH! You really are just a tease!” Decarabia then cast his gaze to the side, where Nephy was running towards them. “HEEHEE! She’s your favorite riiiiight!?”
Decarabia broke through the blockade of the Angelic Knights and dashed in straight towards Nephy.
“Mm. She’s my beloved bride. You may treat having been allowed to catch a glimpse of her figure as your life’s greatest treasure.”
Zagan predicted Decarabia’s actions and leaped in the same direction at the same time. He then wrapped his leg around Decarabia’s neck and forced him to the ground.
“GWAH!?”
Decarabia’s neck was crushed and let out a spurt of blood. And giving him another kick to the head, Decarabia’s neck was now bent at an odd angle, yet he stood back up as if he hadn’t really received any shock.
“Hak... How... weird... hrrrgh... why won’tcha get serious... grrrrgh... even when I aim... for her?”
Decarabia spoke in a strange voice like he was underwater, then used both his hands to straighten out his neck and regenerate instantly. And Zagan simply replied with a troubled scowl.
“Let’s see. This is what you would call compassion. The reason you’re brandishing such a defective power could be said to be my responsibility, after all.”
Decarabia stared back at him in surprise.
“What?”
“Hm. Where should I even begin? I don’t know how self-aware of it you are, but... that reflection sorcery you use is originally something I used.”
It was the sorcery the young waif Zagan had used to kill the sorcerer And
ras. However, it was nothing more than something created on the spur of the moment by a complete amateur. There were several difficult to cover for flaws in it, so Zagan developed it much further. This was the origin of his ability to devour sorcery.
I could only use reflection sorcery back when I killed this guy.
If he stole Zagan’s knowledge back then, it only stood to reason that he was only capable of reflection.
“Huh...?” Decarabia’s mouth popped open, as Zagan then continued.
“That sorcery is only capable of reflecting sorcery fired at you. It can’t put a stop to physical reinforcement, and it can’t block an indirect attack like that of Barbatos’ shadow.”
Barbatos’ original fighting style was an assassination technique where he lurked in his opponent’s shadows and stole their life from beneath their feet without allowing any resistance. No matter how much one excelled at martial arts, they would die if suddenly stabbed in the back by a knife.
“Moreover, there’s dragon’s breath, the fomorian evil eye, and even attacks within dreams by a succubus. You can’t block any of these abilities unique to the races. Once your ability has been seen once, it won’t work unless it’s done by complete surprise.”
That’s why Gremory and Foll didn’t see Decarabia as a threat. They were sorcerers who were considered as Archdemon candidates. They could see a flaw in sorcery at a single glance, and they both likely noticed its relation to Zagan’s ability to devour sorcery.
“If I were to use my completed ability to devour sorcerer against your ability to only use such a defective power, wouldn’t that just be simple cowardice?” Zagan then took on a martial arts stance. “That’s why I’ll face you only using my arts.”
Decarabia stood there in a daze as if he didn’t hear Zagan at all, but before long, he clapped his hands together having thought of something.
“I don’t really get it, but you sayin’ that you think you can beat me without usin’ sorcery? So in that case, if I get you to use sorcery then it’s my win, right!?”
“...Well, I suppose so?”
Zagan never thought that talking to someone who he couldn’t really get through to would be so tiring. He couldn’t hold back a sigh. In any case, after Zagan confirmed this, Decarabia once more began laughing maniacally.
“Heeheehyaaah. Then lemme show you my specialty!”
Decarabia gathered mana into his fist coverings. However, what was giving an even more ominous aura was his silver right eye, now released from its eye-patch. The corrupted mana swept over the area and spurred on an urge to vomit.
So is that artificial eye really a magical apparatus?
The eye may have been supplying him with mana. And while Zagan analyzed that, Decarabia’s sorcery was completed.
“HYAHAH! Blow ’em to bits! Whirlin’ Wave!”’
A vortex of mana shot out of Decarabia’s gauntlet. It was a torrent of power that would reduce any who touched it to atoms. It wasn’t any sort of sophisticated sorcery that an Archdemon candidate would use. It was a simple feat of strength that discharged a massive amount of mana. However...
“Ugh... Wh-What is that power...!?”
The Angelic Knights drew back. The amount of mana discharged by that silver eye was colossal. It was to the point where it encroached on the territory of the Sigil of the Archdemon.
Hmph. I was wondering why he hid it by resorting to an eye-patch, but it looks like that was to seal it.
The mana clearly surpassed Decarabia’s own abilities. There was no way he was able to control it. He could only unleash it. The mere act of discharging such a vast amount of mana on a regular basis was likely the cause of the deterioration of Decarabia’s sanity.
The eye-patch likely also had an effect in protecting him from the curse of the artificial eye, but that eye-patch was gone now. And so, if he were to use martial arts while wielding such power, even an Archdemon would be unable to escape his strike.
Zagan stepped forth towards that sinister power.
“Master Zagan!” Nephy screamed. It was only natural. Just as Zagan declared, this wasn’t sorcery, but a simple torrent of destruction.
And Zagan was walking towards it, without any defenses, incapable of devouring anything, and wasn’t even reinforcing his body. He would even fall behind the Angelic Knights without their Anointed Armor as he was now. If he were caught by that torrent of destruction, he would surely be reduced to cinders in but an instant.
And that’s precisely why this is humiliating for him.
“Fear not, Nephy. Such child’s play one cannot even call sorcery cannot leave even a single scratch on me.” Zagan declared with a laugh.
He took a step forward into the vortex.
And the one to shoot their eyes open in surprise... was Decarabia.
Even though he was within that torrent of destruction that should have shattered his body in an instant, Zagan stood there as if it was nothing at all.
And he took another step forward.
The torrent of destruction touched the hem of his yukata and tore it apart like rubbish. But nevertheless, Zagan wasn’t perturbed at all, as if this was all but a cool breeze to him.
Mana which is simply running wild is quite crude, after all.
Decarabia’s sorcery was something like casting a crudely made net. It was sturdy and covered a wide range, but it had many large holes in it. Zagan was simply advancing forward through the holes located sporadically in the vortex.
This was Decarabia’s own sorcery. He surely noticed this as well. And his face was completely frozen with shock.
“Can... you see it...?”
“...? What are you talking about?”
Zagan cocked his head to the side in confusion. But even so, he didn’t stop walking. Seeing him do so, Decarabia was now fully convinced.
“Don’t play dumb. You can see the flow of mana, right?”
“Any sorcerer is capable of that much, right?”
Zagan had no idea why Decarabia was so surprised. And seeing his exasperation to it all, Decarabia violently shook his head.
“Like hell they can! I got this eye precisely ’cause I couldn’t see that crap!”
“Like I care. Doesn’t that just mean you weren’t suited to become a sorcerer?”
Zagan had no way of knowing it, but this was something that Decarabia could never allow to be said. His eyes shot open so wide it felt like his artificial eye would fall out, and all expression suddenly vanished from his face.
“I’ll fuckin’ kill you!”
The mana which was dispersed in their surroundings converged on Decarabia’s gauntlet. His strike could be said to surpass the strike of even an Archdemon.
I see. With this amount of mana, it’s possible he could have toppled at least one Archdemon.
Unfortunately, no matter how hard he tried, that power would never reach Zagan. Decarabia’s fist closed in. Unlike when he was countering Zagan’s blows, this possessed enough power to reduce him to minced meat with but a touch. The blow couldn’t be diverted without touching it, and if Zagan were to trade blows with it like before, his fist would break.
And with that extreme strike coming in at him, Zagan took on a stance for the first time. He quickly lowered his body and thrust his body forward towards Decarabia’s chest where the mana was likely least concentrated.
He was walking forward at such a relaxed pace earlier, and now he suddenly dived in. Decarabia lost his target, and his gauntlet missed entirely. However, his eye tumbled about in the next instant and found Zagan closing in on him. And now his left gauntlet was closing in on Zagan.
But you’re too late.
Zagan swung his fist faster than Decarabia could. However, the waves of mana coming from Decarabia’s gauntlet caused Zagan to slightly lose his posture. Zagan’s fist grazed his chin with a thud and just scraped by.
“HYAHAH! You missed!”
However, just from that scrape, Zagan’s fist shattered. His skin split, his muscl
ed broke apart, and even his bones were exposed. With his sorcery canceled, there was no way of stopping the pain, and a sharp shock ran up all the way to his brain.
Decarabia’s left fist was closing in. Zagan clenched his teeth, twisted his body, and escaped the gauntlet. He avoided a direct hit, but the mana grazed his back and sent blood flying into the air like a fountain.
But I still dodged it!
Zagan stepped in and swung with his other fist. His punch was basically all he could muster with the last of his strength, but it was far too weak to knock out Decarabia. Moreover...
“What’s wrong Zagan!? You can barely call that a punch now can ya!?”
Decarabia used martial arts to begin with. This fist was supposed to be Zagan’s last chance, but it was dodged quite simply. It just barely grazed Decarabia’s chin.
And even though he missed, he was close enough to just graze Decarabia’s chin. Even his left fist shattered, letting out a horrible sound. Both his fists that could trample over all his enemies up until now were mercilessly reduced to bloody stumps.
Decarabia let out a disappointed sigh.
“Aaah... It’s over... I thought you’d be the greatest proof of my strength too...”
Zagan no longer possessed any power with both his arms languidly dangling by his sides. Even if he tried kicking, he couldn’t take a proper stance without his arms and the kick would lose any sharpness to it. All was decided. That’s why Zagan let out a fearless laugh.
“Yeah. It’s over. It’s your loss, Decarabia.”
“Huh?” Before he could even understand what that meant, Decarabia fell face first into the ground. “Ah... Urgh? What... happened?”
Zagan pointed to his head with his mangled hand.
“You didn’t know? You can heal wounds with sorcery. You can also manipulate your brain to erase pain. However, sorcery is unable to heal a shock to the brain.”
In other words, it was a cerebral concussion. A strike to the tip of the chin caused the brain to shake and strike against one’s own cranium. This was even more intense for shallow strikes which only grazed the chin. Zagan’s strikes to the chin struck in from both sides, so Decarabia’s brain likely had quite the intense dance in there. The nerves in Decarabia’s body were in complete disorder, and he wasn’t even able to stand up.
An Archdemon's Dilemma: How to Love Your Elf Bride: Volume 7 (Premium) Page 15