Volume 1 - CH 2.4

Translated by: Riciel.

(Okay, I’m starting to see it.)

Kengo wiped the sweat from his forehead as he concentrated and felt tense. It looked like nothing more than a jet-black dome to the rest of the army, but his eyes saw more.

He could see the complex, mysterious, and elaborate magic formula as patterns of pale blue light. However, this was only the first step. Kengo’s eyes focused more and more intensely. Like trying to focus everything onto the tip of a needle, he pushed his consciousness to the limit. He was completely focusing on the Dome of Darkness.

If all you had to do was observe with your own eyes and see the light patterns, it was probably possible for even intermediate demons, not to mention the high-level ones. However, even if they could visualize Sado’s spell, a hundred years might not be enough for them to decipher its intricate and bizarre nature.

Moreover, once they had analyzed the mysterious laws hidden therein, they would have to unravel the structure of the formula one by one, as if they were solving a puzzle at a very high cost. Neither of these was remotely realistic. Even the Seven Great Demon Generals had to throw up their hands in the air to that. So how was he able to do it?

In the process of desperately training in lifting spells, Kengo had realized. A magic formula was like a mini-universe in itself. With the help of the eye, he could perceive spells as a world rather than a series of patterns.

It was an abstract way to observe the patterns, as so to speak. It was a complex and bizarre thing, and one didn’t need to face it head-on. No one wanted to deal with it. But Kengo interpreted it roughly in a way that was more convenient for him. It was the key and the second step in the process of undoing the spell.

Using magical power as a medium, he let his consciousness enter it. It was what Kengo called ‘entering the virtual realm.’ Now—with extreme concentration— Kengo entered that virtual realm.

He became a spiritual body that looked identical to himself and fluttered down into the world of the spell. It was a jet-black world with no end in sight in all directions. The ground was completely flat, full of ‘6’ figures made out of the black miasma.

It was a terribly bleak world, with many three-dimensional objects that appeared to have been created by Sado. It was the virtual space that Kengo’s brain recognized as a result of his extreme concentration, abstracting Sado’s technique and interpreting it as conveniently as possible in his own way.

“It’s a staggeringly vast virtual realm…”

He looked around, once again amazed at Sado’s ability. He then fearfully struck one of the ‘6’ nearest to him. However, there was no need to freak out as it was easily crushed and vanished.

“Okay… I can do this.”

Since Kengo’s magic perceived his mental body as his ‘body,’ then the figures representing Sado’s techniques were perceived as something that could be destroyed by hitting them. It was the core of Kengo’s method of undoing spells.

It was the secret that he had realized at the end of his training, the third and final step in the process of undoing the spell.

“There isn’t much time left. I have to keep going…”

Kengo smashed the ‘6’ figures around him as soon as he reached them. It was the only current way Kengo recognized how to undo the spell.

He also experienced a different flow of time in the virtual realm. A whole day spent there was but a tenth of a second in the real world. However, there was a limit he could abstract and simplify through self-interpretation. It would normally be a task that could take more than a hundred years to unravel after all.

The situation inside Fort Krall became more perilous as time passed, so every minute was precious.

“Hurry, hurry, hurry, hurry, hurry…”

Kengo destroyed the three-dimensional objects as quickly as he could.

50… 80… 100…

It was simple work, but it was tiring and mentally exhausting. Moreover, there was no end to the number of three-dimensional objects that needed to be destroyed. They filled the horizon, as far as his eyes could see. Even though he knew in theory that one day he would see the end, his heart almost faltered again and again.

“Lushiko told me to put my mind to it! I’ll have to get into it!”

Her encouragement was the only thing that kept him going. He was well aware of his own weakness, and he didn’t have the slightest confidence in himself. However, he could trust the words of his step-sister, who assured him that he could do it if he put his mind to it.

“This is so hard! Really hard!”

He was complaining like a desperate man, but he couldn’t stop. He just couldn’t. He had to take responsibility for what he had done!

With a pathetic, half-crying face and a tired waist, he continued to destroy the three-dimensional objects with his hands (with the so-called spoiled child punches), swinging them in circles.

“You used such an elaborate technique, Sado, you douchebag!”

Kengo’s tearful efforts and his plain, sloppy appearance and screams were all in his mind, so no one else saw it. The scene that Sado, who was next to him, saw, however, was something entirely different.

From the above, Kengo pointed his arm down toward the Dome of Darkness on the ground and projected his exceptionally powerful magical power, causing the dome’s surface to crack and break apart at an alarming rate.

It didn’t look like he was using any complicated techniques. However, he was not destroying the jet-black dome by force either. No matter how much the other party feared the Demon King, there was a simple difference in the amount of magical power.

Sado did not underestimate his own magical power or skills to the extent of considering his spells easy to be undone. On the other hand, Kengo was such an advanced magician that he could undo the spell at speeds impossible for even Sado himself.

(Using advanced magic techniques that even I don’t understand…!)

No matter how much he used his eyes, it was still impossible for him to even remotely figure out Kengo’s technique. Even so, Sado gazed at his Lord’s profile as if he were savouring it. He couldn’t stop.

Kengo was half-oblivious to this and continued to undo the spell with a clear, serious expression.

(Oh, Kengooo-samaa! Your Majesty, my cousin, the Demon King!)

With a shudder, Sado quivered.

This cold-blooded man, who was described as the best of the best! The dignified profile of his Lord and his unfathomable spells!

He was totally intoxicated.

(I want to stay entranced like this forever.)

Sado thought bitterly.

(I want to unravel the secret of Lord Kengo’s technique.)

He earnestly wished that he could. But it remained an unfulfilled thought and yearning. Kengo’s work at undoing the spell had been too fast. Yes, too fast.

Soon after, Sado’s tactical grade magic was undone, and the Dome of Darkness shattered. Fort Krall regained its blue of the sky, and the huddled soldiers turned their heads in relief.

Kengo also came back to himself and felt somewhat refreshed, feeling as if, “What I did was like having finished weaving a huge carpet that was originally woven by three generations of mothers and daughters in a solitary room while time stood still.” [EN: Refers to something that took a very long time within a short span.]

He had a look of accomplishment on his face as if he had done it all, but from start to end, it was just an ‘ah,’ making it a record of one minute and thirty-seven seconds. Even the Seven Great Demon Generals would have taken more than a hundred years to accomplish this great task, but Kengo took his record to another dimension.

“Kengo-sama…”

Sado, overwhelmed with emotion, whispered the name of his Lord. His voice even started trembling.

“Hmm? Oh… I-I’m sorry, Sado! I entrusted you with it, hadn’t I? But it’s not your fault! It’s just a little… Well, what… Uh…”

Kengo was groggy, with sweat pouring down his face. Apparently, he couldn’t come up with a good excuse on the spur of the moment.

(I’m sure my magic was too pitiful for him to see. Despite this, Kengo-sama is not scolding me, but rather following up to make sure I don’t get depressed.)

Sado remained in the air with his magic and took a kneeling posture toward Kengo. He bowed his head to this unprecedented and kind-hearted demon king.

“Once again, I offer my allegiance to You until the end of my life. Even for a thousand years, two thousand years, or more.”

“O-oh…”

At this moment, the expression on Kengo’s face was like, “What the h**l is this guy doing all of a sudden?”

It was nothing but confusion, but Sado, who had been keeping his face down, did not see it.

Well. The Dome of Darkness has been undone, and everyone’s happy!

(Well, of course, it doesn’t work like that, does it? I knew that already!)

Kengo ranted inwardly and decided to use his flying magic to get to Fort Krall. Although they had stopped the super-fast starvation, tens of thousands of weakened human soldiers still remained. Just before, he told Sado.

“I’m going to be conducting an operation in that fort.”

“Eh, Kengo-sama, you will do this by yourself?”

“Yes. I’ll do it myself. Therefore, I would like you to notify everyone so that no one interferes.”

“An Imperial Decree, everyone! No matter who you are, I will not let you stand in Kengo-sama’s way! I’m so grateful for the opportunity to clear my name.”

“N-no, it’s not your fault or negligence…”

Kengo mumbled, but he didn’t want to spend time bothering with it at the moment, so he went to the fort. He skulked down to the square just inside the main gate, where a ceremony could easily be held for ten thousand people. On this spot alone, there were no less than five thousand human army generals.

“… You… The Demon King…”

“If you come… come…”

“… At least… One sword…”

And many were hostile to him. Even with the starvation, one could see life in their eyes.

“… I… don’t want to… die…”

“Please… Not my life… Please…”

“… Mother…”

Yet many of them were losing their will to fight. They had spent months in sped-up time, suffering from hunger. It was a natural reaction. But both types remained huddled on the ground, unable to get up. No one would have dared to stick a blade in front of Kengo’s face. He looked around at them and declared.

“I-I’m Kengo! I am the Demon King Kengo!”

His voice trembled a little, and he did the best he could to put on a false front. Thousands of people were staring at him (and probably wanting to kill him), and the lousy chicken was nervous and afraid!

“Let me make it clear! I like to kill for nothing! If you do not resist, I will not take your lives! Mmm, I’d rather help you.”

Under pressure, he ended up saying what he wanted to say, but with a strange ending. Then, he walked up to the nearest soldier—choosing one who wasn’t strong— and inwardly trembled.