"Duh...!　It's pretty good.


　Immediately after cutting Auken, I sensed a large amount of souls pouring in, and I knitted my eyebrows together and fell silent. I thought he was a toothless opponent, but he had the strength to call himself Taizan or Megushiko, or some other exaggerated name.

　I've been thinking that if I let a handful of people like Auken get away with it, they will come back to haunt me later on - that's why I came after them, but as a result I was able to achieve unexpected results. It's only a sparrow's tears compared to the soul of the demon god I just defeated, but this is just as well.

　Thinking about that, I looked down at the corpse of Auken that had been cut in both directions. My eyes are headed for the horn on his forehead. I knew at a glance that it had been cut in half and had lost its effectiveness as a magic item.

　It's not that I don't feel like I've done a wasteful thing. It's not that I don't think it's a waste of time. The horn of Auken could have been a replacement for the horn of the beast king (behemoth) - an item necessary for warding magic to prevent Hydra's poison from spilling out.

　However, I knew this and struck Auken down with the horn (tsuno) as well. It's not a good idea to have a good time with them.

　If warding magic was activated by Auken's horns, then, I see, the poisonous effects of the Titis Forest and Kale River would be reduced.

　However, instead, the fact that the Oaken Horn would allow them to put up a powerful warding spell would be communicated to the Canarian Royal Palace, the Hokage, and the upper echelons of Ishka and the other politicians.

　And the next thing they would do when they learned of this would be to secure a spare horn in case the magic power of Auken's horn ran out.

　It was obvious then that their eyes would turn to the sparrow.

　For me to bring back Auken's horns would be like giving the sparrows more reasons to target me with my own hands. I couldn't choose such an option.

　--I'm not sure I would have chosen such an option, considering the feelings of the sparrow when I brought back my Auken's horn, but from the beginning, bringing it back was not an option.

　At any rate, I was able to finish off Oken and eat the demon god. And I finished visiting my mother's grave. And by the way, I also cleared the condition that the swordsman asked me to prove my strength. It's safe to say that I've done everything I need to do on the island. There's no reason to stay here for too long, so let's just get back to Ishqa.

　I would have liked to say hello to Emma at the end, but I decided against it. If I showed too much respect for Emma, some people might think that an exiled person is planning to join her and return to the palace. I don't care what they think of me, but I couldn't afford to bother Master Emma.

　Now, is there anything else I have to do?

　When I thought that, the image of the demon man I had just exchanged a short exchange with flashed through my mind. Kagari, a demon race full of youth, vitality, and wisdom.

　Kagari, as Auken called him, was probably, no doubt, the leader of the demon race. The fact that Cagali avoided the fight, calling himself the "spy", suggests that the demon tribe regarded this attack as a means of gathering information.

　They must have analyzed the strength of the swordsman's family with the information they gained today, and are planning their next full-scale attack based on that information.

　It would be a shame to have the island where Mom is asleep and Emma lives become an area of turmoil. I should at least warn the swordsman... I thought about this and immediately realized the pointlessness of it all and laughed.

　The guardianship of the devil's gate is an absolute duty for the swords family. It is the supreme order of the emperor who has been protecting the gate for 300 years. How ridiculous it is to urge the swordsman to strengthen the protection of the demon gate.

　We should leave the island quickly without doing anything else. After returning to Ishqa as planned, we went to Belka to look for the King of Beasts (Behemoth).

　The only problem I had was that there was always the possibility of an attack on my absence someday, but to be honest, I wasn't too worried about that.

　My father was, and still is, a difficult person for me to understand, but he's never reversed his words once (once). Now that I've proven my strength, he won't go back on his previous words and go after the sparrows while I'm away. As long as the battle for the demon gate is still going on, there's no way I can afford to send a flagman outside the island.



　After gathering up my thoughts like that, I tried to kick the ground in order to leave.

　--Just before I did, I suddenly felt a glance and turned around.

　The mansion was built on top of high ground in my vision. You can't find a shadow of a person due to the distance between them, but you can certainly feel someone's eyes on you.

　I don't feel any hostility in the gaze being poured out, but it wouldn't be pleasant if someone was peeking at me. I looked for the owner of the unidentified gaze for a while - but I couldn't find him at all.

　Come to think of it, as long as the demon tribe had a lookout, it's no wonder that the Gokens had someone in the same role.

　I huffed and exhaled through my nose and turned my back to the Miken residence to break the other side's gaze. There's nothing for me to gain from exposing the lookout, and I'm not bothered by being seen. If that's the case, there's no need to get more bogged down with the master of the gaze.

　I kicked the ground this time and left the place. While feeling the gaze poured on my back.


◆ ◆ ◆


What?


　The moment he regained consciousness, Miken Laguna raised his upper body, splashing off the bedding. He cupped his chest with his left hand while exhaling roughly.


''This, this is.......I.......''


　A muddled consciousness hindered his grasp of the current situation. Still motivated by the frustration that scraped his chest, Laguna stood up on the spot.

　He must not remain in one place. You have to keep moving. Otherwise, that monster will only cut you in half - when I thought that far, a flash of light flashed through Laguna's mind, and the hazy memory suddenly became clearer.

　He had crossed paths with the demon man who had invaded the Miken mansion. Laguna remembered that. In the middle of it, the opponent had summoned the demon god, and he had been unable to take the enemy's attack, and he had been hit by a great sword blow to his chest--


He's lost consciousness... my God, what a mess.


　Gritting his back teeth tightly, Laguna looked down at his body, which was covered with multiple layers of bandages.

　Looking underneath the bandages, he could see the imprint of a large sword carved deep into his left shoulder and right hip. The wound itself was blocked up, but it was a horrific scar that could have been fatal. When the demon god was slashing at me, it might have been a good thing that I didn't try to catch him lazily, but instead jumped backwards quickly.

　Maybe it was the recovery mind-dresser that kept his wounds covered, or maybe he called a high priest of the Hokage religion.

　Either way, when Laguna was resting in his room like this, there was no doubt that the threat of the demon gods had left the Miken residence. Perhaps his father, Shikibu, took it upon himself to do so.

　It's no use for Laguna to jump out of the house with a calm sword now. The fact that Laguna understood that, but then there are plenty of things to do, such as searching for the remaining demons and wiping out the demons outside the castle. Lying idly by after being cut down by the enemy is not something a heiress of the Giken should be doing.

　With that thought in mind, the next moment when I was about to leave the room, I felt a sharp pain in the wound on my chest.


''Ouch........!


　Even if the wound was closed, the damage did not disappear. Regaining consciousness brought back the sensation of being slashed, which in turn brought back the sensation of being cut, and in some ways increased the pain.

　Laguna staggered to one knee on the bedclothes, and the sliding doors of the room opened soundlessly.

　Ayaka, holding the small tarai, saw Laguna clutching his chest in pain and rushed over to him as if in a panic.


'Laguna, you can't stand still. You need to lie down and rest.


　Inside the tarai was cold water and a white cloth to put on Laguna's forehead. A closer look revealed that the wet white cloth had fallen near the pillow. It must have slipped off Laguna's forehead when he first splashed down.

　Laguna hastened to ask his fiancée, who was concerned about him.


'Ayaka, was the demon god avenged?

''Yes, they were defeated. All the demons that came to Hiiragito have been defeated as well. So you can lie down in peace.

'This is not possible. There's no guarantee that there won't be any survivors of the demons that have infiltrated the city. I'll be out in a minute.


　With that, Laguna tried to get up again, but Ayaka held him gently as if he were a child.

　I'm sure you'll be able to find out what's going on.


I have a one-flag bannerman assigned to the search. Your job now is to rest and regain your strength.


　As soon as he said that, Ayaka softly lifted Laguna's body and laid him down on the bedclothes in the blink of an eye. It was a quick action that Laguna didn't have time to resist, and at the same time, it was a natural action that he couldn't bring himself to resist.

　On the bedclothes, Laguna made a reluctant face.


'Ayaka, you........'

Mistress (Emma) has been worrying about you for a long time. She's resting now because I'm with her, but she was at my bedside all the way up until the other day. You are going to have to be careful not to make her worry any more.


　As Ayaka said this, she dipped the white cloth in cold water, squeezed it and pressed it to Laguna's forehead.

　I can't let myself go if you bring up my mother. Laguna let out a small breath and relaxed from his body.

　Ayaka smiled at this and put the bedclothes back in order. She then drew up a white cloth that had fallen on her pillow and placed it in the tarai.


'Isn't your throat dry, Laguna?

'I'm a little dry but for that matter, Ayaka, tell me how the fight went after I went down.


　The fact that I am alive like this after being dealt a deep hand by the demon god means that someone took a risk and carried me backwards. When Laguna, who has just now come to that realization, asked for details, Ayaka's eyes were faintly downcast.

　At times like this, Laguna is notoriously bad at deception and appeasement. Knowing this, Ayaka honestly described what happened next.


'After you were cut down, I carried you back. Instead, a flag-bearer hit the demon god, but there was a lot of damage.

What do you mean by that?

Thirteen people died. There are more than 20 wounded.


　In terms of the simple number of casualties, the other squadrons that were defending the city walls were far more numerous. However, the first banner is the most elite under the direct control of the head of the clan, and every single one of its officers has mastered the heart attire.

　In that sense, it had to be said that the damage caused by the first banner by the demon god was extremely large.

　Hearing this, Laguna bit his lip and said, "d*mn," poisoning himself in a low voice. He was cursing at himself, not anyone else. Because the damage this time was damage that would not have been caused if Laguna had kept the demigod in check.

　For example, if it had been his father Shikibu who was there, he would have cut down the demon god under a single sword and not caused any damage. That is the way the head of the swords family is expected to be. Laguna, his legitimate son, was keenly aware of his lack of power.



　For a moment, the room was silent.

　All the while, Ayaka stared at Laguna in silence. She was trying to stay close to Laguna, who didn't want to be comforted.

　Perhaps not wanting to worry Ayaka any more, Laguna opened his mouth again.


'So who avenged the demon god?　Is it your father, after all?

...it's


　Ayaka's voice, which had been responding to the question in a flowing manner, was suddenly stagnant. Noticing this, Laguna faintly raised his eyebrows and called out, "Ayaka," as if to prompt an answer.

　After letting out a small breath, Ayaka responded to the question.


'It was Sora who avenged the demon god.

What... what?

'I'm told you won the battle by slashing and dicing head on.

That's impossible!


　Lifting his upper body vigorously, Laguna denies Ayaka's answer as he howls. The white cloth on her forehead slides off again, but Laguna doesn't notice it.

　She continued to speak, shooting a look at her fiancé sitting beside her, "You can't do that to that man.


'You can't do that to that man!　Who is spreading such falsehoods!　It's either Shiba (Goz) or--

Among those present were Sidney, Sai, and old Morgan. And his wife was there too. She was the one who told me the story.

What--?


　Laguna exclaimed when his mother's presence was brought up.

　In response to Laguna, Ayaka continued in a subdued and unconcerned voice, "I have heard from your wife, but even Sydney and the others have acknowledged it.


I've heard from Mistress (Emma)-sama, and I've talked to Sydney and the others, and even the rituals have admitted it. Besides, I also felt the jade pressure when Sora cut down the demon god. No, it wasn't just me, I think all the banners on this island felt it as well.


　The great jin that seemed to shake the demon island itself was rising. There was no mistaking the enormity of that jin pressure that engulfed the demon god.

　Too big, too deep - too abominable dragon power.

　Ayaka gently held her arms in her arms. Because if she didn't, her body was going to shake on its own.

　While soothing the excited Laguna, he secretly thinks inwardly.

　I'm glad that Sora has left Onigashima quickly. If I saw Sora now, I didn't know if I could hold myself back.