“I need to finish this quickly.”
The Iron Soul Sword, embodying the Iron Devourer, clenched its teeth as the Iron Soul Formation unfurled in the air.
This wasn’t the original plan.
The main objective was to “easily” win in the Arena and acquire one of the prizes, the Level 2 Magical Object, ‘Thread of the Four Eyes.’
This ‘Thread’ is a jewel made from a Level 2 Demon that possesses the ability to temporarily enhance or sever connections of spells.
The thought was to detach the ‘eyes’ intertwined with him using this ability.
“I’m so fed up with this now.”
It was tiresome.
Born with spiritual power surpassing Level 1, he had to devote his entire life to sealing the Iron Devourer.
At first, he felt immense pride in having a great mission, but as he grew older, the life confined within the Safe House became dull.
Even when he occasionally begged to go out, eight times out of ten, his pleas were denied.
The couple of times he was allowed to go out, he had to move with at least one of the ‘Six Stars’ from the Sorcerers’ Association.
A life devoid of freedom.
To break free from this, Iron sometimes rebelled, but the Six Stars were strong.
It wasn’t easy to defeat them simply because he possessed a massive amount of spiritual power and excellent jewels.
“If I have the Thread of the Four Eyes, it will definitely help me evade the eyes ahead. I can’t afford to waste more spiritual power.”
So far, he had avoided the gazes of the Six Stars using his immense spiritual power to forcibly blind them.
Because of this, his spiritual power was always in short supply, but obtaining the special jewel known as the Thread of the Four Eyes would surely lessen the drain.
Even a Level 2 jewel would enable Iron, with his vast spiritual power, to exhibit effects surpassing Level 1 jewels.
Kugugugu!!
“…Damn it.”
But the plan derailed.
He expected the dominating presence of the woman known as Ryoko to show up, yet a completely different star descended here.
Even if he somehow managed to take down that woman right now, it meant that he’d have to face Ryoko, who would be notified to arrive shortly after.
“Niaz is probably busy. Is it that old hag Ryoma because she’s in female form? But the spells used are different…”
His head was in turmoil.
Whatever the case, the deed was done, and since he secured a ‘promise’ from Geomhon, all he had to do now was win.
Though he wouldn’t be able to obtain ‘that’ from the Auction House, he had no other option as he had to escape immediately afterward.
“If I’m caught, it’s over. I need to move right as the match ends.”
Iron looked up at the sky.
A gray, murky sky and a land of iron with gaping holes, as if eaten away.
Confirming that the domain of the Iron Soul Formation was fully spread, Iron murmured while glancing at Lily, who wore a puzzled expression.
“Iron. Absorb. Iron Demon Armor.”
Clang!!
The iron on the floor sticks to the Iron Soul Sword.
The iron transforms into armor, firmly protecting the body of the Iron. Soon, the iron rises and gathers behind him, floating in the air.
Each one is as big as a Level 2 Ghost.
The boulders fly towards Lily, and she quickly dodges them.
Thud thud thud!!
At the same time, boulders rise behind her.
The boulders infused with spiritual power clash against each other and explode, while the Iron, wielding the Iron Soul Sword, thrusts his sword at her.
Clang…!
The sword and hammer collide.
Having already consumed quite a bit of spiritual power through seals and deceptions, the strength he could exert wasn’t that great.
Still, he was wielding a respectable amount of power, akin to a Level 1 Sorcerer…
“…This is insane.”
Creak!
The Spirit Stone in her hand shatters.
In an instant, overwhelming spiritual power surged from Lily’s hammer, pressing down on the Iron so heavily it was almost unbearable.
It’s pushing him back.
The Iron tried to reverse the spiritual flow to counter the push, but it was already too late.
“Iron. Absorb.”
“…?!”
“Spiritual Flow Reversal.”
Woosh!!
Iron was unexpectedly sent flying far away by Lily, who had used his own reversal against him.
A force that surpassed Level 2 and approached Level 1.
The Iron trembled, looking up at Lily, overwhelmed by the powerful barrage capable of piercing through the Iron Armor, but the situation on her side was far more dire.
“Oof.”
Gush gush gush!!
Blood poured out.
It looked as if Lily were about to collapse, blood gushing from her body, and she was breathing heavily with a pallor worse than usual.
Anyone would believe that it was Lily who had just been attacked, not the Iron.
She kept wiping away the flowing blood and nodded her head.
“…Using a Level 3 Spirit Stone is a bit much. Ugh. It seems. Just in case, I used two at once, but the Iron Soul Sword isn’t just an ordinary sword.”
“……”
“I feel like I’m going to be sick, but I think I can still swing it maybe three more times.”
Hoo. Lily rested her hammer on her shoulder.
“How about you? Ugh. Can you keep going?”
“…Are you the old lady Ryoma?”
“Who’s that?”
“Well then, Niaz… No way that lady would be here doing this. She’s always busy, you know.”
Hehe…
The Iron laughed.
There’s no answer.
No more answers…
Boom!
“When are you planning to keep me locked up! This is enough already!!”
“???”
“It’s not that I’m not going to do it… If you say locking me in a safe house is freedom, just throw it out! What I want is to live freely without being watched! Is it too much to ask for not getting chased every time I do something?!”
“I just want to live freely!! It’s not like I’m doing anything and they’re coming to catch me!”
“…Do you want to escape?”
“Yes! I don’t care if you’re Niaz or Ryoma, I’m sick of useless teachers trying to play parents. There’s not a shred of sincerity; I’m just being used as a substitute for a seal—”
“In that case, please give it to me.”
“…Huh?”
A hand is extended.
As the woman called Lily reaches out with a blood-soaked hand, Cheolhon, who was about to spit out evil, dumbfoundedly asked again.
“…W-what?”
“The Iron Soul Sword.”
The very thing that turned Cheolhon into Cheolhon and the reason he wants to escape this situation.
“If you give it to me now, I won’t hold you responsible anymore.”
—
To face Ryuin Aban, I went on a rampage and absorbed an incredible two Level 3 Spirit Stones.
Originally, I was only planning to use a few Level 4 stones or one Level 3, but Ryuin turned out to be stronger than expected, so I had no choice but to use them.
Thanks to that, I felt like my insides were about to turn upside down and my blood is still flowing, but thankfully, I gained the upper hand.
Splash, splash, splash!!
[Lily, are you okay?]
[Lol, I’m really dying]
[You’re bleeding a ton]
[Aren’t you going to die?]
‘Of course, it’s really touch-and-go.’
I won’t die unless my soul is severely damaged, but I feel like I might collapse at least.
The only fortunate thing is that Ryuin thinks I’m a senior member of the Sorcerers’ Association.
From the reaction of Ryuin and the content of the cutscene, it seems they locked me up in their place right after handing over the sword.
Being out here now is kind of like a runaway.
“……”
“Why are you hesitating? I’m offering you the freedom you’ve longed for.”
“…Why? Now?”
Ryuin glares at me with suspicion-filled eyes.
He looks tense, but he’s holding the Iron Soul Sword as if he might break it.
“When you said I had to have it, that no one else could bear this mission—now you’re changing your words?”
“I had to do it. The power of the Iron Soul Sword is weakening, and someone needs to take its place for everyone to survive.”
“Yeah. But why now…”
“Because I found a way.”
The way is incredibly simple.
It just has to come into my hands.
The Iron Soul Sword is a weapon I originally sealed, and even in a weakened state, I can still control it to some extent.
For now, even if I’m weaker than Ryuin, I can control it with my mental power, and above all, the Iron Soul Sword is a jewel that surpasses Level 1.
If I can utilize the power of the jewel, I might be able to lift the ‘spiritual power restriction’ placed on me.
“If I use this method, you won’t have to worry about the sword anymore. You can live freely, and no one will be able to hold you back.”
“If you use the method, you won’t have to be anxious about the sword anymore. You can live freely, and no one will be able to hold you back.”
“…”
“Congratulations. Now you can live freely.”
“Uh… um…”
“Come on, hurry up.”
As I reached out my hand, Ryuin’s hand that held the sword trembled.
Slowly, he extended the sword.
Swish!
The blade swept past my neck.
[?]
[???]
[What kind of trick is this?]
[Are you crazy?]
[Huh?]
“What are you doing?”
“…D-don’t lie! You’re not from the Six Stars, are you?! You’re trying to trick me! There’s no way you would do this otherwise!”
“I don’t understand. I’m offering you the freedom you’ve always wanted. Why are you refusing it?”
“Shut up!”
Crash!!
The ground shook with the trajectory of the sword, and iron fragments trembled.
I sighed and summoned the remaining spiritual power in my body to dodge the fragments while Ryuin gritted his teeth and drew even more power from the Iron Devourer.
‘Greed is the problem.’
I want to obtain freedom.
But I also don’t want to give up the Iron Soul Sword, the first and most powerful demon spawn that has been with Ryuin for so long, whether I like it or not.
Moreover, there’s the fame of being the ‘only’ one who could seal the Iron Soul Sword.
“Having too much greed will bring trouble.”
“Shut up!”
Boom!!
The Iron Soul Sword went berserk.
I felt it when we began the great battle; the Iron Soul Sword was not in a normal state.
It was just forcing itself to hold it in with massive spiritual power yet seemed like it could explode at any moment.
I wasn’t able to observe closely, but it felt like it had been unsealed several times.
“It seems there’s no time. We need to recover it quickly.”
“Shut—”
“Cheol. Spiritual Power Reversal.”
Ryuin sank into the ground as he was overtaken by abstract power.
He seemed quite flustered, struggling, but the Iron Soul Sword was a weapon I was used to handling.
As long as I had enough spiritual power, I could handle spells related to the Iron Devourer better than anyone.
I approached the trembling Ryuin and reached out my hand.
“Thanks for your hard work. Now you can live freely…”
“Um. That won’t do.”
Crack!
A pale blue domain of an old man that appeared from nowhere swallowed my arm.
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