“What was the item?"
"Ugh.... ugh...."
"You're the black mage, aren't you?"
“... N-no, I'm not.”
“Do you think I'd believe you when you look like that?" He was currently wrapped in a black robe, holding a staff made from a skull in one hand. The black mage's face turned red.
Indeed, if he were to say, 'I am not a black mage,' while looking like this, no one would believe him. Patrick watched him and let out a smirk. 'He's scattering demonic energy all over the place, making him easy to track.'
He had anticipated it to some extent, but the mana wielded by these beings called black mages was similar to, no, exactly the same as the demonic energy emitted by the demonic cultivators of the martial world. There was a difference in how it was operated, but the feel of the energy was unmistakably demonic energy.
As long as he couldn't hide that energy, he couldn't escape Patrick's perception. Patrick looked at him with cold eyes. This repulsive feeling.
A messy energy, like a mixture of sticky mud and filth. It was unmistakably demonic energy.
Yes.
This was the energy Patrick knew. Facing the black mage before him, Patrick hesitated for a moment, which was unlike him. Then, letting out a small sigh, he spoke with difficulty.
“Hey."
“Wh-what?”
“Do you know the Heavenly Demon?”
"... Huh?"
“Or the Blood Demon?”
“...
What are you talking about?" Patrick stared blankly at his opponent. He had heard the names of the Heavenly Demon and the Blood Demon, but the black mage wore an expression that seemed to say, 'What kind of bullshit is that?'
It didn't look like an act. It was a genuine look of ignorance. 'So they're completely unrelated.
They were unrelated.' Patrick let out a deep sigh. Complex emotions were mixed in that sigh.
At least in this world, there were no terrifying beings like the Heavenly Demon Sect or the Blood Asura Cult. The demonic energy they emitted was similar to that of the demonic cultivators from the martial world, but that was all. That fact brought a sense of relief, and at the same time………
'Disappointment...?'
Patrick himself was quite surprised by the emotion that arose from within him. The black mage before him was not a demonic cultivator. He was a being completely unrelated to the demonic cultivators of the martial world.
The only being in this world with ties to the martial world was Patrick Schneider alone.
That fact……
“Is disappointing?”
"Ha...."
A hollow laugh escaped him. It had been a long time since he felt so pathetic.
“Did I still have lingering attachments? Still?”
He thought he had cut them off. He thought he had sorted everything out. He thought he could leave the ties of the past as mere memories.
But every time the soldiers brandished the swords of the Twin Dragon Sect that he had taught them……… Every time he discovered a faint trace of his sworn brother in the blade art wielded by the Orcs……… Every time he saw the shadow of his Master in his father's words and actions……
“This is bullshit.”
Annoyance surged within him. Not at anyone else, but at himself. A thick killing intent overflowed from Patrick's body, so much so that the black mage before him flinched.
And Patrick spoke.
“What was the thing you said you were going to retrieve earlier?" “What are you talking abou—” Thud. A sound of something falling to the ground was heard.
When the black mage casually looked down, a human ear was lying there.
And……… "Aaaaaaaargh!"
At the intense pain he felt from his right ear, the black mage rolled on the ground. He didn't even know when he had been cut. Only after his mind registered the fact that his ear had fallen off did the intense pain wash over him.
"Uuuuuugh...."
Watching the black mage groaning in pain, with tears and snot running down his face, Patrick said indifferently. "Seems you have no tolerance for pain. Your physical ability is just that of a weakling.”
“H-how dare you....”
“I'll ask again. What was the thing you said you were going to retrieve?”
“I won't tell y—” Thud.
Something fell again. This time, he realized it much faster.
"Aaaaaaaaaaargh!"
His nose was sliced clean off and fell to the floor, and the black mage writhed on the ground. And Patrick spoke.
“Next is your eye.”
“Ugh… ugh... you... you demon.”
"How can a guy spouting demonic energy say something like that without a guilty conscience?"
Patrick's knowledge of black mages was simply that they were evil and vile humans. He had only learned of them as losers who had tried to overthrow the world by bringing in demons in the past, only to fail spectacularly. He had never seen one in person, so he just took it as fact.
But seeing one in reality…. 'How much blood must be shed to gather that much demonic energy? What kind of filthy acts did you have to commit?'
“Krrghk...."
Fundamentally, demonic energy was not an energy accumulated through normal means. Demonic energy was gathered and refined from the resentful energy emitted when humans die miserable deaths. In other words, the energy within that man's body was obtained by sacrificing countless people.
The battle he had staged here against the subjugation force was likely for a similar reason. “The thing you're hiding. Shall I take a guess?"
“Don't talk nonsense.” The black mage shouted, but Patrick replied with a sneer. “It's probably something that collects people's life force, or the resentful energy that's generated when they die in agony.
Am I wrong?”
"......!”
There was no answer, but the black mage’s body momentarily froze stiff. "You were trying to take that thing that collected the energy before you retreated.
Weren't you?”
“Wh-who are you? How...”
“How do I know?" --- Patrick spoke with a cold smile. "I know because you act similarly." “What…. Kraaaaaaaargh!” As promised, this time one of his eyes was gouged out. Patrick spoke to the black mage, who was writhing in agony. "If you don't want to talk, then don't. Now that I know what to look for, I can find it myself even if you don't tell me.”
“Lies…. Kraaaaaaaargh...." "If you think it's a lie, then think so. But in return...." Patrick continued, his voice laced with a cold killing intent, as if pronouncing a sentence. "Don't expect to die peacefully.”
The black mage's body trembled. This guy is for real.
"W-wait, I can't speak. It's not that I won't, I can't speak. So…. Kuaaaargh!"
“Looks like you're under some kind of restriction.”
“... Urrgh... th-that's right. So…”
“So what?"
"Aaaaaargh!"
Patrick's sword carved out the flesh from the most painful parts of the black mage's body. Ear, nose, eye, lips…. Swordsmanship aside, it would be difficult for a human to do this to another human unless they were exceptionally cruel.
The black mage felt a fear greater than pain at Patrick's actions, carving out human flesh without a hint of hesitation.
"You can't talk? Or you won't?"
"U... Uuuuugh...."
“If the result is the same, the process should be the same too. Don't you think?”
“De... demon-like bastard.”
“Take it sweetly. Think of it as slightly lessening the evil deeds you've committed.”
“N-no. If you kill me, you won't be safe either. This is real!"
“That's too obvious a lie.”
And Patrick's twin swords rained down mercilessly on the screaming black mage's entire body. 'I have to dispose of guys like this completely.' If handled carelessly, there was a chance they could come back to life.
In fact, among the demonic cultivators, there was one with strong life force who fought for nearly half an hour even after his waist was cut in half. So, he planned to mince the body into dozens of pieces, leaving no room for any tricks.
“Well, this should be enough.”
Having mercilessly diced the enemy, heedless of head or torso, Patrick sheathed his swords. If he still tried any tricks after this, he would have to admit he was even more monstrous than the freaks from the Heavenly Demon Sect or the Blood Asura Cult…
"Hmm?"
Suddenly, Patrick took a step back and drew his swords again. The black mage was dead. No sign of life could be felt from his corpse anymore.
But....
“The demonic energy got stronger?”
Instead, after he died, the demonic energy grew even stronger. And as the demonic energy grew, a single red line appeared above the black mage's corpse. At first, it was a single line in the empty air.
But…. Crack.
A black hand shot out, prying open that red line. And as if forcing its way out of a closed gap, it spread its hands wide to the left and right, and……
“Guooooooooh!”
A disturbing, monstrous cry began to emerge from within the gap. Seeing this unbelievable sight, Patrick recalled what the black mage had said just a moment ago.
[N-no. If you kill me, you won't be safe either. This is real!]
Ah... right, he definitely said that. Patrick spoke to the corpse of the black mage lying on the ground.
“Sorry for not believing you.”
And soon, what emerged from the widened gap was a mysterious knight, wrapped in black armor and exuding demonic energy. Upon seeing Patrick, the knight's eyes flashed with a red, vicious light as it roared.
“Guwooooooooh!”
“Are you an Orc too?”
Anyway, everyone in this neighborhood just roars 'Uoooooh' at the drop of a hat.
"Hmm?"
“What is it, Condor?”
Count Parmas asked his mage, Condor. The expression of the man beside him had turned serious.
"I believe I felt a momentary surge of powerful dark mana. As if a gate of the Demonic Realm had opened….”
"Hahaha.
You must be joki—” "You're not joking?" Seeing the mage's serious expression, Count Parmas's face also hardened. His mage was an excellent mage who had reached the fourth floor of the Tower of Truth.
Frankly, if not for their personal connection, he was an excellent mage who would have been difficult for him to hire. So when such a person made such a serious face, he couldn't help but worry as well. "I'm not exactly sure.”
“Not sure?
What do you mean?" “I felt a vast amount of dark mana fluctuate for a moment, but it disappeared quickly. It's possible the black mage tried to do something and failed.”
"That's an optimistic observation. Can you give a pessimistic one too?”
"Must I?"
"It's my job to assume the worst-case scenario.” At those words, Condor shrugged and said. “Perhaps the black mage used his own life as bait to summon a being he couldn't normally summon.
A being from the Demonic Realm, like a succubus or a Cerberus." “What happens if that's the case?"
“...
We'll have to run." “What did you say?” “If a race from the Demonic Realm has truly been summoned, we cannot face them with the forces we have here.
We must flee and ask for help from the Tower of Truth or the temple.”
“Hmm...."
To the grave-faced Count Parmas, Condor said with a smile.
“Don't worry too much. I was only speaking of the worst-case scenario. It's not likely that such a being has actually appeared.”
“Is that so?"
“Yes. What I described is a case where a black mage sacrifices their own soul as an offering to summon a being from the Demonic Realm. Black mages, who know full well the meaning of offering one's soul to the Demonic Realm, are not likely to do something so insane. Unless someone forced them to.”
“Then there's nothing to worry about.”
“Yes. Please be at ease.”
Only after hearing Condor's explanation did Count Parmas feel his heart settle. And while they were doing this....