The Swordmaster Who Returned After 1,000 Years-Chapter 114

[Translator - Kiteretsu]

[Proofreader - Kyros]

Chapter 114

Colonial Subjugation Operation.

For a Demon General, the outcome of such an operation was a critical factor for promotion.

However, the Demon General of Colony E-12—a giant demon commonly referred to as “Armor”—had no interest in the subjugation itself.

His only concern was a particular human specialty—the Sword Master.

— You wish to purchase an Aura Master? Aura Masters must be delivered to the Demon King's Castle as soon as they are captured. That’s been the rule for over 200 years now.

— The Demon King's Castle?

— Yes. Human Aura Masters, in particular, fetch the highest price. Their value is whatever one is willing to pay. Ah, but there are plenty of Experts. We have them alive, as Vampires, Zombies, Skeletons—you name it.

— I don’t need those.

Whether they wielded swords, spears, or clubs, it didn’t matter.

All the slavers cared about was capturing them.

After personally verifying the value of a Sword Master in the Demon Realm, Armor found that it was dozens of times greater than he had expected.

Especially since the Demon King's Castle had been consistently seeking them, an Aura Master’s worth extended far beyond mere currency.

If he could capture one and present it to the Demon King's Castle, he would be promoted far faster than if he simply succeeded in the colonial subjugation.

At this point, even if the operation failed, capturing the Sword Master was an absolute necessity.

Shivering with anticipation, Armor made thorough preparations for the capture.

‘The biggest nuisance for this prized specimen is that Drake. If he escapes on the Drake, things will get troublesome.’

The Sword Master was proving to be quite formidable within the human fortress…

But to Armor, it was nothing more than a rare specimen putting on a little show.

‘A mere fighter who’s only faced monsters could never stand against me.’

However, if the Sword Master escaped on the Drake?

Armor wasn’t entirely confident that he could guarantee a capture.

To ensure success, he couldn’t act alone.

It was better to recruit a reliable collaborator and split the spoils.

— A〜rmor, are you stupid? You want help with a colonial subjugation? You’ll get the lowest possible evaluation for that. Forget a promotion—you might even get kicked out of your position as a General.

— This isn’t about the colonial subjugation, you hunk of flesh.

— Hunk of flesh? That’s mean! Do you know how hard I worked to become like you, Armor?!

— …Sigh. Just shut up and follow me, Cain.

And so, among his fellow Demon Generals, Armor recruited the one he could at least somewhat trust and positioned him at the rear of the fortress.

* * *

Southern Region of the Fortress.

In the middle of the road, a massive mountain of flesh lay sprawled across the ground.

It was Cain, the Demon General whom Armor had mockingly called a “hunk of flesh.”

The enormous mass of flesh began to spread like jelly, slowly creeping across the road and engulfing the path.

At its center, however, an unexpected sight emerged—a perfectly intact face peeking out.

As expected of a demon hailed as an Avatar of Beauty, the face was strikingly beautiful.

With a distinctly androgynous appearance, it was impossible to tell whether they were male or female.

Yet, emerging from the center of that grotesque mass of flesh, it looked utterly out of place.

“Armor. Do we really have to fight in the morning? The heat’s unbearable.”

Cain grumbled, using a communication spell, his voice dripping with annoyance.

[Normally, the headquarters wouldn’t care about a colonial subjugation. But with two Demon Generals suddenly surrounding the fortress, some might start taking an interest.]

“Ohh~ So you’re trying to keep this from headquarters?”

[Exactly. If headquarters finds out about the Sword Master, they’ll steal all the credit from us.]

The commanders at headquarters were at the very top of the demonic hierarchy—masters of deceit, schemes, and betrayal.

If they discovered the existence of a Sword Master, the outcome was as clear as day.

They would take him immediately.

[Then prepare yourself. I’m heading out now.]

“Got it.”

Squelch. Squelch.

Cain’s flesh spread out further, separating piece by piece.

Then, like inflating balloons, they began to swell—shifting into grotesque monsters of various shapes and sizes.

“Let’s go, my darlings. Kill every woman without exception, and for the men… make sure they’re castrated.”

Cain grinned.

“And above all, make sure to steal the Sword Master’s seed. He doesn’t need his balls to be sold, after all.”

* * *

That morning, Saintess Theresia had been rather optimistic.

“There may be two Demon Generals, but it’s strange that they chose to attack in the morning. This is the worst possible time for demons. Not only that, but this is when the Holy Demon-Suppressing Formation we set up around the fortress is at its most effective.”

Kaylen agreed with her assessment.

Even Black Skull Cesar hadn’t exhibited any mysterious regenerative powers without the moon’s blessing.

For Demon Generals, who could harness the power of the Red Moon even more effectively, attacking now—after delaying for a full week—made little tactical sense.

Yet, precisely because of that, Kaylen sensed something was off.

‘They must be confident.’

Confident that they could fight even without the moon’s blessing.

“You’re right, Saintess.”

“If they attacked in the morning, it should be easier to defend.”

“Finally, we’ll get to fight under the protection of the Sword Domain.”

The soldiers, well-rested after a week-long reprieve, were brimming with morale.

The knights who had never experienced the Sword Domain’s protection were eager for battle, hoping to see its power firsthand.

They were optimistic.

That is—until the giant appeared before the fortress.

“Wh-What… is that…?”

The entity had materialized in an instant.

A colossal figure clad in an ominous, jet-black suit of armor.

It was at least twice the height of the fortress walls.

The imposing, seemingly indomitable Biltre Fortress barely reached the giant’s waist.

“W-What the hell…?”

“That… That’s a demon?! How could a monster like that exist?!”

It was just past dawn.

This was the time when dark mana was at its weakest.

Yet, the giant demon showed no signs of being affected.

Its mere presence was enough to send terror coursing through the soldiers.

The red glow of its eyes flickered beneath its helmet as it surveyed the fortress—

And the knights felt their knees buckle.

If even knights were reacting like this—what of the regular soldiers?

“Hrk… Hnghh…!”

“N-No… No, please! Spare me! This… This isn’t right…! We can’t fight something like that…”

Some soldiers collapsed where they stood, clutching their spears as they trembled.

Others lost all control—a stream of urine ran down their legs.

Most of the troops were completely paralyzed with fear.

“S-Start up the mana suits, now!”

“Get a grip! Do you all want to die like this?!”

While knights and mages were at least able to move compared to regular soldiers, they were no exception to the overwhelming fear.

Trembling uncontrollably, they activated their mana suits and tried to draw on their aura to resist the crushing terror.

But no matter what they did, their legs wouldn’t stop shaking.

‘M-Monsters were nothing compared to this!’

‘Is this what demons truly are…? No, but even so, how could something like this exist?’

Boom. Boom.

The giant demon, which had merely been watching the fortress, took a step forward—and the very ground trembled.

Those who had been barely managing to stay on their feet collapsed one by one.

No—they were all dropping to the ground of their own accord.

It was easier to just fall down than to force themselves to remain standing.

Rather than continue looking at that monstrous giant and letting their sanity crumble, it was easier to just sit down, collapse, and accept everything.

Not seeing. Not hearing. Simply waiting for death.

“Ugh… M-Mother…”

“P-Please, just kill me quickly… Just get it over with…”

The giant demon had appeared.

It had only taken four steps.

Yet the entire fortress had already fallen into utter devastation.

“…Activate the Holy Demon-Suppressing Formation!”

Saintess Theresia gritted her teeth and activated the sacred barrier placed around the fortress.

Vwoooooooom.

A brilliant white barrier instantly enveloped the entire fortress, suppressing the terror emanating from the giant demon.

“Aah…!”

“I-I'm still alive?!”

“I-I can breathe again…!”

The soldiers exhaled in relief as the sacred formation took effect—

But it was only a temporary reprieve.

The fallen soldiers peeked out from behind their cover—only to see the giant demon still standing there.

Immediately, they buried their heads back into the ground.

Even the knights and mages—

Though their bodies had stopped trembling, not a single one of them dared to think about fighting back.

“…A Demon General is taking action personally.”

Theresia muttered grimly.

A Demon General’s Colonial Subjugation Campaign.

Until now, their method had always been the same.

First, they would invade with a monster wave to overwhelm the fortress.

Then, on the second wave, they would deploy their Mana Eaters—the elite units under their direct command—to finish the battle.

The Demon Generals themselves would only appear from a distance to oversee the battle—they had never led the charge themselves.

Even when the Mana Eater army was completely annihilated, they would only give orders, never directly fight.

Not once had they broken this pattern.

[Kneel. You insignificant worms.]

A chilling voice echoed from within the giant’s helmet.

Humans shouldn’t have been able to understand the demonic language.

Yet—the entire fortress immediately began falling to their knees.

Even without knowing the exact meaning, humans instinctively understood the demon’s command—

And obeyed.

It had nothing to do with rank or status.

Even ordinary soldiers weren’t the only ones affected—

“Y-Your Highness…!”

“D-Don’t grab me! Just kneel! He told us to kneel!”

Even the Second Prince, Bellos—

He, too, fell to his knees without resistance.

And understandably so…

Demons were the rulers.

Humans were the ruled.

Most of the humans had already submitted, kneeling on their own, awaiting the will of their overlord.

Yet, the giant demon, Armor, was displeased.

How dare there still be some standing.

His eyes landed on the radiant holy magic circle surrounding the fortress.

[The Holy Demon-Suppressing Formation… A worthless creation by the vermin of the Celestial Gods.]

Flash.

A red glow flickered within the giant’s helmet.

Crack… Crackle…

Immediately, fractures began forming across the white barrier encircling the fortress.

The expressions of the fortress knights paled.

“Saintess… You should fall back… shouldn't you?”

One of the Holy Knights stepped forward and whispered cautiously.

That thing—it was impossible to defeat.

No—they couldn’t even wound it.

Every single knight in the Holy Legion felt the same way.

“The people in this fortress may be doomed… but, you are humanity’s last hope.”

The source of this c𝓸ntent is frёeweɓηovel.coɱ.

“You must survive.”

“While the Holy Demon-Suppressing Formation still holds… you must retreat—”

Theresia bit her lip.

Humanity’s last hope?

She had never heard those words sound so empty.

No matter how powerful the giant demon was, it was still just one.

And it was morning.

This was the time when light mana was at its peak, and dark mana was at its weakest—the moment when the Holy Demon-Suppressing Formation should have been at full power.

‘I have gathered a millennium’s worth of divine power for this moment. I trained alongside the Holy Legion to protect humanity—

And yet… if we cannot even defeat a single demon—

Is this truly what it means to be humanity’s last hope?’

Even if they escaped to Sanctuary, what could they do against such a being?

The strength drained from Theresia’s hands and feet.

She had never felt such powerlessness before.

But.

Even so—she had to live.

If she fell here, Sanctuary’s future would be lost as well.

“…For now, we’ll use Heavenly Sword.”

“Saintess, Heavenly Sword won’t work here.”

“Even if we retreat, do you think that thing will let us go? At the very least, we need to use the Heavenly Sword to keep it at bay.”

Theresia pulled out a fragment of the Holy Sword, Astella.

Originally, she had planned to use the Heavenly Sword to unleash a barrage against the Mana Eaters.

Now, she was forced to wield it just to escape.

“…O fragment of Astella…”

As she gripped the sword and began channeling divine power—

“Wait.”

Kaylen stepped in front of her.

“…What is it, Kaylen? Did you hear everything?”

“That you’re planning to run?”

“Heh… That’s right. Pathetic, isn’t it? After acting so high and mighty, pretending we could hold the line.”

“If you want to flee, then go.”

For the first time, Kaylen, who had always spoken to the Saintess with respect, dropped all formalities—his expression turning cold.

“But—leave the Holy Sword fragment with me.”

[Translator - Kiteretsu]

[Proofreader - Kyros]