Episode 326

[Yes, that’s right. Right now, only my spiritual form has barely escaped to the outside. My true body is still where that tin can Death Knight Lord is guarding.]

The “tin can” must have been a mocking reference to the Death Knight Lord.

The little princess-like face frowned.

[The Overlord of the Demon King’s Castle is brazenly using me as a test subject to amplify his own power. Damn it, I should have smashed his head when he was still young. Why did I have to be the Demon King? If I were a hero instead, I would have burned that castle to the ground.]

Eunseol’s Demon King placed a hand on her hip and huffed indignantly.

A Demon King wishing to be a hero—what an ironic sight.

[Anyway, I have a proposal for you. How about making a deal with me?]

“What kind of deal?”

[I will help you capture that tin can knight. In exchange, you free me from my bindings.]

It was an offer impossible to refuse.

But there was a problem.

“How exactly would you help? Your power is completely sealed right now, isn’t it, Your Majesty?”

[Don’t worry. I will possess your body and act through you.]

An astonishing claim.

But Christian’s expression was uncertain.

“You mean you would descend into my body?”

The Demon King of Eunseol nodded.

[Those two are black mages, so no. But your body should be able to fully realize my swordsmanship. Don’t worry. I am great; I can easily deal with that tin can without so much as a scratch and return to you.]

“…I’m not sure if possession is even possible. Would you like to try?”

[What do you take me for? Possession is of course… huh?]

The Demon King’s spirit recoiled abruptly as it tried to enter Christian’s body.

[What kind of soul is this? What are you?]

“It just happened this way. Because of the nature of my soul, possession won’t be easy.”

Possession works by forcibly pushing aside the target’s soul and mind to take their place. It was impossible for Christian.

[Th-then… I can’t help at all. I’m stuck with a useless body that can’t even lift a twig.]

The Demon King’s mood darkened rapidly.

[Damn it. If only I were intact, I could take out that scum in one blow. How pitiful. How did the great me end up like this?]

Turning her back, the Demon King started to walk away, dragging her feet.

“…Where are you going?”

[There’s no hope for you anyway. What’s the point of staying? I’ll just sulk alone. You all can go your own way.]

“Wait a moment. I have a way.”

[…What?]

The Demon King perked up.

“You teach me how to fight. So I can defeat that guy.”

Christian explained in detail.

“We’ll share our minds through black magic. So I can receive your thoughts in real time. If you imagine fighting as if you were the one battling, I will follow exactly.”

[…Are you serious?]

Sharing thoughts in real time wasn’t difficult.

The question was whether Christian could replicate the Demon King’s moves.

It seemed impossible by all logic.

“It’s simple for me.”

At that absurd claim, the Demon King looked at Christian for a moment, then chuckled bitterly.

[You’re crazy.]

“……”

[But I don’t dislike it. I was crazy too. Born into a black magic family, but I trained in swordsmanship alone and got kicked out.]

For reference, the Demon King of Eunseol was once the grand princess of the Phantom Mage clan, but was exiled for practicing swordsmanship.

[Fine. Let’s see what we crazy ones can do together.]

Tern took charge of linking their minds.

—Ahem. Is the connection good? Guess what I’m thinking now.

—…You’re thinking about drinking.

—Right. Being trapped so long makes me crave alcohol. You wouldn’t understand.

—…I understand that feeling well. I want a drink too, so please stop thinking about it.

Confirming their thoughts were shared, Christian stepped forward.

The Death Knight Lord’s eyes flashed again at the intruder’s presence.

Christian smirked and flicked his fingers.

“Come at me, tin can ghost.”

Flash!

The sword whirled, and the second duel began.

---

‘Is there really such a crazy person in the world?’

The Demon King swallowed hard.

Even she, a Demon King, was witnessing something unbelievable.

When the kid said he would mimic her moves, she thought he might manage a rough imitation.

That alone would have been impressive.

But no.

It was a perfect replication.

As if he had become her.

‘Of course, I’m not using any advanced sword techniques right now.’

Still, it was incredible.

Even the simplest thrust could look completely different depending on who wielded it.

Her swordplay, no matter how simple, was more powerful than any formal technique.

Not just because of optimal paths or strength.

Because of the ‘meaning’ embedded in the sword.

‘He’s replicating the meaning in my sword exactly. Even though we share the same mental image, how?’

Meanwhile, Christian noticed her astonishment and twisted his lips into a grin.

‘What an opportunity.’

In his mind, the image of her swordplay appeared in real time.

A diagonal slash.

It wasn’t just the movement being shared.

They were perfectly sharing thoughts.

He could vividly understand why she made each move, with what will and meaning.

Of course, these were fleeting, subconscious flashes of thought.

No concrete form.

Others wouldn’t even grasp the meaning, let alone interpret it.

But Christian caught it all in an instant and reproduced it perfectly.

That wasn’t the only surprise.

The Demon King’s face showed shock again.

‘His sword is rapidly evolving?’

Christian wasn’t just copying her mental image.

He was internalizing it in real time and growing tremendously.

What had seemed fragile at first had become a strong shield, and now even sharp counterattacks.

‘But it’s too much.’

The Demon King’s expression grew heavy.

It was an amazing effort, but still insufficient.

‘Above all, that tin can hasn’t even used his full power yet.’

Just then, the situation shifted.

A deep rumble.

The Death Knight Lord’s domain of control trembled, and his aura of death surged.

Christian’s face hardened.

‘Domain skill.’

An innate power of the 8-star rank combined with his domain.

‘The Death Sword. It kills the opponent instantly, no matter what.’

Whether the attack hit or missed didn’t matter.

The moment the attack was made, the opponent would die like a miracle.

The only way to stop it was to suppress the opponent’s domain.

“Your Highness, dodge!”

“Brother, it’s dangerous!”

Flash!

Kashmir and Tern combined their strength to attack the Death Knight Lord.

As he faltered, the Demon King urgently relayed a message.

—It’s impossible. Give up and retreat! Then you might survive!

But Christian shook his head.

If he dodged while the Death Knight Lord hesitated, he might escape danger.

‘But dodging won’t bring him down.’

So.

—Tell me the next move.

—…What? Impossible.

—Why not just cut death itself?

The Demon King swallowed hard.

Yes, it wasn’t impossible.

He could cut death with his sword.

But to cut death itself—one of the absolute laws of the world.

At Christian’s current level, it was utterly impossible.

—I’m a mad genius, aren’t I?

—!!

—I’ll handle it. Just show me.

The Demon King’s expression stiffened.

—Fine. Watch closely. This is my sword.

She assumed a rider’s stance in her mental image.

—If you can cut the world, your sword can cut anything.

At the same time.

Flash.

A ray of light appeared.

Though small, the entire mental world seemed to freeze in that instant.

Then.

Shing.

The sound of something being sliced.

What exactly was cut, no one knew.

No, the ‘what’ didn’t matter.

If she willed it, she could cut anything.

Any being—even death itself.

That was the ideal she had reached.

‘This is the Demon King of Eunseol’s 9-star ultimate skill.’

Christian smiled.

He raised his sword and faced the approaching ‘death.’

Now, he had to cut that death.

‘No, what I have to cut isn’t death.’

He recalled the ultimate skill the Demon King had just shown.

She hadn’t aimed at death specifically.

She had simply cut.

Everything.

‘It’s impossible to copy the ultimate skill exactly.’

The Demon King hadn’t even revealed what thoughts she held while using it.

Because even if you saw, you couldn’t replicate it.

‘I have to reach it through my own realization.’

Flash!

Christian’s dark domain of control spread around him.

An unfinished domain, not even named yet.

Without meaning, just a strengthened power of domination.

But at this moment, it began to gain ‘meaning.’

‘To cut.’

‘If darkness rules all, it means it can even rule cutting.’

Darkness sank deep.

At that moment, the potential to dominate everything in the world through dark magic was born.

Of course, it was still just potential.

But that meaning was no light thing.

The dark magic had begun to embody the true sovereign power capable of bringing the entire world to its knees.

Though it wasn’t fully perfected yet, it meant his dominion was nearing the complete mastery of an eight-star level.

Thus, the realm ruled by the dark magic—‘Benda’—had its power infused into the sword.

Fwoosh. Shing!

With the sound of something slicing through the air, the approaching ‘death’ itself was cut down!

[!!]

The Death Knight Lord staggered from the backlash.

“Prince Kashmir!!”

“Yes, Your Highness!”

Kashmir unleashed his full strength, his destructive energy exploding against the Death Knight Lord, who faltered and revealed an opening.

“It’s over.”

A magic circle unfolded.

It was a holy light magic circle, the Sacred Radiance spell.

Expel.

A sacred light spell designed to banish corrupted beings that have descended to the mortal realm.

Since outright destruction was difficult, they aimed to exploit the opening and forcibly send it back.

Fwoooosh!

Brilliant light enveloped the Death Knight Lord.

[Groooaaaar!!]

As the Death Knight Lord drew on his power to nullify the banishment spell, Tern sprang into action.

“I’m here too! Submit to my brother’s greatness, you tin can!!”

Fwoosh!

A curse from the enemy, disrupting the Death Knight Lord’s commanding will, pierced through him, and his momentum faltered once more.

At that moment, darkness surged forth again from Chris.

‘My darkness can rule over everything, so it can also dominate the light.’