Magica Technica ～Sword Demon Rakshasa’s VRMMO Battle Record～

Chapter 35

035: Demon Knight

Translated by Dawn

035: Demon Knight

Count’s son underwent a transformation.

His skin turned pale blue—a hue that was unimaginable for a human.

Unlike the brownish skin of the Darks race, this appearance exuded a disturbing, physiological sensation.

His clothes tore apart, revealing dark green, biological armor underneath.

Furthermore, scales of a deeper shade of green covered the exposed areas, and he held a black longsword in his hand.

■ Demon Knight

Type: Demon

Level: 13

Status: Normal

Attribute: Darkness

Combat Position: Ground

<The skill level of ‘Identification’ has increased.>

“…So, you’ve revealed your true form, demon.”

Keeping a vigilant stance with my Tachi, I fixed my gaze on the transformed enemy.

Though he had already deviated from his human appearance, it was clear that he had been unmistakably human before.

Did demons possess the ability to disguise themselves as humans? Well, if I think about it, Geryon also looked mostly human in form.

The transformation happened the moment he used something called “Metamorphosis.”

But this was somewhat different. It felt like the presence that was already there had surfaced, rather than a sudden increase in power.

Considering that the ability of “Metamorphosis” was said to be limited to Count and higher ranks, it was hard to believe this boy without even a title could use it.

It was probably safer to assume that he was always this kind of being.

“No way! A Demon Knight!? Kuon-dono—”

“Don’t worry; leave it to me.”

I stopped the knight who was about to draw his sword and indicated the surroundings.

There were still some onlookers among the residents who were trying to flee after the Demon Knight appeared, and chaos was ensuing.

This evidence was more than enough; the private soldiers were no longer a priority.

Right now, evacuating the residents was more important.

“Outsiders, outsiders, outsideeeeeerrrsss!? The likes of you are the mistake in this world! Why do you interfere? Where did you come from, you monsters whose origin is unknown!”

“I wouldn’t want demons like you to say that. You demons are also unknown pests.”

“No! No, no, noooooo! We, on the other hand, are the chosen race that should truly rule this world under the Great Demon Lord! We are the species destined to govern this world!”

So, there was a king above the Four Great Dukes.

Thinking that inwardly, I scanned the surroundings.

The onlookers were dispersing, but the private soldiers accompanying the Demon Knight were still motionless.

However, it was different from the impression that they knew about demons from the beginning. I couldn’t sense any signs of intent or will in their eyes.

If they were being controlled, it would be troublesome.

“Answer me. Were you originally a human?”

“Hahaha! Indeed, I was foolishly a human! But now, I am different! This is my true form!”

“Then who turned you into a demon?”

“Heh, hahaha… Do you really think you can get me to spill everything, outsider?”

“Who knows? It doesn’t really matter.”

I didn’t know who turned him into a demon, but I could make a rough guess.

Considering that the Count’s son had turned into this, it was better to assume that the important figures of the Count Feib family had all become demons.

In that case, a higher-ranking demon must be the cause.

I was curious about their true identity, but I still needed to slay them one by one, and I had a tool to identify them in my hands.

I’d bought enough time, so now I’d ask directly.

“—Azami!”

“‘Dark Cannon’!”

Azami’s dark blast directly hit the Demon Knight, causing an explosion.

The Demon Knight was a dark attribute being, to begin with, so the effect of dark attribute magic wouldn’t be too strong on them.

However, the purpose was the explosion that occurred upon direct impact. The shockwave knocked down all the private soldiers surrounding the Demon Knight.

At that moment, I rushed toward the Demon Knight, who was staggering from the impact.

Striking Technique—Gold Strike.

Using the hilt of the Tachi, I struck his hand to numb it and make him drop his sword.

I had thought about disarming him and then restraining him, but he managed to push me away without releasing the sword.

So, I closed in on him and delivered a roundhouse kick to his abdomen, sending him flying backward.

With this, I broke free from the encirclement of the private soldiers.

“You—!”

“Well, no matter what you say—after all, you were just a human.”

Slash Technique—Gentle Form, Flowing Water.

I easily parried the slash coming from an unstable posture and countered with my own strike at the enemy’s body.

It felt hard, but it was only leather armor at best. With this level of strength, I might not be able to cut it in half, but it should be enough to inflict significant damage.

My attack pierced through the armor, cutting the Demon Knight’s flank shallowly.

With that, he let out a loud cry and stepped back significantly, holding his wounded side.

“Giii, ahhhh! You, an outsideeeeeer!”

“What’s wrong? I suppose your armor isn’t nerve-proof?”

If that were the case, he would have screamed in pain when I kicked him earlier.

In other words, he simply had no resistance to pain.

With this, it might be easy to make him talk.

I let out a light exhale and sheathed Tachi.

“Kuhh…What are you planning, you bastard.”

“Nothing much, just that I’m more than enough to deal with you.”

With a sneering smile, I drew my Kodachi.

Well, it was not like there was a significant difference in quality between Tachi and Kodachi, and I didn’t mean to say that Kodachi was inferior.

Though it was true that the numerical power of Kodachi was lower.

Still, the young man didn’t seem to understand the difference, considering he hadn’t properly held a weapon.

As expected, the Demon Knight’s mouth widened in a scornful expression as he yelled.

“You! How dare you insult me like this!”

“If you have any complaints, come back after you’ve gained the appropriate strength. Not that I intend to let you escape anyway.”

As the private soldiers behind him got up and tried to resist, they were already being subdued by Kirara Kurage and the knights.

If that was the case, I didn’t need to spend much more time here.

This guy was weaker than Geryon, and his human origin was also too weak.

The demons should have chosen their candidates more carefully.

“You can howl all you want, but demons are nothing more than that.”

“Let me at you!”

He yelled and rushed at me.

His physical abilities seemed to be quite high, and his movements were quite clumsy, but his speed was decent.

However, his attacks were not sharp at all, and I could easily handle them.

I narrowed my eyes and swung my Kodachi, dodging the slash by drawing a small circle.

Slash Technique――Gentle Form, Flowing Water・Finger-cutting.

Using the pommel of the sword, I pushed against the blade’s belly, deflecting its trajectory while swinging the blade in a small circular motion.

The timing was just right, and my flash precisely sliced off the Demon Knight’s right thumb, which was tightly gripping the sword.

He couldn’t help but drop the sword and let out a scream.

“Gaahhh!”

He held his hand and rolled on the ground in pain. While he was down, I kicked the black longsword away and then stepped on his back, drawing my Tachi as I spoke.

“Now, let’s continue with the questions. Oh, I don’t know if you can use magic, but if you try to use it, you’ll lose your head.”

“Hii…!?”

“It’s fine for me, but you seem pretty confident in your demon identity. You’re brave in a strange way.”

Shrugging my shoulders, I pressed the tip of my blade into a gap in his armor.

If he acted as he did before, he’d probably tell me all sorts of things just to avoid being stabbed continuously.

“So, I’ll ask you. Who is the demon that infiltrated the Count’s family?”

“Fu, fu, if you really want to know—Aahhh!”

“I don’t recall allowing unnecessary remarks.”

He seemed like he wanted to say something, so I raised an eyebrow and pushed the tip deeper.

An immediate scream followed, but of course, I had no intention of removing the blade.

Instead, I twisted the blade gently and told him with a smile,

“Answer me simply. If you do, I’ll stop.”

“I-I don’t know! A female demon, that’s all I know! She’s a red-haired demon, but I don’t know her name or her power. She just gives orders unilaterally!”

“Red-haired female demon, huh?”

“Yes, that’s right! But I don’t know anything else. She just issues commands without explanation!”

If my speculation was correct, this was probably Romperia with a high probability.

I didn’t know if it was her real body or an illusion, but she was definitely operating in this country.

But it was quite a roundabout way for a powerful demon like her. What could she be planning?

“In that case, what is their objective?”

“That is—Guh!?”

Suddenly, the foot I had placed on the Demon Knight’s back was lifted.

For a moment, I thought he was resisting forcibly, but it wasn’t that.

The body of the person I was trampling on was swelling unnaturally.

“Gah, gigigigigi――”

“Tch!”

Seeing the demonic knight writhing and screaming like an insect, I clicked my tongue and distanced myself from the scene.

The demon’s body swelled up, resembling a boiling mass.

The bizarre sight left me speechless, and in the next moment, it exploded with a balloon-like popping sound, scattering into pieces of green flesh that rained down around me.

I retreated from the spot and sighed in frustration.

Though obtaining evidence that the Count family was involved with demons was significant, it seemed like I’d stumbled upon an even larger problem.

“…I wanted to ask more, but I didn’t expect such a desperate attempt to silence me.”

Sighing once more, I wiped the blood from my blade and sheathed it.

Perhaps I should have approached the conversation from a different angle.

I had been cautious about taking too much time, fearing that we might encounter interference, but it seemed like my caution backfired.

Scratching my head, I returned to the knights who were still in commotion.

“I’m sorry for the failure to capture him.”

“N-No, thanks to Kuon-dono, we managed to keep the chaos to a minimum. Thank you.”

“Well… We haven’t completely hit a dead end. What do we do now?”

“Leave two people here to maintain the scene. After escorting the survivors, we’ll report to the Knight Commander.”

“Understood. That sounds like a good plan.”

We’d obtained solid evidence that the Count Feib family was connected to demons.

It should be more than enough reason to investigate further.

Moreover, when it involved demons, the knight order would surely step up its investigation efforts.

The path was not entirely closed. Though it meant taking a risk, the rewards could be substantial.

Well, the Knight Commander would decide the next steps. I’d like to participate, but…

“Alright then, let’s return to the knight order.”

“Yes—we’ll depart again! Stay alert to the surroundings!”

With the appearance of the demon, we couldn’t afford to be complacent.

The knights intensified their vigilance and resumed their march.

Though the number of armed guards had significantly increased, there didn’t seem to be any hostility directed toward us.

For now, it should be fine for a while.

“…You mean, I might have been turned into a demon?”

Just as we were about to walk away, I overheard Lirina muttering, making me think that maybe I should have asked about that too. My frustration only deepened.