Chapter 16: Swordsman’s Dance

At the end of a rather long process, the two Demon Kings finally stood before each other.

The God-Slayer had a unique sense that allowed them to recognize their own kind, so it was not difficult for the two to recognize each other.

In particular, in Gōdo’s case, he had already met another Demon King, the Sword King, so as the distance closed, he could immediately sense that there was another Demon King in Korea—one that was terrifyingly powerful.

Moreover, since Jae-in had already released all of the restrained power that he usually kept suppressed in preparation for the impending battle with a formidable foe, it was not only Gōdo who sensed something was gravely wrong.

Erika and Mariya also immediately realized that something was amiss.

Before they knew it, Erika’s face had turned pale, and without hesitation, she grabbed Gōdo and Mariya’s hands and used flight magic to leap into the sky.

“Damn it! So the reason they waged war was because Korea had a Demon King as well?! How did they manage to deceive the Eye of Greenwich… No way, could he be an ancient-generation Demon King like Marquess Beaubon?!”

“E-Erika?!”

“Erika-san!!”

“We have to escape immediately! If that being over there is truly an ancient-generation Demon King, Gōdo, you don’t stand a chance!”

As expected of the First Knight.

Her judgment of the situation and her actions were wise and commendable.

As a Great Knight, her flight magic was of such high level that she managed to soar to an impressive height with just a single leap.

Unfortunately, however, their opponent this time was simply too powerful.

“Where do you think you’re going in such a hurry?”

“This is a meeting between kings. Coming all this way just to turn back seems rather inappropriate, don’t you think?”

Even though Erika was a formidable warrior, having earned the title of Great Knight at a young age,

there were those who effortlessly bypassed her detection and revealed themselves.

Two among them immediately leaped even higher than where Erika had ascended,

and with a crushing kick to their insteps, they sent Erika, Gōdo, and Mariya plummeting back to the ground.

Thankfully, all three managed to land without injury,

but as if it had been planned, their landing spot was right in the middle of a circle of thirty people surrounding them.

As Erika and Gōdo realized they were in deep trouble and prepared to unleash their divine authorities and sacred relics to escape,

a warrior clad in ancient armor stepped forward, parting the gathered forces—Korea’s king, Jae-in, finally revealed himself.

“What? Don’t tell me this guy is Japan’s king?”

“You…”

“This is unbelievable. To think I was actually prepared to descend over something this pathetic.”

His voice was filled with thick disappointment and contempt.

Because of his helmet—

Ah, he’s taking it off right away.

Perhaps he didn’t even feel it was worth keeping his armor on,

as Jae-in dissipated his armor and shield back into mist, leaving only his bastard sword,

and with an expression that perfectly matched his voice, he looked at Gōdo and spoke.

“Hey, kid. Get ready. I don’t feel like throwing the first punch, so if you need time, I’ll wait.”

“What do you mean…”

“Do you really think we came here for a picnic? I’ve had it up to here with all this talk about Demon Kings.

So we came prepared at the right level.

You get the gist, don’t you?”

If a child’s fight brings out an adult,

then naturally, the other side sends an adult as well.

But in reality, Jae-in’s words were misleading.

Saying he merely “matched” their level was a stretch—

The difference between them was stark.

Gōdo himself could feel it.

And Jae-in could only be even more aware of it.

For a God-Slayer, a worthy opponent should trigger a natural response—

when facing their kin or a god, their body would flood with adrenaline,

pain perception would decrease,

muscles would swell,

senses would sharpen to a beast-like level, preparing them for battle.

In Gōdo’s case, it went beyond that—his hands were already drenched in sweat.

But for Jae-in?

He was only slightly warmed up.

Despite both being Demon Kings, Jae-in didn’t even recognize Gōdo as a worthy opponent.

“You don’t need any more time to prepare? Then let’s get started right away.”

But an enemy was still an enemy.

Jae-in had come all the way to Japan to claim Gōdo’s head and put an end to this crisis.

As he began to unleash his authority—

Erika suddenly stepped in front of Gōdo and shouted at Jae-in.

“Our king has no intention of fighting you!”

“…What?”

“Our purpose in coming here was to acknowledge the mistakes caused by the recent chaos,

and in the name of our king, we wish to offer proper compensation to the Special Affairs Bureau and assure you of preventive measures to resolve this conflict.

Therefore, we have no reason to fight.”

At Erika’s words, the expressions of everyone in the Special Affairs Bureau twisted instantly.

Even Jae-in’s.

And for good reason.

Anyone could tell that Erika’s words were nothing more than a desperate excuse to escape the current predicament.

If you’re going to lie, at least make it believable.

After all the destruction they had caused, now they were talking about compensation and prevention?

That level of nonsense was almost impressive.

“Hah… Hey, you. What’s your name?”

“Erika Blandelli. I am Kusanagi Gōdo’s First Knight.”

“Alright, Erika. Erika, listen.

Didn’t your parents ever teach you to think before you speak?

If you blurt out words straight from your mouth without filtering them through your brain, you’re going to die.

And you won’t die a pretty death, either.”

Fwoooosh!

The killing intent that had been brewing within the Special Affairs Bureau erupted from Jae-in.

Even Erika, even Gōdo himself, felt as if their skin would freeze under the weight of it.

Mariya, who lacked their resistance, was already on the verge of passing out.

But Erika did not back down.

I understand that stepping back here would mean… the true end.

“I understand that this may sound like a lie. But it is the truth.”

“That’s quite unfortunate. Because, just as you said, it sounds far too much like a lie.”

“Right now… the Japanese nobles are rampaging. You might as well say they’re completely out of control.”

“Uh-huh, and?”

“Because of that, we only recently realized that Korea was being harmed. To prevent further damage, I requested support from my family. I can prove this.”

The situation escalated too quickly, and the response was slightly delayed.

But by now, she claimed, members of the Brandelli family should have already arrived in Korea.

Jaein honestly didn’t care what she was saying.

But perhaps intrigued by Erica’s unwavering gaze, he withdrew his killing intent slightly and instructed the Special Affairs Bureau members to verify her claim.

After a brief call, the report came in.

“Yes, we have confirmed that knights of the Italian Brandelli family have entered Korea. They claim to have come to assist the Special Affairs Bureau under the young lady’s orders.”

At those words, Erica, Mariya, and Kusanagi Godou let out a sigh of relief.

They thought they had successfully prevented a full-scale conflict.

Even Jaein seemed surprised to learn it was actually true.

But that didn’t mean he was willing to let this go.

“Fine, I’ll acknowledge that there is some room for consideration. But simple compensation and promises of prevention aren’t enough.”

“Huh? What do you mean…?”

“To be honest, I don’t trust this so-called ‘prevention.'”

“T-That’s impossible! Now that everyone knows a powerful Demon King rules over Korea, who would dare—”

“Exactly. That’s what I don’t like.”

“What…?”

“That was bound to happen anyway.”

Now that Jaein’s existence had been revealed, it was inevitable that no nation would dare interfere with Korea anymore.

Whether they simply parted ways here,

Whether he killed Kusanagi Godou,

Or even if he went as far as to exterminate all of Japan’s political historians and nobles—

The outcome would be the same.

“Does that mean you actually prevented anything? If anything, I did.”

Prevention wasn’t even necessary; it was going to happen regardless.

So in the end, all Korea would get in return was some compensation and vengeance against Tennoji.

“That’s not enough.”

After all, he had been forced to reveal his true identity.

“Prove your resolve. Show me that you truly have the will to prevent this from happening again.”

Jaein directed his offer to Godou.

He told him to personally kill every single person involved in this incident,

Be it the historians or the nobles.

“We’ve already prepared a list. Think of it as a kill list of those who must die in Japan. I wasn’t planning on leaving until every last one of them was dead. You do it in my place.”

If Godou did that, Jaein would agree to leave without a fight.

Of course, Godou found this outrageous.

To order him to commit murder.

It was simply… something that went against his principles.

“You don’t seem willing. Fine, then I’ll give you another option. Just die.”

“What?!”

“Wouldn’t that be the best form of prevention? After all, this all started because Japan had a Demon King—you.

So, as the root cause, you die.

Like a foolish king, sacrificing himself for his people in the end.”

With a smirk, Jaein planted his bastard sword into the ground.

He curled his lips in amusement, as if genuinely looking forward to seeing which option the young Demon King would choose.

“Godou…”

“Godou-san…”

Erica and Mariya looked at him with trembling eyes.

To be honest, Erica felt that these were all people who deserved to be wiped out anyway.

She wanted Godou to choose the first option without hesitation.

But unfortunately, he wasn’t that ruthless.

Yet dying was not an option either.

“I choose a third option!”

“Yeah, I figured. Hurry up and fight.”

“I will defeat you and set everything right!”

“You sure talk big for the one who caused all this.

Acting all righteous when you knew this was inevitable.

Didn’t I tell you before?

Only those crazy enough to punch a storm can become Demon Kings.”

No matter the difference in strength, there was no way this would end in mere negotiation.

After all, the moment two Demon Kings met, battle was inevitable.

At last, the true fight between Jaein and Godou began.

Since Jaein had said he would wait, it was Godou who made the first move.

“[Fear the one with wings.

The wicked and the strong alike,

Fear me, the one with wings!]”

The god Godou had slain was the Persian war god, Verethragna.

A deity with ten different incarnations and ten corresponding divine authorities.

As a God-Slayer, Godou had achieved the extraordinary feat of claiming all ten powers.

The one he activated now was his seventh incarnation—the Great Roc.

An authority that granted its wielder divine speed.

‘There’s no doubt. That guy… he’s the same type as Doni. A monster whose swordsmanship alone is at the level of divine authority.’

Godou thought as he widened the distance using his power.

From his experience fighting Doni, he had learned one thing:

Against a martial artist who has reached the realm of the divine,

Once you give up control of the “distance,” it is nearly impossible to regain the initiative.

To be honest, their swordsmanship was so advanced that even watching it unfold in real-time felt like witnessing magic beyond comprehension.

But that didn’t mean it was impossible to counter.

No matter how divine their skills were, at the core, they were still wielding a sword with their hands.

There was no divine energy strengthening their strikes,

No overwhelming speed that could break through perception like his own [Swift Wings].

‘I’ll start by testing him with the Great Roc.

His swordsmanship is incredible, but I also need to find out what kind of divine authority he possesses.’

Thus, his plan was simple—overpower Jaein with sheer speed and uncover his weaknesses.

However—

“That’s a nice mobility skill.

Your speed is impressive too.

So, is there a time limit?

Is it a type that maintains its effect as long as the divine authority allows?”

[Swift Wings]—

A speed so overwhelming that even other god-slayers couldn’t keep up.

An ability already proven against another divine swordsman, the Sword King himself.

‘Then why are his eyes tracking me so effortlessly?!’

As if mocking the very concept of “Swift Wings,” Jaein’s gaze was locked onto him with unsettling calmness.

At first, Godou thought it was just a coincidence.

But the moment he attempted to launch an attack, he saw it—

Jaein’s bastard sword was already positioned perfectly along his movement path.

It was then that he knew for sure.

Jaein could follow the speed of [Swift Wings].

“Hah, unfortunately, I don’t have any movement-based divine authorities.

Not that I need them.

Honestly, my ‘instinct’ is so natural that even I find it terrifying sometimes.

I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve had to dodge something in desperation.”

Even as he spoke nonchalantly, his casual attitude showed how lightly he was taking this fight.

In the end, Godou made his decision.

He would go all in.

Jaein could see him, sure, but that didn’t mean he was matching his speed.

If he struck before [Swift Wings] ran out,

If he completely overwhelmed Jaein with pure velocity,

Then there was no way Jaein could react in time.

“Let’s see how long you can keep that smirk!”

Godou unleashed his full power, pushing the limits of his divine authority.

Beyond “Swift Wings”—

Beyond mere speed—

He was reaching the realm of “Extreme Acceleration.”

Even if the sheer velocity was too much for even his own body to handle,

As long as he was rushing in a straight line, it didn’t matter.

“Ohh~~ A head-on charge, huh…?

Interesting.

The last time someone tried that against me was Radahn and Godfrey.”

“I’ll give you a warning in advance.

You’d better not even blink.”

“Hah!

How considerate of you.

Maybe you should also figure out your place while you’re at it.

Enough talk—get over here already.”

“Kh… Here I come!!”

“Tsk, try to avoid using cliché battle cries, will you?”

With a sprinter’s stance, Godou launched his ultimate charge.

Just as he had declared, his speed was truly beyond human perception—

So fast that even blinking could mean missing everything.

The friction from his movement ignited the very air,

Leaving behind streaks of heat and crackling plasma in his wake.

But then—

SLAASH!!

“Godou!!”

“Godou-san?!”

The result was already decided.

His attack never reached Jaein.

Instead, what flew through the air was Godou’s right arm, severed clean from the shoulder.

But that wasn’t all.

Shaaak!!

The moment his severed arm hit the ground,

Godou’s entire body was suddenly slashed to pieces.

Dozens of shallow cuts covered his body—

None fatal, yet precise.

As if to say: “I could have killed you if I wanted to.”

“Kuhh…!”

In the end, Godou collapsed to his knees.

The agony of his overused heart from [Swift Wings],

The shock of losing an arm,

And the massive blood loss—all struck him at once.

A normal person would have died instantly.

But as a god-slayer, Godou barely clung to consciousness as he spoke.

“You… that divine authority… don’t tell me…”

At a glance, it might seem like Jaein had simply used Godou’s own speed against him.

But that only explained the loss of his arm.

For the briefest instant, Godou had seen it.

Jaein’s sword—

Accelerating.

Not just fast—

A speed so overwhelming it completely outclassed [Swift Wings] itself.

“You said you don’t have a movement skill,

But you never said you didn’t have speed.”

“Khh… You bastard…!!”

“Seriously, who the hell challenges someone to a head-on duel like that?

That only works if your strength, speed, and skills are at least on par with your opponent.”

Thinking he could rely on speed alone?

That was just asking to die.

Truthfully, Jaein could have aimed for his neck instead of his arm.

“You wanted to measure my gaps, huh?

Then let me give you a fair warning.

I’ve never once let anything escape once it entered my gap.”

This was the true ability of [Sword God’s Dance]—