WeTried Translations

Translator: Coughing Baby

Editor: Coughing Baby

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

◈ Reincarnation of the Sword Demon

Chapter 80

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They Say Life Outside Home Is Hell

Azel couldn’t say a word. He only stared at Kyle.

Ruzan was the same. The two Demon Tribe members wanted different things, but the same thought rose in both their minds.

What the hell is this lunatic talking about?

Ruzan was dumbfounded. His body trembled, and he barely forced his lips apart.

“Didn’t we say we’d do this peacefully?”
“Things go bad when they’re good, and good when they’re bad.”
“...”
“What are you staring at? I said I’d catch that bastard Azel and hand him over. Weren’t you stuck because he kept threatening you with the Secret Realm Core?”

That was true. Ruzan didn’t believe that cowardly prince would really detonate the core and blow everything up, but if he got cornered badly enough, he might snap and do anything. That was why they had planned to wait until he was exhausted.

“You said... it was a promise. In your name.”
“I promised to catch him and hand him over. Did I ever promise to let you leave safely?”

That was true too.

It was true, but rage still surged up. He even felt betrayed. Ruzan’s shoulders shook as he ground his teeth hard enough for the sound to carry outside his mask.

“My teeth are going to crack.”

Kyle clicked his tongue and added,

“Isn’t this cleaner? I stop you from leaving. Black one, you need to capture that bastard alive, so you have to kill me and get out. Azel, if you don’t want to get caught by Black, you have to kill me and run.”
“...”
“Oh, and one warning. If you try to team up with me and kill Black, I’ll kill you myself. If you want to live, struggle with everything you’ve got.”

Azel had no choice but to grit his teeth at that. Struggle? He had been struggling to survive this whole time, and this was where it got him.

Of course, that was Azel’s problem. Kyle had no intention of caring. They’d only met today, and Azel had even snuck in illegally. Why would Kyle care about his circumstances?

“Lucia.”

Kyle raised his voice and called her. Lucia, who had been waiting near the entrance and watching the situation, answered.

“Yes, Kyle-nim.”
“You take that one.”

Kyle pointed at one of the Red Masks.

“Narua, that one. Bruno, that one. Jade, you take the two left.”

Then he assigned targets to the order members. He didn’t ask for the Demon Tribe members’ agreement.

“Hey, Commander, why do I get two? I’m not even vice commander.”
“The one I assigned to Lucia is stronger than those two put together. You can handle two.”

Jade looked genuinely wronged when he asked, but after hearing that answer, he just nodded without arguing further.

“Narua. Objectively, that bastard is stronger than you. But if you fight him, you win. You get what I mean?”
“Yeah.”

Narua nodded, eyes flashing.

“Bruno. You and that bastard are about even. Don’t get dragged into his pace, think only about your own flow. Just bulldoze him.”
“Understood.”

Bruno also took Kyle’s words to heart without objection.

“Lucia.”
“Yes.”
“I trust you.”

He didn’t say much to Lucia. That was enough.

“Yes, Kyle-nim.”

Lucia’s shoulders trembled slightly, then she nodded.

“If you still have strength after killing them, hold the entrance. There might be more Demon Tribe members we haven’t found.”
“Yes, understood.”

After hearing her response, Kyle looked at Ruzan.

“Of course, your opponent is me.”
“...”
“No complaints, right?”
“You lunatic.”

Ruzan spat that out from the heart, and Kyle stepped forward with a smile.

“Should I go first?”

The moment he asked, Ruzan kicked off the ground. Pitch-black Aura covered his whole body. Aura wrapped around both arms in a vortex, and behind his back, a pair of blade-like Aura forms spread like wings.

The Red Masks moved at the same time Ruzan did. Kyle had made the matchups, but they had no reason to follow them. Their goal was still to capture Azel and leave the Secret Realm.

That was top priority. The Demon Tribe had loyalty too. Raised from birth as Prince Nasdel’s hounds, they could throw away their lives without hesitation for Nasdel’s order. Even if most of them died and only one survived, that would be enough if that one secured Azel and escaped.

So naturally, the Red Masks rushed toward Azel and Kyle, but the Sword Wolf Knights didn’t allow it. Lucia took the lead, of course. Sprinting at full speed, she passed the Red Masks and cut off their path.

“A mongrel like you...!”

Someone among the Red Masks spat that out. Fortunately, it was the Demon Tribe member Lucia had been assigned to. The other members arrived right after and each blocked their designated target.

“...”

Narua drew both swords and glared at her opponent. She remembered what Kyle had told her when she decided to join the Sword Wolf Knights.

She came to Gladiheim and joined the order to achieve what she wanted. She had a reason she couldn’t die.

If this were the old you, you would have been thinking about death.

Kyle had said that.

He might give orders that felt like death orders. If her ability was lacking, she might die.

A commander’s job was to make sure the members became strong enough not to die even when faced with orders like that.

Narua understood what that meant. This was an opponent she would have faced while thinking about death before. No, honestly, even now, the opponent was stronger than her.

Even so, Narua didn’t think about dying. If she fought, she won. Kyle had seen through her nature when he said that. Her fire did not go out no matter how hard the wind blew. If anything, stronger wind only made it burn hotter. Narua smiled with certainty. In this fight, she felt she might finally catch a clue to the Will Realm she had never managed to enter.

My flow...

Bruno also repeated Kyle’s words in his head. Unlike his appearance, he had a timid side. It wasn’t his inborn nature, but a bad habit he’d picked up from always putting his father’s orders first since childhood.

For years, Bruno had been trying to throw that habit away. Learning not to tremble before frightening opponents. Learning not to retreat. Learning to swing his sword violently as he wished, without waiting for his opponent.

This time too, he would learn one more thing. An opponent at a similar level. Not a sparring partner, but someone he had to kill. He would learn how to swing without fear, without trembling at death, on that taut line.

The Sword Wolf Knights were growing fast.

That was what Kyle wanted.

Kyle, too, got what he wanted today.

Reincarnating was great.

But there had been too many good things. He was born into too good a family, to parents too good, no, to a good mother.

His relatives were full of pride in their family name and the blood in their veins, and fully confident in their own skill. They considered it shameful to seriously trample a snot-nosed nephew to death.

His grandfather was strict, but very generous once you proved your worth. Because of that, his reincarnated life had no rough turns. No real crisis. He had overflowing talent, memories from his previous life, and skill with the sword, so in the Sword Tower he could get most of what he wanted.

The closest thing to hardship had been when he rolled around the Mudflat and sea in the Cultivation Floors. Even then, thanks to Lifeline, he never truly felt a life-or-death crisis. He only had to avoid the gaze. He only had to stay away from the hands. Those beings still felt so far beyond him that he had never even wanted to fight them.

Right.

The reason for that thirst he had felt ever since reincarnating was simple: not enough fighting. He couldn’t fight family with real killing intent. Same with his order members.

They say leaving home means pure hell, but for me, leaving home was better.

At home, he couldn’t fight freely. Outside home, he found people to fight. If there was no opponent, he could make one. Right now, that was fine.

Kwaaaak!

The Aura blades growing from Ruzan’s back struck at Kyle. Kyle raised Fenris straight and redirected the attack. Jor had left the middle dantian, but there was no problem running the Primordial Chaos Sword Canon. Jor would probably sulk if he heard this, but in operating the technique, Jor was convenient to have and not a major loss without.

A path opened along the redirected line. Kyle sprinted into it. Ruzan swung both hands. Both were wrapped in Aura. Right now, his fingers were like Aura claws.

Kkaang! Claws and Fenris collided. Fenris could usually cut through most Aura. And now Sword Force was layered over it too. But Ruzan’s claws did not break.

So when he kept calling Kyle a brat, it wasn’t all bluff.

Ruzan was strong.

That made Kyle’s heart pound.

This was the first time since reincarnation that he could kill, and be killed by, an opponent like this in earnest. It was a little unfair to Arian, but Kyle wanted to treat today as his birthday.

Attack followed attack. Kyle tried to kill Ruzan, and Ruzan tried to kill Kyle. Shwaak! Fenris slipped into an opening and went for Ruzan’s head. Ruzan leaned back and stepped away. He barely dodged it, but the jaw of his mask was sliced off and fell.

“...”

Ruzan’s lips twitched. Rumors were usually exaggerated, but this boy in front of him felt like the rumors had been understated.

After trading blows several times, he understood. Truly, truly... unbelievably.

He was stronger than Ruzan.

There was composure in the boy’s attacks. Ruzan struck over and over, sure he had the advantage, and every time he was blocked. Before Ruzan even attacked, the boy was already seeing the next move. Meanwhile, all Ruzan could do was keep up moment by moment.

This isn’t someone I can fight while worrying about Mana Addiction. If I don’t go all out, I die.

By nature, the Demon Tribe had trouble going all out, but in a situation like this, worrying about Mana Addiction only meant dying helplessly. In the end, order mattered for the Demon Tribe. Would they lose reason to Madness Erosion and fall into Mana Addiction, or keep reason and control Mana Addiction right up to the limit?

Woooooo...!

The Aura covering Ruzan’s body began to flicker in an even darker shade, more violent than before. Kyle watched him with delighted eyes.

Then he turned his gaze to Azel. Kyle had kindly and clearly laid out what Azel needed to do, yet the bastard still wasn’t trying to fight, just hanging back a few steps.

Azel kept an eye on Jor, who stayed near the wall. He didn’t know what that snake was, but it had the core in its mouth. He’d lost it to a surprise grab, but if he could take it back, the situation would favor him.

He wasn’t planning to hold the core and threaten to explode it again like before. Alastor had stepped in and was handling Nasdel’s hounds, so Azel planned to let them fight each other and escape through the core when he saw an opening.

Or he could wait until the hounds were all cleaned up by Alastor. Either way, Azel had no intention of taking risks. His goal was to survive no matter what.

“...!”

Then Kyle suddenly rushed him. Unlike before, Kyle’s eyes now carried clear killing intent. Azel hurriedly wrapped both fists in Aura.

Kwaang! Azel’s punch slammed into Fenris and was blocked. The ringing shock traveled up his arms. Kyle’s lips twitched.

Damn.

Even after two sleepless days, injuries, and drained mana, this much power. If Azel were in perfect condition? Kyle found him interesting, but he didn’t like Azel’s current attitude. Even now, Azel was still trying to run.

“I’ll make this clear.”

Kyle whispered.

“Even if that black one dies, you won’t be safe. I’m not planning to let you live.”
“...!”
“If you want to live, struggle. Maybe, depending on how you do, I might spare you.”

Azel’s face twisted at those words. Their standoff didn’t last long. Ruzan crashed in. The Aura he’d raised while accepting Mana Addiction had transformed into Force Aura with power close to the Sword Force wrapped on Fenris.

Kwaang! Kyle spun and swung Fenris. Force Aura and Sword Force collided. Even Azel was hit by the aftermath. He threw his arms up to block, but the shock shoved him back.

“Ghh...!”

Azel bit down hard. He couldn’t run. After Ruzan died, Azel would die too. In the end, Azel also wrapped Force Aura around both fists.

The three-way battle began. Kyle stood between Ruzan and Azel and fought both at once.

Ruzan’s attacks were fast and sharp. Fighting while wrapping Aura around the body was a Demon Tribe combat style, and Ruzan’s level was high even among that. His Force Aura didn’t get pushed back much even against Kyle’s Sword Force, and unlike Sword Force, its shape was flexible.

Thrusting, cutting, smashing. Different attacks flowed one after another from a single stream of Force Aura.

Kyle blocked Ruzan’s attacks while keeping Azel in check. Every time Azel tried to retreat, Fenris blocked his path. If he tried to slip left, a slash dropped there. If he tried right, Sword Force drew a line there.

Azel’s face twisted as he threw a punch. Every time his rapid strikes, packed with Force Aura, hit Fenris, fragments of Aura burst away. Azel’s Force Aura lacked raw power compared to Ruzan’s. But his fist technique itself was at a pretty high level.

So his older sister really is the Fist Demon.

He wasn’t just wrapping his fists in Aura and swinging wildly. There was technique in his trajectories. Aura flow concentrated into his fists and exploded at the moment of impact. This was proper fist art.

He had this kind of technique and still acted like such a coward. Kyle had no intention of scolding him. They didn’t know each other, and he wasn’t interested in Azel’s circumstances. There was only one thing Kyle wanted to decide.

Would killing him later be more fun than killing him now?

Kwaang!

Fenris took Azel’s fist and shoved it away. Azel staggered back. In that instant, Kyle’s foot hooked Azel’s leg. A swordsman didn’t have to use only arms and sword. Just as a sword was swung with the whole body, a fight was fought with the whole body.

Azel lost balance for a moment. Fenris aimed for that instant and cut at his neck. Not all the way through, only grazing the skin.

Kyle had done that on purpose. Azel felt it too and went wide-eyed. Fear of almost dying. Then fury at being mocked. He had run to survive, but Azel wasn’t completely without pride.

“Krrk...!”

A black stain briefly appeared around Azel’s eyes. His emotions were surging, just as Kyle intended. But the stain flickered for only a moment, then settled back down.

Rather than mental discipline... is his threshold just high because he’s the Demon King’s son?

Kyle couldn’t focus only on Azel. Fenris returned to Ruzan. Ruzan’s eyes also showed no sign of Madness Erosion. He was pulling mana up at full power while controlling it from running wild, and even keeping his reason.

It wasn’t enough for total satisfaction, but it was still enough to enjoy without feeling lacking.

What kind of bastard is this...?

Ruzan glared at Kyle while steadying his breath.

Ruzan’s goal was to capture Azel alive, kill Kyle, and leave the Secret Realm. Killing one of Alastor’s pure-blood line could cause all kinds of trouble, but for Ruzan, Nasdel’s order came before making enemies of Alastor.

Azel’s goal was simply escape. For that, he had to kill his pursuer, Ruzan. To Azel, Kyle wasn’t someone he absolutely had to kill. If his life were guaranteed, Azel was the type to surrender immediately.

But Kyle had no intention of accepting Azel’s surrender. Kyle wanted to kill Ruzan, and kill Azel too. Their goals couldn’t be reconciled. To survive and fulfill each goal, they had to kill everyone else.

Who died first? Priority would follow purpose. If possible, Azel wanted to kill Ruzan first. Ruzan and Azel’s goals could never coexist.

But Kyle didn’t allow it. Whenever Azel tried to attack Ruzan, Kyle detected it instantly, blocked Azel, and struck him first.

This madman is baiting me and Prince Azel into attacking him first...

It had started as a three-way battle, but at some point Ruzan and Azel were both attacking Kyle.

Ruzan couldn’t understand it at all. Logically, the ideal setup should have been for the two of them to join up and kill Ruzan first. Kyle didn’t allow Azel to do that.

Ruzan couldn’t grasp the reason, but it was good for him. If Kyle died first, he could subdue Azel immediately after. Thankfully, Kyle was pressing Azel and draining his strength.

But... Kyle didn’t look like he was going to fall. Azel and Ruzan were attacking him together, yet he wasn’t being pushed back at all.

Ruzan steadied his breathing and glanced at Azel. Azel too was pale and drenched in sweat, watching Kyle with shaking eyes.

Kyle was smiling brightly.

What he said wasn’t just bluff. He’s really strong.

Ruzan had chased Azel because he had no choice, but he had still gone as far as Beltua Island under Alastor’s protection. At Ruzan’s level, he could serve as a squad leader in any knight order in Gladiheim.

But that level still couldn’t satisfy Kyle. That was why he had made them team up on him, but even that was getting less fun as he got used to it.

If he provoked Ruzan into Madness Erosion and all the way into a Mana Addiction rampage, it would get more fun. What about Azel? Honestly, Kyle wanted to kill him right now because that pathetic side irritated him, but being the Demon King’s son bothered him just a little.

Can I kill him?

He didn’t think long. It seemed fine. Azel was the one who had illegally entered first, and corpses didn’t talk. Even if Azel died here, as long as every Demon Tribe member who could report it died too, how would Erebos know? And even if they somehow found out, every Demon Tribe member needed to pin the blame on was right here. Say they killed each other, and it would end cleanly.

His skill is decent, but from how he kept running around... even if I spare him today, he probably won’t come back later swearing revenge.

The only time Kyle showed mercy was when he wanted to fight someone again later. Azel’s skill was good enough for that, but his core was rotten. He wasn’t someone Kyle could keep nearby and correct like Bruno.

Good. Kill him.

Decision made, then who first? That didn’t take long either.

That black one’s goal was to capture Azel alive and offer him to his master. So if Azel died in front of him, it would shake him badly and trigger madness.

And that pathetic prince bastard, when death gets right in his face, will get swallowed by madness and go berserk on his own.

As that thought continued, Kyle suddenly worried about Lucia. He had assigned her an opponent that would be close even at her level. Was she getting pushed back? He looked her way with that concern.

Worrying for nothing.

He saw Lucia’s Blood Fang sever the Demon Tribe member’s right arm. The left arm had already been cut off and lay on the floor. Judging by the eyes behind the mask, the Demon Tribe member was already consumed by madness and slipping into Mana Addiction, but Lucia’s eyes were calm.

Jade’s handling his side fine. Bruno and Narua are fighting well too.

For a moment, the battle slowed. Azel watched for an opening while suppressing his surging emotions, and Ruzan,

“You’re relaxed enough to look away...?”

He was purely enraged. He had realized Kyle was looking somewhere else entirely. Watching Ruzan’s Aura flicker into blades, Kyle slowly nodded.

“Yeah. I’m relaxed.”

Ruzan’s shoulders shook. Blackness looked ready to spread around his eyes. Perfect timing, Kyle thought, and added,

“Try making me less rela...”

He couldn’t finish. A cold shiver ran over him. Goosebumps rose down his spine. Kyle’s eyes widened and he turned his head. He hadn’t been joking about being relaxed. But now that composure vanished.

Ruzan felt something too. He sucked in a breath and turned around.

Lucia was closest to the entrance.

She had cut off both enemy arms, then just thrust Blood Fang into his neck and killed him. Even after that, she could still fight.

Kyle-nim told me to block the entrance.

They hadn’t searched the whole labyrinth, so there could be more Demon Tribe members they hadn’t found. Thinking that, Lucia blocked the entrance.

Then she heard it.

“...!”

Footsteps came from the entrance passage. Slow, heavy steps. There was no attempt to hide them; they were clear, as if meant to be heard.

A presence rolled in. Goosebumps spread over Lucia’s whole body. Mana density she had never felt since entering the Secret Realm pushed in through the passage. It was on a completely different level from the Red Mask she had just killed, and even from the Black Mask fighting Kyle.

Lucia gripped Blood Fang tightly with trembling hands. The corpse of the Demon Tribe member she had just killed lay at her feet, and blood from the corpse had soaked her shoes. The fishy smell of Demon Tribe blood lingered at the tip of her nose, but Lucia couldn’t smell anything now. All of her nerves and senses were fixed on the entrance.

Dangerous...

She didn’t know what was coming, but it was dangerous. Lucia panted and stared into the passage.

A figure came into view from the passage.

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