TYND 106
by Cherry“Damn it!”
In the pandemonium, the collector glared at Theon. Even then, Theon stood motionless.
“You bastard!”
The collector extended both hands. Demonic energy shot out and formed swords.
Demon swords.
Something only a demon Archduke could create. The Collector grabbed the Demon Swords in both hands and charged.
Clang! Staront and the demon sword collided. The collector surged forward as if he wouldn’t give any opening to attack. Clang! Clang! Every time the two swords clashed in the darkness, flashes erupted. It was a speed human eyes couldn’t follow.
Clang! Clang!
Theon initially seemed pushed back by the collector, but soon turned to push the collector back instead. The collector was definitely pushed back by Theon’s force. However, as the swords repeatedly clashed and separated, that pushing back gradually slowed. This was because the sticky, viscous darkness of the demon swords was wrapping around Staront.
Clang! When they clashed once more, Staront cracked. The darkness that had been rapidly expanding along that crack finally reached Theon’s hand gripping the sword.
Rumble!
That was when heaven and earth shook.
A small space of light appeared in the sky that had been nothing but darkness.
“Divine power…!”
The collector couldn’t tolerate divine power invading his domain. He roared loudly and spread darkness.
BOOM!
In the meantime, Theon tore off the demonic energy wrapped around his hand and swung his sword again. The collector hastily raised his demon sword to block, but was sent flying. Before he could regain his senses, Theon’s sword severed the body’s upper and lower halves.
Having lost his body, only the collector’s spiritual form remained.
Normally he should have fled then. Aura Masters couldn’t catch spiritual forms.
However, there wasn’t only an Aura Master here.
From the bag Theon wore diagonally, a small ferret raised both front paws and waved them around.
Pitch-black aura wrapping around Staront. And white light wrapping around that pitch-black aura. A sword imbued with divine power pierced the spiritual form.
“AHHHH!”
The collector screamed in spiritual form. It was pain he felt for the first time. The spiritual form, which was essentially a mass of demonic energy, flashed while shooting demonic energy in all directions. Theon swung his sword to cut it down so that energy couldn’t spread further.
Clang! Thud! Rumble!
Light and darkness devoured each other. Light was consumed by darkness, then darkness was consumed by light. They retreated from each other then pounced, were pushed back then swept over again.
Thunder roared as if everything around was collapsing. The ground shook and the air vibrated.
High above in the sky, sacred light gradually expanded its range.
As the realm of darkness rapidly retreated and a curtain of light descended, monsters and demons screamed, while the Black Lions and Plant stared up at the sky in awe.
“Grrrr, ahhhhh!”
The collector went berserk. Even so, that living Trimule using divine power was still just one person. He could escape. One person couldn’t do anything to him. With such thoughts, he frantically thrashed about in all directions to avoid Theon’s sword.
Crash!
Then a beam of light descended from the light-filled sky.
“Kreee!” One demon struck directly by the beam wailed and disintegrated.
Thud! Thud!
One, then two beams of light descended, instantly multiplying to dozens. Within the sacred, holy radiance were people dressed in white robes.
They were the priests and clerics of the grand temple who had left the estate during the day.
The collector absolutely couldn’t believe it.
Because this was… spatial movement without using portals.
It was magic that even the collector, who had lived for thousands of years, had never seen, magic he thought existed only in legends.
The few demons who had come running at the collector’s call witnessed the curtain of light from afar.
Just looking at it made their minds reel. They couldn’t even think of challenging it. In truth, they had neither the loyalty nor sense of duty for it.
The demons quietly retreated.
The curtain of light hung over the estate’s sky for a long time.
***
The demon bastard had five more Trimules besides what future Theon had told him about.
Two of them were returned to the families that originally owned them, but the remaining three had apparently been stolen as soon as they were made, so their original owning families were unknown.
Therefore, one would be kept by the Palsen family, one would go to the imperial family, and one would be donated to the temple.
When Theon finished his post-incident report, the emperor exclaimed through the communication orb.
– You really killed it? Good heavens… When an Aura Master and Grand Mage become a married couple, even a demon Archduke is no match. This was possible because that Grand Mage even possessed divine power…
“It was thanks to Plant’s and the temple’s cooperation.”
– How is Rothy? Did he collapse again?
“He’ll wake up tomorrow.”
– That’s a relief. Anyway, I’ll announce this tomorrow immediately. Romeri will be delighted that the collector is finally dead.
“He won’t be delighted. Since the demon bastard died, we’ll never know the locations of the Trimules he collected.”
– Ah, there was that problem… But even when the collector was alive, we didn’t know the storage locations anyway. At least from now on we won’t have Trimules stolen, so he should naturally be happy.
“Other demons will collect Trimules following the demon bastard’s example.”
The emperor waved his finger left and right.
– Brother, you’re too pessimistic. You’re too negative about everything.
“……”
– The death of the Demon Archduke is something to celebrate, isn’t it? The entire empire, no, everyone in Arashis, will be filled with joy. And I will be recorded in history as the emperor who ended the human-demon war, the emperor who had the youngest grand mage, the emperor who killed three demons, and the emperor who had the most beautiful princess in the world!
“……”
– You know what? They say our Ashina has a talent for magic. This is the first time in the history of the imperial family that a member of the imperial bloodline has shown talent in magic! What exactly is Ashina? Is she perhaps a legendary fairy? Or an angel?
Theon cut off communication with the emperor, who was breathing hot air.
“Jay, I hear the Emperor is announcing it tomorrow. Until then, keep your mouth shut.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“What about Rothy?”
“He’s in the bedroom.”
He wanted to go see him right away, but he had to thank the Great Temple and the Plant. He had already given them enough in return by donating the Trimule, but….
After sufficiently praising the Black Lions as well, he returned to his bedroom and saw Rothy sleeping soundly.
Chii…
Seeing Chi-chi worried that he might fall asleep for a long time again, Theon stroked his head.
“Don’t worry. He will wake up tomorrow morning.”
Chii…
Theon tried to cover Rothy with a blanket, but then he noticed Rothy was hugging something.
This cylindrical object was the trimmule with the dissolving function.
‘He must have fallen asleep while trying to open this apart.’
Theon carefully took out the small cylinder and placed it on the bedside table.
With this, there’s no need to worry about Rothy not being able to withstand high temperatures in a few years. A large stone in his heart disappeared. He felt an indescribable sense of relief.
The Theon from the future had said to give it to Rothy after he turned twenty. It seems that the age of twenty is the age at which the effects of Trimule are most effective…
‘Rothy wants to become an adult quickly, so he will want to synthesize it right away. I’ll have to persuade him.’
Theon racked his brain trying to figure out how to persuade Rothy.
The next day.
“Rothy, it’s better not to synthesize it yet.”
“Okay. I understand.”
“I won’t do it now…. I’ll synthesize it in three months.”
“Three months later?”
“After three months, I’ll be eighteen. A proper adult. Let’s wait and synthesize it then.”
Rothy smiled shyly.
It was a smile that made him seem like he would be fifteen, not eighteen, in three months.
Theon recalled the Emperor’s plan, which Rothy was still unaware of.
“Rothy. You’re saying you’ll use it when you become an adult.”
“Yeah.”
“When you become an adult.”
“Yeah… why are you asking twice…?”
Rothy was startled, wondering what he was thinking, and quickly got up.
“If Theon wants, I’ll synthesize it right now…!”
“No, there’s absolutely no need to do that. And you shouldn’t get up so suddenly. Aren’t you dizzy?”
“Really, it’s okay if I don’t become an adult right away…?”
“It’s okay. Let’s synthesize it when you become an adult.”
“Okay!”
Rothy now smiled brightly, like a child about to achieve their dream.
However, three months, which Rothy had been eagerly anticipating, passed.
Theon had to spend two whole days comforting Rothy, who had fallen into despair again after seeing a short column that said, ‘His Majesty has raised the age of adulthood to nineteen.’
“What’s wrong with Diam? Why is he raising it without the consent of those who are eighteen? He raised it from seventeen to eighteen, and now it’s nineteen. At this rate, the age of adulthood will be twenty…”
“His Majesty is really too much.”
“I’m really upset….”
“I understand.”
“Theon, please wait just one more year….”
“Of course. I’ll wait, whether it takes TYND 10 years or TYND 100 years.”
The bundle of blankets made a whining sound and snuggled into his arms.
Theon hugged the bundle of blankets close and patted it gently.
He was pleased to see him wanting to be comforted, but on the other hand, he was worried.
The Emperor had hinted that he would set the age of adulthood at 20.
When that announcement was made, he wondered how he would comfort him again…