“Now’s our chance! Fire! Fire, even if your castle falls apart!” shouted the castle lord of Camlahi Three.
Concentrated Veylonbosm fire rained on Lay. Although he had the Sword of Three Races braced to shield himself, the holy sword itself was now eating away at him.
“Ship one, charge!” Zaimon’s voice echoed.
Countless Gazdema castle swords extended from Camlahi One.
Farris knew about Hero Kanon. He knew that Hero Kanon, with the help of the Sword of Three Races, was renowned for his ability to overcome impossible odds, and so he had decided to finish things with the next blow. The giant sky fortress lowered to fly inches from the ground as it rushed at Lay.
“How unfortunate. Without the Sword of Three Races, that train over there is as good as gone. I won’t even need to defeat you to settle this,” Maytilen said, claws glinting silver.
“Don’t underestimate my subordinates,” I said.
The next moment, lightning traveled up Camlahi One’s wing, creating a large explosion.
“Urk! Serious damage detected in the right wing!”
“That can’t be! Nothing hit us!”
Having lost one wing, Camlahi One veered away from Lay, brushing against the ground several times. It almost crashed multiple times before it managed to right itself.
“Th-There was a brief magic reaction! It’s coming from the inside! The enemy has infiltrated Camlahi One and has gained control over a portion of the magic circuits! This signal may be audible to them!” a castle demon reported.
“Was it when we slashed the Etens their ruler was holding?” Zaimon asked. “No wonder he let us pass so easily... It was to sneak his subordinates on board.”
Hmm. He’d figured that out rather quickly.
“Direct all Magic Eyes internally. Find the invader!” Zaimon ordered.
“There’s one signal in the engine area, and one in the bridge...here... Gah!”
I switched to the vision of my follower who had infiltrated Camlahi One—Shin. He was in the bridge, dispelling Misa’s Titegenne to reveal himself standing with one of his demon swords stabbed into a soldier of the Tigrisfort Academy. He pulled back the sword, the soldier crumbling to the ground. Shin stared straight at Zaimon, the castle lord of Camlahi One.
“The rest of you search for the other invader,” Zaimon ordered. He drew his castle sword and faced Shin. The rest of his crew immediately began repairing Camlahi One and searching for the invader. Their instant obedience demonstrated their utmost faith that the Fearless Fortslasher Zaimon Epala, top student of their academy, could handle a single intruder alone.
“Do you have a sword prepared?” Zaimon asked.
“No,” Shin replied.
“I see. I commend your resolution. So you shall shield the man with the Sword of Three Races until he recovers,” Zaimon said sharply. “That will not come to pass. I will end this too quickly for it to happen.”
In a single lunge, Shin stepped within reach of Zaimon’s blade, swinging his demon sword down.
“Too slow.” Zaimon swung his castle sword several times faster than Shin with the intent to break his demon sword, but only cut through the air. “What?!”
One beat later, Shin’s slow sword slashed Zaimon’s shoulder.
“Urk!”
A dull sound like metal grinding against stone echoed across the bridge. Zaimon’s body was extremely solid—Shin’s sword had only taken off a thin layer of skin, and in doing so, snapped entirely. But Shin simply discarded the broken demon sword with a rather unsurprised expression on his face, as if he had expected this result.
“I do not plan on buying time for him. Sword techniques like his rely on brute force; the most he can cut are huge targets like your castles.” Shin drew a magic circle and pulled out another demon sword. “You people are weak.”
“I was unfamiliar with your move the first time. Do it again.”
Shin stepped forwards once more. Zaimon watched the trajectory of his sword until the last possible moment, drawing the blade towards him before his castle sword flashed in response.
“Guh!”
The slow demon sword slipped past Zaimon’s rapid sword for a second time, this time striking him directly in the head. Blood dripped down his face, with Shin’s sword snapping in half once more.
“I don’t understand art. That’s why I always disliked him,” Shin said quietly. “He constantly slighted my liege’s orders, never stood watch seriously, and in the middle of the battlefield never failed to set up his canvas instead of fight. He let more enemies get away than I can count. He always hesitated to strike the killing blow, and in doing so constantly exposed his own allies to danger. That was the kind of naive man Farris Noin was.”
Shin drew another new demon sword. Zaimon’s Magic Eyes glinted as he tried to see into the abyss of his moves.
“That’s all in the past now,” Zaimon said. “The current Farris has overcome that naivety. He has picked up his sword and defeated the evil king of an oppressive rule on his own! It happened right before your eyes!”
“But despite everything,” Shin said, as if Zaimon had never spoken, “my liege loved his naivety and accepted him for who he was.”
Shin took another three steps forwards. Zaimon’s castle sword flashed in an attempt to overpower him with speed. But this time, his sword passed through Shin’s body, slicing through thin air.
“Guh...”
Shin used his third demon sword to slash Zaimon across the chest, the blade snapping immediately.
“A simple painter, forced to pick up a sword and coerced to become king. To live in such a weak and inflexible world must have made him truly miserable.”
Shin drew a new sword from a magic circle and pointed the tip at Zaimon.
“You watch from over there, Farris,” he said coldly, addressing his former comrade. “Watch as I slice apart the cowardly world that forced you to put down your brush.”