"…Do you know that mouth is squeezing your lifeline?"
"Confucius should also know that fact."
The instructor, who had been observing the situation, spoke quietly.
Even as an instructor in an academy that advocated equality, it was inevitable that he would be mindful of the next successor to the Duke's family.
"Can we start the sparring?"
Sadin and I answered at the same time.
"Yes."
"Do it."
The instructor said,
"Let each of you choose the weapon you want."
Sadin chose his greatsword, and I was still bare-handed. He looked at me and said,
"You arrogant bastard… Are you trying to trick me because of your bloodline?"
Of course not. What I believed in was my auxiliary magic.
No matter what, he was a member of the warrior party in name only.
It is said that it is not easy for a young talent who has just started to blossom to be defeated.
"You will soon find out who you have offended."
Instead of answering, I smiled faintly. A sincere murderous aura was clearly blooming from his entire body.
"Let the match begin!"
At the same time as the shout, Sadin's body bounced up like a spring.
The momentum was so strong that it left footprints on the ground where he had been standing.
Bang—!
My fist clashed with the sword that rushed in like lightning. The aftermath caused the entire stadium to shake.
"Is this all you can do with your skills?"
Despite the reinforcement, my joints still ached.
Sadin swung his sword fiercely and ceaselessly.
It was a rough yet clean and powerful attack.
At the tip of the sword, I could clearly feel the will to truly cut me down.
He was swinging his sword with full sincerity, determined to kill me.
There was an opening. I used a large swing to dig in.
But at that fleeting moment, Sadin noticed my intentions and distanced himself.
Then his sword drew a semicircle and slashed toward my side.
The attempt was good, but the pace was slow. I turned to the left…
"――!"
The greatsword suddenly changed its trajectory and struck my arm.
I flew straight ahead and barely managed to keep my balance in the air before landing.
If I had been even a little bit later, I would have fallen out of the stadium. His strength and reaction speed were beyond common sense.
'I definitely avoided it…'
I felt a sense of discomfort. It was as if he were reading my next move and reacting accordingly.
The magical power that rose from his entire body covered the surrounding area.
The air began to freeze rapidly. It seemed to be specialized in the water attribute among the original elements, and in particular, the ice type.
It wasn't for nothing that he was called the greatest genius of all time.
But since a while ago, I had felt a strangely familiar aura from him. What on earth was this sense of discomfort?
"How long are you going to avoid it!"
The cold mana slowly penetrated my body.
Without missing this gap, the blade radiating a bluish aura slashed forward, drawing an arc.
'This time to the right….'
This time, as if reading my movements, the greatsword—with its trajectory twisted abnormally—cut into my side.
Bright red blood dripped from where the flesh had been torn off.
Sadin raised the corners of his mouth slightly when he saw that sight.
'It's strange… Even though he's a genius, how can a knight who just reached the 5th Circle have this much strength?'
Something was off. He didn't show it on the outside, but he was strong—too strong.
It was so strong that it far exceeded the expected range.
There was that strange movement. His sword moved as if it were anticipating my next move, which was truly bizarre.
"That smart mouth is surprisingly quiet now. Why, have you only just realized the difference in level between you and me?"
The contemptuous gaze, as if looking at an insect, soon changed into a proud expression. A sense of elation filled his face.
I looked calmly into his face. To be exact, I looked into his right eye.
And I smiled with confidence.
Why did I only find out about this now?
"What's so funny? Have you gone crazy or something?"
A genius talent, as if he had sold his soul to the devil.
An inexplicable sense of discomfort.
A familiar feeling.
Now all the puzzle pieces fit together.
"I thought something was strange."
The cause of the discomfort was precisely those eyes.
Every time he used his power, the faint magical energy that came out stimulated me.
"What are you talking about?"
—Black Magician.
It was a line I had heard a lot.
—How is it, is it similar? I tried to imitate the work I saw in the Creator's mind. There is a human who knows so much about the law of equivalent exchange... I became interested in the world the Creator lived in.
It's similar, but more than that—why is your voice ringing in my head?
—I'm so frustrated just watching. What am I supposed to do if this human, who is supposed to be Lord Asmodeus' apostle, doesn't even recognize a mere contractor?
I'm so screwed.
Is it just me, or does it feel like the speech has been patched up to be quite modern?
Anyway, as I expected, that guy was a demon contractor.
There is no surprise since it was directly authorized by Asmodeus. It was truly absurd.
'The next successor to the Rundel Duke family, the best swordsmanship family in the empire, is a contractor for the Demon God.'
If this fact becomes known to the royal family, the least that can happen is destruction. The entire family will disappear.
If it is a demon with the power of foresight and enlightenment, then…
'71st rank demon, Dantalion.'
—There's no one but that evil bastard Dantalion. I don't know what he made the contract for, but it seems like that young human can use some of Dantalion's powers... Since he made the contract with that bastard, it's safe to say that destruction was a foregone conclusion.
The identity of the extraordinary strength had been revealed.
Through the power of enlightenment, he broke through the limits of his talent and grew like crazy.