Chapter 54
In front of the academy building, the demonic star Reginald Starborn got down from his grand royal chariot. A six feet tall demon with a well-toned body not too bulky, with black hair and amber eyes, a long sword with a golden hilt and a silver blade. Along with him got down a younger demon; he was clad in a grand attire, carrying a sword by his side, beautiful face and sharp chin, hands filled with calluses.
As they got down the chariot, a female demon in academy uniform, with her black hair and amber eyes with an uncanny resemblance to Maria’s father, approached them. She bent down and said,
“Greetings, Father. To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?”
Reginald looked at her kindly and replied,
“My dear daughter, I am here under His Majesty’s command to improve the relation between noble families of the central. His Majesty personally arranged a grand marriage pact with the son of the Demonic Sword Star. Here he is. Greet him, Marie.”
He said.
Marie Reginald looked at the handsome demon in front of her and greeted him.
“Nice to meet you, master. I am Marie Reginald.”
“Nice to meet you, Miss Marie. I am Hart Nether. Feel free to call me Hart.”
Marie smiled and said,
“Well then, Hart, call me Marie.”
Hart bent down, grabbed her hand, kissed the back of it and said,
“It’s my pleasure to meet such a beautiful woman, Marie.”
“Enough talk,” interrupted Reginald. He continued,
“Where is Maria?”
“Why ask about her?” asked Marie.
Reginald replied,
“Well, since you are my only legal heir, I can’t have you marry into the Nether family, so I decided to put your useless sister to some use.”
At that moment, Maria came near the gate, her face pale, her hands shaking, her feet cold. Leo, seeing this, held her hands firmly, came near her ears and whispered,
“You are not alone.”
Some strength returned to her limp limbs. She smiled at Leo and went forward.
Reginald, Hart, and Marie all turned to the footsteps. Reginald looked at Maria holding Leo’s hands. His eyes turned red, veins popped from his neck. He shouted,
“Maria Starborn, what is the meaning of this?!”
He shouted, releasing his mana, pushing back Maria and Leo, suppressing them down to the ground. Maria released her mana, fighting back, defending Leo.
Then Reginald, seeing this scene, laughed.
“Hahahahaha! Not bad, my daughter. You have reached the sword expert stage. I am delighted.”
Marie’s face turned grey. She closed her hands too hard, her nails almost causing a bleed.
Hart looked at her and whispered,
“Interesting, to think you hid such a gem from our eyes for so long.”
Reginald continued,
“Since I am in a good mood, I shall forgive this insolence. Come here, greet your future husband, Hart Nether.”
Hart stepped forward and spoke,
“I am Hart Nether. Nice to meet you, Lady Maria.”
Reginald followed,
“Now let go of his hand and greet him.”
She suddenly let go of Leo’s hands and whispered to him,
“Forgive me, Leo. Go away. If not, you will not survive these animals.”
Reginald, seeing this, spoke,
“Good. Count your lucky star, boy. Now run away to whatever slum you came from, trash.”
Leo’s bent head looked up straight into Maria’s eyes. His lips curled into a smile. He stepped in front of her, held her hands again, and spoke,
“Last night I did not only give you my word, I swore my life to you, my lady, and I shall see through my promise no matter the cost.”
Maria’s black eyes started tearing up. She held Leo’s hands harder. For the first time in her life, someone was standing with her — someone who wouldn’t give up on her.
Reginald, seeing this, burned in anger. He released all his mana. The demons in the surrounding hundred meters all started to suffocate, even Hart and Marie, who were both veterans one step away from becoming sword masters. They couldn’t compare to a demonic star — a demon who reached the summit.
Maria was pushed down, her legs weak, but she still held on. Leo, on the other hand, was flat on the ground.
Reginald spoke,
“You trash who can’t even stand up and look me in the eyes dare to stand in my way. You are dying today.”
He raised his sword.
Maria gathered all her mana and went ahead. Reginald swung down his sword towards Leo. She herself took out her sword from her storage ring and tried to block her father’s blade.
Reginald slowed down his blade seeing his daughter come in front of its path. He couldn’t fully stop it. The two blades collided. Her sword flew back and landed next to Leo.
She coughed up a bout of blood and spoke,
“Father, I will do it. I will do the marriage. Please let him go.”
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She pleaded on her knees.
The demonic star nodded.
“Very well.”
He released the mana suppression on all except Leo with his masterful control of mana.
“Tomorrow we are getting you both married. Get ready.”
A while ago, Leo on the ground lay helplessly as Reginald released his aura. He saw a sword blade flying towards him, but he didn’t feel fear — he was relieved, because he stood by her, didn’t abandon her. Though it was for a short while, he met someone he loved with all his life. He was ready to accept death.
At that moment, he saw Maria leaping in front of him. His head started to pain. He wanted to move, protect her, but his body didn’t move a bit. His pain started getting worse with every passing second.
As the sword struck Maria and she coughed up blood, his heart felt like it was torn apart. His vision blanked out.
In front of his eyes played a scene —
Thousands of beasts running towards someone. A beautiful middle-aged female demon with a staff in her hands, behind her innocent demons cowering in fear. Next to her stood a knight clad in armor, all crimson, raising a crimson blade.
She spoke to the one next to her,
“It’s dumb to die for someone you love. Nothing is stupider. It’s just an excuse to not take responsibility. If you truly love someone, then live for them. Fight, bleed, survive, and return to those who are waiting for you.”
As she swung her staff, moving the stars in the skies to annihilate the beasts in front of her, the crimson knight took care of the beasts behind him.
Slowly Leo was pulled out from there, back to the academy.
Reginald stared at him and spoke,
“You rat, lady luck is on your side. Get lost and never return.”
He said as he turned around to leave.
Leo bit down his teeth, looked at Maria’s sword next to him. His hand moved along the ground, his fingers wrapping around its hilt like a snake starved for months strangling its prey.
He took a deep breath. A flame started kindling in his soul — something that had been dormant for a long time, biding its time to rise.
Slowly he pierced the sword into the ground.
Hart was the first to notice.
“Would you look at that,” he said.
The others turned around.
Leo stood up, moving his body away from the ground by pushing on the sword.
Reginald, seeing this, released his mana to the maximum. Leo was pushed down, but this time he didn’t stay down.
He pushed his will to the maximum. He got on his knees against the oppressing mana, blood flowing out from his nose, ears, eyes, and skin follicles. He continued to rise until he was on his feet, his whole body screaming.
Maria looked at this scene, her eyes pouring tears. She ran towards him.
Leo caught her hands. Maria cried as Leo pulled her close and hugged her.
“I shall not leave you, my dearest,” he said.
Reginald’s pupils widened. He asked,
“What is your name, you foolish demon?”
As he withdrew his aura.
“I am Leo, sir — a demon grown in the kingdom’s orphanage, grandson of my grandmother Hilda, brother to my siblings, a groundsman at the academy, sir,” he said.
Hart took a look at this demon's eyes ,he saw a fire ,something capable of burning him whole , at first he was amused but soon that turned to fear he thought" me ,afraid ,no it's not possible, I am Hart nether from the house of nether .I am not wrong ,it is that demon, he is the cause of this ,he should not be allowed to live " and in that moment without hesitating
, He drew his sword ,he disappeared in an instant, appearing in front of Leo his blade fast and deadly moved to pierce Leo’s neck
Reginald, unprepared, was unable to do anything.
maria screamed" no....."
At that moment, when death stood before Leo, he moved Maria away from the way, and suddenly a flash of light appeared. The sword aiming for Leo’s neck stopped in mid-air.
The light blinded everyone there.
“There, there, enough of this,” said an old voice.
Reginald recognized this voice. His pupils dilated. He bowed down.
As the others’ vision recovered, they saw the spectacle.
Reginald spoke,
“Greetings, Teacher.”
Hart too saw the old demon and bowed,
“Greetings, Grandfather.”
Marie followed and bowed.
“Greetings, respected Sword God.”
Leo and Maria didn’t know him, but noticed that despite his wrinkle-filled face, skinny frame, and worn-down clothes, his face and actions carried a serenity they could only see but not comprehend.
He spoke,
“Reginald, it is not good for the old to interfere in the affairs of the next generation. Let them take care of this on their own.”
Reginald asked,
“What do you suppose we can do, Teacher?”
The old man smiled and spoke,
“Well, since the young demon is ready to fight, I say we give him a chance.”
He looked at Leo and spoke,
“Boy, do you love that child?”
Leo didn’t hold back and replied,
“With all my life, sir.”
The old demon smiled.
“Fine then. Tomorrow we shall hold a duel of swords between you and my grandson. If you win, you can have her.”
He then looked at Reginald.
“It shall be done, Teacher,” Reginald said.
Hart followed,
“Yes, Grandfather. I shall not disappoint you.”
The Sword God then looked at Leo and asked,
“Will you do it?”
Leo looked at Maria’s worried face, smiled, patted her head with his bloodied hand, turned to the Sword God and said,
“I shall fight, sir.”
The Sword God continued,
“Good. Then child, take him to the infirmary and get him ready for the match tomorrow.”
Maria helped him to the infirmary. The crowd dispersed.
The news spread across the town and also reached the demons of the orphanage. Lily conveyed the news to Hilda.
Hilda went to her room and got ready. At the corner of her room stood a long dust-covered box. She looked at it and whispered,
“My boy, it seems that no matter how much we mere ordinary folks try, we can’t deny fate.”
She took the old box out, called Lily, had her carry it, and they both headed to the academy.
They reached the academy entrance. Hilda and Lily, almost out of breath, stood before the gate.
Lily spoke,
“Grandma, let me go find where he is. Rest here.”
Hilda nodded as she sat on a nearby bench, seeing Lily go inside.
As she sat alone, she suddenly spoke,
“If something happens to that child, I shall never forgive you, Harper.”
A gust of wind blew. Under the moonlight arrived the Sword God.
“Age hasn’t dulled your fiery temper, Hilda,” he spoke.
After a brief silence she asked,
“Is there any chance he would win?”
Harper smiled and replied,
“A demon with no mana beating someone who is a half-step sword master — what do you think will happen he will die..... , unless…”
Hilda, her eyes sad, asked,
“Unless what?”
“Unless a miracle happens,” he said.
“Grandma, I am here,” Lily’s voice echoed.
Hilda turned around. In that instant, Harper disappeared into the same wind he came from.
“Was someone here, Grandma?” Lily asked.
Hilda replied,
“Just the wind, dear.”
The duo then went inside the academy.
In a tavern, the demons were having their usual buzz, with their beers and laughter. A demon spoke,
“Did you hear? They say there is a grand duel — the Sword God’s grandson and a commoner demon fight over a girl.”
“A commoner?” another drunk demon asked.
“Yes, a groundskeeper of the academy. I think he was called Leo,” he completed.
Behind the rowdy gang sat two demons with hoods covering their faces. One spoke,
“It’s him.”
The other asked,
“How are you so sure?”
The first one replied,
“Picking a fight with the grandson of the Sword God for a girl — who else would be that dumb?”
The second one replied,
“It makes sense.”
“You sure kept us waiting, Captain,” said the hooded figure, revealing the face of his old friend Ryan.
