The Elemental Sword Demon King
Episode 195: Women's Powerful Intuition
"Seriously, where did Tiana go?"
A few minutes later, Kaizo and Victoria walked through the forest. The protectors built by Tiana had quite a large area.
Although Salamander tried to sniff out the traces of her divine power, it was hard to trace due to the chaotic leyline.
After the two of them entered the depths of the forest and searched for it long enough to the limit of the barrier, the imperial princess could not be found.
"Could it be the forest spirit attack again?" Muttering softly to himself, Kaizo used his hand to split a dense branch. Instantly, he found himself in a wide open space.
"This place?!"
Many trees fell haphazardly while the ground surface was charred and cracked. It is near the line of defense «fort». Last night, Team Salamander had fought Nephesis Loran in a deadly battle precisely at this location.
Dirt and mud were all around. Although there should be no risk of divine power being stolen anymore, Kaizo was still hesitant to step on the item.
"It still seems unbelievable. It was unexpected that we defeated such a monster." Watching the scene before them, Victoria was blown away for a moment. Kaizo also nodded lightly.
Nephesis Loran, the unidentified monster Alicia calls the will of the Demon King, is the strongest creature Kaizo has fought in recent months.
(If I had been alone two months earlier, I would not have won.) Kaizo quietly sighed in his mind.
The only reason he can win, albeit by a narrow margin, is because he has the support of his team-mates in addition to the gradual recovery of his strength from three years ago.
"Hey, Kaizo."
"Hmm?"
As if suddenly thinking of something, Victoria spoke up. His gaze was directed towards a dark patch of swamp. That's where Nephesis Loran was destroyed.
"That time, Kaizo, you used Rei Assar's sword skill, right?"
Kaizo's body suddenly froze. It seems he didn't forget. Ninth Form of Absolute Blade Arts, «Bursting Blossom Spiral Blade Style».
This was a mystical sword technique taught by the main members of the Empire's pride Numbers, who were renowned as the strongest Spirit Contractor in the continent, Aidenwyth Miel Kais.
And Kaizo had used that style in front of Victoria and the others. Although he had no chance of winning unless the secret sword was used, he was too careless.
He completely forgot that Victoria and the girls idolized him three years ago. Once he used his sword skill, the girls would definitely recognize him.
(However, in the end, my identity was not revealed.)
With some thought, covering up should not be too difficult. Wiping the sweat on his eyebrows, Kaizo desperately racked his brain looking for an excuse.
"I used to learn swordsmanship from Aidenwyth's old grandmother. Perhaps the girl also received a sword lesson from Aidenwyth."
"W-what, old lady? Don't be rude to the Headmaster!"
"No, but she's really an old woman based on her age. «The Blue» Palace Witch is truly a monster." Kaizo shrugged, turned right and continued walking.
"He's not here either. Let's go back to the woods."
"Wait a minute." Victoria gripped Kaizo's shoulder tightly.
"W-what are you doing?" Kaizo's face twitched.
"Just now, you're trying to trick me, aren't you?"
"No, I don't..."
"You, are you hiding something from me?" Victoria glared sharply at Kaizo with her ruby eyes.
(It seems that this reason is not enough to mislead him.)
"Why should I hide something from you?"
"Um, all right, that's..." Victoria pouted, deep in her thoughts.
Apparently he didn't realize that Kaizo was actually the Strongest Sword Style Holder three years ago. Instead, his suspicions might be directed at the relationship between Kaizo and Rei Assar, perhaps something at that level.
"The elemental aero that Rei Assar used was indeed a demonic sword with the attribute of darkness, right?" This time, Victoria made an important point.
Despite the chaotic feeling rustling in his heart, Kaizo maintained a calm expression as he replied, “At the least of them, dark spirits are actually not too rare. If you're trying to say that it's Alicia, you're making a big mistake.”
"Yes. It seems you are harboring some kind of strange hope, but let me clarify earlier. I'm not Rei Assar's acquaintance."
(Because I am Rei Assar himself, not his acquaintance.) Kaizo added in his mind.
Perhaps because Kaizo's tone of voice became firmly involuntarily, Victoria's shoulders stiffened slightly, "Really?"
"Since you used the same sword skill, I wonder if you might be a fellow disciple of the same master."
"Who knows? By the way, I don't know the details." Leaving behind those words, Kaizo stepped swiftly into the forest.
"Wait, wait a minute, wait, come on! What's up, are you angry?" Her twintails swayed, Victoria hurriedly chased after her.
"No, there's nothing to scold." Kaizo slowed down his steps and scratched his head slightly apologizing.
"You know I really admire Rei Assar, right?"
"Eh, yeah." Kaizo nodded while hiding the anxiety in his heart.
(Saying in front of me like this, it was quite embarrassing.)
"It's not just me, but all the Spirit Contractors from the continent are captivated by her sword style that she's shown," yet suddenly, Victoria grimly shook her head, "but she changed in just three years."
Kaizo silently turned his gaze to his left hand.
(Changed, yes.).
Or, Victoria might have superimposed her impression of Rei Assar and his older sister. The one who betrayed the Elemental Lord to become the Queen of Disaster, Monica Lionstein. He had also once been adored by all Spirit Contractors throughout the continent.
"Yet..." Victoria paused her steps and said, "actually I started to realize it from the beginning, maybe Rei Assar who attended the current «Sword» Style Festival might be a con man."
"Why do you think that?"
"intuitive only. Or maybe wishful thinking? But everyone on our team thinks so too."
Kaizo felt that outright denial would be too suspicious, so she decided to answer ambiguously, "Well, that can't be ruled out for sure."
"However, if that was the case, then why didn't the real Rei Assar step forward?"
"Mu-maybe there's another reason?"
Suddenly, a voice came from somewhere.
"really. For example you, Kaizo is Rei Assar or something."
"Tiana!?"
Emerging from the rustling foliage was the imperial princess with a mischievous smile.
"Ouch!"
"Seriously, what are you doing? Everyone is worried about you!" Victoria glared at Tiana with a sprained hand.
"Fixing holes in the barrier. Thanks to yesterday's battle, there were a lot of damaged areas." Answering in that way, Tiana looked at Victoria and Kaizo in succession.
Then she asked, "What about the two of you, are you dating here?"
"Te-of course not. Don't make such a bizarre accusation!" Victoria shouted, her face completely red.
"By the way, what do you mean by that statement? Kaizo it..."
"Hoho, exactly as those words say." The imperial princess looked smiling with great amusement.
(Hey hey, what the fuck is this, Tiana!?) Kaizo's heart raced. She frantically gestured with her eyes towards Tiana, but she pretended not to know.
...
*Connected.....
*Note: This story is fictitious. If there is a similarity in the name of the character, the scene, or the story, it is a mere coincidence and there is no element of intentionality.