Reincarnated Elf (110), Confronting the Demon Lord with Disciples
Doomsday magic.
It's the Demon Lord's exclusive dark attribute magic, known for its exceptionally high miasma consumption. While ordinary demons use "Destruction Magic" to shatter objects from within, the Demon Lord's "Doomsday Magic" apparently erases things from within.
I've encountered destruction magic before, but witnessing doomsday magic is a rare occurrence.
Surrounded by an enigmatic aura, everything near the creature—leaves, branches, and even insects—seems to vanish.
With a skull-like face and four horns, it exudes more eeriness than sheer power.
Even the small Yggdrasil branch in the training ground with Jin starts to show signs of being affected. The vibrant green leaves, normally resistant to miasma, wither rapidly and vanish by the time they touch the ground.
Facing such a formidable opponent for the first time, every move and action of the one claiming to be the Demon Lord is like living data.
This mastery is crucial—
"Um, Master? Master Reese—?"
As I begin to casually analyze his magic, Jin vigorously waves his hands in front of me.
Jin might be more accustomed to battlefields than I am. And unintentionally, I've done something quite cruel to Jin, who is exhausted and has completely depleted his magic.
"Oh, right, I forgot about that. First, the ultra-healing magic 'Goddess's Breath Aldor,' then the advanced magic for restoring magic power 'Witch's Caress Elgiatai,' and finally, the ultra-healing magic for status abnormalities, 'Virgin's Embrace Last Alicia.'"
Clink, pong, wham.
"Ooh, aah, haa..."
Zolt, zolt, zolt!
With the triple recovery magic, Jin's body trembles three times, and he's completely restored.
No, Jin has splendidly broken out of his shell in this battle. You can consider him at least several times more reliable than before the fight.
"Master, I'm not sure where to start, but... that!"
"It's okay. I somehow understand the situation. Jin, you've responded 100% to my expectations. It seems the sword I gave you was useful too."
"I've never heard of it turning into a pseudo-holy sword, though!"
With those words, Jin lifted the radiant holy sword Laevateinn in front of me, influenced by the "Sacred Power."
The creation magic, using ancient grimoires, seemed to work well. While it may not match the real thing, combining it with Jin's unleashed power as a top-tier hero practically made the difference negligible. Despite this, he seemed unaware of the excellence of his power.
Suddenly,
We both quickly sensed the danger and split into two directions.
Swoosh!! The Demon Lord's magical attack narrowly missed the ground where we stood seconds ago. Literally, everything in that space vanished. The nature of the magic itself was different from other demons. Given the extraordinary magic surrounding the Demon Lord and his power comparable to a hero, defeating him indeed seemed challenging.
The stereotypical villain-like Demon Lord, with a vein pulsating on his forehead, muttered.
"Don't interfere without my permission, mere elf. Where did you come from? This is the center of the miasma. An environment where miasma-weaklings like you won't last a minute. Are you really an elf?"
"Well, who knows? Why don't you check? Creation magic, Pseudo-Holy Sword, Gram!"
Chiinnngggg!!! The Demon Lord's fist, radiating black lightning, effortlessly pierced through the pseudo-holy sword.
Even with all attributes of magic infused, it seems resisting the Demon Lord's power of destruction is impossible. If that's the case,
As I stepped back, Jin, holding the shining holy sword, was ready behind me.
"Hero Magic, Power-Enhancing Enchantment, Conqueror's Sacred Sword, Laevateinn Chronicle."
"Hmm."
Compressed hero magic and compressed destructive magic pierced through the space, creating a magnificent magical clash between the whirlwind of miasma and the power of sacredness.
Experiencing such a luxurious magical exchange directly on my skin is a rarity in my future elf life.
"Did you think you could defeat me with your sneaky tactics and two against one!?" The Demon Lord's destructive magic swirled around the miasma-filled space. Jin and I continued to avoid, intercept, and counterattack the Demon Lord, coordinating our timings to launch a continuous assault.
"Woooooahhhhh!!!"
Jin calmly dodged attacks, gradually thrusting the holy sword towards the Demon Lord. Occasionally, the space twisted and distorted, corroding Jin's body. Truth be told, I wished for a little more time before the final showdown between Jin and the Demon Lord, but it was a strategic victory staking Uva Karma's life. If not for our liberation activities in various demon territories, the invasion into the human realm and the Demon Lord's revival could have happened much sooner.
When I first met Jin, he struggled without the ability to use magic. Deemed useless in his previous party, he yearned to become a strong adventurer capable of protecting everyone. Despite the treatment he received, he continued to believe in himself and in me, leading to the person he is now.
In my past life, I left nothing behind. I couldn't even believe in myself or make any effort. Jin, at the age of 20, achieved what took me almost 140 years in my previous life.
"You've become strong, Jin."
He didn't become a hero solely due to the "Hero Factor." He became a hero because that was his destiny.
"To be obstructed by a kid and an elf like this, unthinkable! Manifestation of Destruction, Incarnation of Magical Reality! Death Reaper Scythe of the Underworld!"
A gigantic scythe, surpassing even the Demon Lord's height, emerged from subspace. Jin, undeterred, raised his sword defiantly.
"I won't lose to a half-baked hero! I'll reap your soul to ensure you never appear before us again!"
The Demon Lord's scythe clashed with the holy sword, but Jin, overpowered, was blown away. The miasma wind riding the Death Reaper Scythe was deadly even with a mere touch.
"Now it's your turn. Prepare to meet the Death Reaper of the Underworld, both master and disciple!"
His skeletal eyes glowed crimson with immense magical power. It was a single-strike sure-kill attack. Elves, being several times more sensitive to miasma than humans, could have their consciousness severed by just the air pressure alone. But my role in this was over.
"Too bad, I won't be the one to defeat you. Look behind you."
A soft green light connected from my fingertips to behind the Demon Lord. It was an ultra-grade magic power transfer spell. My magic flowed into Jin's body. Now, in addition to his innate power, he had my magic enhancing his abilities. The product surpassed even the Demon Lord's magical power.
"Now, I'm counting on you. Hero, Jin Fritz."
A holy sword with even greater mass than the Demon Lord's scythe. Wrapped in an immense amount of magic, Jin calmly added his own magic to the sword.
"Heroic Magic."
"What is this power..."
The Demon Lord gritted his teeth.
"What are you all!"
The scythe, infused with the Demon Lord's full strength, was effortlessly shattered. Then, the Demon Lord's body succumbed to the overwhelmingly holy power imbued in the sword with a single stroke.
●●●
Outside the battle against the Demon Lord, the clash of magical powers continued. Even with Minoru, it was challenging to completely destroy that army of magical beasts and demons.
"I'll be going outside; it seems the fight is still ongoing!"
"Yeah. Take care."
"As for you, Master..."
"I have things to take care of, Jin. You go back to everyone first. Your current power is exactly what everyone needs."
"Understood!"
Jin left the miasma-filled battlefield, wrapped in a pillar of light. In the space that became a world of just Reiss and the Demon Lord, the Demon Lord muttered as if repenting.
"Last time, I reached half of the human world, the time before, even deeper. But this time, right after my resurrection, huh? The current generation of heroes... no, an Elf like you, that was the greatest stroke of misfortune."
The Demon Lord seemed somewhat resigned. Despite just resurrecting after a long time, he lacked vigor.
"You seem quite calm, Demon Lord."
"Don't you know? I can be periodically resurrected according to the laws of the world. In the last resurrection, Uva tried to summon me before the hero awakened, but he failed. Let's hope for a more competent subordinate in the next resurrection. The demons won't perish so easily."
The Demon Lord appeared somewhat used to being defeated. Nevertheless, there had been a consistent advancement on the Demon Lord's side.
"By the way, you're not aware, are you? When I do this, you won't be able to resurrect for eternity."
Saying that, I gently placed my hand on the disappearing Demon Lord's chest.
"Absorption Magic, Factor Drain!"
Thump.
"Agh!?"
As if being drawn in by the placed hand, a shining sphere emerged from the Demon Lord's chest.
"Additionally, Appraisal Magic, Component Analysis: Chronosys."
―― Component Analysis: Reincarnation Factor.
"As I thought. That's a relief. This is exactly what I've been seeking."
"You... What are you doing!?"
Instantly, the confidence disappeared from the Demon Lord's expression.
"I'll tell you as a parting gift for the afterlife, Demon Lord. The reason you've been able to resurrect until now is because of a mysterious skill, the power of this 'Factor' skill."
"Factor? A skill...?"
I stored the floating 'Skill' sphere in my palm into the subspace. This should keep it safe for a while.
"This is the identity of the mysterious power you mentioned. I apologize for my selfish reasons, but I needed this. Furthermore, it's troublesome that the calamity will resurrect 700 years from now. With this, you won't resurrect forever. Well then, that's it."
Thump.
I pushed the Demon Lord's chest one last time.
Finally, the Demon Lord seemed to understand what I had done.
"To think an Elf could change the world's principles...? Unbelievable... Impossible...!? You, just an Elf... aren't you...!?"
The Demon Lord, wrapped in a pillar of light, reached out, but his hand could no longer reach me.
"I am Minoru Kido, a former human from another world, and here, I have lived as an Elf for 110 years, known as Reiss Klein. Just like you, I possess the 'Factor.'"
The Demon Lord seemed to have accepted it, opening his eyes wide.
"I see, you... You were the new wind that the so-called Creator God was babbling about... a new world principle... haha... hahaha... hahahahaha!"
"...? What's so funny?"
In response to my question, the Demon Lord directed eyes filled with sorrow toward me.
"Both you and I were nothing more than puppets manipulated by the Creator God's hand... Struggle as much as you can. I will watch your fate from the underworld..."
With a dying breath, the Demon Lord left, disappearing into the light.
For this world, it was another death and resurrection, but witnessing the Demon Lord's revival would be my first and last time.
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