Chapter 18: Magic
"Well... um..."
In an instant, Iris had come to Shu's aid, and the holy knights looked at her in astonishment. In the Demon God's teachings, demons were considered the ultimate evil. They defined humans as good and demons as evil, leaving no room for compromise.
Of course, there were criminals among humans as well, but it was believed that they could be saved if they repented. However, no matter how much intelligence or reason demons possessed, they were considered evil.
That's why Iris, who protected the source of evil, the demon, received condemning glares.
"Do you have an explanation that would satisfy us?"
"Shu-san is my master."
"And you think that's a valid reason?"
In response to Zamus' furious outburst, Iris trembled involuntarily. Even Iris herself didn't fully understand why she had instinctively helped Shu.
She knew she had to defeat Shu, who was a demon, based on reason.
However, emotionally, she wanted to help Shu.
No, she even wanted to continue learning magic from Shu. Deep down, she wanted to go to the city of Ildana on her days off and have Shu listen to her complaints.
"I don't want Shu-san to die..."
However, that statement angered Zamus.
"You fool! This demon is evil! It must die! This demon has killed six of our comrades. It can never be forgiven. Don't you feel sorry for the comrades who died if you let it escape here?"
"...!"
Iris understood that as well.
The slain holy knights were not only Iris's colleagues but also her comrades in missions. There were certainly conflicting emotions within her.
Nevertheless, she couldn't help but prioritize Shu.
They found Iris's behavior suspicious, prompting one of the female holy knights to ask.
"Hey, Iris-chan. I don't really think so, but were you in love with that demon?"
"...........Eh?"
(...Huh?)
That statement not only unsettled Iris but also shook Shu, who was being healed while the holy knights argued. Especially for Iris, the person involved, it was a startling revelation.
(W-W-Wait, me... in love with Shu-san? Huh? Is this a joke?)
She was taken aback by being pointed out like that. Moreover, it was true that she couldn't deny it. Until now, she had only considered their relationship as master and disciple, so she hadn't noticed it.
However, upon reflection, she realized that she might have been in love with Shu.
That's what she came to believe.
(I... Do I like Shu-san?)
Shu-san had saved her from a monster attack, taught her the secrets of magic, and spent holidays together with her. Despite all that, Shu-san never showed any ulterior motives towards Iris.
Perhaps it was because Shu-san wasn't interested in her due to her clumsy nature, but from Iris's perspective, who often received suspicious looks, he was someone she could trust.
When her feelings of love were pointed out, she tried removing her mentor filter and realized it.
Iris likes Shu-san.
(Her face turned red.)
(Oh, that's serious.)
(No way... Iris-chan is in love with a monster?)
(Oh my, how young she is.)
(She must have really liked him.)
As Iris pondered to herself and suddenly blushed, the holy knights sent her warm gazes.
However, that's a different matter altogether.
"So, is that your answer, Iris?"
"...Zamusu-san. I..."
"That's enough. That is an act of rebellion against the El Magia God. You are no longer a holy knight. At least keep it in your heart and don't interfere when we have a chance to subdue that monster. We will deal with the spirit elemental called Shu with our own hands. To ensure you won't disrupt us further, I will restrain you. The inquisition will take place after returning to Irdana."
Though they felt a little sorry for her, the other holy knights agreed with Zamusu. There was no room for leniency in the crime of protecting a monster. Especially when it was committed by a high-ranking holy knight within the Demon God Religion, it was a grave offense.
Iris seemed to understand that as she sat down right then and there.
No, perhaps it was also because she couldn't come to terms with her own emotions.
To tell the truth, she was the most confused of them all.
"Capture her, Zakkusu."
"Understood."
Zamusu ordered a nearby holy knight to restrain Iris with a rope.
However, there was one person who couldn't accept it.
Of course, it was Shu Arklight.
(I can't allow Iris to be branded a criminal because of me.)
There was enough of an opening.
Therefore, Shu had the mental capacity to consider his options.
In an instant, a gigantic magic circle appeared on the ground, encompassing all the holy knights. Of course, the holy knights noticed it, but they couldn't stop it or escape. It was because everyone's attention was focused on Iris.
Zamusu tried to give an order instinctively, but he was too late.
"Everyone, run――"
("Void Domain Divider Line")
Without a moment to scream, all the Holy Knights except Zamus and Iris were killed. A tremendous amount of magic power accumulated within Shu, and his magic power began to rise rapidly.
In the meantime, Shu materialized and stayed in place.
"Kuh..."
The accumulating magic power was too much, and even Shu was bewildered. By defeating a Magic Knight equivalent to Rank A, he had absorbed their magic power. It couldn't be helped.
However, Zamus, whose comrades had been killed in an instant, was different.
"You bastarddddddd!"
He thrusts his halberd with a speed so fast it becomes hazy.
However, Shu used acceleration magic and reversed the vector, deflecting the impact. Zamus dropped his halberd, but he didn't care and attacked by transforming both arms into water.
Shu evaded with teleportation magic and stood next to Iris.
"Iris! Kill that monster! It will be your repentance to the God El Magia. That creature is evil, having killed eighteen Holy Knights! Do you understand, Iris Silver Bullet!"
Zamus was a devout believer of the Magic God religion. While Holy Knights didn't necessarily need to be devout believers, it was believed that magic armor was a blessing from the God El Magia, so in regions where the Magic God religion was prevalent, the stronger the Magic Knight, the more devout they tended to be.
Zamus was one such person, and he recognized Shu as an unforgivable evil.
However, Iris was different.
During her time as a magic armor trainee, she was called a failure, and she believes that she became an excellent Magic Knight and a skilled magician thanks to Shu's support.
Certainly, she believed in the Magic God, but her dependence on Shu was stronger.
"...It's impossible for me, Zamus-san."
"What did you say?"
"I've realized it. I... I must surely love Shu-san."
Iris looked at Shu standing next to her and spoke clearly. Shu was perplexed but still met her gaze and listened.
(Iris...)
Shu still didn't have any romantic feelings for Iris. He honestly saw her as a dependent younger sister. Considering that he was a monster and she was a human, it would be normal to reject her.
However, Iris had confessed that she liked monsters.
Perhaps it was because they had been together for five years that she gave that answer. But for an ordinary believer of the Magic God religion, it was an unforgivable thing to say.
"That's enough, Iris Silver Bullet. You are a sinner who has rebelled against God. I will personally erase you from this world. Together with that wicked monster who deceived us humans!"
Shu used teleportation magic while carrying Iris to evade the attack from Zamus, who had enhanced his body. With teleportation magic, Shu could manipulate even inertia, allowing him to avoid high-speed movement without burdening Iris.
"Shu-san!"
"Be quiet for a moment, Iris. I'll take care of that holy knight. He's the one who exterminated the village's monsters, our enemies."
While Shu fought against Zamus and was defeated, the village's monsters were completely wiped out. There seemed to be a few monsters that managed to escape, but the nearly thousand monsters were all killed.
From Shu's perspective as the boss of the village, the holy knight was nothing but a mass murderer.
"For the first time in my life, I've felt something."
While Shu had knowledge as Takamitsu Osamu, his previous life's self, he had no identity. It was just knowledge without emotions or memories.
However, Shu Arklight lived in this world and gradually grew himself.
This growth included not only physical strength but also his mental state.
Although he had acquired a certain level of rationality from his knowledge, his own foundation had not been formed. It was born while he lived as the boss of the monster village and interacted with Iris.
For Shu, the monsters were beings to be protected.
They were like family.
Of course, they were living by taking lives, so he didn't think it was unreasonable for them to be killed in return. However, that didn't mean he wasn't angry about being massacred like this.
Furthermore, Zamus threatened to kill Iris.
"I'll kill you with my own hands. If you're going to take her from me, I'll take everything from you in return."
At that moment, he completely absorbed the accumulated magical power. With the enormous magical power obtained from fourteen holy knights, Shu stepped onto a new stage.
"Don't pretend to be human, you monsters!"
Zamus transformed his entire body into water and launched an attack. He flowed like a slime, attempting to crush Shu with unpredictable movements. Water was emitted from his entire body like whips, intending to kill both Shu and Iris simultaneously.
Shu had no means of defense.
If he evaded, Iris would get hurt.
Although he possessed the immortal and invincible demonic armor, Shu had no intention of letting Iris be harmed.
"Death!"
Shu reached out his hand to Zamusu and muttered a word.
In that instant, all vitality was drained as magical power, and Zamusu died instantly. The water magical armor was also released, and Zamusu's lifeless body rolled to the ground, losing momentum. With the remaining inertia, it passed through the gap between Shu and Iris, collided with a partially destroyed hut far behind, and finally stopped.
"I am the Funeral Death Spirit, Death Elemental... that is my new species. 'Life Drain' has also powered up and become 'Death.'"
Shu directed his consciousness inward to grasp his own state. The power of 'Death' that he unconsciously used was immense, capable of killing living beings in an instant.
Such overwhelming power even surprised Iris.
"Shu-san... What is that?"
"Hmm?"
Upon closer inspection, Shu was enveloped in overflowing magical power. It was dyed pitch black and emitted a sinister atmosphere. It seemed as if it were emitting a black aura.
Shu somehow understood that as well.
"It seems like my 'Death' is dwelling within magical power. It has the power to kill any phenomenon."
"Huh? Concepts dwelling within magical power..."
"What's wrong, Iris?"
Iris knew about that.
In the case of magical creatures using magic as a special ability, if they are of the spiritual type like Shu, they have the ability to convert life force called 'Life Drain' into magical power and absorb it—or absorb magical power itself.
However, magical creatures have a manifestation of power, also called awakening, which is separate from the normal evolution through the accumulation of magical power.
Magical creatures that obtain that power are called 'Kings' and are regarded as special among magical creatures.
In the Magic God religion, these 'Kings' are treated as the most abhorrent existence.
—That power, it is none other than magic...
"I see. The destination of my magic... is—"
—Necromancy
The power Shu obtained by awakening as a 'King.'