The Sword Demon Tears People Apart

A narrow mountain path.
Scattered fragments of a carriage.
Pools of blood.
Dismembered corpses.
Familiar red hair.
“Fuck…”
With trembling hands, he took out a cigarette.
Put it in his mouth, lit it, and inhaled deeply.
“Phew…”
Exhaling smoke didn’t change anything.
It’s fucking awful.
With a glimmer of hope, he turned over the corpse.
A familiar face.
“Brother!” or “Mister!”
Familiar voices float around in his head.
It’s fucking awful.
He swung his sword as if venting his anger.
The densely packed trees shattered miserably.
Still, nothing changed.
It’s fucking awful.
He messed up his hair roughly.
His chest felt tight.
What bastard dared to…
The surge of anger was only momentary.
“Fuck…”
His legs gave out and he collapsed.
His chest felt so tight that it seemed like something would flow out, be it from his eyes or mouth.
But in the end, nothing came out.
“Huu…”
No, only cigarette smoke dispersed faintly in the wind.
It’s fucking awful.
It was a fucking awful dream.
*
“Fuck… What a fucking awful dream.”
Zeron irritably messed up his hair.
The awful feeling lingering in his chest wouldn’t go away.

Unusually, he got up from the bed and drew the curtains.
Dawn was breaking.
It had been a week since arriving at the academy.
Days spent continuously drinking in the room without going outside.
Did he drink less yesterday?
He glanced around the floor.
Empty bottles were rolling here and there on the floor.
“Damn, I drank all that.”
With no alcohol left, he’d have to buy more.
Zeron picked up the wallet lying in the corner.
He had enough money.
With the card that bastard David gave him.
It was a day he wanted to drink heavily and get drunk.
*

Almost three weeks had passed.
It was also about a week before the kid would arrive at the academy.
“What the hell…?”

Hey, I told you to cut down on the swearing.
Bullshit came through the communication device.
“So now… you’re telling me to go back to the company and bring that kid?”

Yeah, let me ask you. You know how things are these days. I can’t live with this anxiety.
“If that’s the case, why didn’t we leave together from the start?”
Making things troublesome for people.
Haah… He sighed as he picked up his coat.

Oh, you’re coming?
“Of course, fuck. You asked me to come, didn’t you?”

Thank you. Really. I won’t forget this favor.
“What favor? Between us. It’s just a bit troublesome, that’s all.”
Zeron clicked his tongue and turned off the communication device.
He felt uneasy.
A few days ago… no, was it a few weeks ago?
The dream he had then still wouldn’t leave his mind.
Well, whatever. It’s just a bit troublesome. Better than living with a fucking awful feeling for the rest of his life.
Zeron rang the bell neatly placed in the corner of the table.
Though no sound came out, a response would come soon.
And indeed,
Knock knock- Along with the sound of knocking on the door, a voice was heard.
“Did you call?”
“Yes, please prepare a carriage.”
“Certainly. Is there anything else you need?”
“Not particularly.”
“Then I’ll let you know as soon as it’s ready.”
With those words, the presence at the door disappeared.
She was quite a sharp-witted maid.
Seems she realized that he didn’t particularly like people entering the room.
“Well then, shall we go? Ah, right.”
Zeron turned on the communication device again and contacted David.
Brring-, brring-, after a moment of connection tone, a voice came through.

What? Suddenly don’t feel like coming?
“No, it’s not that. Please prepare some alcohol for me to bring when I come.”

Alcohol? Did you drink it all already?
“The academy turned out to be better for drinking than I thought.”

Bullshit. Anyway, got it. Thanks.
“Ugh… stop saying thanks. It gives me goosebumps.”
Pfft-, with a laugh, the connection cut off.
Zeron grumbled as he packed his meager belongings.
Ah, come to think of it, should I report before leaving?
Well… I can ask the maid later.

Just like when leaving, it took four days to reach the company.
He bought and drank some alcohol along the way, but it still wasn’t as good as what that bastard David provided.
When it comes to alcohol, the expensive ones really do taste better.
“…Oh, you’re here.”
“Yeah, I’m here.”
When he arrived at the company, the kid was already fully prepared to leave.
But there was one problem.
David and his subordinates whining and seeing the kid off was a really fucking big problem.
The sight of these big men huddled together and blubbering was ridiculous.
“Young miss! Take care of your health!”
“Please get along well with your friends…!”
“If anyone bullies you, tell us anytime! We’ll bury them without leaving a trace!”
The kid seemed embarrassed by these big guys too, blushing as she hurriedly got into the carriage.
“Ugh… I told you not to do this.”
Glancing at the grumbling kid, Zeron grinned.
Through the carriage window, he could see David looking like he was about to burst into tears.
“Our daughter…. Make sure to contact us at least once a day when you’re there, okay? Got it? You have to eat well, alright? Don’t fight with your friends. If there’s anything uncomfortable…”
“Ah, I got it! Stop! I’m not a child anymore, why are you doing this…”
“I’m just worried about my daughter…. Ah, be especially careful of men…”
“Yes, yes. I got it, so stop. What are you doing in front of people, really…”
Though seeming embarrassed, the kid hugged David tightly through the carriage window.
The sight of that bastard David’s mouth spreading into a grin was unpleasant to see.
“Hey, that’s enough.”
“You heartless bastard…. A touching farewell between father and daughter…”
“Ah, enough. Let’s go.”
Thump thump-, as he kicked the carriage wall with his foot, the carriage slowly started moving.
The alcohol had already been loaded as soon as he arrived.
He wanted to quickly return to the academy and sprawl out.
Leaving behind the kid who was grumbling but still waving to each of the subordinates’ farewells, Zeron closed his eyes.
It was the start of another tedious carriage journey.
*
For about two days after departing, nothing particular happened.
When the kid grumbled and tried to talk, he’d respond appropriately, drink some alcohol, respond a bit more, smoke a cigarette, drink some more.
“Ah, stop smoking!”
“Why are you making a fuss about me smoking?”
“It smells!”

“That’s true.”
When he threw the cigarette he was smoking out the window, the kid’s expression finally softened a bit.
What a rude kid.
“By the way, mister.”
“Hmm.”
“Do you have the skills to be a lecturer there?”
This brat?
Zeron’s brow furrowed.
“Hey, don’t you know me?”
“I do. You’re the unemployed guy who just drinks all day in his room, right?”
“That’s… true.”
He had nothing to say.
“But still… I know you’re famous as the Sword Demon or whatever…”
“And?”
“There are knights at the academy too… What if you pick a fight and get hurt?”
Her lips were pouting.
Her gaze couldn’t stay in one place and kept darting around.
Maybe because she took after her father, she had a bit of a sassy side.
Zeron chuckled as he poured alcohol into a nosing glass.
Macallan 40 years.
A damn expensive one.
“Why do you talk as if picking fights is a given?”
“Well… because your personality is so nasty?”
“My goodness, fuck…”
Even though David had tried every trick in the book to make her speak properly and politely, it ended up like this.
Zeron sighed and opened his mouth.
“You’re right, but. You don’t need to worry, you know?”
“What do you mean I don’t need to worry? Just because you’ve swung a sword in some alley, you think you can match up to a knight?”
“I could.”
“Stop talking nonsense.”
“Oh my… If David heard this, he’d wet his pillow again. Well, anyway, I don’t plan on causing trouble, so don’t… hm?”
Stopping mid-sentence, Zeron’s eyes cooled sharply.

“Wh-what? Why are you like that? Are you angry? I told you not to talk nonsense…”
“Be quiet for a moment, kid.”
Zeron looked out the window, scanning the surroundings.

A narrow mountain path.
Trees everywhere.
Familiar terrain.
“…This feels fucking awful.”
The faint killing intent carried on the wind made it even worse.
Zeron kicked the carriage wall, thump thump-.
“Hey, stop for a moment!”
Brrr-, with a rumbling sound, the carriage slowly came to a stop.
Zeron got out of the carriage.
Seeing the kid trying to follow with wide eyes, he pressed her forehead and pushed her back in.
“Ah, what is it!”
“It’s an ambush.”
“Am-ambush…?”
“Yeah, so stay in the carriage as quiet as a mouse.”
After pushing even the coachman into the carriage, Zeron clicked his tongue and kicked a stone lying on the ground.
Whoosh-, with the sound of air being torn,
“Ugh…!”
Someone’s death cry followed.
After waiting for a moment, over a dozen figures crawled out from the bushes.
A faint feeling of mana.
For bandits, they were quite elite.
The state of this kingdom is ridiculous.
Zeron frowned and opened his mouth.
“Why the hell are you hiding on people’s travel route?”
“You son of a bitch…”

“Boss, should we just bury him? We’re already pissed off not finding the bastard who killed our guys.”
“I was going to do that without you telling me, idiot.”
Killing intent rose from the group of bandits.
The kid peeking out the carriage window stiffened with a start.
“Mi-mister… Isn’t this dangerous…?”
The kid’s gaze was directed at the bandits’ hands.
About half of them were holding pitch-black metal rods in their hands.
It was a weapon called a gun that could make even a three-year-old child burst open the head of a grown man like a boiled egg.
“The public safety in this country is really fucked up. What kind of bandits carry rifles?”
It was then.
“Eek…!”
Bang-! The sound of gunfire rang out.
Zeron looked blankly at the kid.
The kid was trembling but somehow managed to hold the pistol without even closing her eyes.
“Im-impossible…. How can bandits…”
But the kid’s shooting seemed to have only angered the bandit bastards.
“You fucking, we were going to kill you nicely!”
Click-! The bandits all aimed their guns at once.
The guy who took the kid’s bullet square in the chest had veins popping on his temples.
“This is why guns are a problem, I tell you.”
Zeron grinned and patted Medea’s head.
“Well, anyway, good job kid. Much better than the guys under David.”
Seeing her admirable behavior made his anger subside a bit.
No, that’s not right.
If I wasn’t here, admirable or not, it would have ended up like in the dream, wouldn’t it?
“Tsk.”
Zeron drew his sword.
His mood turned fucking awful again.