CH 48

48 – The Horn of the Demon King and the Flames of the Gods

「…This is the first time you’ve actually shown this to anyone, right?」

With the exception of Fenix, only my master and I know about this power.

「Yep, it’s a trump card, y’know?」

I unleash…the horn.

My right arm changed.

A black, hard, and lustrous-like substance covered the skin.

A horn protruded out of the elbow. This, too, was jet black. The strange phenomenon spread to my right shoulder and something like the bones of a wing spread forth from the shoulder-blade.

Then, on the opposite side of the fake horn affixed to my Avatar.

A horn, identical to that of the Demon King’s and my master’s, grew from the right side of my head.

Fenix took a step back.

Not because it was unsightly.

But out of instinct.

To be hit by such an enormous wave of Magical Energy, it was a fight or flight response.

The aftermath of the Magical Energy shakes the seventh stratum.

「This…is what you were hiding…?」

The Storm Hero Aerial did say that he remembered his encounter with my master when he first met me.

Perhaps, he was able to sense it.

My master’s horn that resides within me.

The horns of Majins store and refine Magical Energy. With Magical Energy that is even denser and purer, the same magic can exhibit an unimaginable potency.

The Magical Energy produced by a Majin’s superior Magical Energy Organ is stored in their two horns.

In ages past, Heroes used the Spirits while the Demon King used their horns to use magic that surpasses that of the ordinary man.

The amount that can be stored depends on the Majin, but if a Majin becomes the Demon King, they are able to store an unbelievable amount.

When my Avatar was unveiled, her Highness told me something.

Originally, a Majin with one horn signifies that they had given one horn to a successor.

One’s own strength becomes the supporting horn to those who were made to inherit it.

My case was different. I started with zero horns and then I got one horn.

I didn’t know at the time that my master was the Demon King.

And he gave his horn to some brat in the sticks…

Truthfully, I don know why he gave it to me.

Not to his own child or grandchild, but to me.

The horn was naturally not compatible with Humans, but with the use of ancient secret arts, my master made it compatible.

However, the horn, which was grounded up into a fine powder, had to be taken one pinch at a time.

With just that little, my extremely unremarkable body would scream.

It’s only natural. I’m a Human trying to get closer to that of a Majin. It’s like becoming an entirely different species. It wasn’t going to be easy.

Even though it was just one horn being mixed in the body, the process took an entire year.

Somehow, the horn manifests itself like this.

Its mass has definitely grown compared to the first time I took it in. It has deviated from that of a horn.

When a horn is transplanted onto a Majin, it’s usually attached to their elbow or forehead but my procedure was the exception among exceptions. Thanks to the hard work of my master. Perhaps because of that, an irregularity has occurred.

「For how many years?」

Fenix was smiling. It was a little stiff, but he truly looked happy.

「Since the time I took in the horn to this very day. This is all the Magical Energy it had stored up.」

I excessively forged my Magical Energy Organ with insane training.

In my daily life, it became increasingly difficult to completely use up all my generated Magical Energy.

That’s also why I accumulated more and more Magical Energy in the horn while training my Black Magic.

By the way, the dissolved horn doesn’t flow in my bloodstream, so I’m not worried about Milla taking in a piece of it when she sucked my blood.

It was approximately nine years’ worth of Magical Energy from the Demon King’s disciple.

I poured it in when generating my Avatar.

At this moment in time, my Magical Energy rivals that of a Four Great Spirits wielder.

Perhaps sensing that as well, Fenix takes a step forward.

「Are you sure? Using all that against me?」

「As far as I know, no one has been able to beat you on their own…」

I’m not sure about Aerial, but I’ll make a daring declaration.

I continue.

「…other than me, that is.」

Fenix’s entire body was wreathed in flames. The kind of flames that can cause pain just by looking at it.

He slowly gathers said flame into his Holy Sword. The flames condense and coil around the blade.

That flame was white-hot.

「Flames of the Gods, or so it seems to be called. The Spirit says that if the opponent is of this realm, it can burn it.」

This isn’t a matter of burning whatever it touches. Simply approaching it will incinerate trash mobs until nary a speck of it is left in this world.

That is what I understand white fire to be.

But even so, I take a step forward.

「Are you sure about this? Using that against me? You shouldn’t be using your magic all willy-nilly.」

There’s a limit to the Spirit’s Blessing. Even if he will eventually recover, drawing out such a powerful force will exhaust him.

Even if he were to beat me here, how will he be able to defeat her Highness? He will definitely need a long break period to recover.

「As far as I know, there isn’t a Hero alive that surpasses you…」

After a short pause, Fenix continues.

「…and I want to defeat such a hero.」

I was happy.

Somehow, this guy has admired me this whole time.

That’s good. A strong desire to win results in a healthy rivalry.

But what am I gonna do with you?

You’re the Flame Hero, right?

An Adventurer worthy of being mankind’s strongest.

You can’t always put me above yourself, y’know?

Heh, even though that’s what I’m thinking, I really am glad.

You want to earnestly win against me.

I’m very glad.

I clenched my fist.

「I was worried about not having enough time, but I don’t think we needed that much time to begin with.」

This amount of Magical Energy between us. It’ll be released all at once, so it won’t be a prolonged battle.

Fenix nodded once and said this.

「Now that I think about it, this is gonna be the first time I’ve ever cut you down.」

Still think you’re gonna win, huh? No, he’s just psyching himself up. I get it.

All right, let’s do this.

「I’m gonna punch you real good, you know that?」

Fenix readied his sword.

We both had a smile etched into our lips, which disappeared in an instant.

Then we kick off the ground.

And we clashed.