The Spearmaster and the Black Cat C401.1

Around the time when a fierce battle between the spearmaster and his Light Demon Lucival forces, and Queen Sardyne and her demons unfolded in the Sea of Trees…a spirit world knight was in the middle of crashing into the Sea of Trees.

His name was Delhart. Delhart crashed violently against a tree, rebounced from it in exchange for his big frame knocking down the tree, and slammed against the trunk of a tree in front of him. Bouncing back once more, he fell down while snapping off the branches of another tree on his way, before heavily impacting on the ground.

At the time of him rolling across the ground, Delhart's consciousness recovered as he spat blood. His beloved, violet magic spear also came falling down with a force as if to stab into Delhart. Its spearhead tore off Delhart's ear before stabbing into the soil next to his head.

The sound of his eardrum being crushed reverberated through his head.

“Guguguguuua――”

It wasn't as though his favorite spear Glukinus had stabbed him, but even so, Delhart vomited a large amount of blood. As he kept groaning in pain, he scattered blood and other bodily fluids containing rich magic elements.

Delhart's armor had been cleaved open. Going by the damage to the armor, the wounds looked terrible, but the shoulder injury caused by Holy Spear Arost's was already in the process of regenerating.

“――Buauuu.”

Delhart's body spasmed while he breathed out deeply. The spurting of blood came to an end. Getting up and placing a knee on the ground, he shook his head. He felt like the ground was swaying.

Soon he stood up while checking on his magic spear once more. Although Delhart, who possessed an abnormal toughness, got defeated in the battle against the spearmaster, he was a high-ranking practitioner of the demonoid martial arts style and a spirit world knight of the Demonic Moth King. On top of that, he was a warrior strong enough to wield Glukinus and hold the rank of “Ruler,” a rank exceeding the “Extreme” rank. 1

And he had acquired , a divine protection of Dark God Ardin, an eccentric war god of the Spirit World who only recognized those using the spear as a weapon. was another secret art of .

Furthermore, he was a mighty fighter who had fought against Mad Spirit World Knight Hazarn on equal terms in the competition for King Demon Denrega's sacred treasure. During the fierce fight against Hazarn, his body was hit by and developed an unknown skin disease which resulted in Delhart obtaining the recovery skill . That skill came with a resistance against Evil Spirit Sound Wave-based attacks, and was labeled as one of the best recovery skills. It was no match for , the Extra Skill which Revenge Goddess Mehlad granted the transferee Yoshiyuki Takebayashi, who fought against the spearmaster in the past, but it was a skill on the same level as evolved recovery skills that had gone through various fusions with many other recovery-based skills.

Because of that, the effect of allowed Delhart to barely get away with his life after having his back stabbed by Baldok, and having his body cleaved open by Arost's slash.

Dark God Ardin, whom Delhart was worshiping, had a connection to Dark God Rivograph. Rivograph liked magic swords while Ardin preferred magic spears.

Dark God Ardin was famous for his magic spear duel with Tyrannous King Boshiad at the Grand Graveyard of Heavenly Magic Mirrors. While they competed with spear techniques at the graveyard, killing each other…they eventually ended up at the Great Plains of Hell, just beyond the graveyard. And as such, they trespassed into the domain of Bad God Desalobia, unfolding into an epic battle against Desalobia on top of it.

Vampire God Lugnad, who got upset over them picking a fight with Desalobia, kept showering Ardin and Boshiad's bodies with blood bullets while also attacking Kyulha, who was trying to stop the battle. From there, the battle escalated much further, dragging many more gods into it, and thus having an unfathomable impact on the Spirit World. 2

The fragments of arms exceeding divine artifacts poured down on the plains of the Spirit World, creating new, large valleys of demonic steel. Moreover, pieces of Mythological-class weapons and armors eroded the already existing Tears, and as a result of them merging with the veil's mana…new steel-loving kin of darkness came into being. It even affected the planet Sela, which is close to a dimensional junction, but the gods of the Spirit World didn't really care about all that. But that was yet another outcome of karma.

And Spirit World Knight Delhart didn't get shaken overly much during battle so as to endure the mental contamination of Magic Halberd Baldok, but there was a reason for him to be shocked after seeing Shuuya's darkness techniques.

It's because he thought, 『Is it possible that the spearmaster and the black cat, who are active on the surface of Sela, have acquired the divine protection or blessing from Dark God Rivograph-sama or Dark God Ardin-sama? Even Dark God Astart-sama, who reached godhood from being a spirit world knight after going through a territorial conflict over the Grim Valley near the entrance to the Realm of the Dead, would take a liking to him if he saw the spearmaster's martial arts. No, it might also be the divine protection of Darkness Spirit Bellard』.

As he pondered about all that, Delhart leaned against a tree and looked up to the night sky. While looking refreshed…he once again entered the world of his thoughts.

'…The spearmaster and the black, demonic beast. They were truly a mighty warrior and a powerful beast. The agility of his fighting, which combined sword, spear, and a huge demonic beast, is the very definition of a spirit world knight. Even the fact of a spirit world god's apostle and a part of the demons connected to his kin joining the spearmaster's side during the melee in the sky is a sign of that.

'In reality, the gods of the Spirit World seem to have taken notice of the spearmaster, too. Using the disorder in space-time, an illusion of Bad God Desalobia's huge eyeball had appeared high up in the distant sky.

“Crazy-Eye Togma and Demonoid Martial King Gangis were probably as strong as that man. He was truly remarkable…”

'I recklessly picked a fight with him, though…

Delhart felt grateful to the spearmaster for honestly answering his demand for a battle. Just like that, he kept gazing at the night sky, but…remembering that he should probably give his report, he pulled on a special string attached to his wrist.

The string separated from his finger and formed a ring above his wrist. A thin, light green membrane expanded inside that ring, which was similar to the three-dimensional display of Shuuya's portable combat device.

By the way, Shuuya's item referred to as combat device or portable combat device didn't originate from Planet Sela. It was something built by a civilization which had spread across the wide universe. Its name was Na Palm Integrated Planetary Military Alliance.

Soon after falling into an inferior position during its space war against the Galactic Empire, it lost a great number of space knight masters and space warriors. As result of that…Space Knight Master Aoro Tohruhmal, who sensed the whole alliance to be in danger, advocated the adoption of the .

He appealed the efficiency of the portable combat device at the Council of Fold One Gatrance Master. And after a long controversy, he received the permission of the heroic space knight masters, leading to him immediately starting on the development.

And then, several years later, during the ongoing devastating battles of the great space war…the space warrior ability-nurturing agency owned by him succeeded in the development (Dr. Hoekaleido was in charge of the main development). Soon after, Aoro Tohruhmal presented a portable combat device, which contained the newly-developed , at the Council of Fold One Gatrance Master.

Being at that meeting, he made an announcement: 『Searching the unknown, outer space, the Fold One Gatrance will detect superb personnel worthy of becoming space knights and space warriors using this portable device』.

This enterprise was called the “Outbound Project.”

And one day, many years after the Outbound Projected started, a portable combat device booted up on planet Sela of a star system that was at the farthest reaches of the galaxy.

Indeed, when Shuuya Kagari was registered with the portable combat device, he became an official Gatrance.

Delhart's magic tool had a similar display. But, its inner workings were completely different as it was a circular membrane formed by a magic string.

A demon with two heads was reflected on that membrane. One head wore a skull helmet with the shape of a moth. The other head was an abnormality modeled after a moth with tongues and fingers. Furthermore, very broad, bulging shoulders could be seen in the display as well.

“Zebal-sama…”

“Delhart, huh? What's the reason for you to use the precious magic, space-time string? And why can't I see the other spirit knights?”

“Forgive me. Emilia is dead and Shuhelia has gone missing.”

“You're telling me the whereabouts of Demonic Twin-Blade Shuhelia are unknown? I can't imagine her to have died, but…were the opponents strong warriors related to the divine domain?”

“No, I believe that'd be wrong. Emilia and I were defeated by the spearmaster who rode his huge, black demonic beast. In addition, a chaotic melee between the forces of the divine domain and the kin of the Spirit World gods, including the vanguards of Lugnad as well, started…”

The moth-shaped head's expression changed into one of rage.

“Weren't you guys supposed to clean up the vampires nesting in the Bay Coast City Terria and investigate the ruins of Roshmail?”

“…That was the plan. But then, a new dimensional tear, like the one that was created in the Cross of Light Forest, manifested in the skies of the Sea of Trees located east of Benrack. Though it immediately closed up again.”

“Benrack? Did some ancient god, who had been sealed in the underground world or in the Sea of Trees during the strife of gods, manage to revive?”

“Yes. It seems like an ancient god revived. But, they were apparently slain right away.”

“…Is that true?”

“I clearly confirmed a god-slaying flash of light. And when we headed over to affirm the tear in dimension that apparently manifested in the sky…we found not only divine domain forces and spirit world troops fighting, but fellow demons involved in a melee with each other as if to show off each other's strengths. During that fierce battle, Lugnad's vanguards got in contact with the famous “spearmaster” of Pelneet. But, as soon as the divine forces gained momentum, Lugnad's vanguards were dragged into a large-scale battle after receiving attacks by the divine forces. Just when the divine forces started to focus on Lugnad's vanguards, we confronted the spearmaster, and got defeated in the ensuing battle.”

Delhart continued his report to Demonic Moth King Zebal, just to get harshly insulted by Zebal afterwards and being told to stay away from now on in a frosty, fuming tone. Lastly, after being told, “You're a useless guy,” and “Participating in a pointless battle…never show your face in front of me again,” and finally receiving an annoyed tongue-clicking, the String of Magic Dimension one-sidedly disappeared.

Delhart vacantly stared at the place where the string vanished as if dispirited and dumbstruck. Strangely, he didn't look all that disappointed though. He felt calm, even after being dismissed by the master to whom he swore his allegiance.

But, at that moment, he sensed the presence of unnatural magic elements.

He directed his eyes to the place of his own blood pool.

“I came to take a look because of the thick stench of blood, but…”

The one showing up was a black-haired man. He wore an overcoat with a black luster. The pants covering his lower body weren't visible because of the coat, but the tips of his lame-leathered boots peeked out from underneath.

“Who are you?”

“For now, someone who likes blood and operates in the Sea of Trees.”

“…The Valmask family? You don't seem to be one of Lugnad's vanguards who are currently fighting up in the sky, though…”

“You got it totally wrong. Don't lump me together with lamers who specialize in sneaking around in the shadows.”

“A stray vampire…and moreover, going by the way you handle your mana, one of the progenitors, huh?”

“Indeed. Will you understand if I mention the former Harzelma family?”

“I heard they got destroyed during a battle with the Ancient Wolfmen and the Pylon family, one of the 12 founding families. So there's still survivors around?”

“Looks like it, no? While repeatedly wandering from place to place, I've taken a rest in this Sea of Trees since it's teeming with wonderful prey, you see?”

“I see. Then, you're saying, I'm prey as well? Hmm?”

Delhart shifted his gaze from the vampire towards deeper inside the forest. The one arriving from there with a speed as if coiled by a dry wind was a largely-built ancient wolfman.

The leaves on the ground got whirled up. The ancient wolfman was wearing his claw armor. And behind him, the members of an ancient wolfman platoon started to appear.

Of course, those weren't the wolfmen who lived together with Shuuya and his friends. Higlia, Daon, and Ryokline were stationed at Quiche's village.

“Oi, oi, you're a wolf, aren't you? Then why do you resemble a leopardman so much?” The black noble youth took out his beloved Sickle of the Supreme Ruler from within his overcoat while asking.

He concentrated on his , but wavered whether he should invoke his of his .

This is going to hurt me as well…

I planned to use it on the spearmaster, but I wasn't aware that he carried holy spears with him. If I got hit by one of those, it'd cost me a ridiculous amount of blood. Of course, I'm confident in my ability to evade by using , but still…I didn't cross that dangerous bridge, the noble youth thought.

————— End of Part 1 —————

Chapter end