The Return of the Iron-blood Sword Hound
chapter-217

Chapter 217 My Neck Will Be Your Sheath (2)

[…What?]

Camus looked dazed.

A metal skewer extended from her hand, piercing Vikir’s stomach.

At the same time.

Tsutsutsutsutsuts…

A black mist rose from Camus’s back, forcibly controlling her.

[It’s midnight, my little lady~]

Sere, one of the ten supreme demon lords. The Eighth Corpse.

She had taken control of Camus’s body on midnight.

[No, stop! No…!!!]

Camus desperately shouted.

Camus’s head, like a severed marionette, snapped for a moment. And instantly, a completely different expression appeared on her face.

A slightly loosened gaze with a charming smile.

Sere, the Eighth Corpse.

“…!”

Vikir also immediately noticed the change in Camus.

How could he forget? The stinky gaze that had killed his numerous comrades on the battlefield.

[Hehehe, you’re Vikir, right? I’ve heard a lot about you from my ‘roommate’.]

Sere spoke while looking at Vikir in front of her.

Unlike other demons who referred to the physical body’s host as the ‘host,’ Sere referred to Camus’ consciousness as a roommate.

‘…Is it a form of cohabitation rather than domination? It’s a strange relationship.’

Vikir covered the hole in his belly with his hand and stepped back.

Certainly, the corpse queen in front of him was different from other demons.

Half of Camus’ consciousness, half of Sere’s consciousness. As a result, they lived together, dividing the 24 hours by mutual agreement.

This is most likely why the demonic energy didn’t feel as strong when Vikir first met Camus.

Vikir used the power of the fog lizard to heal the wound on his stomach.

Tsutsutsu…

The rate of recovery was slower than before. It wasn’t a loss of regenerative power; rather, the magic that struck him was very potent.

Since the controller of the body changed from Camus to Sere, the dark mana hovering in the air became much denser.

‘Is this bitch operating at 100% now?’

Vikir swallowed his saliva and raised his head.

After the change in the controller from Camus to Sere, the dark mana floating in the air, which had been lingering aimlessly, became much denser.

[For a petty emotion, I was almost killed. That’s why humans are nothing more than maggots. They don’t understand what justice is.]

Although demons generally lack the concept of gender, they still faintly distinguish between male and female bodies.

If Sere had to be classified, he would be classified as a being with a female body. As a result, his voice, gestures, and expressions were all lethal.

And when it manifested in Camus’s body, the impact was truly immense.

However, fortunately, within Andromalius’ barrier, there were no males in the vicinity to pose a threat. Vikir brushed off Sere’s overwhelming aura with his strong mental fortitude and calmly inquired, “When did you take possession of her?”

[Well, let me think. It’s been quite a while. It was around the time this girl was mastering the ‘Complete Resurrection Spell’…]

Vikir’s brows twitched in response to Sere’s words. Having lived through the era of destruction, he had not only eaten sword meals but also magical delicacies. So he had a hazy understanding of what Sere meant by the ‘Complete Resurrection Spell.’

“Because you’re a sword wielder, you might not know, huh?” Sere said in a seductive, mixed-tone voice. The ‘Complete Resurrection Spell’ drains the caster’s life force and completely resurrects the target. To put it another way, it’s a spell that shares one’s own life.”

To cast this spell, however, there had to be a certain amount of the target’s remains, such as bones, blood, nails, or hair. Only then would the magic be complete.

Vikir asked briefly, “But isn’t Necromancy considered taboo even among dark mages? The rebound penalty in case of failure is too severe compared to the rare chance of success.”

‘Rebound penalty’ referred to the burden imposed on the brain and entire circulatory system, including mana, when magic failed explosively.

At Vikir’s words, Sere laughed heartily.

[Hahaha! That’s right! Admitting one’s foolishness to the point of dabbling in forbidden magic. But well, it was a blessing for me. Thanks to this foolish girl doing such a thing, I was able to obtain this body.]

“…?”

Vikir furrowed his brow. Sere, with a wide smile, continued,

[This girl meddled in various forbidden dark magics even prohibited by her own family. Then, mana overflow occurred.]

“…!”

Mana overflow was the most burdensome of rebound penalties, feared by all mana users. Simply put, it caused the mana flowing through the veins to burst, spewing out and wreaking havoc inside the body. The danger surpassed conditions like strokes or cerebral hemorrhages.

Most people immediately died on the spot, but occasionally, there were cases where they turned into lunatics or became plant-like creatures with a low probability.

In some instances, the accumulated mana was released all at once through the sweat glands, causing a tremendous explosion.

It seemed like Camus was in such a situation.

[She was a daring young lady who relied solely on her abilities and will. Hoho- Do you think there’s a man worth putting your life on the line for? Where is the fool who gives up their life for such a cause?]

Sere sneered, looking down at Camus’s body.

[I would never have lived like that if I had a face and a body like this. I could have grown stronger while feasting on young males and ignoring menstrual blood. Oh, life is so difficult.]

Camus had dabbled in forbidden dark magics, even shunned by the Morg family, the masters of magic. The reason was simple: once she discovered remnants of Vikir, she planned to share her lifespan to fully resurrect him.

However, there was always a reason behind prohibiting certain magics. External magic was powerful and alluring. Even geniuses who could have left their mark on human history fell into its charm, only to be destroyed, buried in the graveyard of history.

The stronger and smarter one was, the more easily they were captivated and thought, ‘I am different.’ And the end result was always the same: ruin or death.

Cripple. Or death.

Due to mana overflow, where mana users’ entire circulatory systems, including the brain, were severed, it was not a risk to be taken lightly.

Camus had experienced mana overflow right at the last moment before completing the spell. In a state where half of her brain had died, she stood on the edge between life and death, truly neither alive nor dead.

And in front of the living corpse that Camus had become, a certain presence appeared.

[Little lady, how about making a contract with me?]

The fall of one who once held noble ideals. A being plummeting from above to the very bottom, tracing the most dramatic trajectory of downfall.

At the lowest point, the one gaping wide with an open mouth, writhing on the ground, was the sinister demon Sere.

[Well, if she were an ordinary wizard, she would have died countless times over. The talent of this girl, who managed to survive in the state of a plant creature, is truly extraordinary. Hoho- Isn’t my eye for evaluating bodies exceptional?]

Sere spoke with a satisfied tone, seemingly pleased with the body he possessed.

[Maybe… She might have been less impatient if she hadn’t been so desperate for a man. If only a little more time had passed and she had matured and grown stronger, she might have been able to complete the ‘Complete Resurrection Spell’?]

“….”

[Hoho- Well, now it’s all just talk.]

Having finished speaking, Sere looked up at Vikir.

Krrrk!

The distant aura boiled like asphalt.

Now, the scent of the demon began to flow at 100% concentration.

Pffft!

Black flames and iron rods flew, aiming at Vikir.

The magic power, now vastly stronger than before, pressed and squeezed the entire field within the barrier, making it incomparable to the previous situation.

“….”

Vikir stepped back and lifted the Black Bow Anubis.

Even in such an extreme situation, the hunter’s focus remained firmly fixed on the target.

Kururruk!

The eerie aura boiled like asphalt.

Now, the scent of the demon began to flow at 100% concentration.

Zing! Thud! Boom!

Holes were punched in the flames, and the iron rods, hit by arrows, bounced away with sparks.

Sere laughed with a mocking tone.

[Indeed, you’re a true hunter who killed Andromalius and Dantalian. But capturing me at this level is impossible… Huh?]

But the demon’s laughter couldn’t last long.

Click-

An unpleasant sensation on the face.

Sere furrowed his brows as he felt something thin pressing against his face.

[…What’s this?]

A thin thread, almost imperceptible to the naked eye, but quite rigid, pressed against her face.

Like wires, as if they were drawn across the air.

Crack-

Countless threads were woven in the empty space.

Hkeekhehe-

Baby Madam. It was Vikir who set up a spiderweb trap around Sere’s body.

[What? Why is there a demonic spider in the human realm? Why is that here?]

Sere, annoyed, tried to forcefully break the threads.

Taeaeang- Kigigik-

Surprisingly, even the strength of a demon of the caliber of a demon lord couldn’t break the threads.

Of course, Sere wasn’t the type to rely on physical strength, but it was still quite unexpected.

[How dare this vermin…!?]

Sere tried to breathe fire to burn the spiderwebs.

However, a skilled demon hunter like Vikir wouldn’t miss the moment when the enemy’s attention was momentarily diverted.

Pffpffpffpffpff!

Arrows continuously flew, embedding themselves in Sere’s arms and legs. While not fatal, they were all areas that would affect her movements.

[Kyaaah!]

Sere screamed, and before her, the jaws of death approached.

…Swoosh!

An aura, burning like the sun, emanated from the blade.

Vikir was expelling a long, crimson aura blade.

In an instant, Sere urgently shouted, [If you kill me, this girl dies too!]

The human mind is easily manipulable, and from the demon’s perspective, it’s something to play with as they wish. Especially in the case of someone like Sere, who was heavily entranced.

…However.

“No.”

Vikir’s sword was resolute, without a hint of hesitation.

“Only you shall die.”