The Knot of Nightmare

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As Soma surveyed the surroundings, he let out a sigh. He had known, but he had thought they had been allowed quite a bit of freedom. However, that was all in the past now. Even so.

“Now then… I truly wish to set you free right away, but could you wait a moment? There are some things I must take care of first.” (Soma)

As he informed Cecilia of this, Cecilia, who had been staring blankly with wide eyes, suddenly snapped back to reality. She then nodded repeatedly.

“O-of course! I am nothing more than worthless, so it’s only natural to be put off to the side! You could even ignore me without any issue! I’m useless and… and…!” (Cecilia)

“Well, I don’t intend to ignore you…”

Soma smiled wryly at Cecilia’s oddly tense demeanor, seemingly under considerable stress. Then, as Cecilia, who had been passionately asserting her uselessness, seemed to notice something, she timidly glanced over at him.

“Um, uh, Soma-dono… Are you alright? Or is this some sort of hallucination I’m seeing as a way of escaping reality?” (Cecilia)

“I don’t think you’d call it a hallucination if you’re aware it’s a hallucination… But well, I understand what you’re trying to say, and there’s no problem.” (Soma)

Saying this, Soma shifted his gaze towards Aina and Sheila. The two still couldn’t get up, but they seemed conscious enough to direct their gaze towards him. Their eyes showed no surprise. Rather, they seemed to imply a sense of belated realization.

There was no point in arguing against this, so Soma simply smiled wryly and turned his gaze forward again. There was no need for words at this point with those two, especially since the man they had blown away was starting to get up. The man… Isaac slowly rose, casting a suspicious glance.

“A fool… claiming to be the Demon King, huh…? I thought he killed you…” (Isaac)

“Unfortunately, I have no memory of that.” (Soma)

“Tch… That bastard messed up, didn’t he? He talked big but failed… Well, whatever. If that’s the case, then I’ll just take care of it myself. I was originally planning to do it anyway. They said they did it just in case, so I took over for them… But now, there won’t be any complaints if I do it.” (Isaac)

As he spoke, Isaac wore an aggressive expression and a smirk. His face was brimming with confidence, showing no sign of considering the possibility of losing.

“Hmm… Quite confident, aren’t you?” (Soma)

“Well, of course, right? I’ve obtained the strongest power, you know? Your own comrades lying over there are proof enough of that, aren’t they? All that’s left is you. If I defeat you, I’ll truly be the strongest, in name and reality. It’s a relief you didn’t kick the bucket; now I can really show off my power. Well, because of that, maybe I’ll end up becoming the next Demon King… but that wouldn’t be so bad. In your place, I’ll thoroughly destroy this world. I’ll have a blast doing it, and make sure you enjoy it too.” (Isaac)

Isaac seemed utterly convinced that what he spoke would come to pass. Observing this, Soma couldn’t help but let out a sigh.

“I see… I now understand the meaning behind your words. It’s actually rather pitiful.” (Soma)

“What…? What the hell are you talking about?” (Isaac)

“Oh well, whatever it is, I’m sure you’ll figure it out soon enough.” (Soma)

“So what are you trying to say… Oh, I see. You’re trying to confuse me, huh? Deep down, you know you can’t match me, right? That’s why you’re resorting to these tricks. Heh… But well, I guess there’s no helping it. Once you feel the extent of my power, don’t worry, I won’t kill you right away. I’ll have to entertain you properly. So, I’ll make sure your friends get a front-row seat to watch me do as I please with them! That way, you can all enjoy yourselves, right? Hahaha…!” (Isaac)

“Hmm… The more you talk, the further you stray from what Cecilia told me.” (Soma)

He had heard that the second prince was a quiet and unassuming person, but the individual before him seemed to be the complete opposite in character. It would be more believable if someone said it was a case of mistaken identity. Whether it was simply a matter of letting loose or being captivated by power, Soma’s impression remained unchanged.

“Truly, it’s just pitiful to watch… I can’t stand watching this any longer. I’ll put an end to this.” (Soma)

“Hah, are you still talking like that? Didn’t I tell you it won’t work against me…! But well, I agree, let’s finish this quickly. After all, I’ve got something fun waiting for me…!” (Isaac)

“Unfortunately, that won’t happen to you. No, it never happened in the first place, should I say?” (Soma)

“Trying to confuse me with meaningless words…” (Isaac)

“By the way, I’ve been curious about this since earlier… Is your side okay?” (Soma)

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“My side? What do you mean—oh!” (Isaac)

Isaac, seemingly relaxed and ignoring Soma’s attention, glanced at his side, then immediately turned pale with shock. But of course, it was to be expected. Isaac had been acting as if none of their attacks had any effect, but his left side was visibly swollen, indicating internal bleeding. It wouldn’t be surprising if his organs were injured; there was no way he could be feeling nothing.

“What…?! What the…?! What have you done to me…!?” (Isaac)

“No matter what you say… I simply kicked you. Moreover, I did it when I sent you flying earlier.” (Soma)

“That’s… absurd…! I was sent flying, but I…” (Isaac)

“Now then… shall we test that? We both agreed we should finish this quickly.” (Soma)

“Fine… I’ll show you that your tricks won’t work on me anymore…!” (Isaac)

“Hmm… No matter how skilled one may be, if they resort to methods I can’t comprehend, I doubt there’s any way to defend against it, even the second time around. Well, it’s none of my concern, anyway.” (Soma)

Sighing and muttering to himself, Soma narrowed his eyes at Isaac, who was slowly approaching, then swiftly moved behind him in an instant. Isaac, shocked, turned around quickly, but by then the attack had already ended.

–Rules of Swords – God Slayer – Dragon Slayer – Divine Protection of Dragon God – Absolute Slash –  Lightning Speed: Violet Flash.

Isaac’s right arm was severed and sent flying through the air.

“What…? My… arm…? Ah, ah, my… my arm…!?” (Isaac)

Overwhelmed by pain or the shock of his arm being severed, Isaac screamed and crouched down, desperately pressing his bleeding right arm with his remaining left hand. Seeing this, Soma sighed for the third time. This was truly just petty bullying.

“Ugh, it hurts… it hurts…!? How… how can this be…?! I’m supposed to be the strongest… I said it, didn’t I, devil…! I said there’s no one who can match me, nothing I can’t do… didn’t I, devil…!?” (Isaac)

“I’d like to say it’s your fault for falling for the devil’s sweet words… Well, I suppose it’s about time to reveal the truth.” (Soma)

“Reveal… the truth…? Haha… So, it was dirty tricks you used on me…!?” (Isaac)

“Nope. It’s not about that. ‘Revealing the truth’ refers to what you’ve been… or what you thought you’ve been doing.” (Soma)

As he said this, Soma readied his sword. But the tip of the blade was not aimed at Isaac.

It was directed straight at the scene itself—

“I am the sword that cuts through demons.”

–Rules of Swords – God Slayer – Dragon Slayer – Divine Protection of Dragon God – Absolute Slash – Sword of Ten Thousand Demons – Single Mind –  Lightning Speed: Striking Technique – Flash.

He swung the sword… and nothing happened. However, that was to be expected. Except for Isaac, the scene consisted only of the women and Aina lying on the ground. They were unharmed, just lying there. Nothing had changed. Yet, what Soma saw with his own eyes seemed different to others. While the women appeared unconscious, Cecilia, Aina, Sheila, and Isaac all wore expressions of disbelief, as if they’d seen something unbelievable.

“What…?! What have you done…!? How… how are they completely unharmed…!?” (Isaac)

“That should be obvious… — Everything you saw was an illusion.” (Soma)

Quite literally, everything was an illusion. Whether Isaac’s actions or his belief in his own strength, all of it. Everyone, including Isaac, only thought they were in a hallucination. In an illusion, you could do anything, even become the strongest. However, the illusion must have been quite powerful. It’s likely that whoever Isaac thought he killed is actually dead. Powerful illusions affect reality, a typical trait.

But as Aina and the others slowly stood, inspecting their unharmed bodies with wonder, it was clear not everything was reflected in reality. It’s unclear where the line was drawn… Perhaps, due to its strength, only decisive events were reflected. Anyhow…

“So, now you understand the meaning of what I said earlier, right? Your illusion didn’t work on me. It looked like you were playing pretend by yourself. Pathetic, isn’t it?” (Soma)

“What…?! Y-you’re saying I… I was just seeing an illusion…?! Th-that’s… that’s absurd…” (Isaac)

“Unfortunately, what you see now is the truth. And… even if it was an illusion, your actions remain the same.” (Soma)

Soma wasn’t from this country. Therefore, he had no right to demand accountability for the chaos he’d seen. However, if there was a price to make them paid for what he’d witnessed, he had a right to it.

“No… that’s not it… I am the strongest… I must be the strongest…! This must be another illusion you’ve shown me, right? I won’t be fooled by this. Yes, I am… I am the strongest!” (Isaac)

Shouting as he stood up, Isaac lunged forward… but his movement was completely that of an ordinary person. And perhaps it was entirely different from what Isaac had expected. Just as he started moving, even before doing anything, a look of despair washed over his face… but there was no reason to show mercy.

Flash.

Without even needing to use a technique, the moment he swung his arm, Isaac’s body swayed. All strength drained from his body, and he collapsed to the ground. However… Even after defeating Isaac, Soma didn’t let his guard down even for a moment. In a sense, this was just the warm-up… the real battle was yet to come.

“Now… let’s settle this.” (Soma)

As he spoke and turned his gaze, the space in front of his eyes slightly blurred. From there, as if seeping out, appeared something resembling a young man. Observing everything, the devil, Soma narrowed his eyes while looking at the figure.

 

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