When I Cleared the Death Game World, I Reincarnated as a Villainous Noble Even if They Talk About Doom Flags, I'm Actually Immortal. - Chapter 12

Lior swung his sword and closed the distance between himself and the demon.

The attack was blocked by the demon’s bladed hand—but that was fine.

The demon countered with a swift strike of its own, but Lior effortlessly avoided it.

“So that’s all it was? The reason I couldn’t see your magical flow was just a simple trick. I never expected it to be something as basic as layering a thin veil of magic to obscure it.”

The reason the demon’s magical flow was invisible turned out to be surprisingly simple.

It had merely covered itself with a thin layer of magic, like draping a handkerchief over an object to hide it.

“Still, the simplest tricks are often the hardest to see through… If you hadn’t been startled by my self-inflicted death, I might never have noticed.”

Even for an unknown monster, witnessing someone suddenly commit suicide was apparently shocking.

The demon had faltered in its concealment due to the unexpectedness of Lior’s act.

Like a curtain caught in the wind, the illusion briefly wavered, revealing a glimpse of the real magical flow beneath.

And once Lior understood the trick, countering it was easy.

“Hiding magic isn’t easy, is it? If you put too much energy into maintaining the illusion, it disrupts your movements. But if the layer is too thin, it won’t hide the magic properly. It looks simple, but it actually requires highly refined magic control. That’s why—if I bombard it from the outside with a surge of magic, it starts falling apart.”

Bang! Bang! Bang!!

Lior struck at the demon relentlessly, his sword crackling with an overwhelming surge of magic.

With every impact, the demon’s concealment wavered.

Like ripples spreading across water, each tremor revealed glimpses of the hidden magical flow beneath.

Even a few seconds of visibility were fatal.

With the keen observation skills and reflexes honed in Drag Machina, Lior could predict and evade the demon’s attacks with just that brief insight.

(Well, dodging alone won’t win this fight…)

However, Lior was still missing a key element for victory.

A flaw that had already been exposed in his battle against the hobgoblin.

He lacked firepower.

At only ten years old, just beginning his training, Lior’s offensive abilities were weak.

While his past life’s experience allowed him to evade attacks, he lacked the strength to deliver a fatal blow.

Against the hobgoblin, he had only managed to land a full-force strike when the enemy let its guard down.

(This demon isn’t careless… And it’s far tougher than a hobgoblin. Even if I go all out, my attacks won’t get through.)

Even when Lior successfully slipped past the demon’s defenses and struck with his sword, its metallic-hard skin deflected the blows.

It wasn’t an enemy he could take down through sheer persistence.

It was a problem often encountered in action RPGs.

You could avoid the enemy’s attacks, but if your own damage output was too low, the battle would drag on.

And the longer it took, the more likely you were to be worn down and eventually lose.

In situations like these, there were three main solutions:

1. 1. Level up and increase firepower naturally.

1. 1. Use status effects to slowly chip away at the enemy.

1. 1. Find some way—any way—to enhance your power and brute-force your way through.

“Might as well use whatever I can.”

Slash!!

A black streak of lightning trailed behind Lior’s blade as he sliced through the demon’s neck.

The severed head flew through the air.

Lior’s sword crackled with dark electricity—the same energy the demon had been using.

“I just copied what you did. Thanks for teaching me such a useful spell.”

It was the same magic the demon had used to fire those black spheres.

Somehow, just by imitating it, Lior had managed to replicate the technique.

Of course, he couldn’t launch it as projectiles like the demon did, but at least he could channel it through his sword.

Thud.

The demon’s head hit the ground with a dull sound.

Lior stared at it.

(…Second form? Revival? …No?)

He had kind of been hoping for a second phase.

But it seemed the demon was truly dead.

A bit disappointing.

(Well, it was just an early-game boss. It makes sense it wouldn’t have a second phase… Or maybe this was the second phase of the hobgoblin?)

Lost in thought, Lior turned toward the center of the clearing.

There, bound like a sacrificial offering, was a female adventurer.

(She’s unconscious… I guess I should heal her and take her to the nearest village.)

Since Lior had taken on this goblin hunt in secret, he couldn’t take her back to the estate.

He would rescue her, but dealing with the aftermath would have to be someone else’s responsibility.

Raising one hand, he grasped at the air.

Suddenly, as if conjured from nowhere, a lantern-like object appeared in his grip.

Tonk, tonk.

Lior lightly tapped the glass, and a soft blue light began to glow.

Like a swarm of fireflies, the tiny orbs of light floated up and surrounded the adventurer.

As they danced around her, the bruises covering her body faded away.

It was an item from Drag Machina.

In game terms, a non-consumable area healing item.

(Now, about this sword… I should probably return it.)

Lior reluctantly sheathed the weapon.

It was the mithril sword the hobgoblin had wielded—most likely the adventurer’s original weapon.

He had no idea why a rookie adventurer, on a mere goblin extermination mission, would be carrying such an expensive blade.

Whatever the reason, “Taking someone else’s belongings makes you a thief.”

(It had great sharpness, and it was a powerful weapon, but oh well. Still… my sword broke… What should I do? Oh!)

A sudden idea struck him.

Lior turned and sprinted back toward the demon’s remains.

“Let’s see if this works.”

As Lior tilted his head in curiosity, a dragon’s head suddenly emerged from his shadow.

But this was no ordinary dragon.

Its metallic, mechanical form bore little resemblance to the dragons of this world.

Opening its massive jaws, it swallowed the demon’s body whole.

Crunch. Squish.

The wet, unsettling sounds of tearing flesh echoed through the ruins.

“How is it? Tasty?”

“GAW?”

The dragon cocked its head, puzzled.

It didn’t seem to find the taste particularly unpleasant.

Yet, moments later, it spat something out with a sharp ptoo!

The object tumbled onto the floor, making a distinct metallic clatter.

“Oh? Looks like we got something good.”

What the dragon had regurgitated was a sword.

Its jet-black blade gleamed with an eerie luster.

One glance was enough to tell that this was no ordinary metal.

It was a special weapon, forged from the demon’s memories.

In Drag Machina, defeating enemies sometimes allowed one to craft weapons from their lingering essence.

Lior had tested whether the same could be done here—and it seemed to have worked.

“Guess I’ll be using this for a while. Thanks!”

“GAWU.”

With a casual wave from Lior, the dragon’s head sank back into the shadows.

★

[Sacrificial Blade]

A stone sword, formed from the memories of a demon sealed within ancient ruins.

Its obsidian-like black mineral composition glows with a sinister sheen.

In ages past, it was steeped in bl00d, used to offer sacrifices to the demon.

If one seeks power, they may follow in the footsteps of the ruin’s past inhabitants and pay the necessary price.

But never forget—humans are not as selfless as demons.