Sword Saint Story: Starting from Zero Attack Power ~After being abandoned by my childhood friend, the princess, I enrolls in a magic school and ends up making a contract with the Demon Lord~ Volume 1 Chapter 7

 Chapter 7: Eugene takes on God's challenge

I faced the Hellhound Cerberus glaring down at me, raising my sword.

The defensive stance of Niten Enmei-ryu.

I needed to buy time until help arrived—somehow.

“Magic Sword: Flame Blade.”

The blade glowed red. A faint hiss reached my ears as high-density mana crackled. Against a Man-Eating Troll or Goblin King, this firepower would’ve been plenty.

But how much would it do against a legendary divine beast?

Before I could dwell on the question, Cerberus charged with speed unthinkable for its massive size.

“GRAAAAAHHH!”

The Hellhound’s sharp claws sliced through the air like black wind.

—Niten Enmei-ryu ‘Grove Form’—Catkin Willow.

(Gah!)

I thought I’d parried perfectly, but I couldn’t fully deflect the blow.

Worse, it tore through the barrier protecting my body with ease.

“…High Heal.”

The deep gash on my arm from its claws healed instantly.

WHOOSH!

“Guh!”

One of Cerberus’s massive paws swung at me from the side. No dodging that!

“Barrier Magic: Great Shield of Light!”

I threw up a barrier spell to block it.

BOOM! Before I knew it, the barrier—and I—were sent flying.

I bounced across the ground several times, barely managing to break my fall.

“Hah… hah… hah… hah…”

My bones creaked. My breath came in ragged gasps.

…Thud… thud… Heavy footsteps approached.

Cerberus looked down at me, its expression almost disappointed.

(It’s impossible…)

Stalling was a pipe dream. That attack was probably just a test.

The proof? The three-headed beast hadn’t even bared its fangs at me yet.

If it got serious, I’d be done in an instant.

“Phew…”

I steadied my breathing. Defense wasn’t working. I had to go on the offensive.

I dropped the defensive stance, shifting to a natural posture.

Lowering my center of gravity, I prepared for its next move.

—Niten Enmei-ryu ‘Wind Form’—Sky Step.

I closed the distance to Cerberus in a flash.

Against a Man-Eating Troll, I could vanish from its sight for a moment.

But this was a divine beast. Of course it saw through my movements.

(Doesn’t matter!)

—Niten Enmei-ryu ‘Fire Form’—Lion Slash.

The technique that felled the tenth floor’s boss. I poured rotational force into a single sword strike.

The red blade, infused with the mana of the Flame Divine-Human Ifreet, slammed into Cerberus’s neck.

Clang! It sounded like I’d hit solid metal. The blade was deflected by its fangs.

“Raaaah!”

I kept swinging, undeterred.

Clang! Clang! Slash!

Some strikes broke through, slicing Cerberus’s hide. A trickle of blood seeped out.

But none were fatal.

“GRAAAAAHHH!”

Enraged, Cerberus opened its massive jaws, lunging to swallow me whole.

“Guh!”

I dodged at the last second, landing another slash. Not retreating—evading to keep attacking.

No matter how fast it was, Cerberus’s body was several times larger than a Troll or Goblin King.

If I could exploit blind spots from below, I had a chance.

But one misstep, and I’d be crushed in an instant.

A razor-thin battle. A fleeting moment of equality.

But—

Hiss… crackle…

The mana in my Flame Blade was fading, bit by bit.

This was Sumire’s ‘red mana.’

Not my own. It would run out eventually.

Without Sumire’s mana, I’m just a ‘defective swordsman’ who can’t attack.

Slash!

Cerberus’s claws tore into my barrier again.

That strike shattered the triple-layered shield I’d set up.

“Gah!”

It gouged my shoulder.

“Heal.”

No time for High Heal. I stopped the bleeding and kept moving. Stopping meant death.

“Barrier Magic: Full Armor.”

I had to reinforce the barrier. Without it, I’d be minced in seconds.

But my own mana was draining fast too.

Unlike Sumire, I don’t have an endless supply.

If my barriers fail, I’ll be torn apart like a rag doll.

(…No good. I can’t keep this up. A few more minutes, and I’m done…)

But Sumire’s still on the twentieth floor. I can’t run.

(What do I do…?)

Suppressing my panic, I racked my brain for a solution.

—Eugene, join… with me.

A beautiful voice echoed in my head.

A memory of a conversation with the Demon Lord Erinyes flashed through my mind.

◇

“Hey, Eugene. Did you know you and I are in a ‘temporary contract’ state?” 

“…What?”

It was one night, after spending time with Ellie as usual.

She’d been especially intense that day, and I was half-dozing, but her words snapped me awake.

A temporary contract?

“W-What’s that supposed to mean?!”

“Don’t make that face,” Ellie said, smiling seductively as she gently stroked my hair.

“You let me ‘embrace’ you regularly, right? That counts as one of the five great contracts—the ‘Contract of the Body.’ So our bodies are linked through each other’s mana. Kind of like the mana link mages use.”

“Is… that how it works? Don’t all contracts require mutual ‘consent’…?”

“We’ve already been intimate. That’s consent, isn’t it?”

“W-Well, yeah, I guess.”

It was obvious when she put it that way.

“Anyway, the ‘Contract of the Body’ is about the only one that can happen without you realizing. The others require a proper ‘Contract Ritual.’ So, Eugene, if you ever want to make it official, I’m ready anytime. Congrats, by the way,” she teased.

“I feel like I’ve been tricked into buying something expensive…”

It was like I’d been scammed. A temporary contract with a demon lord, without even knowing?

“Come on, it’s not so bad. Not many humans could contract with Demon Lord Erinyes. Our bodies are very compatible. Honestly, you’re probably the only human who could handle me.”

“…Really? I thought anyone who could use barrier magic could do it.”

“No way! Most people couldn’t even have a normal conversation with me. Be proud, Eugene. You’re something special.”

Her words were endlessly gentle, almost sweet.

To me, still hurting from my parting with my childhood friend, they sounded like an angel’s whisper.

…Which makes sense, since Ellie is a fallen angel.

She always knew how to get under my skin, charming me effortlessly.

“By the way, do you know about my abilities?” she asked.

“Of course I do.”

Standing before me was the legendary demon lord who ruled the southern continent during the Dark Era a thousand years ago.

Even children know of her fabled power.

“Banished from the heavens, the fallen angel Erinyes lost the powers of compassion’s ‘white’ and light’s ‘yellow.’ In their place, she gained violence’s ‘black,’ poison’s ‘indigo,’ and death’s ‘purple’… right?”

I recited what I’d learned at the military academy.

“That’s what they say, generally,” she replied.

“It’s not true?”

“There’s one more. If you contract with me, you’ll gain that power too.”

Ellie caressed my cheek, whispering softly in my ear.

“When you’re truly in trouble, call me without hesitation. You don’t need to come to the great prison—even in the Last Dungeon will do. My mana’s waiting inside your body. All you have to say is one thing…”

◇

I dodged another of Cerberus’s attacks.

I could manage a few more. …After that, I was done.

After agonizing, I made my choice. It might be unforgivable.

—A contract with the Demon Lord.

But part of me genuinely craved that power.

Looming before me was the legendary divine beast, the Hellhound Cerberus.

I didn’t want to just wait for defeat without trying anything.

“…”

I steeled myself and spoke the words.

“Eugene Santafield contracts with Demon Lord Erinyes.”

The next moment, a ghastly miasma enveloped my body.

Something indescribable slithered over me.

It felt almost alive.

(This… is Demon Lord Erinyes’s mana…?)

Or perhaps it was ether, something beyond mana?

It was different from the near-ether-like mana I’d received from Sumire, the Flame Divine-Human Ifret.

This was an entirely different, sinister mana. Yet it filled me with a strange sense of omnipotence.

(This… is the power that once dominated the southern continent…)

The terror I’d felt toward the divine beast moments ago had vanished.

My body trembled with the urge to crush my foe.

I swung my sword lightly through the air.

WHOOSH! A massive slash tore through the space before me.

The jungle trees fell, their cuts as clean as if sliced by a giant scythe.

Just a casual swing had this much power.

What would happen if I swung with full force…? Then—

(…Guh.)

My strength faltered.

No… it felt like my very life force was being drained.

I couldn’t keep this up for long. My consciousness wouldn’t hold.

Fortunately, Cerberus was keeping its distance, wary of me.

I glanced at my blade.

…Hiss… crackle…

The Flame Blade’s mana was nearly spent, its red glow dimming.

(Hurry… I need to use the next magic sword…)

The fallen angel king Erinyes, the Demon Lord, wielded four powers.

Violence’s ‘black.’

Poison’s ‘indigo.’

Death’s ‘purple.’

And the final one…

(No good…)

My consciousness wavered. I couldn’t think straight.

It felt like something—not me—was taking over my body.

(Eugene! What are you doing!?)

Ellie’s voice? Damn, now I’m hallucinating…

(Who’s a hallucination?! It’s the real me, the real me!)

(…Ellie?)

(That’s right! You agreed to the contract, didn’t you? That’s why we can talk like this.)

(I… see…)

(More importantly, cast a mental barrier spell now. Your mind can’t handle my miasma in your current state.)

(…Got it.)

I followed Ellie’s advice obediently.

—Barrier Magic: Heartsteel.

A mental barrier spell I rarely used.

As it activated, my mind slowly cleared.

(Thanks, Ellie.)

(Exactly. From now on, when you use my mana, always protect your mind. You’ll end up a wreck otherwise.)

I swallowed hard. Without her warning, I’d have been in trouble.

(I owe you one. I’ll thank you properly later.)

(Hehe, no need. You’re mine now, after all…)

(What’d you just say?)

(Come on, focus! You’ve got Cerberus-chan right in front of you!)

I heard something unsettling. I’d have to grill her later.

But she was right—first, I had to deal with the divine beast. I took a small breath.

—Magic Sword: Dark Blade.

Using the black mana borrowed from Demon Lord Ellie, I activated the magic sword.

The blade turned pitch-black. The ‘black’ mana governed raw ‘violence.’

I doubted I could pull off complex spells with demon lord mana on the fly.

So I’d go for the most powerful attack I could muster and end it in one blow.

“…Grrrrrr.”

Cerberus growled low, eyeing me warily. No, those eyes…

(It’s… laughing?)

For some reason, Cerberus looked pleased to me.

(Hehe, looks like Cerberus-chan’s thrilled to meet a worthy opponent. It’s usually stuck in the gloomy underworld, guarding that dour death god Pluto. No wonder it wants to cut loose on the surface!)

Ellie’s voice sounded amused.

(You know Cerberus, Ellie?)

(Duh! Veteran angels visit the underworld all the time. I used to bring Cerberus-chan surface food—it loved it. Underworld grub isn’t exactly appetizing.)

(…You’re kind of a big deal, huh, Ellie.)

(You’re just figuring that out?)

I thought I knew her reputation as a demon lord.

But I hadn’t heard much about her angel days.

If I survived this, I’d have to ask her all about it.

(Now go get ‘em, my cute little Eugene.)

(…Yeah.)

I wanted to retort, but I focused on the task at hand.

The power borrowed from a legendary demon lord. Failure wasn’t an option.

“…AWOOOOOOOO!”

All three of Cerberus’s heads let out a deafening howl.

“Guh…!”

A storm raged. Jungle trees were uprooted, blown away.

A small clearing opened between me and Cerberus, like a dueling arena.

(…Sumire?)

I glanced at the giant tree where Sumire was hiding.

It was fine. Untouched.

Plus, I’d layered barriers around her. No problem.

“…Grrrr.”

Cerberus crouched low, eyeing me like prey.

I focused solely on it, banishing all distractions.

(…Here we go, fair and square.)

I echoed my dad’s catchphrase in my mind.

A signal used for duels on the eastern continent, apparently.

—Niten Enmei-ryu ‘Thunder Form.’

I sheathed the black blade, lowering my stance for a quick draw.

My fastest sword technique.

…!

Cerberus vanished.

My senses told me it had leaped high, aiming to reach me in a single bound.

I didn’t dodge. I met it head-on.

(…Here’s the showdown.)

BOOM! I stepped forward with explosive force.

—Secret Art: Qilin.

I outsped Cerberus’s sonic charge, leaving it behind.

Time seemed to slow, my own speed warping my perception.

SLASH!

I severed the middle head of the Hellhound.

GYAAAAAAAH!

Cerberus screamed.

It writhed in agony for a moment, but the now two-headed beast didn’t fall.

“Guh…!”

That single swing took a monstrous toll on my body.

Could I manage another magic sword?

But Cerberus still had two heads. I couldn’t collapse yet.

(Brace yourself, Eugene… It’s not over…)

Divine beasts are immortal. Even decapitation wouldn’t kill it.

I forced my faltering body to stand, raising my sword.

But Cerberus didn’t move, as if it had lost the will to fight. A heavy silence passed.

Then, a massive magic circle appeared at Cerberus’s feet.

A summoning array? The remaining heads turned toward me.

And then… it bared its fangs in a grin.

(What… the…?)

My sword hand trembled. But Cerberus didn’t attack.

…Well done, young swordsman.

I thought I heard a voice.

Cerberus’s form dissolved into light.

Huh…?

I stood alone, dumbfounded. What just…?

My head throbbed, my thoughts a mess.

—Congratulations. The challenger has achieved victory.

The cold ‘angelic announcement’ echoed through the twentieth floor.

I couldn’t process the words immediately.

(Victory…?)

Huh…? It’s… over?

My strength drained away. I dropped to my knees. I released the magic sword.

The next moment, the sword I’d received from the Blue Sea Federation explorers crumbled silently.

No weapon left. But no enemy either.

(I see…)

It sank in.

I had triumphed over the unjust ‘Divine Trial: Deus Discipline’—the Hellhound Cerberus.

——.