Unobtainium.
This substance is rare and special. Even royalty can only acquire a small amount.
The elves, who know of this substance, called it the denial of mystery.
Difficult to process, this substance exhibits dramatic effects against magic.
Therefore, those who obtain it mix a small amount into armor, swords, or shields.
The result is an anti-magic item.
This is the common use, and there seemed to be no other purpose for it.
It is too rare to be used for anything else.
However, ever since I heard the elves’ story, I’ve been thinking.
When I survived a battle with an angel and lost my trump card, I wondered how I could win next time.
I obtained the angel’s core and gained the power of an angel.
But I knew that alone wouldn’t be enough to win.
After all, it was borrowed power, and if I fought with the same strength, I would exhaust myself first.
I needed a new trump card.
No matter how much money I offered, I couldn’t obtain the artifacts of the Genesis King.
I wasn’t the only one searching, and it was unclear if they still existed in this world.
So, I turned my attention to Unobtainium.
The denial of mystery. This ore exhibits tremendous effects against magic.
I decided to make a small dagger out of it without any additives.
From my previous battle with an angel, I knew their body was mostly composed of magic.
With the power of an angel, I could pierce them with the dagger.
And now, the Unobtainium dagger was deeply embedded in Mastema, a high-ranking demon.
“Still alive… this kind of thing…”
Mastema tried to pull out the dagger, but her right hand lacked strength.
From where the dagger was lodged, magic was dissipating and leaking out.
It was like a container with a hole at the bottom, with accumulated water spilling out.
“What is this? What did you do?”
“It’s a special medicine.”
I pulled the celestial sword from my abdomen.
I shattered a High Potion bottle and doused myself with it.
Damn, it hurts. I held my insides with my hand to prevent them from spilling out.
The potion’s effect began to heal me.
An angel reappeared and sneered at me.
“Serves you right. You had something like that prepared.”
“I didn’t want to have to use it.”
My wounds began to heal.
I drank all the magic potions I had, but I couldn’t fully recover.
Mastema was on her knees.
Magic was still draining from her, but she retained an enormous amount.
“Humans are persistent. I’ve learned that.”
“I should have crushed your head.”
“Yes, you should. If there’s a next time.”
But there won’t be a next time. I fully activated the celestial sword.
This was the last chance. I wouldn’t hold back.
“Don’t underestimate me. I’m strong.”
For the first time, there was a note of panic in Mastema’s voice.
She desperately tried to suppress the leaking magic, but it wasn’t complete.
“What a coincidence. I’m strong too.”
I kept the lightning sword in its sheath while activating it.
The charged blade accelerated me.
I moved first, and Mastema, who moved after me, attacked faster than me.
Her physical abilities alone were still formidable.
I deflected her claw slashes. The force was much weaker than before.
She was incredibly weakened.
After deflecting several strikes, we ended up in a clash of blades.
Although I could never overpower her before, now we were evenly matched. No, I was gradually pushing her back.
“This… can’t be.”
It must have been hard to accept. Mastema’s face twisted in anger as she took a deep breath.
I released my grip on the sword with my right hand and punched her in the stomach with all my strength.
With a sound like something being crushed, Mastema exhaled the breath she had taken.
There was only a slight mix of black flames.
I blocked them with the angel’s power.
Before I could push her away, Mastema retreated.
She clutched her abdomen and panted heavily.
“That demon’s magic is less than half now. I almost feel sorry.”
“An angel feeling sorry for a demon? Save your jokes for when you’re asleep.”
“Shut up… shut up, shut up, shut up!”
Mastema glared at me.
I still had coins for curse countermeasures, but they didn’t trigger.
“Oh my, it’s over.”
“Human… Ahvain… it hurts. It hurts.”
Blood dripped from the dagger.
She seemed unable to regenerate.
If I had met her on the street, I might have been tempted to help her, she looked so weak and pitiable.
The erosion of the sky had already stopped.
It seemed the erosion ability was proportional to the demon’s power.
“Sorry, but if you weren’t an enemy of humanity, I might have helped you.”
“Lord Demon King… I want to see you. No… no.”
She no longer had the dignity of a demon.
What stood before me was a girl clinging to her Demon King.
I readied my sword.
Channeling all remaining magic, I thrust it into her heart where the demon core resided.
There was no resistance.
The sword smoothly reached the heart and pierced the core within.
Mastema fell silent, tears streaming down her face.
…Was it over?
When I defeated the angel before, everything except the core was blown away, so I wasn’t sure how they died.
Was there even death for demons?
Angels existed even as just cores.
The dagger fell out.
But Mastema didn’t move.
The erosion of the sky faded away.
It seemed to be over…
I deactivated the celestial sword.
Losing my support, I collapsed backward.
What a day this has been.
I felt a sense of emptiness as I stared off into space, then the angel suddenly covered her mouth as if she remembered something.
“Oh.”
“What?”
“High-ranking demons have two cores.”
“What?”
Mastema stood up, swaying.
I couldn’t sense any magic. But she was alive.
I really couldn’t move anymore.
“Ahvain. I can’t return.”
“I see.”
There was no sign of the erosion restarting.
It didn’t look like the world would collapse again.
“…What should I do?”
“I don’t know.”
“Hey, Ahvain.”
I had a bad feeling. But I couldn’t move. I couldn’t even cover my ears.
“Take responsibility.”
“No.”
Mastema straddled me, stroking my neck with her claws.
“This is the first time I’ve been so battered. I’m a little interested. So, I’ll follow you.”
“I don’t need that.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll repay you. Looking forward to working with you.”
Mastema’s smile was truly that of a demon.
I didn’t have the strength left to refuse…
