"Impossible."
Vanir answered bluntly.
"My Clairvoyance can pierce through all truths of this world, but if the target's strength is comparable to mine, then my Clairvoyance becomes practically useless."
The Great Demon of Clairvoyance.
This was Barnier's true identity. His "Clairvoyance" allowed him to perceive all past, present, and future events of any target, making nearly no secret in the world hidden from him.
However, this ability wasn't omnipotent. The weaker the target, the clearer his vision became. Conversely, if the target's power far exceeded his own, he would see nothing at all.
"Still, there's no need for my Clairvoyance to predict the outcome of this battle. Even a fool could guess who would win!"
"Who?"
Serena asked nervously.
"Hohoho, you who worry whether the rise of a new Demon King might threaten the existence of your worshipped goddess... As a high-ranking Dark Priestess, have your eyes grown so blind that you can't even see the marks left on those fallen Dark Knights?"
Vanir burst into laughter.
A vein pulsed on Serena's forehead.
She desperately wanted to punch this masked demon's face in. Even with the vast gap in their power, she couldn't tolerate such open humiliation.
"...Please refrain from using Clairvoyance on me."
She suppressed her anger and whispered her plea.
Showing fear before a Great Demon wasn't shameful.
"The wounds on those Dark Knights are perfectly clean, without any signs of struggle."
At this moment, Sylvia—the frilly-dressed beauty with a lovestruck expression—turned her head. Though her face still wore a dreamy smile, her expression had turned ravenous.
"And the enemy only had one approach—through the main gate. No possibility of ambush, especially since they were charging forward. This means they were likely annihilated before they could even react... Ahh, to think such an overwhelmingly powerful swordsman exists in this world! I truly want to devour him!"
Not defeated one after another over several minutes, but instantly annihilating seven or eight officer-level demons?
Serena gasped sharply.
The goat-headed demons and other monsters of the Demon King Army behind her trembled uncontrollably.
Beldia was strong—after all, he was an officer. But among the officers, his strength was merely average, not much superior to those Dark Knights blessed by the Demon King.
So, in the end, was the outcome truly so obvious that even a fool could guess it?
BOOOOOOM————!
Suddenly, an explosive shockwave erupted.
With the exception of Vanir—who performed a dazzling backflip to evade—the unprepared demons were all sent flying.
"What happened?!"
Serena scrambled up from the ground, staring in horror at the unbelievable scene before her.
Half a minute earlier.
"Make your move."
Eiji beckoned to Beldia.
"Please instruct me!"
Without hesitation, Beldia charged forward, dragging his massive black sword behind him.
His charge was filled with overwhelming power and momentum. Even with one arm occupied holding his own head, it did nothing to diminish the force of his wind-splitting assault!
Yet, facing this onslaught, Eiji merely shook his head and silently lowered his blade.
Then he slowly raised his right hand.
Ding—!
A crisp, melodious chime rang out.
"W-what?!"
Beldia was utterly shocked.
Before his greatsword.
A slender finger blocked its path.
Though it looked fragile enough to snap barehanded, it steadily held back his blade, preventing any further advance!
"J-just a single finger...?!"
His sword, capable of cleaving through rock and steel with ease, had been stopped by a single finger!
Never having experienced such astonishment, Beldia stood frozen in place.
The lesser monsters behind him wore expressions as if their entire worldview had shattered.
"Shall we continue?"
Eiji asked.
Upon closer inspection, he had actually formed a golden light-sword smaller than a fingernail at the tip of his index finger, effortlessly dismantling Beldia's charge.
"...It's not over yet!"
Beldia's expression turned resolute.
"I hadn't intended to use this against you, as its lethality is far too great. But it seems I underestimated you, and for that, I apologize!"
Hmm.
Eiji nodded slightly.
So... what exactly are you apologizing for?
Do these classical knight types always monologue like this?
"The Headless Knight race possesses an immensely powerful innate skill. It is this ability that has maintained our status as high-ranking Undead, second only to liches and True Ancestor vampires!"
Beldia sheathed his black greatsword and took several steps back.
Then he raised his right hand.
"Behold—I proclaim, you shall die here and now!"
A resonant hum.
A blood-red wave emanated from Beldia's hand, transforming into an extremely ominous curse that surged forward!
Eiji felt a chill run down his spine instantly, as if facing some terrifying threat.
BOOOOM—!
Powerful sword energy erupted from his center.
The astonishing force transformed into a tempest that swept through the entire room. The massive floor-to-ceiling windows shattered instantly, porcelain and jade artifacts in the room cracked apart, and even the floor tiles beneath their feet developed spiderweb-like fractures!
The incoming blood-red curse fragmented under the sword energy's onslaught, rapidly dissipating into nothingness!
Under the sudden assault of the incredible tempest, the Demon Lord's daughter holding the old Demon King, Sylvia, Serena, and others were all sent flying, while the lesser demons were tossed about like ragdolls.
Only after a long moment did the room finally quiet down.
"I-incredible..."
Beldia had faced the sword energy directly.
The head tucked under his arm was filled with unparalleled awe.
The moment of the sword energy's eruption was seared into his mind like the descent of a wrathful deity.
"To think my [Herald Death] would be so thoroughly countered..."
Beldia gave a bitter smile.
Having witnessed that moment firsthand, his confidence had taken a severe blow.
He even began questioning what right he had to remain a Demon King Army officer if he couldn't withstand a single strike from Eiji.
"You're not bad yourself."
Eiji sincerely praised Beldia.
"That move of yours genuinely made me feel threatened for the first time in ages—I got a bit carried away and let my aura flare up properly!"
Herald Death, was it?
Truly living up to its name. The Headless Knight race is indeed not to be underestimated.
If he had really been hit by that move just now, he might have died on the spot. This race's innate abilities are truly unreasonable!
"Momentum?"
Beldia froze.
"Yeah, momentum!"
Eiji nodded as if it were obvious.
What else could it be?
Did you think I actually swung my sword?
Don't overthink it, okay?
"...Heh, I admit defeat."
Beldia smiled bitterly.
So strong. Too strong.
I released my momentum.
And the opponent got wrecked.