Hikigaya's God Slayer Story

Chapter 30: The Demonic Melody and the Black Blade

Looking at the two women below, Seishuin Ena sneered coldly in her heart.

To make one's sword sharper, one must possess a purer heart.

A clear mind sharpens perception and clarifies thought, preventing contamination from external impurities.

Because of this, she spent most of her time training in nature, away from the chaos of the city. But that didn't mean she was some naive fool who didn't understand the darkness of human hearts...

Godslayers were beings who brought misfortune just by sitting still, because their power was far too fearsome.

What they attracted naturally wasn't good for mankind either.

Anything that humans could not resist, regardless of its nature, was considered a disaster—an opposing force. In mythology, such forces often took the form of dragons or serpents.

And yet, such overwhelming power also had the effect of gathering people around it—just like how ancient people revered powerful natural phenomena as gods.

Around Hikigaya, signs of this were beginning to emerge.

Regardless of her own relationship with Hikigaya, Ena deeply disliked the foreigners appearing around him.

A king of this country should be served by the people of this country, shouldn't he?

And that Yukinoshita Haruno—so arrogant after obtaining power.

If it weren't for the fact that Hikigaya was involved, Ena would've already struck her down.

Touching the hilt of Ame-no-Murakumo, Ena's eyes flicked with fleeting disgust as she glanced at Liliana, though her deeper resentment was still directed at Yukinoshita Haruno.

Perhaps giving both of them a lesson wouldn't be a bad idea.

"Partner, I might need your help soon," she whispered softly, drawing Ame-no-Murakumo halfway from its sheath.

And, as always, she got an irritatingly unserious response…

"Oh? You're planning to shorten your own lifespan over a man? Girl, you've got guts!"

As the weapon of Susanoo-no-Mikoto, Ame-no-Murakumo was not only a divine artifact but also possessed its own independent steel god-spirit.

Ena relied on this to invoke divine descent and gain the power of "steel," enabling her to temporarily rival gods.

Unfortunately, this seemingly divine entity was... a chatterbox.

Worse still, it almost never had anything nice to say.

Luckily, Ena was used to it. Before it could say anything more, she shoved it back into the sheath without hesitation.

She'd long since decided that weapons shouldn't talk—especially this one.

At that moment, down below, Liliana and Yukinoshita Haruno were locked in a fierce battle...

Compared to the two shrine maidens, Haruno was undeniably immature—like a chick just hatched.

But that's precisely where the greatness of a godslayer lies.

Heat radiated continuously from Haruno, scorching the ground and making the air shimmer.

Her eyes burned like blazing fireballs—capable of igniting whatever they focused on.

Even the concrete she stepped on melted. For even the world's greatest magicians, trying to get near her would be asking for trouble.

Even Liliana's magic sword, Il Maestro, was ineffective.

Liliana's graceful figure flickered amidst the heat and darkness, and her sword echoed with musical tones as it moved.

This was a demonic melody.

Il Maestro was a sword of craftsmanship that could play mesmerizing music. The demonic melody it produced could disorient the listener, weaken their magic, and drain their stamina.

Its repertoire was vast—beyond what ordinary people could master.

With her elongated blade, Liliana danced through the air, the friction of the wind playing over the blade like a maestro's fingers.

The haunting melody entered Haruno's ears, irresistible and insidious.

Haruno's heart pounded. Her mind turned chaotic.

And yet—her physical power remained unaffected.

Her stamina held steady.

The melody could not penetrate the divine blessing Hikigaya had bestowed upon her.

The power of the sun burned away any force deemed impure.

This surprised and troubled Liliana, who marveled at the strength and mystery of godslayer power.

"Hikigaya really made you strong... but your spirit is too fragile. You can't even control the power he gave you. Since you won't use it cautiously, I have no choice but to stop you."

She said calmly, casting a glance at Seishuin Ena, seated on the rooftop.

Liliana could feel it—that Ena was one of her kind, and extremely powerful.

But something was hidden.

"Then don't talk to me," Ena replied with a sweetly sarcastic smile. "Since you're a foreigner, try not to meddle so much."

"Seishuin Ena, I know who you are," Liliana's tone was always cold and distant, giving the impression she kept others at arm's length—often leading to misunderstandings.

"Then take your little pet and leave. I don't need a foreigner teaching lessons."

"I'm not trying to teach you. But since you're stronger than her, shouldn't you restrain yourself? Otherwise, your king may be shamed."

Liliana continued with her cool, indifferent tone.

Her words sounded like a scolding, but her hands never stopped.

The demonic melody echoed continuously, while her agile movements kept her safe from Haruno's clumsy attacks.

On the other hand, Haruno's weakening mental state was making it harder for her to control her solar power.

No matter how you looked at it, defeat was inevitable.

At this rate, Liliana would subdue her until the night ended.

At least, that's how it should've gone.

"Shamed?" On the rooftop, Ena slowly stood, her eyes sharp like blades.

"Defeating someone like her is enough to inflate your ego this much?"

She slowly drew Ame-no-Murakumo, the blade glowing bright white in the night, giving Liliana an ominous feeling.

"Or does the Bronze Black Cross think they can just send anyone into another country and start giving orders?"

Ena smiled sweetly—but there was no warmth in that smile.

Japan's magical society didn't rank high globally.

Italy, home to the Seven Sisters, was considered Europe's magic capital—synonymous with the pinnacle of magical arts.

To represent Italy's top level was to represent the world's highest—that was the accepted view in Europe.

None of these people ever stopped to ask whether others accepted that view.

As Japan's strongest contemporary sword miko and heir to the Seishuin family, Ena naturally had a strong sense of rivalry toward Liliana, a fellow descendant of divine ancestors from Italy, especially one from the exalted Bronze Black Cross.

Liliana's haughty demeanor, and the faint intimacy she showed toward Hikigaya, only fueled that antagonism.

Ena raised the divine blade and pressed her finger lightly against its edge, drawing a line of blood.

"Kakefumi… Ikinokazu… Ayani Osoraki…"

As she chanted an incantation that enhanced slashing power, the divine sword blew out a dark, cold wind.

Its shape shifted.

The straight sword slowly morphed into a curved blade, its edge turning black.

Faced with Ena's sudden hostility, Liliana finally ceased the demonic melody directed at Haruno.

Even though this gave Haruno a chance to recover, Liliana paid it no mind.

Her attention was now fully on Ena.

"What is the meaning of this?" she asked coldly, still giving off an air of arrogant detachment in Ena's eyes.

"Nothing much. Just thought I'd have a go with you too," Ena said, readying her stance. "But do be careful—I might not be able to hold back enough to keep you alive."

Chapter 31: People Who Fight Need to Be Punished

The cold sensation under her feet gradually brought Haruno back to her senses.

She shook her head, and the last remnants of dizziness slowly faded.

What a terrifying sound…

Is this the power of a top-tier magician?

The arrogance that had been swelling in her heart thanks to Hikigaya's blessing receded like the tide.

At this point, if she still couldn't understand that Seishuin Ena had been holding back the whole time, then there was truly something wrong with her head.

She also remembered that embarrassing moment earlier—didn't Hachiman warn her to know her limits?

Maybe… he foresaw this happening?

Haruno felt she needed to reevaluate Hachiman once again.

Time and time again, Hikigaya Hachiman continued to shatter her expectations.

This boy possessed a mindset completely at odds with his age.

Although he wasn't cunning or calculating, his attitude—having great power yet always acting with such composure—was even more fearsome.

Nouveau riche were never truly frightening.

Their weaknesses were obvious and easily seen in their every move.

What was scary were those who, even after suddenly acquiring great power or wealth, could still maintain their original mindset.

Such people could even interact humbly with those who seemed beneath them.

Perhaps because Hikigaya wasn't around, the influence of the divine power on Haruno was lessened.

Combined with the previous impact of Liliana's demonic melody, her mind gradually returned to a state of calm—and she could feel it herself.

Then, she heard that sound again in the air.

Her heart skipped a beat.

She instinctively covered her ears, but soon realized that the sound no longer had any effect on her.

Then came the sound of wind—violent wind.

She looked in its direction, and what she saw made her gasp.

The concrete building had been leveled to the ground.

Black, almost tangible wind was howling wildly. Although immensely powerful and destructive, it was strangely confined to a small area.

Within that darkness, flashes of dazzling light would occasionally burst out, accompanied by the clang of clashing metal.

Haruno thought for a moment, then picked up a half-melted floor tile at her feet and threw it.

With her now-enhanced physical strength, the tile was light as a feather in her hand. With a whistling sound, it shot straight into the wind zone—without encountering any resistance.

Yet the moment it entered, it shattered.

It was as if it had been sliced apart by countless blades in an instant.

Haruno let out a breath and slowly stood up.

Sure enough, Ena had been holding back earlier—the wind she used back then was nothing like this.

She couldn't even see the details of the two people fighting within the storm.

Ultimately... a layman is still a layman...

However, Haruno didn't feel sad about this.

She was someone who pursued practicality and had a clear view of herself.

Gaining such power was already a stroke of fortune.

It meant that Hachiman had become a solid pillar of support for Yukino.

Their mother, her little sister—none of them would be in danger anymore.

And she had personally taken revenge on one of their enemies. That alone made her feel more than satisfied.

Now free of that burden, she felt relaxed and filled with hope for the future.

Looking at the storm cloud from afar, she suddenly chuckled.

"So popular, aren't you, Hachiman…"

She gave a soft laugh.

Then, she sat on the ground, hugged her knees, and looked mischievously at the silhouettes flying around.

Hachiman had given her so much—she had to repay him.

She couldn't repay him in power, but in other ways… well, that was uncertain.

"Not just Japanese girls, even foreign ones are in the mix…" Her thoughts spun quickly, and she felt like she'd grasped something.

At the very least, she was sure now: Hikigaya Hachiman's position was far more remarkable than she had imagined.

Come to think of it, Hachiman had said he killed gods and stole their powers.

If that was true, then the scene at Mount Phoenix wasn't something a human could possibly replicate.

In that case, it also made sense that foreign women would be around him.

"A beauty trap, huh… hehe…" She chuckled.

Those people were definitely going to fail.

If something like that worked, he wouldn't be the Hikigaya Hachiman she knew.

But that meant it was her time to shine.

She stood up, dusted off her clothes, glanced one last time at the two still fighting, and walked off with a light laugh.

Not long after she left, Hachiman's figure emerged from the darkness.

He still held a book in his hand, and as he looked in the direction Haruno had gone, his eyes carried a hint of approval.

"Pretty impressive. As expected of someone who led a family at such a young age. Her mental strength is on another level."

He chuckled, then turned his gaze toward the black stormcloud with the expression of someone watching over a couple of unruly kids.

"This side though…"

He rubbed his temples in frustration.

It's not that he was overly meddlesome or bored, but… for some reason, his sensory perception had become absurdly sharp lately.

It felt like the whole of Chiba was within his awareness.

From the moment Haruno walked out until now, his ears had been filled with the sounds of clashing and explosions—how was anyone supposed to read in peace like this?

"So noisy. Even all the others combined weren't this loud…"

He pouted and stepped into the wind.

The divine wind summoned by Ena through Ame-no-Murakumo-no-Tsurugi had no effect on him.

In terms of slicing power, Set's wind was far more specialized.

After all, Set was originally an ancient god of destruction, chaos, and violence. The Beast of Set was the embodiment of this power.

Having acquired this essence, Hikigaya was not intimidated by anyone when it came to wind. Not even the winds of Di Jun or Poseidon could do much to him.

Poseidon—though primarily a god of the sea—was also one of the most powerful storm gods of the Near East.

It was through battling these two gods that Hikigaya fully mastered Set's wind and regained the ability to create the Beast of Set—a power that allowed him to shatter even divine might.

So, when faced with the divine wind from Susanoo-no-Mikoto, Hikigaya simply swung his arm, and an entire region of wind was shredded and vanished.

Heat radiated from his body—unlike Haruno's raw heat, his turned into hot wind.

Wherever it passed, the divine wind from the other god disappeared.

Eventually, all the wind faded, revealing Ena and Liliana.

"You two are really naughty. Can't you let me read in peace?"

He gently leapt up and, channeling energy into his fingers, tapped both their swords in nearly the same instant. Though the blows seemed light, they caused both girls to tremble, nearly dropping their weapons.

Thus, they had to separate and land alongside Hikigaya.

"Hachiman, please don't interfere with my duty as a knight," Liliana said sternly, while Ena looked at Hikigaya with embarrassment and guilt.

"Is your duty fighting?" Hikigaya shrugged, then lightly flicked Ena's forehead.

"Ow!" she cried out.

"Hurts, doesn't it? So why did you suddenly start fighting?"

"It's this foreigner's fault!" Ena said angrily, momentarily forgetting her embarrassment due to the pain.

Only then did Hikigaya remember—this girl didn't like foreigners much in the anime either.

She even had a run-in with Erica.

And Erica didn't beat her…

After all, god possession is pretty broken for a magician.

"Seriously, are you two kids?" With the two finally stopped, Hikigaya felt the city quiet down significantly and became more convinced he'd done the right thing by stepping in.

"Come back with me. You two are making such a racket out here—I can't even read my book."

"…Okay." Ena sulkily put away Ame-no-Murakumo.

Though she still disliked Liliana, she couldn't very well keep fighting in front of Hikigaya—especially since it was impossible anyway.

Also… it was kind of embarrassing to be seen acting so unladylike…

But the other one wasn't as well-behaved.

"No. I must confirm whether these people have misused your orders."

That was Liliana, still looking serious.

Too bad Hachiman always wanted to tease her when she looked like that…

In a flash, he reached out, grabbed Liliana, and slung her over his shoulder.

"Wh-Wh-What are you doing!?"

The flustered literary knight squirmed in embarrassment, her face flushed red!

Across from them, Ena's mouth dropped into an "O" shape.

Who was this wild man!?

Ena felt like fainting.

This vibe was nothing like the Hikigaya Hachiman she remembered.

Is this what going abroad does to people!? It could turn someone into this!?

Raised under the ideal image of a refined Yamato Nadeshiko, Ena now deeply understood the power of foreign influence—and started to feel relieved she'd never studied abroad herself.

Then, she panicked—because she saw Hikigaya looking her way, with a mischievous glint in his eye.

"People who like to fight need to be punished like this. Stand still."

"Noooo! Ena doesn't want something that embarrassing!"

With a loud shriek, she turned and ran!

But it was useless—just seconds later, Hikigaya Hachiman was walking contentedly home, carrying both girls on his shoulders…