SWNOVELXO Chapter 325: Gaze
At that moment of distraction, he sealed his own fate. The Sword in the Stone, exceedingly sharp, instantly severed his weapon, and as the blade swept across the head, blood splattered, leaving the Captain of the Guard's body lying in a pool of blood.
The scene that unfolded in the blink of an eye stunned everyone present. Seeing the usually formidable Captain of the Guard fall so effortlessly before Arthur, everyone was dumbstruck. At that moment, courage vanished without a trace from them.
On Arthur's side, however, the soldiers' morale soared. They roared in anger, seemingly possessing inexhaustible strength. With this advantage, Arthur's side gained an overwhelming upper hand.
Everyone knew the outcome had been decided. After Arthur killed the Captain of the Guard with the force of Thunder, all was settled. More and more people chose to surrender, and the castle's defenses were thoroughly dismantled.
Arthur stood amidst the crowd, the Treasured Sword in his hand, indifferent to the cheering and jumping of the people around him. His gaze swept over the battlefield littered with corpses, over the blood and the flames, and settled on the highest spires of the castle, where Joy was.
Meanwhile, Joy inside the castle had also witnessed the earlier scene. Arthur's terrifying stature weighed on his heart like a mountain, ushering in a sense of fear that made it impossible for him to maintain his earlier ease. The wine glass in his hand was crushed, and the red wine slowly trickled down his fingers.
But at that moment, Joy felt nothing. He tensely asked, "Can we deal with him?"
Clearly, he was asking the Demon hiding in his own shadow. After all, he was well aware that with his own strength, defeating the Captain of the Guard was impossible, let alone Arthur, who had easily defeated the Captain.
"He's a troublesome man," the Demon's ethereal voice echoed in Joy's ears. He sensed the aura of the Treasured Sword in Arthur's hand, a power that greatly suppressed him.
"But don't worry, his power has not yet matured. If he faces me now, he is simply seeking his own death," the Demon's voice slightly lessened Joy's fear.
The Demon was also brimming with confidence. He could feel that the power contained in the Treasured Sword in Arthur's hand had endless potential, but it was still too immature at the moment and could not deal a fatal blow to him, especially since he had just absorbed the power of the God of Forest.
With these words, Joy finally settled down, quietly waiting for Arthur's arrival.
Arthur stepped onto the castle stairs, a place he had grown up, familiar with every brick and blade of grass, so much so that he could find his way even with his eyes closed.
The Sword in the Stone radiated a flash of light, and all the blood and mud on it vanished. This was a handy little trick he had learned as he gradually mastered the power of the Sword in the Stone, practical for he didn't want his home soiled by the mud and blood under his feet.
Opening the door, Joy was facing Arthur, his face calm, with an incongruous smile: "Long time no see, Arthur. It's great that you are alive."
Arthur coldly looked at the man before him, the same man who had deceived his trust and ultimately caused him to lose his domain. He had imagined countless times the ways he would get his revenge on this traitor.
But when the moment actually arrived, he found his heart was not as agitated as he had imagined. Having gained the hidden knowledge within the Sword in the Stone, Arthur's perspective was no longer limited to this small domain. If not for the Demon behind him, a figure like Joy probably wouldn't even catch his eye. Perhaps this was what growth was.
"Unfortunately for you, I didn't die," Arthur said softly.
Bright light glowed from the Sword in the Stone, and Arthur's eyes also emitted a brilliant radiance. At this moment, he finally saw the Demon hiding in Joy's shadow, sensing that chaotic and evil presence.
"Mr. Demon, aren't you coming out?" Arthur's voice echoed through the room, startling Joy.
He had planned to summon the Demon when Arthur was at his most triumphant, to give him a crushing blow and shatter his confidence. Yet he hadn't expected Arthur to reveal his hidden card so bluntly.
At this moment, Joy panicked. He felt that what he thought was his ace in the hole wasn't so safe anymore, and now he was on the edge of a cliff, with no choice but to trust the Demon.
"Haha, worthy of being the master of this sword. I thought I hid quite well, yet you still found me," a hoarse voice emerged from Joy's shadow.
In full view of everyone, a dark figure slowly crawled out from Joy's shadow. It was pitch black as ink, indecipherable in form, with two horns emitting black light on its head and eyes flashing red, enveloping a very uncomfortable aura.
"A Demon!" Old Man Frey exclaimed in surprise. The legendary creature appearing before his eyes was bound to astonish the old man.
He also understood why someone as incompetent as Joy could have taken over the territory so quickly. With the Demon standing behind him, it all made sense.
The rest of the people were also startled by this eerie appearance. Demons had always existed only in legends, wanted by all Divine Spirits, and feared even more than the Old Monk by the gods. But this type of creature rarely revealed even a fraction of itself in events, making it an elusive opponent; thus, few people in this world had ever seen a Demon.