The Sword Master’s Son-in-Law

– The Swordsaint Clan’s Son-in-Law

First, I thought rationally.

Why was Amelia here?

“Did you perhaps get caught up in this as well? If so, where are Leti and Asia?”

“…”

Amelia didn’t say anything in particular.

And so, we confronted each other in silence, when-.

The near-death Drex awoke.

“Ameri… why didn’t you help me?”

Drex clearly said this while looking at Amelia.

Drex calling Amelia Ameri.

I sensed something was off, but concluded that Drex already knew Amelia.

Could it be-.

“Amelia, you’re surely…”

Amelia… no, Ameri.

A magic circle formed in her hand.

Though I’m not well-versed in magic,

I could tell it was different from any magic I’d seen used until now.

At the same time, I knew Ameri was an enemy.

The proof of which was-.

My Hero’s Mark grew hot from the magic Ameri was wielding.

I held my sword, wary of Ameri’s magic.

But then-.

That magic was directed not at me, but at Drex.

Black flames.

The moment those flames touched Drex, they engulfed him in an instant.

And Drex turned into ashes.

It was an incomprehensible situation.

“Ameri… are you an enemy too?”

“…I would have been an enemy. But not anymore.”

Words that were hard to accept.

If not an enemy, then by definition, an ally, wasn’t she?

I spent a good while organizing my thoughts around that notion.

“And will you promise me one thing?”

Amerie asked this of me.

“Promise… what?”

“If we meet again, take me in.”

Amerie smiled.

A smile so bright I’d never seen it before.

It was the first time I’d seen her smile like that since meeting her.

Then, beneath Amerie’s feet, a magic circle appeared.

It emitted a burst of light, and in an instant, Amerie vanished.

I stood there, dazed,

staring at the spot where she’d disappeared.

What was it that Amerie had just said?

What on earth did she mean by it?

I couldn’t figure it out.

And then…

My vision shifted in an instant,

and when I came to, I was back where I’d started.

It felt as though too much had happened all at once; a dizzying feeling.

As I stood there, reeling, trying to sort through it all,

Asia approached me and asked,

“Where did Amerie go? She disappeared at the same time as Arthas… I thought you two were together.”

I hesitated for a moment.

Was it right to speak about Amerie…?

I decided it was best to keep it a secret for now.

“…I don’t know either.”

I shook my head,

denying Amerie’s whereabouts, when suddenly…

Letty came into view.

Kneeling and praying.

She was clearly receiving a prophecy.

A long while passed.

Then, Letty, having finished her prayer, spoke to me.

“Hero, we must leave immediately.”

“Leave? Where to…?”

“Lady Lea says the final battle with the Demon King is just around the corner.”

My head ached more than before.

Why was something that should happen five years from now…

Could it be that Amerie’s true identity was the Demon King?

Innumerable thoughts crowded her mind – .

“I understand.”

For now, she decided to follow the prophecy.

*

A middle-aged man sat upon a resplendent throne.

His beard was long and flowing, and his gaze held a power that instinctively forced one to their knees.

His identity: the Demon Lord.

The king who reigned over the Demon Continent.

This Demon Lord listened attentively to the tale of Ameri, who knelt before him.

And then – .

“Is this truly the truth?”

“It is, my Lord.”

The story Ameri delivered to her father, the Demon Lord.

It was a remarkably simple tale.

The Hero.

A story of his strength.

Though strong,

he was no match for the combined might of herself and the Demon Lord.

Upon hearing Ameri’s words, the Demon Lord offered a fleeting smile.

However -.

“But that is an impossibility.”

“Why do you say that?”

“…Unless it is the promised day, the Demon Lord cannot cross over to that place.”

In short, the Demon Lord’s final battle with the Hero was only possible in five years, as foretold by Rhea.

Ameri could not possibly be ignorant of this.

“It is alright.”

“Alright?”

“Just trust in me.”

The Demon Lord, filled with doubt,

confirmed the restriction placed upon him.

And -.

A soft arc bloomed at the Demon Lord’s lips.

“This, it’s true.”

The Demon Lord confirmed that the restriction binding him had vanished.

Which meant he could invade right now, without delay.

Immediately, the Demon Lord began to muster his forces.

As he did so, he bestowed words of praise upon his daughter, Ameri.

“You have done exceptionally well. It seems I was right to create you.”

“…”

At the Demon Lord’s praise, Ameri merely lowered her head.

Forged in Being.

Amerie was unlike other demons.

A half-breed of the continent’s humans and the demonfolk of the Demon Realm.

A human, with what they called the Demon King’s blood, mixed in halfway.

That’s why she wasn’t caught by Arthas’s Sign.

And—

Because she inherited the Demon King’s blood,

She was even a being of surpassing caliber.

Thus, Amerie was a leading candidate to become the next Demon King.

However, her doll-like personality meant her subordinates often disregarded her.

The Demon King commanded Amerie.

“Hurry now, and prepare yourself to set out.”

“Understood.”

Amerie merely nodded her head at the order to depart.

*

The eastern part of the continent.

We waited on that coastline.

Myself, Asia, and Letty.

Just the three of us.

We deliberately hadn’t sought help from the Hueurnit Kingdom.

Because of Leia’s prophecy.

“I understand the prophecy that the Demon King’s army is coming, but to think only the three of us have to stop them…”

“I, too, don’t understand Leia-nim’s intentions.”

“Arthas-ssi… I’m a little nervous. What kind of being is the Demon King?”

Asia’s words, telling of her nervousness.

My gaze naturally turned to Asia.

And I discovered it.

Asia’s body was trembling.

She was still young.

So, it was only natural she’d be afraid of the current situation—

But—

It wasn’t just Asia who was frightened.

Letty was also slightly scared.

Even so, Letty—

“Hero-nim…, we absolutely will not lose. History tells us so.”

I nodded softly.

Letty was right.

Until now, countless Demon Kings have invaded this continent,

And each time, the Hero has emerged victorious.

An event akin to a preordained formula for victory.

It was, perhaps, only natural.

We had a god on our side; they did not.

“…If only Amerie-ssi were here, at least.”

At the sudden mention of Amerie, I could only fall silent.

I considered telling them about Amerie now.

But the words simply wouldn’t come.

Not with a situation this critical.

And yet –

‘Would it be even more shocking to see Amerie on the enemy’s side…?’

The thought struck me,

I needed to speak before the Demon Lord arrived.

“Actually… the truth is…”

Just as I was about to reveal the truth about Amerie –

Far off in the distance, along the coast.

Three ships were rapidly approaching.

Dark, somber vessels, black as pitch.

It was immediately clear where they had come from.

I strained my eyes,

Confirming the approaching ships.

The ship at the head.

There, I recognized a familiar face.

Amerie.

She was aboard the ship.

And beside her.

Stood a middle-aged man.

Clad in black armor and a black cloak.

‘That must be the Demon Lord.’

I saw Amerie whisper something in the Demon Lord’s ear.

And then –

The Demon Lord smiled faintly,

Before beginning to fly towards us from the ship.

With Amerie alongside him.

*

In a flash, the Demon Lord and Amerie arrived on the coast.

The Demon Lord identified the Hero.

“So that is the Hero. Just as you said. His growth is incomplete.”

Amerie surveyed the surroundings once,

And conveyed to the Demon Lord,

“It is possible this is a trap, but with my protection, you should be able to approach the Hero directly.”

Waiting for his subordinates was also an option.

But –

The Demon King chose a different path.

The easiest path,

To conquer the continent.

It was to eliminate the Hero from the start.

“Understood.”

The Demon King charged towards Arthas.

He worried about a trap,

But there was nothing.

The Demon King smiled.

“Finally, Rhea is siding with me too.”

The Demon King quickened his pace towards Arthas.

And Amerie followed close behind.

Just like that –

When the distance between the Demon King and Arthas had closed considerably,

The Demon King felt a surging energy from behind.

*‘Amerie must be trying to attack first.’*

So judged the Demon King.

But something was off.

The energy he felt behind him…

Wasn’t it coming straight for *him*?

The Demon King hastily tried to dodge,

But he was too late.

*KWA-GA-GANG!*

The Demon King took a powerful magic attack directly to his exposed back.

“Ugh…Amerie, you dare!”

The Demon King glared at Amerie and roared.

But this was no time for that.

Because Arthas was already rushing towards the Demon King, sword drawn –

“Damn it all!”

The Demon King tried to block Arthas’s swinging blade with both hands.

But with Amerie’s magic coming again,

In the end, the Demon King –

“Kuh-heok.”

Could not avoid a fatal wound from Arthas’s sword.

And at the same time –

Beyond Amerie…

The Demon King witnessed the ships carrying his soon-to-arrive subordinates exploding.

The Demon King, in despair,

Stared at Amerie.

And Ameri—.

“I’ve decided to side with Arthas.”

Ameri’s dark flame incinerated the Demon King in an instant.

All of this unfolded in a heartbeat.

Arthas stared blankly, locking eyes with Ameri.

Ameri, also meeting his gaze,

offered a smile.

And then—.

“You said you’d accept me. Marry me.”

She proposed to Arthas.

A sudden proposal.

Asia and Leti reacted with twice the intensity they had when they saw Ameri standing next to the Demon King.