The Book Eating Magician

Chwaaaak!

Blood soared from the heavenly demon’s heart which received a cross-shaped cut. The blood that was blacker than ink soaked the land around the heavenly demon, and weeds started to mutate into a weird form. It was blood that turned normal plants and animals into monsters in a matter of seconds!

The phenomenon proved that the wound was a fatal injury. Blood was concentrated in the heart, but the pollution wouldn’t normally occur to this degree. This meant there was great damage dealt in an area that even the heavenly demon’s regenerating ability couldn’t intervene in.

“You, you, you will regret this...!” The body of the heavenly demon fell to the ground while letting out curses.

Kung.

Light disappeared from his red eyes, and the presence that could crush the heavens gradually faded. This was the moment when the heavenly demon, the demon king born from Lust, died. Simultaneously, Theodore coughed up blood. “Weeeeeek!”

However, it wasn’t dead blood. Red blood, the blood of life, overflowed from his lips. There was something strange about the appearance of the winner who defeated the enemy. Theodore’s knees collapsed because of a lack of blood, and he sat on nearby rocks.

‘I-I almost died... It is self-destruction. It isn’t something that can be used as a joke.’

Grand Cross, the transcendent technique which had been used as the last trump card, was a problem. At that moment, Theodore had looked at an area that went beyond Lee Yoonsung, the one who had delivered the martial arts to him. It wasn’t a purely off-limits area, but it was a power he couldn’t endure right now. In any case, the force, which shouldn’t have been allowed, had lent him strength in the name of the guardian of the world. Despite being a transcendent, the two ultimate things shouldn’t be used as one. Their combination produced a fearsome reaction.

Clang! Two of Theodore’s clones broke like glass while the artifact cracked.

It wasn’t due to a direct hit; the tremendous treasure broke in reaction to the technique. Moreover, this was despite the fact that he had handed more than half of the burden over to the Eight Jade Magatamas. In the case of the Heavenly Sword he had used directly with Grand Cross, the sword’s tip fell off the blade.

“...Still.”

He had won. Theodore was relieved as he straightened his back.

‘The circles are a bit creaky, but it isn’t bad. They can recover in a month or so.’

Since he had been prepared to die together with the heavenly demon, this result was sensational. There would be no future for the material world if Theodore had been defeated in this fight. Theodore had seen this and prepared a trap. It had been from the moment he negotiated a hostage with Lust.

“Mutual Destruction, release.”

Needless to say, it had been implanted in the ‘seed’ that Lust had taken. If he hadn’t won the battle, he had intended to use Mutual Destruction in order for both of them to die together. No matter how great a vitality they had, there was no way to stop the suicide spell that was contained in the soul.

At that moment...

“······■■■■■.” There was a growl that couldn’t be understood.

Then the body of the dying heavenly demon turned to black mist.

“What?” Theodore put up a shield faster than the black fog’s movement and was immediately amazed. It was because his left arm was being eroded by something black.

It wasn’t physical. ‘If this... this erosion―no way.’

“Coming back through the path of the suicide magic that I planted...!”

It was ridiculous. The heavenly demon turned his body from physical reality to information and jumped on the suicide spell that had targeted him. In fact, the heavenly demon lost 80% of his existence during the course of the reversal. Nevertheless, the erosion was indeed a threat to Theodore.

「 Pause! 」

The speed dropped remarkably once this order was applied, but the erosion didn’t stop due to the magic resistance inherent in the heavenly demon. If this continued, Theodore would become another heavenly demon. It was inevitable. Theodore decided and pulled out Soul Calibre using his right hand. He was going to stop the erosion, even if it meant cutting off his left arm.

[Wait.]

If Seimei hadn’t intervened, he certainly would’ve done so.

“Seimei? When did you come back?”

[It has been quite a while. My soul, which was removed from the Eight Jade Magatamas, belongs to the grimoire. Once removed from Suzuka’s body, I returned.]

“No, I don’t need an explanation for that! Why are you stopping me?” Theodore asked in an urgent voice.

Seimei replied with a laugh, [Well, you sure have a temper. Since you have released my regret, I’m just giving you a reasonable reward.]

“What is this situation...?”

[It doesn’t look good if the main character of the victory loses an arm,] Seimei spoke lightly of the reward like it was a joke.

[Object name ‘Abe no Seimei’ has requested to complete his quest. Reviewing the achievements of the target, the progress and the surrounding situation...]

[The request of object name ‘Abe no Seimei’ has been accepted.]

[Verified the completion of the quest. After 30 seconds from the present time, the Transmission of Abe no Seimei will begin―changed. Verified that your current capacity is close to saturation. Confirming a separate compensation...]

[In conclusion, it has been left to object name ‘Abe no Seimei’s discretion.]

After compromising with the system, Seimei explained, [You should know it already, but if you accept my power with a body that has already become transcendent, it will only burst. Therefore, I will give you my power in a different way.]

The soul dispersed. Mana was another concept. The innate power of onmyōdō wasn’t studied in magic. The soul split into small particles, interfering with the astral dimension. The ultimate magic which controlled the spirit transformed Seimei’s soul into a string and weaved it around Theodore’s left arm, which had turned black. Theodore felt the erosion, which had swallowed his arm, come to a stop, and sensation returned to his arm.

[Yes, it is now time to say goodbye,] Seimei said goodbye in a hollow voice. [I will take my little brother away. There will be some impact on you, but you can handle it well. Eat and live well for a long time. We will meet again on the other side.]

“Wait, Seimei...! You are leaving this way as well?! Why are all the great people like you?”

[Hahaha! I have nothing to say. I’ve heard many things since I was alive!] Despite the increasingly blurred voice, Seimei laughed pleasantly.

Abe no Seimei—this was the end of the onmyōdō master, who had been born between a youkai and a Seven Sins’ grimoire, and was the savior of Japan. As Seimei’s soul burned up, he left a final message, [When the day comes and you stand at a crossroads, remember yourself.]

Before Theodore could ask what Seimei meant, he realized that Abe no Seimei’s soul had already completely disappeared.

“...Tsk.” He replayed it several times in his mind before muttering, “I will see you again, Seimei.”

If an afterlife really existed, they would one day meet again at the end of a long and distant time. Theodore turned his gaze from the empty space and looked down at his left arm. The erosion ran from his shoulder to below his elbow, but the consciousness of the heavenly demon no longer remained. Then Theodore discovered why Seimei had said that there would be some impact.

“...30%—no, 20%?”

In response to Theodore’s confusing words, a voice replied, -To be precise, it is 18%. That is the portion of the heavenly demon’s database that was implanted.

“Gluttony.”

-You can’t force a load that doesn’t fit your body...

However, it was still a big profit. Maybe he could use some of the methods. The power to absorb the spirituality of others was a force that had raised an immature heavenly demon to the level of a demon king. It wasn’t unreasonable that Gluttony would drool after indirectly obtaining it. However, Theodore didn’t talk anymore about his arm. He moved to finish what was left.

“You would know. What is the location?”

-Yes.

Theodore read the space coordinates from Gluttony and took a step. Simultaneously, a light flashed, and nothing remained.

* * *

Kukukung...

The collapse of Hwang Mountain, which had started due to the collision of two transcendent beings, was still ongoing.

Dozens of mountain peaks were falling, and the ground was overturned. The dirt rose up like a volcano and seemed to reach the moon and stars, while darkness covered the place. The mountain was shattered by magic, and the slope collapsed again as the axis shook.

“...Hoh.” In the middle of the hellish landscape, an unrealistic beauty was sitting there.

Her lower half was torn apart by heat and an explosion, while her beautiful appearance was distorted by ugly burns. Even so, it was the existence of someone who could take away a person’s reason. It was the Seven Sins’ grimoire, Lust. In contrast to her dying voice, she spoke in a lively voice, “You knocked that child down, Gluttony.”

The rumbling footsteps were like an answer to her words. Of course, it was Theodore who was making the footsteps. “Did you know this would happen?”

“Perhaps.”

Despite knowing that the heavenly demon died, there was no chance in her complexion. The reason was obvious. Lust didn’t have any sentiments of a mother. Her children were conceived and born for the purpose of her existence. She didn’t care about them after giving birth. They were just trials and failures, cornerstones of the ultimate creature that would someday be born. The fearsome heavenly demon didn’t escape these standards.

“Your arm... Yes, that’s what happened. How interesting. I got satisfactory data. Isn’t that right, Gluttony?”

“Shut up.”

Theodore pointed a finger at her. Ping!

Despite the light from his fingertip piercing Lust’s abdomen, she just stared at Theodore without moving an eyebrow. “Why are you angry? Well, it doesn’t matter. This terminal will die soon, even if you don’t do anything. It will take 10,000 years for me to show up again, so you will never see me again.”

“...”

“Yes. Should I say congratulations before I disappear? Now there is no threat to this planet.”

It was as she said. After the heavenly demon was defeated, there wasn’t a threat left to Theodore in this material world. An ancient dragon? He could now fight three by himself. A senior demon? If it wasn’t a demon king, he could defeat them one-sidedly. Furthermore, Sloth’s banishment thickened the walls of the dimension system. A demon-king class existence could no longer step foot into this material world. There would be no one stronger born in this material world.

“So?”

However, Theodore could feel it...

“What do you want to say?”

...The sexual desire, ridicule, and mocking of Lust, a Seven Sins’ grimoire. Lust smiled and licked her lips at the question, but no sound came from the friction. “―Why should I tell you when I am dying? Ask Gluttony after I am gone.”

“What?”

Lust ignored Theodore’s question and smiled ominously. “I mourn the destruction that will come...”

That was her last action.

Jjeok.

Lust’s body became like plaster, with her skin falling off as her body collapsed. She had no fighting ability like the other Seven Sins, so her end was futile. Theodore stood in front of the debris of Lust and frowned. “Glu...”

“...Theo!” Before he could talk to Gluttony, he heard a voice calling him from far away.

“Sigh.”

It was up to here for today. Theodore finished his thoughts and turned to look at the destroyed Hwang Mountain area. He had annihilated the terrible monster and eradicated its source. It wouldn’t be too late to think of the next thing tomorrow. Theodore wrapped his left arm with a torn robe and turned in the direction of his colleagues’ voices.

This was a victorious return after stopping the disaster.