I'm the Evil Lord of an Intergalactic Empire! - Book 13: Chapter 10: School of One Flash vs Roman School of Swordsmanship

Armed enemy soldiers surround me as I step out of Avid’s cockpit.

They’re clearly here to fight, but I couldn’t sense any killing intent or fighting spirit emanating from them.

It’s as if they’re dolls holding weapons, weapons that feel out of place in this world.

For example, there are knights holding iron swords and shields. Compared to the knights of this era, they can only be described as shoddy.

There are also wizards holding canes and warriors wielding axes or blunt weapons. Everything about them feels ancient.

“Was this what he meant by a warm welcome?”

Needless to say, I despise Farabar’s overbearing attitude. Who does he think he is, ordering us to come at him?

I jump off Avid, and with the help of the ship’s gravity, land safely on the floor. The moment I do so, the enemies begin attacking in unison.

The first one to attack is a lightly armored warrior brandishing a sword.

With black eyes, red pupils, and cracked skin, it is apparent that the warrior before me is only a shell of what he used to be.

“How troublesome—”

Letting out a small sigh, I get ready to finish him off with a One Flash. However, before I could do so, Ellen makes the first move.

Immediately after landing on Garun, Ellen jumps out of Gerbera’s cockpit and fires a One Flash in my general direction, cutting down the swordsman and all that stood near him.

The enemies get chopped to pieces and are scattered across the floor. What’s peculiar is that not much blood is shed in the process.

Instead, the floor gets stained by a black, sticky goo.

“Master need not waste his energy on enemies of this caliber.”

Ellen lands in front of me, holding the red sword that she cherishes in her left hand.

“You seem awfully attached to that sword. I thought you were given a new one as proof of becoming full-fledged?”

To celebrate Ellen’s graduation from apprenticeship, I had a swordsmith that I invited to the territory to make a sword for her.

It should be of higher quality than her old sword, but for some reason, she prefers the one she’s using right now.

“This sword is special. After all, it’s something Master gave me.”

Seeing her smile, I get the urge to tease her.

“Right, I recall you mistaking the tiger inscribed on it for a cat.”

“Please forget that ever happened. I didn’t know what tigers were back then.”

To be so easily embarrassed, she’s still young after all.

Rinho and Fuuka are next to disembark as the Amaryllis make their landings in Garun’s hangar.

I stare at the enemies that Ellen has sliced up, expecting them to revive. However, even after some time, nothing happens.

Farabar appears on a monitor and clears up the confusion just as I’m wondering what’s going on.

[To make matters easier for you all, I’ve decided not to revive any of my fallen vassals. As the host, the least I can do is save you from any unnecessary trouble.]

“Then why don’t you fight me straight away?”

[Now that won’t do, would it? We’re in the midst of a battle, after all. I wish to savor each and every moment. My skin tingles just thinking about it.]

‘You’re just a bag of bones, what skin are you referring to?’

Apparently, he’s trying to be considerate, but if you ask me, he’s just being a nuisance.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem like Farabar would change his mind anytime soon.

[You see, I like watching heroes advance through the Demon Lord’s castle. To be fair, Garun’s a spaceship, not a castle, but I hope you won’t mind the details. I’ve prepared many traps ahead. Show me how you’ll conquer them! I shall await your arrival in the throne room.]

And with that, Farabar disappears from the monitor.

Ellen reveals a bitter expression.

“What an unpleasant creature, to trouble Master like this.”

Now that we’re so close to Farabar, it seems she’s sensed how formidable he is.

Despite expressing her dissatisfaction, she doesn’t outright declare that she’ll kill him herself.

Rinho and Fuuka approach us.

“We just have to defeat him quickly, and it’ll be over, right? All we have to do is cut him down.”

Rinho seems eager to move forward.

Fuuka, on the other hand, remains silent.

Realizing that there’s still much room for them to improve, I let out a deep sigh.

“You’re right. Farabar said he’s going to savor each and every moment of the battle, which means he probably plans on attacking our fleet as well. We don’t have time to waste.”

In its current state, the Banfield Family’s fleet won’t be able to put up a proper fight against Farabar.

It’d be a tough fight even for Tia and Marie. In fact, I daresay defeat would be inevitable, even with Klaus.

The enemies seem to have suddenly resolved their issue of supply and maintenance. My subordinates have concluded that Garun is behind this.

Coupled with the fact that the enemy ships can repair themselves no matter how many times we destroy them, Farabar no doubt has the right to call his fleet the immortal army.

If we were to challenge them head-on, fleet against fleet, I’d be defeated as well.

“At least with Klaus here… no, I shouldn’t leave things up to chance. Enough dilly-dallying. It’s time for us to go.”

With Rinho, Fuuka, and Ellen in tow, we head for the throne room.

◇

Meanwhile, Tia and the Banfield Family’s fleet were in the middle of a battle against the enemies.

“D*mn you, Hampson!”

They were up against the Imperial Army that had been converted by Farabar, and the one leading them was Hampson.

His face appeared on Tia’s monitor.

[Christina, now that I’ve gained power from Lord Farabar, I am invincible. You’re no longer my match.]

His eyes were black and his pupils, red.

Hampson grinned as he provoked Tia.

Even though he’d become an undead, it seemed like his spirit remained, and he relentlessly targeted Tia’s fleet.

“Big words for a man who couldn’t gather the courage to fight me without selling his soul to the devil.”

[You have guts, I’ll give you that. But no matter how powerful the Banfield Family’s fleet is, it still falls short of Lord Farabar’s immortal army. You at least understand that much, don’t you?]

The enemies kept charging at them without fearing casualties, which had Tia’s gears turning.

(Lord Liam has entered the enemy’s flagship. We need to gain more distance before fighting these guys. Distract as many of them as we could and—)

◇

Around the same time…

The fleet under Marie’s command was likewise being chased by an enemy fleet.

“Retreat while maintaining defensive position! Never show your back to the enemies!”

Much to her frustration, her fleet was being forced to retreat.

The commander in charge of the enemy fleet was none other than Toraido.

[Stop running away, Marie Sera Marian! Let us express our gratitude for chasing us around so much!]

Now that he was an undead, Toraido was seeking revenge on Marie.

[Are you scared? Are your legs shaking? How does it feel to become the prey?]

“—Tsk.”

Marie clicked her tongue. She wasn’t interested in going along with Toraido’s ego trip.

(I have no idea what kind of sorcery this is, but the Empire seems to be as pathetic as ever. I wonder if Lord Liam’s alright—)

She wasn’t exactly in an easy situation either, but she was more concerned about Liam’s safety.

She wished to help Liam, but to do that, she had to deal with the enemies in front of her.

“Well then, how should I dice you up?”

[Your resistance is futile! I now have an immortal body, for I have conquered death itself! Nothing in this world can scare me!

“—Heh.”

Narrowing her eyes, Marie snickered.

◇

Zooming through the deck of Garun, we tear apart the enemies that stand in our way, unleashing wave after wave of One Flash.

As soon as we discover an enemy, we hack them to pieces, so from an outsider’s perspective, it may seem like we’re just running down the hall.

Honestly, it’s so repetitive and boring that I feel like yawning, but we’re short on time.

“Searching such a large ship is a chore in itself.”

The spaceship spans several thousand meters, and it’s very spacious inside.

Finding the throne room where Farabar is is proving to be a challenge.

Ellen hears my complaint and gives her opinion as a commander.

“I’m concerned about what’s happening outside. If we waste too much time here and the fleet gets annihilated, it’ll severely affect us in the future.”

“The soldiers that we brought with us are elites. They should be able to hold on for a while. But you’re right. I wouldn’t fancy their chances of survival if the battle gets prolonged.”

Rinho seems to have something to say about our conversation. She interjects with a sullen look on her face.

“Senior Brother, Ellen, we shouldn’t be distracted by the battle occurring outside. Our focus should be on defeating the enemy of One Flash, no?”

Though her points are valid, I still have to consider my position.

For the sake of our future, we cannot afford to lose our fleet here.

“I’m first and foremost a swordsman of One Flash, but I’m also the lord of a territory.”

“Ridiculous. Battles are meant to be simple and straightforward, they shouldn’t be sullied by other matters. You’re both overcomplicating things. Don’t you agree?”

Rinho looks at Fuuka, but the latter doesn’t respond.

“Huh? Oh, um…”

This riles up Rinho even more

“Ugh, forget it!”

For the next several minutes, we continue to run in silence with me in the front.

Suddenly, I sense something and stop my footsteps. The others follow suit.

Immediately after, a shock wave passes by us.

A group of swordsmen have appeared before us and are blocking the passageway. From their appearances, I deduce that they’re people of this world.

“Greetings, Liam of One Flash. My name is Dustin, a swordsman of the Roman style. Let us exchange pointers,” a man says, grinning.

Upon closer inspection, I realize that these swordsmen are equipped with rapiers, swords specialized for thrusting.

I dig through my memories, eventually remembering who this man is.

“You must be the last Sword Saint of the Empire. If I’m not wrong, you should’ve been part of the subjugation force. Seeing as you’re now a lackey of Farabar, you must not be that big of a deal.”

Dustin, who’s now an undead, remains unfazed by my words.

“You have a foul mouth, just as the rumors say.—However, t’is but the chirping of a small bird.”

Dustin takes his stance and delivers a thrust that an average Joe wouldn’t be able to react to.

As I’m wondering what to do with him, Ellen steps forward.

“Master, let me take care of this. We don’t have much time on our hands. Please move on without me.”

“!”

Fuuka flinches when she sees Ellen.

She was probably hesitating about whether to step forward or not. She had missed her chance, making her ashamed of her indecision.

As we’re short on time, we decide to move ahead.

Before leaving, I call out to Ellen.

“Then we’ll depart fist. Make sure you catch up with us before I battle Farabar.”

“Understood.”

◇

With Liam and the others gone, Ellen’s expression turned cold.

“You must be senile to mistake Master’s words for the chirping of birds.”

Dustin and his disciples, now undeads, laughed at Ellen in ridicule.

“Sacrificing yourself to let your master go first. Truly commendable. But you’ve chosen the wrong opponent.”

Dustin’s thrust caused Ellen’s hair to sway.

“A thrust that has reached God-like speed. Thrusting is to us as slashing is to One Flash. Although there are differences, on a fundamental level, our techniques are similar.”

Ellen didn’t bat an eyebrow hearing Dustin’s words.

Interpreting this as nervousness, he took his stance.

“I have slain many enemies; some have failed to even notice that their stomachs have been punched out. This was before I became immortal. Now—”

Dustin delivered a thrust, creating several holes in the wall around and behind Ellen.

“I have been reborn, and my divine thrust has reached perfection. The Roman School of Swordsmanship has been perfected! There’s no need to fear The School of One Flash, for the Roman School of Swordsmanship is the strongest!”

Ellen didn’t so much as respond to his declaration.

It was only then that Dustin noticed something amiss.

Why weren’t his disciples saying anything?

While maintaining his guard, he looked for signs of his disciples.

Just then, he heard something fall to the floor with a thud.

His eyes had been on Ellen this entire time, but before he knew it, she had drawn her sword.

“You sought outside help to become stronger. This alone has disqualified the Roman School of Swordsmanship. It doesn’t deserve to be uttered in the same sentence as the School of One Flash, and it will forever remain this way. Oh, and you mentioned how your enemies couldn’t react to your thrusts. What’s so great about that?”

Realization dawned on Dustin, and he was overcome with fear.

His beloved sword had fallen to the ground.

And it wasn’t just his sword; his hands and arms were next.

When he knelt down, he realized his legs had been sliced off as well.

“H-how!? I never took my eyes off you. When did you—”

Ellen cut him off and spoke in a cold voice.

“Don’t you dare compare the One Flash to your run-of-the-mill swordsmanship. Ours was created to cut down monsters that have surpassed the realm of humanity. It was created to fight against monsters like Farabar, the one you clung to. Since you called yourself a Sword Saint, I was wondering how strong you were, but what a disappointment. You’re a sellout that has stained the legacy of your school, the worst of the worst.”

She then proceeded to chase after Liam, as if to show that she never took him seriously.

She had completely and utterly lost interest in him.

“So I had lost from the very beginning. —Had I known—I would’ve chosen to die like a normal swordsman.”

He was ashamed of himself for being intoxicated by the monster’s power.

Ellen had beaten him, both as a swordsman and as a person.

*****

Brian ( *¯ ꒳¯*): “Lady Ellen has grown up so respectably! Brian is happy.”

Wakagi-chan ( ｀Д´): “Naegi-chan won’t neglect advertising even if it’s almost New Year’s! All four works that were released in December are on sale now!”

Wakagi-chan (*´艸`): “This year was a good year for Mob Seka. Not only was its anime aired, but its second season was confirmed as well.”

Brian ( *¯ ꒳¯*): “It was a wonderful year indeed. Please continue to show much love and support for Lord Liam and ‘I’m the Evil Lord of an Intergalactic Empire!’ Thank you so much for your support, and I wish everyone a Happy New Year.”