Kuro no Maou

The sun was already starting to sink while illumination the Spada City in red.

That just like as if it was hinting the start of the bloody festival brought by the cursed blades.

「Yeah, this year also looks like a success」

In the VIP room of Spada’s oldest and biggest arena『Grand Coliseum』, the sponsor Vein Wortz Mordred said that with satisfaction.

If he were a human his face would have a happy expression, but for he was a skeleton that he could only flicker the light in his eye sockets.

Mordred sat on armchair in the VIP room while wearing a good tailored jet-black robe with gaudy ornaments, it looked just like a Undead King reigning over an underground-type dungeon.

Moreover he was looking at the spectators crowding the Grand Coliseum through a Scare Crystal so his presence was all the more just like that of the Undead King.

「Seriously, I never thought so many people would be assembled here. Looks like Cursed Weapons are quite popular things」

Sitting beside Mordred was a dwarf, who seemed quite poor if compared to the dressed up arms dealer, no, he didn’t had the dwarves trait, the beard, so it might not be difficult to think of him as a human.

At any rate that dwarf with wide small body wearing a battered suit, just didn’t suitable to be present in the VIP room by any standard.

「Most will only watch, though」

「Truly sinful」

「That is why it is interesting」

Even so the beardless dwarf didn’t seem timid at all, but even talked lightly with the skeleton as though they were friends for more than tens of years.

This alone showed that Regin Stratos, who was a blacksmith of a small workshop in the Lower Area, was either a friend with this great arms dealer, Mordred, or he held ‘something’ that made him on equals with the skeleton.

They didn’t seem to be in balance, but the two felt like they had a sort of mutual trust relationship with each other, and they kept on harmoniously chatting.

「Excuse me, Chairman Mordred」

A single man entered the room with movements just like that of stewards working under Great Nobles.

He might truly be a steward as he was wearing a tailcoat.

But, he served only under the undead Mordred, so although he had the face of human his countenance was bad――in short, he was a person of zombie race.

「Lord Christina Damd Spiralhorn is here to meet」

Immediately an indication of「come in」flew.

「Sprialhorn? Well I don’t remember Spada having a noble with this family name」

「Indeed, she is not noble of Spada, she is――」

He decided to leave any further explanation to the person itself appearing here.

Mordred cut off his sentence in between, and stood up to greet the noble from another country who had just now opened the door and was trying to appear inside.

「Nice to meet you Chairman Mordred. This year too I have taken your invitation and appeared here. I am the noble of Avalon and the Vice Captain of 1st Dragoon Knights Squad『Dragon Heart』, Christina Damd Spiralhorn」

The one speaking out the detailed self-introduction loud in a high-pitched voice was a single girl.

The first thing that would catch one’s eyes would be the ringlet hair which seemed like they were made out of gold.

The helical curled hair reached to her waist, it emphasized that the hair were taller than her if straightened.

That hairstyle was the proof of traditional noble young woman, it was especially famous in Avalon――but the people who would actually do it were rare.

That young woman with blond hair while suffering from anachronism didn’t wore dress suitable for a noble girl.

If just seeing the silhouette it would be black dress. However, its true identity was a cloth created with the Union Metal of Dark Matter as base, and it was formed by various ornaments enchanted with every sorts of Boost Magic and Shield Magic.

Just how much would it gross weight be, at the very least even if an ordinary adult male was to wear a full-platemail made by Union Metal of Dark Matter, then without doubt that male would become coffin the next moment.

However, while wearing that super heavy lump of metal, she stepped forward lightly.

At a glance it would seem like the girl moved easily leading one to doubt that the armour is fake or just a plating, however the ones sitting here were arms dealer and a blacksmith.

「Welcome Miss Chris, the shining of your armour seems to have increased a notch above. Truly wonderful, I want to add it in my collection」

Regin understood that once that Mordred words weren’t just some flattery.

Even he could say that the armour on this girl named Christina was a real deal. Probably, even a third-rate blacksmith also won’t mistake this much. It was that much of a great item.

「I’m honoured for the praise. But I have not in the least intention of let go off my『Genocide Princess』」

Ohohohoho, Christina laughed just like a perfect noble girl.

Her angling blue eyes seemed just like a child being proud.

Maybe she was weak to flattery, or maybe she truly liked her armour too much, otherwise both of the reasons.

However, coupling with her small and slender body, her laughing figure with those childish yet beautiful looks, just seemed pleasant to look at.

「Incidentally Chairman Mordred, who is that male dwarf over there?」

It wasn’t a coincidence that she was able to guess Regin’s race in just a single glance.

She would be able to distinguish any dwarf male at once even if they don’t have the overgrown beard and goatee.

After all, she was also from the Dwarf race.

「I see, so even Miss Chris doesn’t know about him」

Mordred let out a stifled laugher and urged Regin, who was now standing for not being rude to the nobles around, to do his introduction.

「I’m called as Regin Stratos」

The blacksmith expert couldn’t speak any other line that was much more decent than this. Rather it was already quite great that he could speak in formal way.

But, those sorts of information weren’t of any meaning at all to Christina.

「Don’t tell me, that “Death Maker” Regin!?」

「It is already past」

The composition of Christina showing overreaction and Regin smiling gently seemed stupid.

But, Mordred completely knew that her surprise wasn’t exaggerated, hence he could only laugh at it.

「Chairman Mordred, is this tournament――」

「But unfortunately, this year is just adjustments. It would next year onwards that our “new work” would appear」

He interrupted her words for not having any excessive anticipation.

Christina showed a dejected face, but even so, as a Cursed Weapon maniac she knew that it was the good news that “Death Maker” Regin had come here, so he accepted it and showed an elegant smile.

「I see, so I will be expecting for that」

「Hahaha, it will trouble me if you don’t expect much this year too」

Mordred said in an confident manner, no, this man was always overflowing with code and conduct full of confidence, but guessing their truth, it might be his true feelings and not just bluff.

Moreover, he and Christina were “kindred minds” so they must have a lot of interaction experience with each other.

「Oh, you seem to be quite confident. The『Hound Chaser』last year was also wonderful, but did it surpass that ‘quality’?」

The big skull replied in a largehearted way towards her provocative way of speaking,

「Of course, after today’s main is that『Demon Eyes』」

「Demon Eyes!? Fuh......I see, so it’s the result of this ‘feeling’......Fufu, I can feel it, this sinister black maliciousness, Vaiser......」

Seeing Victoria’s strange reaction of shivering her shoulders while looking down, Regin couldn’t help but ask Mordred in a small voice not audible to her.

「Well what is that『Baiser』? That’s sealing should be perfect, right?」(TL: Vaiser, who knows what it means, but Baiser means kiss in French. Regin spoke different world seeming similar)

「Never good to embarrasses a lady, you never asked me any questions, okay」

Maybe he got consent from the reply of Mordred, Regin silently nodded.

‘That’ was something like measles that every person admiring Cursed Weapons would be infected at least once, Regin knew about it.

But then, this was the first time he had seen a case of some becoming the same after becoming Cursed Weapon-user.

「Wonderful!! I, Christina Damd Spiralhorn, will win and get those『Demon Eyes』of Hydra!!!!」

And, her words were connected by the ‘ohohoho’ laughter from before.

Mordred and Regin just saw over her with a warm gaze, acting like gentlemen.

.

.

.

Finishing her splendorous salutations, Christina moved towards the players’ waiting room as she walked on the path right beside the arena, while resounding out heavy sounds fitting of her darkness armour.

She was a Avalon resident, however coming to this『Grand Coliseum』on countless occasions had led to become familiar with the interior of this place.

Like that as she was walking on the path exuding boorishness, suddenly she saw a single man walking from the front. He walked contrastively to her, without making any footstep sounds.

The tournament would start soon enough, it wouldn’t be unnatural for contenders and staff roaming around.

The man wore a full body black coat with long cuff and his face was covered with a hood. Moreover seeing a katana on his waist it was easy to know he was also an participant. However, the thing more interesting was that the face inside the hood was covered by a white mask of design imitating skulls.

The moment Christina crossed that eerie skull mask, she muttered.

「You’re the『Ludora of the Red Katana』, right?」

The man, Ludora, stopped his feet.

「Even if you hide your face, you can’t hide that blood smell and the Vaiser」

「......You don’t seem to be wearing that armour for fun, little miss」

「Ufufu, it’s my prided item. Your katana 『Bloodsucking Princess「Scarlet Dye」』 is also the same, right」

The two turned around, facing each other.

「It would be pleasant to not talk about me anymore」

「Sorry to have been rude. I know the reason you are wearing the mask」

The other name『Ludora of the Red Katana』was spread in the underworld. In short, that name wasn’t something to be said in public.

His ability couldn’t be evaluated by just Adventurer Rank.

「Thank you for that. However it’s unfortunate I lost any excuse to face my sword towards you」

「You seem to thirst for blood. Just as the rumours say」

「I’m just lacking in opponents for my training」

「Truly unfortunately, this competition isn’t a tournament」

Ludora laughed, pfft, behind his mask. Christina didn’t miss to hear that.

「If this were a tournament, do you really think of being able to fight me in the finals?」

She had thought that a similar answer would come back, but he replied completely unexpectedly, making her surprised.

「Have you seen the list of contenders? This year there is not even a single Rank 5 Adventurer」

There was no one with ability rivalling her, other than this Ludora participating with a nickname. That’s how it was supposed to be.

「Sadly, we both are not the stars of this tournament」

Ludora turned over starting from the cuff of this coat, and faced his back to Christina.

「Gladly watch the Fourth Match」

Leaving those words, he walked without making any sounds and disappeared to the other side of the path.

Christina took out the participant list promptly and confirmed his words.

「Fourth match? Just who is this man, Kurono......」