When I Tried Strengthening 【Rusted Sword】, It Evolved Into An Overpowered Magic Sword

Chapter 73 A way forward

One of the Seven Great Demons—Onyx.

The intense pressure I felt was no misunderstanding.

He was clearly on a different level from other demons.

In fact, my [Cursed Magic Sword] couldn’t cut through him.

He was the strongest demon I had ever encountered.

“…Huff.”

I took a deep breath and finally managed to stand up.

Facing Onyx, I readied my [Cursed magic Sword] in my right hand.

It’s okay, stay calm.

There is a way out. There are still methods left to fight.

His demonic armor was indeed strong, and I couldn’t cut through it with my sword, but that alone isn’t a reason to give up.

Don’t rely solely on the divine artifact. Use your head to find a way to win.

First, attack according to the basics.

Fortunately, he said they wouldn’t take the adventurers as hostages for thirty minutes, and the curse on the [Cursed Magic Sword] is still weak. I should be able to fight for at least thirty minutes.

So, I have to end this within thirty minutes.

I kicked off the ground and charged at Onyx, who was holding his sword ready.

“Oh, you’re lively! Don’t go breaking yourself on your own!”

He roared and raised his sword to meet my attack.

First and foremost, I was faster than him.

I had noticed it when I struck first. He couldn’t keep up with my speed.

He barely managed to react, but that was all.

As long as I didn’t make a mistake, I wouldn’t have to take his attacks.

As long as I was prepared for the strength of his armor, there was nothing to fear.

So now, it’s all about moving forward.

My target… is his “artifact”!

“Ha!”

I slipped easily into the enemy’s range and glared at the raised sword.

In an instant, I gripped the [Cursed magic Sword] tightly.

Then, with an upward slash, I drove the blade into the demon’s artifact.

Clang! The sound of metal clashing thundered.

I saw a few metal fragments and sparks fly, and Onyx’s upper body sway backward slightly. I immediately jumped back.

“…?”

Onyx looked puzzled, perhaps because I retreated so quickly.

He had a look as if to ask what I was trying to do.

But that was the correct move.

When an opponent’s demonic armor is so strong that it can’t be damaged, there are two main options.

The first is “Artifact Destruction.”

By eliminating the benefits provided by the artifact, you can reduce the strength of the demonic armor.

This allows you to inflict damage even on armor that previously couldn’t be harmed.

But…

Name: Cursed Magic Sword

Rank: S

Level:

Attack Power: 500

Benefits: Strength +500, Endurance +500, Agility +500, Magic +500, Vitality +500

Magic: [Black Flame Hellflare], [Dark Thunder Cry]

Skill: [Sacred Treasure Synthesis]

Durability: 498/500

“Damn…!”

Seeing the performance properties of the sword, I couldn’t help but grit my teeth.

The durability of my artifact had also decreased slightly.

From the rate of decrease, it seems that the performance properties of our artifacts are almost evenly matched…

No, perhaps mine is slightly superior.

But a slight advantage isn’t enough.

Because…

“Hey, hey! Attacking me instead of that thing doesn’t do much! Its durability hasn’t decreased much!”

Yes, this method will take a considerable amount of time.

To reduce the artifact’s durability and achieve artifact destruction within thirty minutes is quite difficult.

Moreover, there’s no guarantee that I’ll get multiple chances to target the artifact.

I had hoped to knock the artifact away and force a semi-equipment error state, but that seems unlikely.

…Time to change tactics.

“Oh, what are you going to do now?”

I readied the [Cursed Magic Sword] once more and charged.

This time, I aimed for Onyx’s abdomen and unleashed a slash.

“Ha!”

Clang! The sound of hard materials scraping against each other echoed.

Once I confirmed that no damage was inflicted, Onyx swung his left-hand sword down at me.

I immediately leaped sideways, narrowly avoiding the blade.

Then I quickly readied the magic sword again, crouching low to strike at Onyx’s thigh.

Again, no damage was inflicted.

“Nice, nice! Keep it up, keep it up!”

I struck once and retreated. Then struck again and retreated immediately.

I repeated this process over and over.

It was as if I was thoroughly examining every part of his body.

By doing this, I aimed to find Onyx’s “vulnerable spot.”

“Haha! Trying to find my weak points, huh? Let’s see how well that goes!”

After a while of continued slashing, it seemed that Onyx noticed at least “half” of my intention.

However, he didn’t seem to be taking any countermeasures.

Perhaps due to his confidence in his demonic armor, he hadn’t tried to defend against my attacks at all.

Given the hardness of his armor, it made sense he wouldn’t need to defend with the artifact.

He could rely on brute force to handle the situation, cutting through meat without needing to block.

In any case, I took advantage of his complacency and swiftly examined every part of his body.

“…Alright.”

I found the weak point in his demonic armor.

It was roughly his right side.

It wasn’t as soft as to be considered truly “vulnerable,” nor was it significantly different from other areas, but it was the only spot where attacks could definitely get through.

Now that I had identified the weak spot, all that remained was to deliver a “full-power slash” there.

I gripped the [Cursed Magic Sword] tightly once more and charged at Onyx.

The second option when the demonic armor is too tough to damage.

Finding the weak point is merely a preliminary step.

My real target is…

“No matter if you find the weak point, it’s useless! With your sword, I…”

I cut off Onyx’s words with my shout.

“Enchanted Magic—[Black Flame Hellflare]!”

In an instant, jet-black hellfire erupted from the artifact’s blade.

It immediately covered the entire blade, transforming it into a black-flamed straight sword.

When the opponent’s armor is too tough to pierce—

Simply enhancing the divine power with enchanted magic is the solution.

Furthermore, if I strike the weak point of the armor with this enhanced attack, the likelihood of piercing is very high.

So, I closed in on Onyx without fear and struck at his right flank again.

Go!

“Ugh… here it goes!”

Slash! The blade cut through slightly.

Black sparks of fire danced before my eyes, and a small amount of fresh blood splattered.

It’s cutting!

Earlier, the sensation felt like hitting a rock, but this time, I managed to make the blade bite in a little bit.

It wasn’t a deep cut, and the wound was shallow, but it was cutting.

With the enchanted magic, it’s possible.

“…”

As I withdrew the blade and immediately backed away, Onyx seemed frozen in time.

He appeared to be in shock, but his gaze wasn’t directed at his slashed right flank.

He didn’t seem surprised by the cut.

Instead, he was staring at the [Cursed Magic Sword] enveloped in black flames, his eyes wide with amazement.

“So you’re the one using that enchanted magic…”

“…?”

As I tilted my head, puzzled by Onyx’s strange behavior, he eventually relaxed his expression with a creepy smile.

“Haha, I see. So it’s you. I heard those two were killed, but I never expected someone like you to be the one who took them down.”

“…What are you talking about?”

When I asked in confusion, Onyx responded with a question of his own.

“Were Kuroinu and Black Cat strong?”

“Eh?”

“They were the two main fighters of our faction, demons in the form of a dog and a cat.”

At his words, the images of the two demons floated up in my mind.

A black dog demon and a black cat demon.

Both were demons I had fought.

So those two were the main forces of the “Onyx Legion”?

Were they part of this faction?

“I heard that one of them was killed by a swordsman using the same enchanted magic as Kuroinu, but I never thought it would be someone like you.”

I hadn’t expected that those demons were Onyx’s subordinates.

I don’t want to say this, but it seems there’s a strange connection with the “Onyx Legion.”

I recalled the two demons I had defeated and asked Onyx, who was chuckling to himself.

“So, are you planning to avenge them?”

“No way. Do I really look like the kind of demon who would get all sentimental?”

I had thought as much.

There was no way he would seek revenge for his subordinates.

The black cat demon had said something similar—about how foolish it was to care about comrades.

“Well, it does annoy me a bit. I mean, they were my ‘property,’ after all. It’s only natural to get pissed off when your own property is destroyed.”

“…”

Property.

I already knew these demons were a lost cause.

But those words were something I couldn’t just ignore.

“So you’re planning to bind Citrine in the same way, as your ‘property’?”

“Huh?”

Onyx raised one eyebrow.

“What’s wrong? Did you dislike the term ‘property’? Sorry if that offended you. But I’m not going to correct myself.”

He then continued, playing with the sword’s hilt in his left hand.

“They were my property. They were absolutely obedient to my commands. That kid will be the same. I’ll make her my property and use her well.”

“…What did you say?”

I couldn’t help but frown.

Onyx seemed to enjoy stirring up those feelings, giving me an unsettling grin.

“I’ll subdue her by force and make sure she follows my commands without question. That’s what comrades mean to us demons. There’s no such thing as bonds between demons. Humans are the same, aren’t they?”

“…What do you mean?”

“You probably think you’re all fancy with words like ‘comrades’ and ‘bonds,’ but the ‘friends’ you keep around are just property, aren’t they? You just dress it up with different terms. You keep them around because they’re useful.”

Onyx’s words made me grind my teeth in secret.

It was a cheap provocation. I knew that intellectually, but…

My heart began to burn with anger.

“Whether I’m lying about those words or not, the only difference between you and me is that little thing. So don’t act so high and mighty trying to lecture me, you damn kid.”

“…”

Unbidden, the image of a silver-haired girl flickered through my mind.

She was shy and timid, but her back with a shield was more reassuring than anything.

Recently, she had started to open up to me, sometimes teasing me with playful remarks, a party member named Dia.

Was I keeping her around just because it was convenient?

Being told that made me feel as though all the memories I’d shared with Dia were being negated.

Sure, I invited Dia to the party because of our good synergy.

But in reality, the main reason was the somewhat embarrassing desire to be with her more, and convenience was merely a pretense to hide that.

I had never thought of her as my property.

The proof of that is Dia…

“Of course, it’s because we’re comrades.”

When it came time to take Citrine to the guild headquarters, she followed me without saying a word.

When I asked her why, she answered with a smile.

If she were merely property, she wouldn’t have followed me without a word.

And yet…

“You don’t understand anything. I don’t control my comrades by force, nor do I make them follow my orders. We’re together because we each uphold our own ideals and choose to be together. Don’t compare your property with my comrades.”

As my anger surged, another reason to defeat this demon emerged.

“I will never give Citrine to you! I will defeat you right here and now!”

I readied my sword, cloaked in black flames, and charged at Onyx once more.