Mission:027 Harvest

Mission:02-7 Reaping

Nero held the sword and slashed the air a few times to get a feel for it.

"Mm. It handles pretty well."

After testing the sword, Nero praised it, then asked thoughtfully, "Should I give you a new name now?"

Echidna still said nothing.

Nero was very satisfied with this state of hers. "Just kidding. You can keep being called Echidna... mm, Serpent Sword Echidna. That sounds pretty good."

She let go, allowing the demonic weapon to turn back into a sphere of light and fly into her chest. Demonic Tools like Echidna could compress themselves into a state similar to a Magic Orb, letting other demons take them into their bodies.

A very convenient setting.

After subduing Echidna, Nero did not leave right away. Instead, she turned and walked toward the ruins of the destroyed Gate of the Demon World. She clearly remembered that, in order to give the Gate of the Demon World enough energy to operate, the Order had embedded the three Demonic Tools Trish had brought as initiation gifts into it.

This was why they said showing off felt great in the moment, but cleaning up afterward was a crematorium. The giant stone monument had collapsed and split apart, and the wreckage had completely buried the ground installation of the Gate of the Demon World. Nero rummaged through the ruins for ages, but still could not find the Demonic Tool beneath them.

Getting somewhat impatient, Nero drew Yamato again and thrust it into the center of the ruins. Driven at full power by Nero, Yamato's "Spatial Slash" property erupted at full force, turning everything within two meters of her into fine sand-like powder. The pitch-black grit flowed away through the cracks, finally revealing the Demonic Tool that gleamed with a metallic luster before Nero.

"Impact Steel Armament, Gilgamesh, huh."

Nero, having canceled her transformation, recognized the Demonic Tool lying on the ground. Unlike Echidna, this weapon had been artificially manufactured from metal of the Demon World, and its form was armor highly integrated with the human body.

After she reached out and touched it, this Demonic Tool also turned into Streaking Light and burrowed into Nero's body.

She had to say, this setting really was way too convenient.

Another task was done. Nero jumped out of the ruins, turned her head, and saw that the demons previously summoned by Echidna had finally found their way over. They gathered around the edge of the plaza, not daring to step inside, and watched Nero standing in the center with predatory eyes.

There were a bit many of them, but to the current Nero, that was not a problem. The only thing that might be a problem was—

"I'm going to kill every last one of your beloved children. Any objections?"

Faced with Nero's question, Echidna gave no reaction at all.

That was how a smart person—no, a smart demon—should act. Best not to have any objections at all.

As Nero slowly walked toward the swarm of demons, she even specially took out the Serpent Sword and unfolded it into its long-whip form. Then she brandished the demons' "mother" and charged into their midst.

The sharp scale-blades on the Serpent Sword tore open the Plant Demons' limbs, severing tentacles and shredding flowers. Yet Echidna still had no reaction whatsoever. Nero was even more satisfied with her.

If one looked down from the sky, the current Nero seemed like a lone island surrounded by a tide. Her bright red dress and brilliant golden hair were being battered by a pitch-black wave, as if they might be swallowed at any moment.

But Nero was no lone island. She was a towering peak standing firm amid the tide.

The supple Serpent Sword formed an invisible circle in Nero's hand. Any demon that stepped into it would be struck by the Whip Sword at the first instant, suffering wounds severe enough to be fatal. The torn and shredded limbs of those demons turned into black mist one after another and dispersed. Legend had it that this was demon blood, and if it condensed into crystals, it would become Red Soul Stones containing Demonic Power.

If the rumor was true, then perhaps after some time, the forest would be filled with gem-like red crystals. Some of this mist also seemed to be absorbed into Nero's body, but unfortunately, she did not feel herself growing stronger.

A Demon Flower lunged from ahead. Nero flicked the long whip, then pulled, making the tip strike beneath the flower at two-thirds of its maximum range. The sharp scales instantly tore the flower stalk halfway open.

Two more came from the right. Nero followed the motion and swung the whip she had pulled back toward the right, then, once the whip had already fallen onto the demons, she yanked it hard again.

The end of the Whip Sword instantly accelerated, cutting both demons in half at the waist on the spot.

This was the method Nero found smoothest and most lethal after a round of actual combat. She treated the attacking demons as practice targets for live combat, and her use of the weapon in her hand grew increasingly proficient.

Techniques for applying force, judging distance, reducing the range of her movements... Nero's experience grew rapidly. If he in her previous life had not been some martial arts genius, then it should have been the bloodline of a devil that had brought her this terrifying talent.

The latter was probably more likely.

Tired of mowing down enemies with a long weapon, Nero withdrew Echidna, which counted as sparing her for the moment. White light flashed, and armguards and greaves glowing red appeared on Nero's body.

Unlike the rough shape it took when equipped by Dante, this Impact Steel, known as a "metal life-form of the Demon World," had changed into a more elegant appearance to fit Nero's slender body. As its form shrank, it also covered more of Nero's body, from fist to shoulder, and from sole to thigh. It was only short of giving Nero a pair of High Heels.

Actually, that was not impossible either. Though Fortuna's social atmosphere was extremely conservative, and women almost never wore clothes considered "seductive," including high heels, Nero really had adapted to the feeling of wearing high heels before.

And so Nero's height rose by a few centimeters. Just a few centimeters. This had absolutely nothing to do with the fact that she was currently three centimeters shorter than Kyrie.

Then, with a thought, many sharp barbs grew from the gauntlets and greaves.

She tried moving her limbs and smiled faintly. "That's more like it... The saying goes, 'the more beautiful the flower, the more thorns it has,' right?"

The first Unlucky Egg after she changed armaments appeared. This Demon Flower intended to ambush Nero from behind, only to be met by a Spinning Kick Nero had long been prepared to deliver. The barbs stabbed into the demon's body, and when they left, they turned into sharp, deadly blades.

Nero was very satisfied with that kick. She felt she was probably a genius at Spinning Kicks. Excellent balance, paired with a gorgeous turn and clean movement, made her Spinning Kick seem as graceful as a dance.

Two more demons approached, one on Nero's left and one on her right. Nero first grabbed the tentacle of the one on the right and yanked it toward herself. Then, the instant it lost balance and drew near, she struck its weak point with her elbow. Impact Steel poured power into it like water, sending the demon flying far away, the petals atop its head withering and falling in the wind.

Then, facing the second one, Nero tore off one of its tentacles and chopped the flower on top of its head to pieces with a knife-hand strike.

And, gripping its second tentacle, she used it like a meteor hammer and smashed it into another demon.