Editing Seirei Tsukai no Blade Dance:Volume17 Chapter8 (section)

===Part 5===

A thousand years ago&mdash;

Back when Ghul-a-val was still a place of fertile land.

A boy was born in a small village near the Zoldia Kingdom's border.

"The boy's name was Solomon Yelsion. Although male, he was able to use spirits just as princess maidens could&mdash;"

Images of of the boy employing all kinds of spirits appeared in Kamito's view.

The images were not clear, but Kamito could see that the boy was similar to him in age. He had long black hair. Quite tall. He seemed more strongly built than Kamito.

(...So this is Demon King Solomon?)

Kamito stared intently at the image.

Possibly because he had seen himself wearing that skull mask at Mordis, Kamito's image of the Demon King did not match this boy at all.

"He was a kind-hearted young man both wise and brave. He never used spirits for personal desires. Instead, he used his power to fight magic beasts and spirits that threatened humans&mdash;"

The images projected in Kamito's mind kept changing like flowing water.

The young man saved human villages, vanquished malicious spirits, and protected his country from greedy conquerors.

Finally, he began to be known as a hero, obtaining status only second to the king. Commending him on his achievements, the king even gave his only daughter's hand in marriage to him.

The people of the kingdom praised the hero, hoping for him to become the next king.

So long as the hero Solomon lived, the kingdom's prosperity would continue. That was what everyone believed.

However&mdash;

"Some people were jealous of his exploits and felt deeply offended. They were retainers and generals who had served the kingdom since antiquity, as well as elders of the princess maidens who commanded spirits&mdash;"

(...All too natural.)

Kamito silently muttered in his thoughts.

Whether a thousand years ago or now, human nature was not much different. The coup d'etats occurring Ordesia and the Theocracy earlier were proof of that.

"They used all kinds of underhanded plots, trying to bring down the hero, hoping to uncover his crimes. However, they did not succeed. Because they could not find a single flaw in the noble and virtuous hero&mdash;"

The king's retainers fabricated unfavorable reports about the hero, but their plans were foiled one after another by the hero's own actions and behavior. Someone even tried to send assassins to kill the hero, but they soon realized it was futile. The hero Solomon was protected by the blessing of spirits at all times.

In the end, the villains' nefarious schemes were exposed to the king.

"Enraged with his scheming retainers, the king ordered them to be sent to spirits as live sacrifices. However, Solomon pleaded with the king to be lenient. Thus, the villains' lives were saved by the hero they hated."

The hero generously forgave them. No one never made mistakes. Everyone had times of mental weakness. He hoped they could all work together for the kingdom's prosperity, that was what he said&mdash;

"The people who tried to harm him felt deeply ashamed and repented. However, a small minority hated him even more after this incident&mdash;"

These retainers acted repentant on the surface but secretly watched the hero eagerly in hopes of finding any misstep. Some people became the hero's loyal subordinates while others maintained friendly ties with him.

Thus, a few years later, the chance they were waiting for finally arrived.

"Favored son of the spirits, Solomon Yelsion. Pure, virtuous and flawless, he who held the title of hero, committed a great taboo&mdash;"

Saying that, the queen sighed deeply.

"...Taboo?"

"He fell in love with a girl of the Elfim race, the kingdom's enemy&mdash;"

The scenery before Kamito's eyes changed.

Next to appear was an image of a forest maiden with green hair and crimson eyes.

"...An Elfim?"

"Apparently that is the name nowadays."

The spirit Iris smiled.

"They were early humans who migrated from Astral Zero during the ancient past. Their descendants were known as the Elves back then. A thousand years ago, the Elves allied with the spirits to oppose the human kingdom in order to protect the Primordial Forest."

Several battles had taken place between the Zoldia Kingdom and the Elves. Although the Elves lacked numbers, the forest spirits wielded formidable powers, hence they were able to put up a stalwart resistance over many years.

The hero and the forest maiden fought many times on the battlefield&mdash;

Over this process, they fell in love.

The girl had betrayed the forest village that had raised her, whereas Solomon had betrayed the kingdom.

Even though he had married the king's daughter, he still fell in love with an Elf and even had a child with her.

Find out this had happened, the villainous retainers were overjoyed and secretly reported to the king.

They claimed the hero was scheming with the Elves and was preparing to sell out the kingdom&mdash;

"Hearing that the hero was a traitor, the king flew into a wild rage. Then he ordered his generals to set out on a punitive expedition to the Elven village where the forest maiden lived&mdash;"

A scene of the forest, burning in a crimson blaze, was played before Kamito's eyes.

Voices of the Elves, filled with sorrow and hatred, echoed in his ears.

"The village was burned down. The forest maiden and the hero's child... were killed."

That day, the young man formerly known as the hero turned into the incarnation of wrath.

He raised a manner of rebellion against the kingdom, fighting alongside the forest spirits.

Against the former hero who singlehandedly fought across many battlefields, the royal army fought a difficult campaign.

But after months of battle, in the end&mdash;

The hero fell into a trap and was arrested at last.

He was subjected to harsh torture. His throat was crushed, his entire body was stripped of the spirit seals, and his power completely taken away&mdash;

Then in such a powerless state, he was dragged before the kingdom's people.

The populace, who used to praise him nonstop as a hero, used their same mouths to curse him and throw rocks at him.

At this time, the young man formerly known as the hero despaired for the first time, lamenting his own stupidity.

What was it that he had spent his life protecting?

On the execution platform, he turned to the heavens and cursed mankind.

"&mdash;At that moment, a voice responded to him."

"...A voice?"

Kamito suddenly an alarming thought, about the voice the Demon King had heard. Was it the same voice that had called to Kamito before, the voice of the Darkness Elemental Lord?

But Restia had previously told Kamito at Mordis.

The Demon King I knew had not awakened the Darkness Elemental Lord's power&mdash;

"&mdash;No, it was not the Darkness Elemental Lord's voice."

The queen refuted the idea.

"Huh?"

If the voice heard by the hero Solomon did not come from the Darkness Elemental Lord&mdash;

Whose voice was it...?

"It was one of the Elemental Lords, rulers of this world, that made contact with him&mdash;"

The spirit Iris spoke the name in a whisper.


''Holy Lord Alexandros''&mdash;Leader of the Five Great Elemental Lords.


"...!?"

Hearing such unexpected words, Kamito gasped.

Alexandros.

The Lord of Light, considered the greatest out of all the Elemental Lords.

Also the Elemental Lord who was somehow absent when Kamito won the Blade Dance three years ago.

&mdash;That name, why did it come up now?

"The Holy Lord offered some sort of contract to him at the verge of death who had cursed the world&mdash;"

The spirit Iris continued.

"...Contract?"

"The Holy Lord told him that his beloved maiden could rise from the dead if he used the power of miracles beyond the human world. And that power would also bring him strength&mdash;"

On the execution platform, the hero Solomon asked the voice.

'One who offers me temptation, what is the price?'

The Holy Lord answered him.

&mdash;Thou shalt become the Demon King to bring chaos and destruction to the world.

(...!?)

Kamito felt confused. Countless questions arose in his mind.

The Holy Lord should know that Solomon was the reincarnation of the enemy, Darkness Elemental Lord.

Why would an Elemental Lord, supposed to maintain order in the world, hope for chaos and the world's destruction?

"He formed a contract with the Holy Lord and accepted the miracle transcending the human world. What transpired afterwards is as recorded in history and passed to the present day&mdash;"

Having obtained the power of miracles, he slaughtered all the kingdom's people who were present.

Then he killed the king, killed the retainers, killed the princess who used to be his wife&mdash;

Inside the incinerated palace of the Zoldia Kingdom, he gave a mighty roar.

Thus, the young elementalist, formerly known as the hero&mdash;

He was reborn as the most terrifying Demon King in history.