Dakai the Magpie

The Duchy of Lithia was a major metropolis even prior to its independence, built along the wide banks of a pristine canal. Among the historic city architecture rose brand-new, pure-white spires, which served as the symbol of the current Lithia, transformed into the New Principality.

Just past noon, a pleasant breeze blew across the canal. "Master Taren!"

Hearing the child call after her, Taren the Punished stopped in her tracks.

The ruler of the New Principality had wrapped up the day's assembly and was on her way to her office in the central stronghold. The city's opposition to Aureatia and its political situation meant very little to many children living in the town.

The heroic woman, nearly in her fifties, bent down and locked eyes with the young boy in front of her, no more than eight or nine years old.

"What's the matter, boy? Sorry to say, but you won't get any candy out of me."

"Um, well, Dad told me that we owe you a whole lot…and that we've had more customers, and I wanted to thank you."

"Hmph. I see. But I'm not doing things to help your father out."

Taren knew her cold and stern eyes frightened people the first time they saw her. To account for this, Taren gave the boy a gentle pat on the head. The child's eyes squinted with glee.

"It's my job to create policies that serve the economic benefit of Lithia's people. Nothing would have changed without your father's labor and dedication. If you want to give thanks, offer it to him."

"But, um…at the children's council, we learned handicrafts. I made something for you."

"For me, eh?"

The boy stretched out his hands, holding a clumsily made wooden bowl. Unlike something created with a professional's Craft Arts, its nails and seams were exposed, and it looked difficult to actually use.

Taren found it pleasing.

"A perfect place to keep my hair clips. I'll use it with care. Take your studies to heart, boy. Become a good Lithia citizen, like your father."

"Yes, ma'am!"

Taren the Punished was a seasoned military officer, formerly given the title of Twenty-Third General among the Twenty-Nine Officials of Aureatia.

With her talent in martial, intellectual, and political pursuits, she proclaimed her region's independence just as the True Demon King was defeated. Despite being recognized as a self-proclaimed Demon King, she used her thoroughly laid groundwork during her time as the Twenty-Third General and the geographical importance of the region as weapons to maintain friendly relations with Aureatia from the waterfront.

The land had always been rich with resources. The various rights they had won along with their independence and their freedom from their tax obligations to central Aureatia meant a substantial boost in quality of life for the Lithia citizenry—at least, for the time being.

A unified nation rather than three separate kingdoms. Resistance to this proposal is to be expected, I suppose.

Aureatia's answer to the developments in Lithia was clear as day. Taren assumed there was someone behind the scenes, pulling the strings during the days of unrelenting raider attacks against the merchant caravans coming and going from the city. It worked to restrict the flow of resources in and out of the New Principality—Aureatia's silent economic sanctions.

War with Aureatia would come eventually. Thus, she needed to act with haste to ensure their chance of victory didn't slip away. While officially working to negotiate with Aureatia, her preparations proceeded apace.

Taren's shoes echoed harshly on the floors of the central stronghold before arriving at her empty office. There, she opened her mouth and said, "Dakai… You're back, aren't you?"

"C'mon…"

A lone young man silently dropped down from the ceiling crossbeam.

Though he appeared to be a minia, his agility rivaled that of a wolf.

His long hair, uniquely dyed at the tips, fluttered down shortly after him. Until then, there had been no hint of his presence, not a single breath. Even

Lithia's most elite soldiers would have been unable to spot him. "How'd you know I was there?!"

"Lucky guess."

Taren removed her two-handed sword from her waist and reclined in her chair. Despite the smile that found its way to her face, her piercing gaze was unwavering.

"Those are the first words I say whenever I return to the office. Judging by that reaction of yours, I'd say it was worth it, wouldn't you?"

"Sheesh, you're something else, Taren, I'll give you that."

"We've known each other a long time. I've simply come to understand your preferred methods of playing tricks on me. You've retrieved what I requested from Nagan, then?"

"I wouldn't be back if I hadn't."

Despite wearing a fully formal outfit, similar in style to a butler's, the young man wore no shoes. He was completely barefoot.

Rudely sitting down on top of one of the desks, he tossed something Taren's way. Big enough to fit in two hands, the item, with its built-in crystal lens, served an unknown purpose.

"This is what you wanted, right?"

"…Undoubtedly. It fits the records' description of the Cold Star perfectly.

Your resourcefulness is second to none, Dakai."

Personnel wasn't all the New Principality was after. They required weapons like this one, as well.

While Lana the Moon Tempest's recon unit scoured the land for elite soldiers, Dakai the Magpie was tasked with hunting down these sorts of abnormal magic items, enchanted swords and tools that had yet to be scooped up in the arms of Alus the Star Runner. Weapons that would have tremendous influence over the anticipated war, outshining even the powers of Word Arts.

"So what kind of nasty business is this thing, then?"

"A magic item from records far before the age of the True Demon King. Light from the sun that's passed through the central crystal and built up over years…gets converted to an explosive beam capable of bombarding an entire city. I saw that the self-proclaimed Demon King Kiyazuna used it as one of the power sources for the Great Labyrinth, and it looks like I was right on the money."

"Ha-ha. Frightening stuff."

"Indeed. Nothing cast out from the Beyond is ever gentle. Magic items and enchanted swords. Intolerable to the Beyond, these perverse oddities all flow into our world. The only explanation is that this is the purpose for which our world was created."

"...Hey now. Is that a dig at me?"

"Nonsense. Surely you don't think of yourself as gentle?"

The sword strapped to Dakai's waist, a thick-bladed scimitar, similar in shape to the liyuedao sabers of the Beyond, was one such supernatural magic item called the Magicked Blade of Razhucort.

It was an enchanted sword that possessed the ability to see through every attack and respond with blinding cutting speed, always taking the initiative against its foes.

"What about the other magic items besides the Cold Star? Did you have time to check if they were there or not?"

"Yep. But your suspicion proved right on the money. Alus the Star Runner made off with most of them. If only I had started working on this a bit faster, I probably could've taken him on."

"At the very least, as long as I have the Cold Star, we can consider the matter dealt with. No need to act outside my words."

"Oh? You sure I shouldn't have brought that Dungeon Golem back with me? That was my first time seeing it, but…that self-proclaimed demon lot sure made some crazy stuff."

"...Indeed."

Taren had also heard about what happened to Nagan City—that the Great Labyrinth had come to life as a golem and razed the entire settlement. It was an unprecedented situation. Ever since hearing the report from her subordinates, she had assumed it had something to do with the grave-robbing mission to extract the Cold Star.

"I heard that the Dungeon Golem got put down the same day it came to life. I assumed you were the one who defeated it."

"Did you, now? Well, there are others besides me who could've taken it down. Somewhere out there, I'm sure…"

Dakai then lightly tapped on his right shoulder.

"Its core was located right around here—am I right?"

"I haven't heard any of the details. Aureatia ended up securing the

remains, too."

Nevertheless, Taren was sure there was no mistaking guesses from a man like Dakai the Magpie.

Her previous praise had not been flattery. This thin young man, easily mistaken for a woman at first glance, was a warrior capable of going toe to toe with virtually any foe, even the self-proclaimed Demon King Kiyazuna's Dungeon Golem.

"If that sword of yours had cut down the Dungeon Golem, I would've loved to witness it."

"Don't get your hopes up. I'm no swordsman."

"Exactly. Now, given that you've managed to obtain this magic item, I can put you in charge of another job without worry."

Taren folded her hands together over her desk.

"For the past two months now, caravans traveling in and out of Lithia have been getting attacked. Most likely raiders under Aureatia's direction."

"I've heard. However, Regnejee's protecting the skies over Lithia, right? Bandits traveling by land aren't anything to be concerned about in the first place."

"Of course…if their movements were limited to the area around Lithia. However, a wyvern army can do nothing when goods are being plundered from towns along the way to Lithia. We have suffered losses, few though they may be. On top of that, there lies another problem with the thieves infesting the countryside around Lithia."

"Hmmmm. And what is this difficult problem, then?"

"Our enemy is using these thieves to get an idea of how consistent we are at dealing with them. They're watching for the times when our wyverns don't sortie as quickly. They're taking note of the high-demand goods that the wyverns immediately set out to secure and defend. As long as these raids keep happening, we'll be feeding this intel straight to the enemy."

"Basically—"

Still perched on the desk, ignoring all etiquette and courtesy, Dakai swung his feet.

"You're saying there's someone in charge of leaking what goods are coming in and when there are communication delays?"

"I knew you'd catch on quickly. It's safe to assume there's an informant conspiring with Aureatia."

Dakai the Magpie was no general. He couldn't hold a candle to Taren when it came to tactical and military strategy, given her years of martial experience. Nevertheless, when compared with Taren or the wyvern troop commander Regnejee, he was a terrifying demon of a man.

He had quick wits, which allowed him to read his opponents' movements and react quickly. He had traversed the Great Labyrinth that had stumped the Nagan adventurers for twenty years and stolen the treasure from deep within…after which he had slipped through the resulting hellscape of fire and golem destruction as easily as a normal walk home. To him, it was so simple, it wasn't even worth mentioning.

"Smoke out the informant and capture them. If it looks like you'll need to cut down anyone who gets in your way, just go ahead and make the judgment call. You can handle that, right?"

"Sheesh, enough talk of killing…"

The young man chuckled, tracing his enchanted sword with his fingertips. "What did I just say? I'm no swordsman."

Later that same afternoon, on a backstreet. "Hey, guys, got a second?"

Dakai called out, stopping three peddlers… His eyes could discern the cover the men were going for.

Though the evening bustle from the main street was vaguely audible, there were very few denizens of the city who purposefully visited the back alleys along the canal. The dark windows of the abandoned city buildings loomed over the men in the alley.

"What will it be, then? If you're looking for smoked meat, well—" "These raiders appeared right outside the city, see," Dakai began, wiping

away the merchant's fake smile. Keeping a hand in his pocket, he didn't even look the men in the eyes.

"To send in spies, maybe? They hopped on the caravan in the melee and managed to make their way inside Lithia… On its face, looked like one of the other merchant carriages that got attacked. Finding a hole in the air defenses wasn't the only objective here, right?"

"..."

"…Yup. But if you're supposed to be peddlers here, then this isn't all of you, is it? Even knowing there's more of you, there's gotta be someone under different orders looking into the chain of command…"

Dakai brought his hand up to his chin and nodded to himself. With this, he had finished observing their reactions.

On the side of the alley, the Aureatia spies in disguise had all lost their deceptive smiles. It was clear they needed to dispose of the young man before them. The spy in front crouched down and brandished his dagger. This misdirection did nothing to faze Dakai the Magpie—then came a gunshot.

"Whoa there."

The Magicked Blade of Razhucort traced the bullet and deflected it away. The shot had come from one of the windows of the supposedly deserted old city. There were four barrels trained on Dakai. He assessed the situation.

There were another three assailants waiting in ambush inside the buildings.

His eyes moved at lightning speed. Leaping into the air, there were two new bullet holes gouged into the ground where he had just been standing. On the street, the three men gripped covert foldable spears and lunged at Dakai.

Not many people came to the back alleys along the canal. The palisade at one end of the alley meant the area was ideal for sniping enemies and making sure they didn't get away. On top of that, the spies had their numbers and their weapons. They didn't need to worry about getting discovered by the wyvern soldiers, either.

This is one of their covert bases of operations. Their own little stronghold, eh? My guess was right on the money.

The soldiers disguised as peddlers closed the distance. With an overwhelming range advantage, they thrust their spears toward Dakai all at once. By that moment, Dakai had already leaped upside down into the air. The enchanted sword's tip sliced off one of the spearheads in a blur, sending it flying.

In the time it would take a normal person to breathe, Dakai's train of thought raced in sync with his movements.

The fact that the wyvern troops didn't spot these guys before I seriously started looking means these aren't just some half-assed mercenaries. These are honest-to-goodness Aureatia intelligence agents. Which then means they must be planning to start the war soon—

A metallic clang resounded.

While Dakai's body hung in midair, the second volley of gunfire pierced the sky. The bullets met with the broad-width blade of Dakai's enchanted sword. The maneuver protected his midsection. He gave a friendly chuckle.

"Nice aim."

As he descended, the tips of his toes flashed brightly. He wasn't wearing shoes. He used his toes to snatch up the twirling spearhead he had just sent flying. The third spear wielder below had his throat pierced by a near-instant whirling kick and died on the spot.

Dakai landed. There came a gunshot. The bullet still missed its mark. He used the body of the man he had just killed as a shield.

The corpse's knees buckled, and before the dead man could slump to the ground, Dakai's naked heel dug into the agent's shoulder. Dakai flew into the air. Landing on the rather narrow top of the canal palisade and grabbing on with his toes, Dakai looked toward the opposite end of the canal where the sniper shots were coming from.

"Four."

He counted the gunshots that echoed across the canal. Four barrels were visible from outside the residential windows.

The dramatic bloodbath was over in an instant, before the snipers even had a chance to reload.

Still perched atop the palisade, Dakai threw a weapon—not his enchanted sword but the spear from the freshly killed soldier. Hurled with incredible, Herculean strength, the spear pierced straight through the face of the faster- reloading sniper, killing him.

Dakai the Magpie jumped. A rupturing concussion resounded as the canal palisade was crushed under the recoil from Dakai's legs kicking up into the air. Crossing over the length of the canal, wide enough for two warships to pass by each other, his speed had him trace a nearly parallel line across the water's surface. Even his shadow reflected on the canal's waters for only a mere instant.

Grabbing the first-floor window frame with his free hand, Dakai used his finger strength to launch himself up and into a third-floor window. Inside, he sliced the gun-wielding soldier to pieces, turning their body into a scattered spray of blood.

Dakai the Magpie was a minia. Definitely neither ogre nor gigant, despite how preposterous and abnormal his physical abilities were.

"All right. That leaves…one, two…and those three. Five, then."

As he counted the remaining adversaries on his fingers, he sliced up the spy on the communications device deeper with his enchanted sword without even looking. The agent's head had been severed with such extreme speed that it crashed into the clay wall, the force causing it to burst open like rotten fruit.

"Four left."

He returned to the window he had just flown through, suddenly realizing

something.

Dropping from the third window like it was a slight dip along the road, he split the head of the person right below him clean in two. Spies tried to escape from the first-floor entrance, having been alerted to Dakai's infiltration.

In his hands, Dakai twirled his enchanted sword around. Covered in his victims' blood, he gave another friendly smile.

"Okay, so you and you… That's two. Just one left, then."

He could see everything with precision—like he was passing thread through the eye of a needle—both the retreat of his enemies and where he would land after his fall.

Two of the soldiers trying to flee were blocked off from the exit. It was now abundantly clear to all bearing witness: An Aureatia spy group, capable of infiltrating the New Principality and avoiding the eyes of the wyvern troops patrolling the region, had been completely wiped out from what had clearly been an advantageous position.

At the hands of a single young man.

"I can kill you guys, too, but what'll it be?"

"…We surrender. Eeko, throw away your weapon, too."

"But, sir, if we're captured by the New Principality, who knows how they'll treat us?"

"You're no match for this swordsman! This guy's—"

Before the senior soldier could finish speaking, his severed head sailed into the air.

"Ah, sorry. I had it all wrong."

"E-eep…"

"Begging for your lives was to buy time for the one left over inside to get away, right? I know all about that stuff."

Dakai took out a bundle of parchment from his coat pocket and showed it to the remaining spy.

"Also, to be honest, there's no reason to throw your life away just to let that guy escape. All the records are written down right here, aren't they?"

Due to this world's low literacy rate, trained spies left ciphered records behind in their own unique code. The papers in Dakai's hand had been

pinched from the soldiers he had dispatched.

This young man possessed the skill to perform impressive sleights of hand while simultaneously eliminating his enemies at blinding speed.

"I—I give up! Please, swordsman, have mercy! D-don't kill m—" "Save your breath."

The young soldier's body split into five pieces as Dakai walked past him. "See…I'm not a swordsman. I'm a bandit."

For these sorts of spy cells, no matter how many of them died, their home country would never acknowledge their existence. Thus, Dakai's slaughter, too, was nothing more than another chance for them to observe how their enemies responded to such situations.

"Let's see, then. Now what'll you do, Aureatia?"

Factoring in his brutality and carnage, he could never follow the warriors' path. His magicked blade and appetite for violence were little more than the tools of his trade, means to an end.

In the world of the Beyond, their intolerable anomalies were transported to this world.

Dakai the Magpie was a Visitor.

He saw the world through aberrant eyes, capable of watching a bullet move in slow motion.

He boasted an insightful resourcefulness, capable of exposing schemes and conquering impenetrable labyrinths on his own.

He possessed swift and precise fingertips, dexterous enough to plunder at speeds impossible for anyone to combat.

An extravagant and lawless pilferer above all, surpassing the boundary between worlds.

He was a bandit. And a minia.

Dakai the Magpie.