Chapter 129

“This place hasn’t changed.”

Indeed, a place like hell.

There’s nothing for those who have nothing.

The treatment of the powerless is always like this.

He himself used to be that way.

None of those he knew were exceptions.

We’re all cursed beings abandoned by the world.

Unless… this suffering and pain make any sense.

It doesn’t add up unless we’ve been cursed and abandoned by God.

Thus, our resistance is not only our right but also our duty to survive.

“Even rats fight back when cornered. They bite cats, snakes, and wolves. But humans couldn’t even do that.”

So we just took it.

At some point, without knowing why we suffered, we endured, fled.

…Huddled and covered our heads.

And after a very long time passed…

The demon explained it to us.

That was “learned helplessness.”

“What we needed was courage.”

Lowly weaklings…

Knock down those you thought were invincible.

Hit, bite, scratch.

Do whatever it takes to kill or maim.

Ultimately, lead them to death.

If few can’t do it, then many will.

If hands fail, bash with your head.

Even if your teeth fall out in chunks, use your gums too.

With our whole bodies, we’ll plant the most hateful and vile curses into them.

Eventually…

There’s something we can do…

Throw away our pitiful lives like arrows.

“Hey there. Are you okay?”

“Ahh! Ah, uh… Y-yes?!”

The terrified boy, shaking while hiding in an alley crevice, reeked of fear and urine.

Looking down at him, the man asked again.

“Why didn’t you kill that old man?”

“Huh? Old man? That old… guy? W-What…?”

The boy looked up at the man, who clearly wasn’t from around here.

His clothes were strange, his appearance peculiar.

Like the ancient robes worn by temple dwellers.

Old-fashioned yet eerie attire.

Overall red-toned, but not luxurious or valuable-looking.

Thick red garments wrapped tightly, resembling a hybrid dress-top outfit often seen on women.

But his skin was unnaturally pale—almost pure white—and his eyes were entirely black.

Inky dark.

“So everyone else kills and torments without hesitation, but why didn’t you?”

“That… isn’t weird?!” the boy whispered loudly, as if having a seizure.

Then hesitated again.

“What?”

The boy reacted instinctively to the man’s odd question.

“Why… would people treat each other so cruelly?”

“Are you asking me this?”

The man twitched his lips.

“I really want to know too.”

Reaching out, the man asked:

“So, what’s your name?”

“M-Me? I-I’m… J-Jack…”

“Jack? Jack, huh? You?” The man chuckled, pulling the boy upright.

Looking down at the boy again, the man burst into laughter uncontrollably.

“The world! The butcher Jack?! You?! The one who could chew through raw human flesh like candy was once this timid? Incredible! Or maybe that’s why you became even crueler later? Because you couldn’t stand being different while everyone else did it?”

“W-Wait! What are you talking about?! Butcher? Chewing people? Me?!”

“Aah, don’t worry.”

As the boy saw the shadow on his face, he turned his head away.

Crack!

A massive mouth descended over the boy’s shoulder, casting a shadow.

“Now there’s no future left to rise to.”

Crack! Gulp!

The thing bit cleanly through the boy’s skull, devouring brain and all before finishing its meal.

“The air here is excellent.”

The two-headed giant creature spoke fluently in the local language.

“Really?”

“A most splendid feast to offer our master.”

“Hmm.”

“But aren’t you happy? Why the grimace?”

The man let out an uneasy sigh.

“I couldn’t find Delica.”

“Why?”

“I’m worried sick. If she gets caught up in the chaos…”

Moving away from the alley toward the crowd, the pale man continued.

“Anyway, can you feel it?”

“Feel what?”

“The stench of three great evils.”

“Three? You mean… the Three Great Demon Kings?!”

The two-headed creature trembled.

The entity’s mind seemed elsewhere.

After shivering for a while, it finally responded.

“This must truly be divine providence. Why does their power feel so intense wherever we go?”

“…Stop speaking in riddles and explain clearly.”

“One remnant of the Demon King’s legacy lies nearby. The smell is overwhelming. And now they’ve noticed us. Their gaze is upon us.”

“…Huh.”

Remnant of the Demon King?

Could it be…

“You mean the treasure that was supposed to flow into the Middle Realm?”

“Yes. Something equal to what your lord obtained. The Demon King’s authority. A fragment proving one worthy to be a Demon King candidate.”

“Then what happens to us?”

Thoughtlessly recalling his lord, the man trembled.

Doesn’t this mean certain death no matter what we do?

“Shallow. Still immature. More like an imbecile.”

The two-headed creature emitted a bizarre laugh—like a sheep bleating while a wolf howls, a snake hisses, and ravens caw simultaneously.

“Maybe we can present a fine tribute before our master arrives.”

Soon…

An unknown presence rapidly approached.

Every hair stood on end.

It began from the sky.

Two figures glided down through the air.

Where they landed, frosty flowers bloomed transparently.

A snow-white woman.

Unlike the man’s marble-like pale skin and bleached hair, she was purely human-like in her whiteness.

Almost fairy-tale-like… a princess straight out of Snow Country.

That’s what her aura and appearance suggested.

“You’re the one responsible for this situation.”

“Standing alone here looks pretty obvious, doesn’t it? With such heavy magical residue lingering, no need to say more.”

Despite others rushing toward Minette and Venus, none dared approach him.

As if, amidst the confused commoners, only he remained invisible.

“Tasty.”

Next to the man, the two-headed creature grinned lazily and approached the woman.

Despite its massive frame sliding across the ground, the two showed no reaction as if completely unaware.

Therefore, their gazes remained fixed on the pale man.

“Aaaaah!”

Without hesitation, the two-headed creature opened its mouth wide above the woman’s head.

Just as it was about to happily crunch her skull…

Crack!

“?”

The entire body of the two-headed giant froze solid instantly.

Not only that…

“What the heck is this kid?”

Though startled, Minette merely felt curious—not threatened.

Even though the ice sculpture seemed ready to devour her head, she wasn’t fazed.

“Hmm.”

Rather…

“Isn’t this familiar?”

Venus pointed at someone in the distance.

That man.

Beyond pale, almost glowing white skin.

And both Venus and Minette…

Had once encountered beings similar to him—perhaps of the same race?

Anyway, they’d seen someone like that.

Bargo Adedima, the dull-witted legion commander.

The remnants of the Demon King’s army, led by their de facto leader among the scattered soldiers.

He bore striking resemblance to them.

But he wasn’t the same.

Same species or race, perhaps.

Meaning…

“Could he be a daemon?”

The ice statue of the two-headed creature shattered instantly.

Clang!

Like precious glass breaking under pressure.

But then…

“Keh!”

From the shadows beneath the man, a dark shape emerged and leapt upward, taking on a bizarre form.

A two-headed monstrosity.

But with neither arms nor legs.

Truly an odd existence.

“Damn it! Is this Uthpala?!”

Uthpala?

“What’s wrong with this idiot?”

Venus mocked.

“Who’s mocking who?! You little worm!”

Suddenly swelling in size, the two-headed bulk charged directly at Venus like a catapulted boulder.

But again…

Creak!

“Huh?”

With a sword seemingly drawn out of nowhere, he cleaved through it effortlessly.

Yet the sensation felt off.

Instinctively dodging mid-swing, he reflexively retaliated.

“GGGHHH!”

A grotesque cry of pain and confusion erupted.

“What is this thing?! It wasn’t human, was it?!”

“No time to hesitate.”

Ignoring the man’s complaints, the two-headed creature suddenly wailed like a child.

“Cain! What is this?! We weren’t supposed to be sightseeing here?!”

“…”

Cain, called by name, shook his head slightly with amusement.

“You’re losing focus. Stop it.”

“Yeah.”

As if nothing had happened moments ago, the two-headed creature went quiet.

“Crazy bastards.”

Venus shot a cold glare.

“Both of you are definitely not normal.”

Minette stayed vigilant.

Still…

“…”

Was there any point in conversing?

Without verbal communication, both Venus and Minette quickly agreed.

As the surrounding ground froze instantly, a frost storm swept through the area.

Exposed to it, everyone stiffened with cold.

Surveying the scene, the two-headed creature muttered.

“Cain. You’re dead.”

“This trial is harsh, indeed.”

Why did this world harbor such evil to bring this existence here precisely now?

Especially at this moment.

“Killing me won’t resolve the situation.”

“Let’s discuss that after I sever your limbs.”

By now…

Venus had closed in on the man, casually swinging his sword.

====

“Check the map. Here, here. From here to here. The Relief Knights were spotted flowing into the eastern continent, and next, look at Carriel’s movements.”

A few days earlier.

Geoffrey traced the map with delicate fingers and spoke.

On horseback, momentarily halted, Geoffrey, Ruelde, and Hamren gathered their horses’ heads together to listen intently.

“The village of Tedeo? That brat warrior Leo. His village has reportedly returned to normal. Considering this along with Carriel’s movements, can’t we roughly deduce where he is?”

“Teacher. Approximately.”

“Ah, we might count the syllables too.”

“That’s not the issue.”

“…”

Using information from the empire’s intelligence network, friendly nations’ webs, and elves’ dense forest, swamp, and mountain data…

Based on these bits and pieces, Geoffrey had already figured out Carriel’s location in the eastern continent early on.

The only question was where exactly.

Filling in the gaps using the Relief Knights’ movements, especially key factions within them…

Their travel routes and estimated current positions helped narrow it down.

While not pinpointing his exact location, predicting trends wasn’t difficult.

“Conclusion: The Faceulan Kingdom. There, it’s clear where he’d go. So why head to the city? This means the contact isn’t over yet. Given Carriel’s current state, it’s unlikely he’d be swayed by the Relief Knights. Well, we’ll keep thinking about the details, but if we assume he’s somewhere here, the problem is this city’s considerable size. If he decides to hide, things could get complicated.”

“Should we seek assistance?”

Ruelde’s reasonable question met Geoffrey’s immediate agreement.

“Of course, we should. But… would you be able to turn a blind eye to the atrocities awaiting you there?”

“…”

“At times like these, I consider wiping the place off the map, don’t you think?”

“Is it… that terrible?”

“Do you know why we non-human races avoid dealing with the eastern continent folks? There simply aren’t enough decent humans.”

We’ve heard rumors often enough.

A horrific nation.

Not just the Faceulan City Kingdom but many countries in the eastern continent fit this description.

Did the Demon King’s invasion cause this?

It’s not entirely wrong…

“Our plan involves making Carriel king of a northeastern kingdom, using that as leverage to unify the imperial forces, Irene’s Order, and the northeastern regions of the eastern kingdoms.”

“…”

“If he sees these horrors, will the kind-hearted lad endure watching such sights? Hard to say.”

Not because of any change in him…

“Just considering how he stepped in to save that brat Leo, he seems as compassionate as ever. I wonder…”

“Guess we’ll see when we meet.”

We’ve long known the eastern region is dire.

But dwelling on every detail leads to paralysis.

The best we can do is help those within reach evacuate to the empire.

And even the empire can only assist so much.

This isn’t something the empire can lead outright.

While humanitarian grounds might justify it…

Diplomatically, this borders on rudeness, escalating to aggression, and possibly outright invasion.

Thus, during breaks in conversation, they often discussed matters like this.

With skilled imperial intelligence operatives already infiltrated, Ruelde’s group just needs to show up.

With this setup, finding Carriel shouldn’t take long.

“Changing horses and continuing along this road, it’ll take two days at most, one day if we hurry…”

Days passed.

As dawn broke and they urged their horses forward, checking the rising sun…

They paused by a stream to water their mounts.

The premonition struck unexpectedly.

All three immediately sensed an unknown presence? Energy?

Something made them catch their breaths instantly.

Still silent for now.

But.

Something’s coming.

“Teacher.”

“I know.”

Reflexively restraining their spooked horses, Ruelde dismounted and handed the reins to Hamren.

“Hey.”

“Step back.”

Responding to Geoffrey’s call, Ruelde gestured backward to stop him.

This isn’t ordinary.

To make even me tense like this…

Whatever’s about to appear, its oppressive power is palpable despite no signs yet.

Time stretched; seconds felt like minutes as the air grew heavy.

And then.

The clear blue sky and atmosphere suddenly seemed dyed crimson.

No.

Perhaps it wasn’t an illusion but reality.

It was definitely real.

“Barrier?”

Why a barrier without any warning?

Stunned, Geoffrey watched as the night sky abruptly opened in mid-air.

A dark night sky dotted with countless stars like sand grains.

Among the various lights—bright, dim, vivid, clear, red, blue, thick, swirling—they came.

First, a hand.

A pitch-black hand.

Next, a foot.

Gradually, like emerging from sticky mud, it crawled out of that night-sky-like space.

Into our world.

“What…?”

Geoffrey furrowed his brow, tension mixing with confusion.

A figure clad in pitch-black armor.

Not particularly large.

Neither overly thick armor nor bulky overall, but its blackened, faded, blood-caked appearance…

“What manner of beast is this?”

Ruelde placed his left hand on the pommel of the holy sword at his left hip and questioned.

…

The shadowy helmet atop its head.

Resembling a crown, truly a crown.

Blood-red hair.

Pale skin.

And overshadowing all, burning fiercely…

A crimson sun.

As if a sun filled with blood existed, blazing like this, tiring the eyes of anyone who looked.

If mere fatigue were all we felt, perhaps it’d be fortunate…

“Tea… Teacher… ?”

“…”

Hamren, staring directly at it, couldn’t control his trembling body.

Closing his eyes tightly and averting his gaze, he struggled to turn toward Geoffrey.

“…”

Even Geoffrey shivered involuntarily.

Meanwhile…

“Hmph.”

Ruelde merely exhaled, but…

Interestingly…

…

The entity seemed to tense upon encountering Ruelde.

Illusion? Or did I see correctly?

Unclear.

As space warped and the world’s colors turned crimson,

The bizarre night-sky-like dimensional gate behind it continued to ripple with apparent will.

But cutting through all that, fundamentally speaking…

This was undoubtedly a female warrior in armor.

Seemingly quite fragile…

-Glow.

A sweet yet metallic voice resonated.

-Your bloodline… has done this to us…

From her dark hand, black bones poured out through the night-sky-like dimension.

Transforming into a sword.

While the remaining bones hovered like faithful soldiers, casting hollow gazes toward Ruelde’s party, akin to grim reapers from tales.

“Looks like conversation isn’t the goal here.”

Unperturbed, Ruelde merely wore a bitter smile.

Calm and composed, he drew his holy sword.

And then…

Like lightning shooting from the ground,

Intense radiance surged upward.

The crimson barrier enveloping the world shattered instantly.

Even the black skeletal soldiers and armored knights crumbled into dust upon exposure to the light.

As if reduced to black ash and soot.

-AAAAAAAGH!!!

Indecipherable cries, screams, filled the air.

The world shattered. The earth collapsed. Even the heavens fell apart.

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