Chapter 181

“It’s no use pleading for help.”

Following the shadowy path from the abyss, struggling to break back into reality.

Forcing his battered body upright as it was about to crash into the ground, he shoved Heeba away and immediately swung his sword.

Clang!

An incoming black hand.

The sword embedded in the gauntlet let out a fierce screech of friction.

Thanks to the rebound force, the sword was deflected, sending vibrations through his wrist and elbow.

Forcing his powerless body to endure this much already made him dizzy. His vision blurred and everything felt dulled, but…

He rolled reflexively.

It felt like a wave of heat had sliced through his torso.

It was an illusion.

The returning sensation revealed that the heat had scorched his face.

Had his reaction been just a bit slower, he would’ve been caught by it.

“Carriel! You’re really useless!”

It wasn’t because I’m so great that I avoided it; it’s thanks to Ahriman who helped somehow while mocking me.

“This time only?”

Above the hazy consciousness, a new spirit was layered on.

“Gahk!”

Spitting up blood, darkened coagulated blood burst forth. His mouth still felt thick.

“…”

I don’t know what trick he used, but my consciousness returned. My body condition is still the worst, but… somehow, I can manage.

And those red eyes watching me on days like this.

She curled her lips.

“You’re persistent. How many times do you plan to repeat such meaningless acts?”

“…”

Here he is shamelessly talking nonsense. I suppress a hollow laugh inside.

“What’s that thing wailing about?”

A heavy voice echoed in my head as Ahriman grumbled.

“Can’t you understand? That language?”

“Then can you understand it?”

…Can you?

Without warning, the current Demon King charged forward, blocked by a pitch-black sword. But…

It doesn’t stop.

It isn’t hindered.

Instead, my attack seems meaningless.

Apparently, Bereratragena wasn’t struggling for nothing.

“Step aside!”

Even before the shout ended, a steel warrior descended like an avalanche. The golden sword in his hand, like the foundation of a tilting building, swept down upon the current Demon King.

“Pathetic!”

But she didn’t just sit there.

Black flames scattered from the current Demon King’s hands, and among the flames, crimson remnants leaped out.

They resembled beasts, specific objects—something indescribable.

Each entity was unique, yet they surged toward the steel warrior like waves.

As if countless fiery creatures and structures were weaving together chaotically over a sea of fire, rushing in like tidal waves.

“!!!!”

The silent steel warrior stood firm against this.

Even with a power akin to natural disasters, it seemed impossible to sink the steel warrior instantly.

But.

“!!”

His whole body riddled with wounds moved more clumsily than before.

“Kruh!”

This side too, the pain surging from the shoulder wound made my body rattle.

Trying to stay steadfast without wavering, but the sudden, ambush-like intense pain was no easy feat to handle. This was a pain severe enough to make one pass out or faint from sheer shock.

Bereratragena and Bahram Yashite’s avatar forms were defeated by this method, proving its power.

Yet the steel warrior does not fall.

“Is something lacking?”

The distorted complexion of the current Demon King deepened with killing intent, spreading like frost across ice.

She charged forward, knocking his sword aside and diving into his embrace, aiming for his heart.

Pooook!

She plunged her crimson hand deep into him.

Despite the significant height difference, her arm pierced deep into his chest, making the sight surreal as her black hand emerged from his back.

Just then.

A decisive command rang out.

“Barran! Grab him! Bahram! Be’gham! Now!”

At the boy’s command, a powerful lightning bolt struck the clear sky.

Light and sound spread half a beat later, creating a thunderous impact.

Then a fierce wind enveloped both the steel warrior and the current Demon King, encircling them tightly.

Meeeee!

When the sheep cried, the steel warrior, who seemed ready to collapse, infused new strength into his muscles and bound the current Demon King in an instant.

The Demon King wriggled like a worm in the warrior’s arms, her red hair disheveled.

“To what extent do you intend to mock me!”

The neurotic cry of the current Demon King.

Ignoring it, the boy shouted his admonishment.

“I cannot comprehend a single word of what Your Excellency says! However, one fact remains unchanged: Your Excellency has acted as our enemy and employed violence!”

Even though we managed to prevent great destruction and calamity,

If this existence resorts to indiscriminate violence and irrational evil,

“None can escape the blade of judgment, no matter who they may be!”

Before anyone knew it, the golden sword had transformed into the sleek curved dagger the boy once wielded, now gripped firmly in his hand.

“Aaaah…”

Her resistance ceased.

Bound within the steel warrior’s arms, despite being surrounded by lightning and gales,

she seemed more perturbed by the boy’s words.

“AAAAAAA!!!”

A low sigh erupted, sounding like a cry, a scream, almost a howl.

“The tone! The temperament! The appearance! Now I see it! You! You! You! YOUUUU!! Was it you?! Were you the one?! Could it have been you?! YOUUUUU!! Why did I notice you now?! That detestable FACEEEEEE!”

If I saw the boy’s face for the first time and thought of Father, what about her?

Surely, she who despises the lineage of radiance must have witnessed something similar to me, yet something even greater.

Her reaction now must be the aftermath of that.

The steel warrior holding her suddenly had crimson branches pierce through his entire body!

“!!!”

The warrior couldn’t even scream as his body was thoroughly perforated and shattered.

The storm protecting her dissipated, scattered by the black flames erupting from her body.

Meeeeee!

While the sheep cried, a crimson branch sprouted from the ground and pierced its torso.

Mee—

Its sorrowful cry replaced the final lament.

“What is this?!”

Far off, another tree-like form rose, resembling gold-pierced branches visible amidst it.

The bodies of fallen avatars were all mercilessly torn apart.

Thus, the only intact being left was one person.

“…So. Your Excellency was ruin itself.”

Victory doesn’t mean defeat, but combining concepts of victory and defeat wouldn’t even scratch this existence.

That is calamity, that is ruin.

Irrespective of victory or defeat, this phenomenon destroys everything.

Victory is a concept applicable only to beings capable of combat.

To an entity where victory is meaningless, survival is the sole meaning of triumph.

That is, all that remains for the boy now is to fulfill his duty as a survivor.

“Even with ample preparation, luck was not on our side.”

Yet the boy neither mocks nor blames himself.

There’s no despair, no sign of frustration.

What should happen, happens.

That’s all.

“Why did Your Excellency come into conflict with such an existence?”

He turned his gaze toward me, asking.

“…”

How would I know?

I speculate, I gauge, but all that loses meaning in the face of brute force. Ridiculously so.

She, the current Demon King, who tore apart the very crimson branch piercing her own body and approached the boy with unsteady steps after shaking off the steel warrior,

always… always deceives us with your radiance. Are you showing your face here again?

“Unfortunately, I can’t hear a word of what Your Excellency says.”

“It’s not meant for you to hear. I’m saying it because I want to. I, none other than I. I—!”

The boy tensed.

His movement was so fast, vanishing instantly from sight.

“―!!”

Whatever he shouted next, it’s inaudible.

Already at that distance.

“…”

She tried to chase after him but abruptly turned her gaze toward me.

“The promise, the promise. Him, I can kill anytime. Anytime I want.”

Muttering to herself as if reaffirming.

She eventually approached me again.

“…”

Trouble indeed.

Ahrriman chuckles, the former Demon King watches silently, and Heeba lies sprawled, reaching out to the sky.

A complete deadlock.

Even under normal circumstances, facing such an opponent is challenging. And now, with the curse clinging to my shoulder like a brand, my state is far from normal.

‘Could escorting me to the Sacred Tree of the Demon Realm be the ultimate goal?’

What cursed connection could make the Sacred Tree pursue me this… Haa. Enough thinking.

‘She doesn’t seem inclined to take me quietly either.’

Due to this curse branded on my shoulder, I am far from myself.

‘She’s coming.’

Even walking slowly, it feels like she’s right before me, oppressive and bleak.

That density of presence is incomparable, transcending dimensions.

King of Pain.

What sounded like a ridiculous title, almost sarcastic, but if its essence is genuine, she is a monster unparalleled in this world.

No living being can declare victory against pain.

All one can do is endure it.

And even that is temporary.

However, overcoming it might lead to surpassing limits.

But that applies only to growing pains.

Facing agony that undermines my dignity and future, everything becomes meaningless.

If the desire and longing driving me are deep enough, perhaps I can persevere, but…

This is the strongest leash God has placed upon us.

If there were no pain,

no one would fear, no one would be terrified.

Perhaps this is the most cursed leash encompassing all order and reason.

“Stop resisting.”

I swing my sword.

The pitch-black sword bounces off her hand weakly.

I retrieve it and strike again.

It’s bizarre.

Too bizarre.

Why… why does my swordsmanship, my abilities, my attempts become meaningless against this presence before me?

‘No.’

It’s not that they don’t work.

Simply put, simply…

…this girl also knows this technique, this method.

But her mastery differs significantly from mine.

Though the fruits obtained are similar, the methods pursued and achieved vary.

She understands my techniques too well.

Looking at it, our skirmish is technically the second time.

It was extremely brief, leaving no room to observe or analyze her.

Still, even considering that…

“Enough.”

Tuuuung!

Hardly recovering the sword, I spun around, using the momentum to counterattack.

But.

Tiiing!

“?!’’

As the pitch-blackness dispersed, revealing the blade,

her left gauntlet—her hand—firmly grasped both sides of my sword.

“…”

The pitch-black sword is just that.

An ordinary sword.

No matter how famous or sturdy the sword may be,

it’s just a plain sword.

Kiikkk!

The sword bends.

Structurally, swords are designed to break or shatter rather than bend.

A bent sword can still be used, unlike a broken one.

Swords are crafted to prioritize elasticity and resilience over mere hardness.

Too hard, and it breaks easily.

With elasticity, it doesn’t break easily, even when worn down.

Yet this sword distorts horribly.

Excessively so.

Tuuuung!

It shattered.

With a clear metallic sound, it broke clean in two.

In less than a second.

I swiftly evaded.

In my hand remains a half sword.

…So.

Is this the end for you too?

Back when I left Rutania,

the original sword given to me by Father and Partyna bent once due to this sword.

“Enough. If I wanted to kill you, I would’ve done so long ago.”

“…”

She urges impatiently.

Ahrriman laughs inside.

The former Demon King and the Golden Girl watch expressionlessly.

…The wind blows.

She approaches me.

Chelkerdeok, Chelkerdeok.

Heavy iron clanks against the ground repeatedly.

The girl clad in pitch-black armor, younger in appearance than before but exuding the same overwhelming pressure.

“Why is it always like this?”

A predicament.

One hurdle overcome, only to find an even greater one blocking the way.

Everywhere, there’s no exit in sight.

Even if I somehow return to my original time and world,

I lack the confidence to evade her.

If she could track me here in ancient times, what else needs to be said?

Maybe the moment I allowed her to touch my shoulder, I unknowingly embraced some tracking magic or related effects.

“…”

Still.

Once again, I have no choice but to wield my sword.

“You guys are always…!”

As I reveal my intention to resist, fury reigns over the composed face of the current Demon King.

The madness pouring from her red eyes, the gale… press down on my flesh formlessly.

Still, it’s just wind. An illusion. A delusion.

Even if it exerts physical pressure,

ultimately, it depends on how one perceives it.

Breathing is difficult, my head spins, my legs might give out any moment,

but…

‘Nevertheless.’

Falling here means ultimately conceding my will, my mind, my soul.

I might inevitably fall,

but it shouldn’t be by my own will.

I might die, of course,

but it shouldn’t be my decision.

It’s merely that simple.

I wish no one in this world to look down on me.

I wish no one in this world could kneel me or impose injustice on me.

This is another wish I hold.

Freedom named dignity.

A crimson star charges forward.

Light, waves, gales… all rush toward me at once.

Time slows gradually.

My consciousness drifts far away.

Everything feels surreal,

but reality doesn’t change because of it.

‘What should I do?’

It feels like someone asked, or maybe I asked myself.

…Who cares?

I wrapped the remaining half-sword in pitch-blackness, expanding it further to restore its full form.

‘Aegis.’

Crimson branches stab at me like sharp crystals, like spearheads and arrow points.

Blocking lasts only briefly.

It takes mere seconds for them to pierce through and stab into my body.

“―!”

If it’s all or nothing!

“??”

My whole body is pierced by crimson branches.

Simultaneously, I thrust toward the figure approaching with extended black hands.

This time, I’ll give her a taste.

‘Everything becomes futile.’

As the crimson branches crumble like ash, streams of blood explode from the gaps.

“How?”

Dominatus Pecata.

Unsustainable.

Thus, only for an instant.

Limited solely to my body.

What Grandeous breathes effortlessly and sustains,

for me now, using it once with a single breath is both the utmost and the best I can do.

Swish!

The half sword moves toward her neck.

The crimson-eyed girl widens her eyes.

By then, the edge of the stolen sword had already reached her neck.

Tuuuung!

But it stopped.

Like hitting steel armor, the sword bounced off uselessly.

…The cause is armor.

Part of the armor inflated momentarily, covering the gap between her neck and face.

Almost as if the armor responded actively, behaving as if alive.

Was that also a demon weapon? A sacred treasure?

“…”

Regret didn’t even arise.

Not even this?

At this point, I might as well appeal to the goddess of fate.

“…”

She grabs my shoulder.

“Radiance. You are still… .”

From her muttering voice, hostility brims.

Like a savage beast growling, rough and hateful malice swirls violently in her eyes.

“Uaaaaaah—!!!”

Her hands, filled with venom and malevolence, grip my neck fiercely.

Cold yet hot, solid yet somehow soft—

“?!’’

Consciousness fades quickly.

The sky, the sea… the land.

The world…

Cawwwwwwk!

A cry.

A crow.

Black feathers flutter like snow.

Small wings flapping, the scene feels unbearably long.

As the world blurs and dims,

I still saw it.

White light descending from the sky.

The light draws nearer gradually.

Through the light, I sense a blue gaze.

As blue as stars, as clear as the sky and the sea…

Silver-white flows as well.

Somewhere familiar yet strange…

Before that, the pure white light engulfed my view.

Afterward, it was just… silence.

As if everything had paused, the world entered a void.

…

…

I thought so,

but in the dim world, the distinctly green eyes remained vividly imprinted in my memory.

I’d seen them somewhere before.

…Where was it?

No, I remembered immediately.

This is…

“Only with strength can one reject unjust demands. That was the conclusion I reached back then.”

Though it sounded somewhat similar to something said long ago,

it was clearly a different conclusion.

“Strength is essential. But it alone wasn’t enough.”

As her snow-white hair fluttered like burning flames,

her blue-eyed gaze,

she supported my half-collapsed self and looked down at me steadily.

Where did the fiery red hair go? She changed so much.

…Ellie.

The silver-white flames surrounding her head and body

fluttered warmly, affectionately, like galloping flames or living beings.

Like a bright sun covered and overwhelmed by radiant white light.

Such pure white brilliance.

Thinking it had all stopped,

Yet oddly, the vividly green eyes lingered in my memory.

I’d seen them before.

…Where was it?

No, I remembered instantly.

This is…

“You need strength to refuse unjust demands. That was the conclusion I drew back then.”

Though it sounded somewhat similar to something said long ago,

it was clearly a different conclusion.

“Strength is necessary. But it wasn’t enough.”

As her snow-white hair fluttered like burning flames,

her blue-eyed gaze,

she supported my half-collapsed self and looked down at me steadily.

Where did the fiery red hair go? She changed so much.

…Ellie.

The silver-white flames surrounding her head and body

fluttered warmly, affectionately, like galloping flames or living beings.

Like a bright sun covered and overwhelmed by radiant white light.

Such pure white brilliance.

Thinking it had all stopped,

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