Chapter 222

It should’ve been the complete opposite scenario compared to the last time we clashed.

Aside from the injuries inflicted by Misiltain, her condition—this current Demon King’s state—was nothing short of flawless and at peak performance.

This wasn’t the center of the Middle Realm but rather a limited area that had been fully eroded into the Demon Realm.

Still, this was her domain, where she could dominate and control everything as she pleased.

…Our former Demon King once said this:

If one so desires, logic and principles can be applied here.

In other words, the only being who can freely unleash their full power right now is me—and me alone.

“Troublesome…”

Crimson branches surged like prison bars, and on top of that, blazing infernos charged forward like mad beasts with wild eyes. There was no room for complacency.

Of course, I could activate Dominatus Pecata and nullify everything—but my extrasensory perception, akin to precognition, sends out a warning.

…If you choose victory in this moment, it will slip infinitely further away.

That’s also why I’m letting her dictate the rhythm.

And…

The current me is drastically different from before.

I temporarily unleashed the Legacy of Great Demon King, inherited from the incomplete Heebaitein and Ellie, without any conditions.

Though it appears limitless, it’s not something I can use endlessly.

Didn’t my arm almost get torn off when handling Jeupse’s divine equipment because I overused it?

In short, there’s a clear limit to what my body can handle.

And compared to the current Demon King’s capacity?

Mine pales in comparison.

Thus, my response must match accordingly.

Swinging the Obsidian Sword, I scattered blood-red flames tinged with crimson and countered with a jet-black fire beast summoned from Heebaitein.

But this isn’t a long-range ability I can exploit. Truthfully, I lack the stamina for such maneuvers.

So, I’ll rely on close combat tactics. Even if I don’t excel at ranged attacks, there’s no need to broadcast that weakness.

With some strain, this much is possible.

“I wasn’t originally someone skilled in finesse.”

What I learned before mastering Grandeous’ swordsmanship was far harsher—a relentless nightmare hidden beneath the sweet allure of dreams and aspirations.

Dying 100 times, just to start.

[No eyes on the back of your head? Then die.]

Only after dying and resurrecting hundreds of times did I avoid death. And even then, dodging fatal blows took hundreds more attempts. Overcoming critical wounds required hundreds upon hundreds of trials.

Achieving proper evasion? That took over a thousand deaths.

Each scar and humiliation was etched deeply into my heart.

But was that the end?

[Can’t handle unseen enemies?]

Then die already.

Defending against, countering, and repelling invisible foes cost me hundreds of lives.

When merely one more unseen enemy appeared, it took over a thousand deaths.

By the time the number of enemies exceeded ten, I died thousands more times.

[Without superhuman senses, you’ll have to use everything at your disposal. Widen your vision. Maybe there’s an afterimage or faint trace left behind? Can’t see it? Try listening harder. Maybe you can hear something? Still nothing? Use your nose. Your sense of touch might detect subtle breezes. Maybe you can predict movement through intuition.]

My so-called “superhuman” senses were the fruits of dying and reviving countless times, in the tens of thousands. But even that was something others were born with. With a little encouragement or stimulation, they awakened their innate talents.

Not me. I had to build everything from scratch—step by step.

At least, I didn’t have to die for real.

[Don’t get used to failing. In reality, one death is all it takes.]

So, the conditions grew increasingly cruel. Death became something I couldn’t easily accept.

The worse the situation got, the more unbearable it became.

[Feeling wronged? Use that emotion as fuel. But keep your mind cold. Blood rushing to your head clouds judgment. You lack talent and quick thinking, so keep strategizing. If your brain starts burning, that’s normal.]

Reality became indistinguishable from a dream.

[Manage your stamina. Check your weapon’s condition. Fail? Die.]

Even after barely overcoming each trial…

An endless string of new challenges awaited.

[Don’t expect salvation or support. It doesn’t exist. Only you can defeat them all. Ten thousand, a hundred thousand—it’s all on you. Die, and you restart from the beginning. Got it?]

Because of that…

Mastering Grandeous’ swordplay was…

Truly, utterly meaningless. Boredom felt trivial compared to the grind.

Exhaustion never crossed my mind. I’d endured far worse.

Yet, despite enduring such tribulations in those nightmares…

…In reality, I remained insignificant.

And…

The Golden Girl always said:

[Don’t relax just because this is a false illusion. Do you think your mind can endure this forever?]

She was right.

I couldn’t hold up for even a second.

I am ultimately… neither here nor there—a mediocre human.

Kuuuung!

Crimson branches erupted from the ground. Skillfully sweeping them aside, incinerating them, dodging them—I retaliated.

Clearing obstacles. Using them to my advantage when necessary. Predicting regrowth and evading accordingly.

Like a squirrel climbing a tree or a snake slithering along, I approached her position, undeterred by her attempts to push me back.

‘Though distance offers safety, close range is riskier…’

There’s no way out.

Splitting space to attack might work, but I lack confidence in its decisiveness.

Using shadows or darkness to approach would invite counterattacks if anticipated—so I’ll save that for the decisive moment.

‘…’

Gather all available information. Analyze. Think.

Abandon expectations and assumptions. Assume the worst. Plan for failure.

Confidence, self-esteem, pride?

Spare me the nonsense.

-Screeeech!

Crimson branches pierced through her armor, tearing apart her flesh.

‘Irrelevant.’

I had momentum now.

As if declaring a verdict…

I spoke.

“Pallas…”

Aegis.

The legendary shield given by Jeupse to his daughter Athena.

Or so the myths say. But in reality?

Back when Jeupse bestowed divine power and relics upon me, he called it prejudice.

‘Besides…’

Given that another version of me in a different world was Ares, this conclusion feels inevitable.

Long ago, in a time I cannot recall, I carried snakes in my mind.

What did Ahrriman look like again?

But that’s ancient history. What about now?

‘Why was I so extraordinary back then…?’

Because I bore the blessing of Athena, the war goddess.

Which, in Irene’s Order, is synonymous with Astarte.

Different from Bereratragena. Different from Madduk or Jeupse.

In short…

I was destined to become a great demon.

-What are you doing?!

A semi-transparent black shield blocked all incoming crimson branches. Its size and range far surpassed the Aegis I manifested using Jeupse’s divine power earlier.

Moreover, another guardian lay within Athena’s Aegis.

Kraaaah!

Dozens of monstrous eyes blinked and emitted horrifying screams from the surface of the shield.

-Baagh!

The crimson branches instantly turned ashen and crumbled.

‘The Evil Eye (κακό μάτι).’

Legend has it the Aegis referred not to a shield but a pendant. Athena embedded Medusa’s head into the Aegis, turning it into a protective talisman.

Of course, Zeus himself, Athena’s father and ruler of the pantheon, fits this narrative too.

“Medusa’s Head (Γοργόνειον).”

The shield shrank to the size of a palm, yet it effortlessly dismantled all encroaching malevolence.

-You’re the same! That detestable divine existence!

“If it works, I’ll use it.”

An impossible connection under normal circumstances—but now, it’s possible.

Through the powers of Heeba and Heebaitein.

This is another application of dark energy. Absorbing forces and abilities in proportion to their magnitude, then reversing and dispersing them—its usage depends entirely on how well I can control the power.

Right now.

Without divine objects or divine power, I’ve borrowed and transformed another kind of authority into something new.

I learned this technique from the Former Demon King, the Demon King of Wisdom.

[Didn’t I mention before? This person once told me there are a few ways to kill me: first, a force equal to the sun’s power. Second…]

Thus, this is essentially combining the principle of solar power with the principle of the dark energy I possess.

Additionally…

Far in the future, seven generations from now, a descendant will use this as their main technique.

I know this.

While the scale differs significantly…

Now, due to handling overwhelming power, I can manage it clumsily, but precise small-scale applications remain… impossible.

Inefficiency aside, I still needed to use it because…

-You think you can stop me with this?!

I extended my right hand.

Simultaneously…

From the gaps in the darkness, I retrieved Misiltain.

Long abandoned, the Obsidian Sword.

In my left hand, I clutched Heebaitein and the pendant Gorgoneion, manifesting its true form.

Blocking all hostile means and negating all visible and invisible malice and enmity.

Therefore…

Even if I extend my hand toward the current Demon King…

Her violent blessings and laws…

And all other forms of hostility and harm directed at me…

Are completely sealed.

-These cheap tricks!

Additionally…

Chirp chirp!

Any chance of the Demon King retreating was blocked.

Precisely, Minette’s ice wall sealed off the Demon King’s escape route behind her.

Without affecting the fallen Delica, of course. Though I only confirmed this briefly.

I immediately drove down the Misiltain in my right hand.

-Guh!

The Demon King deflected it narrowly with a dark blade drawn seemingly out of nowhere.

Despite it being my ultimate strike, amidst her disrupted abilities…

She repelled my attack with calm red eyes, leaving me momentarily defenseless as I lost grip on Misiltain.

Rather, I let go intentionally.

-?!

She likely perceived this as the perfect opportunity.

If she converted the kicked-away sword into an offensive move…

It would seem I wouldn’t have time to respond.

After all, the Gorgoneion wards off curses and malice, not physical attacks.

And I’d provided enough hints for her to figure that out.

…

Seizing the psychological gap created by her focused thoughts…

Misiltain, rising high, was sucked back into the dark residue and returned to my grasp.

-Such cowardice!

So, she overlooked it.

Partially intentional on my part.

Twisting the hand gripping Heebaitein, I thrust it toward her torso.

Not a direct hit.

Just touching her is meaningful.

‘Pecata.’

Not a full-area nullification but a localized effect within reach of my hand.

Grandeus’ true specialty.

Thwack!

Next, sliding like a snake, I inserted my hand gripping Heebaitein and Gorgoneion around her smooth, pale forearm and pulled.

The half-Heebaitein she held—the one she calls Levaitein—was hooked like a fishing line using every bit of the minimal surface area available.

Naturally, the Demon King wouldn’t let go of what she held.

Thus, her arm and body followed inevitably.

Surprise and anger flashed across her eyes, which had been wary of Misiltain.

-How far do you think you can—

Time for complaints?

Even speaking is part of my action.

Bending my left elbow, I hooked her arm coming toward me and pulled her closer.

Then…

Smash!

-Fgh!

I headbutted her.

I only attempted this because her exposed helmet allowed it; otherwise, I wouldn’t have tried.

Currently, with our bodies in contact, her mana manipulation is completely blocked at the source. Any attempt would only leak or twist.

In this state, with her abilities and authorities sealed by Gorgoneion, I’ve effectively recreated the prerequisites for Dominatus Pecata without actually using it.

-Crgh!

With her body pulled off balance, I swept her ankle, lifting one leg off the ground.

Then, without extra effort, I twisted my body, leading her to collapse naturally due to inertia and gravity.

Clang!

Crack!

-Fffft!

Immediately, aiming for her fallen head…

I vertically plunged the spear-turned Misiltain.

Crack!

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