Chapter 32

-No way… Why do you… Why do you have that?

The Demon King, taking in the space consumed by flames with his eyes, belatedly realized its true nature and widened his eyes in shock.

Uh, well….

Guess not.

Carriel.

Unfortunately, your journey ends here too.

To encounter something this absurd right at the start.

It’s nothing short of sheer bad luck.

-Damn. This is ridiculous.

Sometimes, people from the Middle Realm have strange quirks, you know.

They’re usually just plain old ordinary folks, run-of-the-mill humans and talents.

But every now and then…

Something bizarre pops up.

-You should’ve just played it cool and let it slide.

The Demon King clicked his tongue and shook his head lightly.

Though the fire raged fiercely, it neither burned, corroded, nor consumed anything—it simply overflowed.

That was pure terror incarnate.

It was what an all-powerful being once showcased as they swept across the world and seized control.

Because it was one of the seven absolutes.

====

Right there.

There’s a child who seeks to carry on your will.

And one who seeks to carry on mine.

“Is the knight first, or the warrior?”

“Well, what about the hero then?”

“Can’t I be just one of those?”

Many words are exchanged.

But still, it’s neither a mere illusion conjured in the mind nor a delusion.

Upon the verdant meadow.

A young girl sat leaning against a great tree.

Sitting demurely, she asked:

“So, does that mean I can’t become a warrior?”

To which the boy handed her the stick he was holding and said:

“Then I’ll give this to you.”

“…?”

When the girl with bright blue eyes took it, looking puzzled, he declared:

“Now you’re a warrior too!”

…

….

Wood cannot withstand fire.

It’s just a matter of elemental weakness.

What about rocks?

Even rocks exposed to extreme heat will melt without fail.

At that point, water and wind would be nothing more than specks of dust.

All that has been learned crumbles into nothing.

Reduced to kindling for a flame that freezes lakes and rivers.

How could such a thing compare?

All the resolve I’ve cultivated over time, stored away, and nurtured—now feels meaningless.

No, not meaningless. It has become meaningless.

But who sets that benchmark?

Only me.

If you hit a rock with an egg, the egg will break.

It’s a self-evident truth.

No matter how many times you throw it, even if it’s hundreds, thousands, or tens of thousands…

The rock won’t budge.

So, why not just throw that many eggs?

…Because there isn’t enough time, will, or opportunity.

The world doesn’t endlessly offer chances.

“No matter what you’ve gained, it ends here.”

If you can’t surpass this barrier…

How can you possibly glimpse the boundaries of a realm that even I tread cautiously?

Even if you haven’t considered it yet, you might someday.

“At any moment, some unknown evil may come like a nightmare and swallow you whole.”

Even if a new Demon King invades the continent, I could protect you if I’m by your side.

…But what if I’m not?

Even from the blade of a common outlaw, or a single daemon, you might not be saved.

Even if you overcome that, what happens when greater trials arrive?

When the rain of malice falls like a storm on a dark day, heralding death?

Then what will you do?

“I can’t let you go knowing this.”

The girl, herself a living embodiment of flames, still retains the vivid bud of a blue flower within her.

Her sorrowful proclamation dissolves into the fire.

The crimson flames eventually turn azure…

No, they vanish entirely…

And now transcend into pure white fire.

In an instant, the world is enclosed within a wall of pristine flames.

But this does not signify an end.

In my clenched hand, the coarse grip of the leather-wrapped sword hilt remains firmly felt.

Had I worn thick gloves, the strain on my wrist and the impact on my knuckles might have been lessened, allowing for better preparation.

I, in my current state, struggle to even grasp the sword properly.

She could shatter me outright from the front, but she knows my passion and will wouldn’t extinguish so easily.

She aims to crush my will.

To snuff out my heart.

Behold this.

The walls of the world are vast and towering.

…Young one.

Could you ever endure this?

“…”

Crunch.

Thus, I move forward.

The fact that I can’t handle it isn’t a reason to falter.

The word “give up” doesn’t exist unless I whisper it to myself.

No one has forced it upon me.

Not even a mere murmur.

“…Alright.”

And now, what I must see with my own eyes isn’t my pitiful state.

Nor is it El’s miraculous devastation.

Up until this point.

That woman.

That girl.

Just how much…

Exactly how much…

…must she have endured in pain?

How much must she have sacrificed to reach this point?

Through dedication, endurance, and perseverance…

…to become like this?

I hadn’t intended to think about it.

But realizing this now…

…the barrier before me isn’t fear or dread.

Not even astonishment.

It’s sorrow.

Endless regret.

Pity.

I understand because I’ve been through it.

“How much have you…”

The pain of becoming stronger is only granted to those with the will to bear it.

Or, if that will is lacking…

…then you must pour countless hours, years, weights of effort into it.

But even that isn’t enough.

Not by a step.

Perhaps not even half a step.

And so, we plummet from heaven to the abyss.

As I neared death a hundred times over…

By the ninety-ninth time…

Fear of death gripped me.

Because I still didn’t truly understand what it meant to unleash one’s full potential.

To reveal one’s true self.

How can one become more earnest, more desperate?

Even if I yearn deeply, even if I feel it bone-deep…

I still don’t know what it means.

I don’t get it.

That’s why I was afraid.

Everything I had built up until now seemed like foam, like bubbles…

No, if it were merely morning dew…

It wouldn’t feel this heartbreaking, this unjust…

“…Stop.”

El.

He speaks.

As I approach, the heat intensifies.

Breathing becomes impossible.

Already, the air trapped in my lungs scorches me from within.

Now, the direct assault of heat against my skin feels like needles pricking every inch of my body.

Pain is eternal.

It continues as long as you don’t escape.

And I understood this better than anyone.

I responded.

“Who says so?”

A dry tone escapes in a feeble form.

But.

Whether I go or stop…

It’s my decision.

“Didn’t I tell you to stop?! Does this situation look like a game to you?! Are you mocking my resolve right now?!”

“…Hardly.”

Suddenly.

A small figure appears atop a gentle hill.

A young girl.

Yet her face brims with both anger and frustration.

Even as she sobs uncontrollably…

She rejects the one-sided conclusion of collapse.

And so…

[Me, I!]

One individual claims they want to change the world with their own will.

[I hereby declare.]

The moment someone resolves this way…

They inevitably face their destiny.

[I, Ellie Berg Enzul! Here, before you, I vow to make our empire the strongest nation in the world—peaceful, compassionate, where everyone can be happy…]

Under this vast sky.

Beneath this ugly yet dazzling world.

[Because… only then can we avoid such a tragic ending.]

The power of one person…

How powerless it truly is…

[Someone sacrificing themselves for me… I will never accept such an ending again!]

The strength of one individual…

How miserably weak it can be…

“You fool! To the very… end!”

As if snapping out of a reverie.

The reality before us feels confined, narrow-minded, like standing at the edge of hell.

Most of all, he seems angry.

Why can’t you understand?

Why won’t you acknowledge me?

After all, I’m thinking about you!

…His feelings resonate deeply.

Which makes it all the more absurd.

This naive girl.

Ultimately, she doesn’t know how.

So she’s relentlessly charged forward in the only direction she understands.

Because she knows how frightening the world can be.

To protect it.

But she lacks the luxury of time.

Still, she couldn’t afford to falter.

…She moves forward.

“…”

Truly.

Isn’t this the march of the sun itself?

I thought of her as the sun, but perhaps even that was an underestimation.

“Did you ask me to show you? Divine… what was it again?”

I hesitate momentarily; the phrase doesn’t roll off the tongue easily.

“Carriel. I’ve already seen through the nature of that technique. With that, you cannot touch my flames.”

“El. What did someone say?”

I know.

At least I understand that you chose this fire to directly confront the world’s malevolence.

Then what resolution did I bring to challenge the world?

Precisely.

The bravest of warriors.

Knights of Glory.

The beloved of the gods.

The foremost among all fighters.

The demon realm slayer.

The Demon King destroyer.

The greatest knight of the continent.

The strongest person on the continent.

Titles abound,

But ultimately…

He was my father.

An unparalleled benefactor to the world, yet to me, the source of endless resentment.

I no longer deny these feelings.

However, this situation is separate.

“El. Show me your full power.”

What I intend to reveal isn’t some pathetic excuse to dilute distrust.

“Well, whatever…”

It’ll work out somehow.

To smash distrust head-on.

Pure will.

Pure belief.

Even if the duration is fleeting.

Ultimately,

All I can show is…

Merely sincerity.

====

-No… These guys together…?

Following the emerald inferno.

When the sight of the snow-white flames appeared, the Demon King gave up.

-Carriel should just settle down as a bachelor or a widower.

If this had been around when I invaded, things would’ve gotten really ugly for me.

Would it be easier just to ask the princess to defeat her own father?

Hey, how does that affect the contract?

Half intrigued, half resigned, he observed the scene.

Suddenly, that crazy guy…

Walks straight toward her.

-Is he begging for mercy from that woman?

The crux lies in whether that woman chooses to give up or not.

After all, this wasn’t a situation Carriel could manipulate.

It’s not even a hopeless gap.

It’s just… impossible.

Even if a venomous ant bites a human, they could die, sure.

Especially with allergies involved.

But there’s a limit to everything.

Even if the ant kills or incapacitates the human…

…it’s unlikely to take down a dragon.

-You underestimate them both.

-Huh?

Wait.

-The old man again… And why are you speaking now of all times?

Even in this state, ridiculous things keep happening one after another.

What kind of harmony is this?

The crowned elder, though blurred, had taken on a clearer form compared to before.

Still, whoever might witness this now is trudging through that sea of white flames.

Slowly, like a snail wriggling, painfully inconvenient.

Even stumbling, with his entire body burning to the point of emitting charred odors…

Perhaps even that’s being devoured by the flames.

Normally, exposure to that would leave not even ashes behind.

Whether the woman is inept or deliberately holding back to spare her opponent…

…who knows.

-Compared to what?

To the Demon King’s golden question, the shadowy elder replied.

-The system was both shackles and a hedge for that child.

Hm?

-The kid outside the hedge has just broken free of her chains.

Look closely.

-This opportunity was made possible thanks to you.

The black-haired youth finally reached the princess.

With heavy eyelids barely held open.

Gasping for breath despite the strain.

He tightly grasped his sword.

And in that fleeting moment,

The vivid white crossed with…

The pitch-black streak.

…….

……….

The Demon King’s mouth hung open in disbelief.

-Seriously… overpowered.

More importantly…

-Where’s Elbat? How could this kid pull that off?

Especially since he’s never been taught it?

No, teaching alone wouldn’t make it possible anyway.

Through the whiteness, a radiant streak of black light tore the dark night sky in two.

Creating a peculiar coincidence.

The vertical white ascended to the heavens.

While the horizontal black carved a reverse cross, brilliantly consuming the night sky’s darkness.

Truly.

The cutting path of darkness.

Devouring the radiance.

An unworthy star of darkness.

Once a comrade.

Another time, a self-proclaimed vassal.

A vision I saw only four times in his lifetime.

And now, after death.

-Really, the world has gone completely wrong, hasn’t it?

The Middle Realm is, after all, the layer favored by the gods.

Well, considering it was created as their protective barrier, it makes sense they’d favor it if their heads weren’t buried in the sand.

-Still, this is messed up, right? This is why Demon Kings always lose.

Indeed, my method of invasion was correct.

And the Great Demon King’s words were proven right as well.

Realizing this, the Demon King stretched his elegant lips upward in a wide grin.

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