〈 Chapter 155 〉 Siege Battle (4)
*
“ Laus! This isn’t what I heard! Hurry up and make a decision!”
The urgent voice of the allied forces echoed through Violet’s communication.
Laus pulled at his hair in frustration.
“Damn it.”
Contrary to his expectations, Allen Pleuk didn’t come alone.
The person accompanying him was a graduate from the Hero Academy, one he recognized from an earlier meeting.
And she was currently slicing the Demon King in half with a single strike.
“I heard she consumes relics for her abilities.”
Yet, she was casually using up relics like they were nothing.
That was odd for someone who had just received her first relic.
“What to do?”
Inside the barrier, the restrictions made it impossible for them to face her.
But if he ran outside the barrier, escaping would be easier.
Right now, the Central Sea System also looked perilous. It might be better to give up on this side and assist there instead.
“After all, whether the 72nd Demon King can awaken was always uncertain.”
And most importantly, he wanted to live.
He hadn’t become a Demon King just to die in a place like this.
He wanted to survive and witness the destruction of the world.
“If that’s the case, I guess there’s no choice.”
He looked down at the other Demon Kings battling below.
This fight didn’t seem promising at all.
“Staying here won’t change anything.”
In the end, the victory or defeat would entirely depend on the 72nd Demon King in the White Tower.
And the White Tower was currently sealed.
Even if they lost this battle, as long as the 72nd Demon King succeeded in awakening within the White Tower, the war could still be won.
“Then I need to retreat from this battle.”
He had no desire to participate in a fight destined for defeat.
Just as he was about to flee the barrier and summon his wings, he heard a sudden message.
“ Laus! There’s an intruder in the White Tower!”
“What?”
“It seems to be the real princess!”
The real princess suddenly appeared in the White Tower?
He gazed at the prison tower outside the royal castle.
The princess had to have been trapped there.
He hadn’t heard any rumors about her escape.
“What the hell is going on?”
How did the princess escape?
Moreover, she infiltrated the White Tower without anyone capturing her.
But…
“Does the princess’s entrance change anything?”
She was just the real princess, after all.
Even if that 72nd guy hadn’t reached awakening yet, there was no way he would lose in combat.
However, the situation relayed by Violet was different.
“It’s a close match.”
“What did you say?”
“The two powers are nearly equal!”
That changed the story.
“Damn.”
He immediately turned toward the White Tower.
He didn’t want Allen Pleuk and Yusera to shift their focus to the White Tower, but with an intruder present, he had no choice.
He had to run quickly to assist the 72nd Demon King.
Just as he reached the white spire, the wind suddenly picked up.
And a man blocked his path.
Messy blonde hair.
A black cloak adorned with golden embroideries indicating he was a Hero.
It was Allen Pleuk.
“I won’t let you interfere.”
Interfere?
It seemed he knew the princess had entered.
Blocking his path meant he wanted to prevent the princess from getting in.
He didn’t seem that strong.
But for some reason, he felt similar to Libero.
In terms of accomplishments he was impressive, so he shouldn’t be judged solely by his outward show of strength.
“If I fight him, I might die.”
He didn’t want to engage in a potentially fatal fight.
Moreover, considering he typically relied more on Chaos Beasts rather than raw power, fighting in the barrier was akin to suicide.
So, he was resolved to escape.
“ Laus.”
It was Levia’s voice.
“Even if it’s true that you attacked the Heroes at the gate without permission, you neglected to report back. If your operation fails, I’ll hold you responsible.”
Ultimately, there was no escape route available.
Then…
“Looks like I have to fight.”
He fully unleashed his Demon King form.
*
“Sky Cleaving!”
Yusera’s strike split the sky… no, the Demon King in half.
I charged at the Demon King again, finishing the job.
“It’s fortunate they aren’t good at cooperating.”
She was right.
Demon Kings tend to act independently, so it was rare for them to carry out operations together.
That made them unfamiliar with coordinated attacks.
“But…”
I looked at the White Tower with an uneasy heart.
Elsie was probably fighting inside.
What worried me was the limited time Elsie could effectively fight.
Thirty minutes.
That was the duration of the Awakening Pill I had given her.
During that time, she could fight on par with the 72nd Demon King.
And if we added Elsie’s will and the variable of Optical Modulation, I judged she could definitively defeat the 72nd Demon King.
Yet…
With just over five minutes left, there were still no signs that Elsie had achieved victory.
If she had won, there should be ‘that light.’
Of course, I firmly believed Elsie would win.
But believing and feeling anxious were two different things.
It seemed Yusera sensed my anxiety.
“Go help her.”
“Yusera?”
“If you’re that worried, go help her directly. I’ll do my best to handle the Demon Kings.”
“But…”
If I did that, her Sacred Replicant wouldn’t survive.
Yet, Yusera smiled calmly and said, “You shouldn’t hesitate to use relics to save your allies.”
She was right.
“Alright, I’ll count on you!”
I wrapped Wind’s Power around my feet.
And I began heading toward the white spire.
Just then…
‘What’s that?’
Suddenly, a figure approaching the white spire from the royal castle caught my eye.
Wings sprouted from its back.
It was a Demon King.
“Damn it!”
I accelerated even more.
I rushed forward with such speed that I barely managed to control myself, swiftly blocking his path.
Finally, I could see his face.
‘Demon King Laus.’
He wasn’t one of the stronger Demon Kings.
In fact, he was so unremarkable that a Hero traveling the same wagon as him from Basilium to Sakh didn’t even recognize him.
But still, a Demon King was a Demon King.
Facing a fully intact Demon King alone without Yusera’s help.
It was risky, but at least it was something I could manage against Laus.
However, I had no choice but to stop him from moving to assist Elsie.
“I can’t let you interfere.”
With this, it became impossible to help Elsie.
I had to stick to the original plan and leave matters below to Elsie.
But at the very least, I could prevent this guy from going after her.
‘Relic Gravitas Replicant.’
I lightened my sword.
Then I made it heavy and struck at him.
Yet, the difference in power was evident.
‘I’m being pushed back.’
No matter how powerful my strike using Relic Gravitas Replicant and Wind’s Power was, my basic stats were too low to inflict significant damage on a fully intact Demon King.
Even if I did manage to inflict damage, the Demon King would quickly regenerate.
And even if Laus were considered weak, that was in terms of combat power; in terms of resilience, he was no different from any other Demon King.
But I didn’t want to use an Awakening Pill here.
I had given two pills to Elsie since they were essential for her, leaving me with four.
Those four pills were useful items that could potentially turn the tide, so I wanted to save them for later.
“And right now, just holding him off is enough.”
If holding him off meant giving slightly, that was fine.
With that thought, I commenced the fight more earnestly.
There were five minutes left.
I trusted that Elsie would somehow manage within that time.
Laus then asked me.
“Are you Allen Pleuk?”
Noticing I wasn’t inflicting meaningful damage on him, he seemed to question.
“Yes, that’s me. Why?”
This is me, stripped of all fluff.
But at this point, he was no different from me, caught up in battle.
“Get out of the way.”
“Just because you told me to doesn’t mean I will.”
“Isn’t the princess dead anyway?”
“If you think that, then why are you trying to barge in here?”
No matter what he said, I had no intention of stepping aside.
And so the battle continued, and finally, just as the five minutes were nearly up…
I suddenly felt something from below the earth.
Then…
A massive beam of light erupted from the ground, piercing the barrier of the sky.
It was the light signaling that the Royal Sword had been activated, a sign that a new king had emerged since ancient times.
Simultaneously, it signified that Elsie succeeded in seizing the Royal Sword.
‘She did it.’
Having taken the Royal Sword from the 72nd Demon King, hope was now nonexistent for the Demon Kings here.
That was how it should have been.
But as Laus stared blankly at the pillar of light, the corners of his mouth suddenly rose.
“Is this real, Violet?”
He was definitely smiling.
And unbelievable words flowed from his mouth.
“Did that 72nd guy also manage to awaken at the same time?”
*
