Chapter 286
Finally.
Just as Nordian’s face was growing pale from the excessive use of his power.
Fwaaaah.
The energy spewed by the two Spirit Kings vanished.
He had somehow managed to defend against it!
‘It worked!’
Chris could see the Demon King of Azure Flow frowning.
Unlike Nordian’s pale complexion, the Demon King of Azure Flow was as steadfast as ever.
‘But even if she is a 9-Star Demon King, there’s no way she wouldn’t be strained after using two ultimate magic spells at once.’
There would be a gap in her power, however brief.
He had to aim for that opening.
“Christian, be careful.”
Nordian said urgently.
It was now a matter of success or death.
Chris nodded and then fwaat, flew up towards the Demon King of Azure Flow.
Gooooo!!
The army of spirits moved to block him, but with their summoner, the Demon King of Azure Flow, strained, their momentum had been broken.
They could not block Chris’s path.
‘And above all, I’ve become strong enough!’
Just then, a strange event occurred.
The Demon King of Azure Flow, who had been watching Chris approach with anxiety, bit her lip and drew her bow.
An arrow was aimed squarely at him.
“Be careful!!”
Nordian shouted, but it was no use.
Woooong.
The world vibrated invisibly around the Demon King of Azure Flow.
The laws of the world were being twisted.
This was not a miraculous ability.
It was a power that went beyond a miraculous ability that interfered with principles; it was a power that dominated the very Law of Causality.
It was a 9-Star ultimate technique.
[Annihilation Arrow.]
An ultimate technique where, once the arrow was fired, the target would unconditionally meet their death, ignoring all causality.
Like Chris's One Point, it was also impossible to evade.
The only way to defend was to similarly twist the Law of Causality with an equal power, but that was impossible for Chris.
“No!!”
The moment Nordian shouted, an unbelievable miracle occurred.
Chris drew Andril and cut down the arrow fired by the Demon King of Azure Flow.
“!!”
[!!!]
Everyone’s eyes widened.
The Demon King of Azure Flow, in particular, was greatly surprised.
She had just unleashed her ultimate technique with all her power, intending to eliminate Christian, hadn’t she?
Belatedly, the Demon King of Azure Flow’s attention focused on the demonic sword Christian was holding.
‘That demonic sword? Don’t tell me it’s the Star-Slaying Sword?’
After devouring the Fallen Ruin at the Destruction Demonic House, Andril had evolved further.
A significant portion of its seal had been undone, revealing its true form, which allowed the Demon King of Azure Flow to recognize it.
‘Why is the Star-Slaying Sword, which His Majesty the Demon Emperor used to wield, in that bastard’s hands?’
The Demon King of Azure Flow’s eyes wavered.
‘But even if it is the Star-Slaying Sword, it cannot cut the Law of Causality.’
Just then, as if he had guessed her thoughts, Christian smirked.
“Do you know the saying, ‘what goes around, comes around’?”
[!!]
“You are simply reaping what you have sown. Watch.”
Fwaaat!
Yulian, who had been dwelling in Chris’s spirit stone, shot out in her spirit form.
But something was strange.
A twisted power was surging around Yulian.
[I will not forgive you, my sworn enemy.]
[!!]
Her aura was at a level that made even the Demon King of Azure Flow flinch for a moment.
There was a reason for this.
‘I offered causality to Andril and obtained power.’
By absorbing the Fallen Ruin, Andril had awakened several properties.
Most of them were properties he couldn't yet handle, so they were meaningless, but there was one that could be of help.
‘The Property of Substitution.’
Here, substitution referred to the Law of Causality.
In the past, the Demon King of Azure Flow had incurred a causal ‘debt’ to Yulian.
Tricking Yulian into making a contract with a devil was a clear violation of the Law of Causality.
However, because Yulian was such an insignificant being, the Demon King of Azure Flow had simply ignored the transgression with her own power.
Chris used Andril’s Property of Substitution to convert that causal debt into power.
And because it was a power obtained by substituting causality, it was possible to resist an ultimate technique.
‘Of course, it wasn’t free.’
He had promised to offer the head of the Demon King of Azure Flow to Andril as payment.
Though it was the Star-Slaying Sword, Andril didn't only feed on Constellations.
A Demon King would be a sufficiently satisfying meal.
[!!]
Yulian poured her attacks onto the Demon King of Azure Flow.
Of course, even with her power amplified through Andril’s ability, Yulian could not stand against the Demon King.
But the timing was unfortunate for her opponent.
The Demon King of Azure Flow was currently in a strained state after having successively unleashed the power of 9-Star.
This wasn't to say that Yulian could harm even a single one of the Demon King's fingertips, but. It was possible for her to be a nuisance.
It was only for a very brief moment, but that was more than enough.
Thwip.
Chris appeared behind the Demon King of Azure Flow.
He had finally seized the opportunity to land a blow.
[How amusing. What do you take me for?]
The Demon King of Azure Flow let out a scoff.
Though only a moment had passed, the strength she had just strained had been more or less recovered.
She was just about to kill Chris as if swatting an insect that had clung to her body.
Chris raised the corners of his mouth.
“I know exactly who you are. The most hideous and lowly being in this world, aren't you?”
[…What?]
“Shut up, and kneel.”
What was this absurd rambling?
The Demon King of Azure Flow was so baffled that she forgot to be angry for a moment.
But it was at that instant.
The unbelievable happened.
Creeak.
An irresistible pressure began to crush her body.
It was the effect of Myriad Demons' Submission.
‘What?!’
The Demon King of Azure Flow instantly recognized what kind of power Myriad Demons' Submission was.
‘You think you can suppress me with mere Spiritual Pressure?’
It was an absurd idea.
In reality, the effect of Myriad Demons' Submission weakened as the opponent’s level increased.
While it had an absolute effect on those who could not handle their will, those at 5-Star and 6-Star could resist it to some extent, and it was difficult to see much of an effect on those 7-Star and above.
It went without saying that it should be useless against her, a 9-Star Demon King.
It was the moment she scoffed and tried to shake off the Spiritual Pressure of Myriad Demons' Submission.
Wobble.
One of her knees began to buckle.
She hadn't been able to shake off the compulsory force.
[?!]
The Demon King of Azure Flow’s expression hardened.
A face of utter confusion.
“What does it matter if you’re a Demon King, when you possess the most wretched soul in the world?”
[…What?]
“It’s true, isn’t it? You, with a soul-rank even lower than an insect’s.”
Chris sneered.
What was Spiritual Pressure?
It was a pressure exerted by a soul of a higher rank onto a soul of a lower rank.
In other words, the lower the soul-rank of the one receiving it, the more powerful the pressure they feel.
‘Because the Demon King of Azure Flow possesses a soul-rank even lower than that of a common mortal.’
How could the soul of a Demon King, and a once-lofty Fairy Queen at that, be so wretched?
It was a curious story.
But it was true.
“How could the rank of your soul be high, when you committed such terrible deeds because you were so afraid of dying?”
[!!]
The rank of a soul, even among common mortals, is divided into a hierarchy of superiority and inferiority due to various factors.
For one, being able to handle one's will raises the rank of the soul.
In that respect, the fact that the Demon King of Azure Flow, a 9-Star Demon King, had a low soul-rank was, in truth, incomprehensible.
‘It’s because soul-rank isn’t determined by achievements alone.’
First of all.
It was the situation her soul was in.
Currently, the Demon King of Azure Flow was a devil’s slave.
‘Not all devil contractors’ souls are debased, though.’
There are many forms of contracts with devils.
First, there is the case of being chosen by a devil, as Mefina did with Chris.
In such a case, the soul-rank actually rises.
The same goes for those who worship devils according to their own convictions, like the magi of the Mystic Demonic House.
But the Demon King of Azure Flow's case was different.
She was a case of having sold her soul to a devil and becoming a slave.
It was only natural that the rank of a soul that had fallen to slavery would be lower than that of other common mortals.
‘But it wasn't just because of that one fact.’
There was a more important reason.
It was her conduct up until now.
The most decisive factor that influences one’s soul-rank is the trajectory etched into the soul throughout one’s life.
It's only natural that a saint who has performed countless good deeds would have a higher soul-rank than a knight who is merely strong.
Of course, it wasn't that one could obtain a high soul-rank simply by living a good life.
The point was whether one had lived a life that aligned with the soul’s convictions, without contradiction.
Even a villain who has inflicted countless harms upon the world can obtain a high soul-rank as ‘Evil’ if their evil deeds were in line with their convictions.
Just as the magi of the Mystic Demonic House, despite being terribly evil, possessed high soul-ranks.
‘On the other hand, the Demon King of Azure Flow, who was once a radiant Fairy Queen, committed countless unforgivable evil acts for her own greed.’
If the evil acts the Demon King of Azure Flow had committed until now were based on some grand cause, justification, or conviction, there would have been no particular effect.
But her conduct was the crystallization of wretchedness.
‘And there's another reason why Myriad Demons' Submission is so effective, besides her low soul-rank.’
The most fatal reason.
Chris spoke with a sneer.
“How could a pathetic Demon King who is trembling in fear of death possibly withstand my Spiritual Pressure?”
[!!]
“All because you’re afraid of the pain of Gehenna.”
That was right.
The reason the Demon King of Azure Flow had committed various terrible, evil acts to try and obtain the Three Primordial Wells was for one reason.
It was to obtain a rank of immortality and escape death.
Because the moment she fell into Gehenna, she would be subjected to eons of torment.
‘Yulian confirmed this by approaching the elves beforehand.’
This fear was having an adverse effect on all of her powers.
‘No matter how great a Demon King is, it is impossible for their achievements to be sound while harboring such an inner demon.’
Up to 4-Star is the realm of skill.
From 5-Star onwards, it is the realm of the will.
And the will is another word for conviction.
The more steadfast one’s conviction, the more powerful the will they could possess.
As a Fairy Queen, she had reached 9-Star with the conviction to protect her clan.
But that conviction had long been hideously twisted as she was seized by the fear of death and committed terrible, evil acts.
There was no way someone with a conviction so thoroughly sullied could be strong against Spiritual Pressure.
[How dare…!!]
The Demon King of Azure Flow gritted her teeth and drew up her energy.
It was a trick to shake off the Spiritual Pressure with her own power, but he did not just stand by and watch.
-Purgatory's Burst.
Taking advantage of the gap in her mind created by the Spiritual Pressure, he cast an illusion dark magic.
It was a lowly illusion art, crude to the point of being laughable to use on a Demon King, which simply made her experience the pain of Gehenna.
But surprisingly, the Demon King of Azure Flow showed a dramatic reaction.
[!!]
Upon seeing the vista of Gehenna, fear crept into her eyes.
It meant that the terror of Gehenna was that deeply engraved in her.
‘What an ironic sight.’
To think that someone who was once a Fairy Queen and a Demon King was so afraid of mere death.
But it was not a curious thing.
Because the pain that devil contractors had to experience after falling into Gehenna could not be described with words.
It could not be compared to mere torture.
They had to experience the most horrific pain in this world, the pain of their souls being ripped to shreds, for eons of time.
Without rest. Eternally.
‘In a way, it’s a pitiful thing. The reason the Demon King of Azure Flow sold her soul to a devil was for her clan in the first place.’
Of course, that didn't justify the evil acts she had committed.
[Grrr…! Don’t look down on me. With just… this…!]
Fwaaaaaaat!
The Demon King of Azure Flow drew up all her power.
It was a trick to shake off the Spiritual Pressure with sheer force, ignoring her soul-rank or inner demons.
But there was a hand helping Christian.
It was the three patriarchs, including Nordian.
They joined in and suppressed the Demon King of Azure Flow’s energy with their own power.
Crack!
In the end, the Demon King of Azure Flow could not endure it and knelt on one knee.
She had completely succumbed to the Spiritual Pressure.
[N-no.]
Sensing the fate that was about to befall her, the Demon King of Azure Flow’s face turned pale.
Just then, a strange event occurred.
Rumble.
Suddenly, the surroundings grew dark.
A darkness spread like a fog, and soon, it had taken over the entire area.