Chapter 315
Chris used the Vampiric Ring to absorb Ranya's energy in a flash.
“W-wait! What the?”
“Just wait.”
Chris closed his eyes and perceived the design of the Great Barrier spread across the Imperial Palace.
He could feel the parts that Ranya had reinforced.
It was excellent work, befitting a future Archmage.
However, it seemed the counter-effect to directly check the enemies was too much for her, as there was a part she had worked on and then given up.
‘Since Ranya has already done the prep work, I should be able to finish the rest quickly.’
Chris used Ranya's mana to instantly manipulate the formula of the unfinished part and began to strengthen it.
“W-what? Impossible?”
Ranya, sharing and feeling the act Chris was performing, had a look of horror.
He was doing something that completely overturned the existing concepts of magic.
‘It's possible to reinforce a formula like this? What is that formula of the Seventh Chord Realm? Something like that can be implemented? That calculation, by how many stages did he condense the multidimensional phase?’
After endless astonishment.
“Done.”
Chris clenched his fist.
Fwaaaaaaaah!!
The Imperial Palace's Great Barrier emitted a light, and he could hear the demonkin inside screaming in pain.
The anti-demon effect had begun to manifest.
Everyone stared blankly at Chris.
Ranya's expression, in particular, was a sight to behold.
“See?”
“……”
“…A fly is going to go into your mouth.”
Seeing Ranya still unable to close her mouth, Chris shrugged and said,
“We're going in.”
The target was the demon's neck.
***
They split their forces.
Marquis Valmond was to gather the surviving Imperial Guard to deal with the demonkin, and Heinz was to lead the White Tiger Brigade to protect the powerless civilians remaining in the palace.
Yulian decided to help them with her Spirit Arts.
The fortunate thing was that among the summoned demonkin, high-ranking individuals were rare.
Ranya was tasked with coordinating the Great Barrier's formula to strengthen the anti-demon effect as much as possible.
“Evan, you and I are going to catch the demon.”
“I will go with you.”
Asran, the Sword of Light, said.
Chris nodded.
“The demon seems to be in the Sapphire Palace, so we'll head that way.”
It was the palace where the emperor resided.
They headed directly for their destination.
Demonkin blocked their path from time to time, but the power of ordinary demonkin was not enough to stop them.
Soon, they arrived at the Sapphire Palace, but unexpected beings were waiting for them in front of it.
[You came?]
[You're finally here?]
[We were waiting.]
[We were waiting.]
They were two cute-looking young children.
Evan frowned.
“High-ranking demonkin?”
Demonkin look similar to humans but also have monstrous features. Like having multiple arms, wings, or tentacles.
Only the high-ranking demonkin, known to possess power equal to the highest level of 7-Star, had a completely human-like appearance.
And there were two of them.
‘They aren't ordinary high-ranking demonkin either. The one on the right is a supreme-ranking demonkin.’
A being who, while a servant of a demon, was said to possess power similar to a common demon.
By human standards, he could feel an energy equivalent to 8-Star.
It was a force that Chris's party could not face with their current strength.
‘No matter how the demon descended, how did it summon demonkin of this level? It should have been restricted by the law of causality.’
Chris frowned.
‘It's not that I don't have a way to deal with these guys. But the problem is what comes after.’
These demonkin were not the end.
The real threat was the demon behind them.
And it was a titled noble, possessing power on the level of a Demon King.
‘What should I do?’
Just then, Evan asked Chris.
“Can you really defeat the demon?”
“Yes.”
As long as he could get in front of the demon, there was a way.
Evan nodded.
“Then I will handle these guys.”
“You? It's impossible. It's dangerous. You could die.”
“Anyone hearing you would think you were my guardian.”
“!!”
“I am your comrade. Trust me.”
Evan twisted the corner of his mouth.
“I can hold out long enough for you to catch the demon.”
“I will join him.”
Asran also stood by Evan's side.
“Please leave this place to us and go eliminate the demon, Your Highness.”
Evan aimed his sword at the demonkin and stepped forward, saying,
“Instead, promise me. That you absolutely will not die.”
“Ha.”
Chris let out a dry laugh.
Who was daring to worry about whom right now?
“Don't worry about useless things. Wait, hold on a moment.”
Chris reached out and placed his hands on Evan's and Asran's shoulders.
Paaaaah!
A sublime light descended upon their bodies.
The two of them had horrified expressions.
“Don't tell me? The Constellation's blessing?”
He had used the authority of the Constellation that he had recently awakened.
‘It's still immature, but it should be helpful when facing the demonkin.’
“I've gone this far for you, so if you die, I won't let you rest in peace. I'll revive you as undead and work you to the bone, so be prepared.”
Fwaat!
Evan's and Asran's swords flew toward the demonkin, and through the opening they created, Chris moved into the palace.
A chilling silence hung in the air.
As he walked toward the main hall where the emperor resided, he could hear faint, pain-filled groans.
“S-save... save... me....”
A voice he had heard before.
Creeak, he opened the door and saw the Crown Prince sitting on the emperor's throne, wearing the imperial crown.
With all his limbs cut off and his entire body horribly mangled.
“K-keok... p-please... s-save... no, kill... me....”
The Crown Prince, despite his horrific wounds, could not reach death.
It was because of the being beside him.
[Hehe, what's wrong? I granted the dream you wished for. Now that you're the emperor, try smiling a little more happily. Hmm? Or, should I tear your mouth a little wider?]
A bewitching woman was laughing beside the Crown Prince.
Seeing the woman's captivatingly beautiful appearance, Chris's eyes grew heavy.
It was the demon.
The demon saw Chris and gave a coy smile.
[Hmm? A new toy has arrived. Who are you? Ah, are you the Hero?]
It seemed the demon didn't know Chris's 'true' identity.
Unless one was a great rank of the 3rd or 4th Circle, one couldn't observe everything that happened in the world.
“Stop.”
[Could you wait just a moment? My playtime with our dear Crown Prince isn't over yet. Ah, he's the emperor now, isn't he? Your Majesty, don't cry. You're crying from too much joy, right?]
The demon stroked the Crown Prince's face with its finger.
Rip, the flesh split as if cut by a knife, but the Crown Prince could only let out groans of "keok, keok," unable to even scream properly.
Chris let out a sigh and raised his sword.
“I said stop, you filthy demon.”
[......]
The demon's smile vanished.
The atmosphere in the hall turned ice-cold.
[You know something? The thing I hate most is when someone doesn't listen to me.]
Thump.
An energy extended from the demon, pressing down on the surroundings.
It was a heavy pressure, as if dragging one's soul into the deep sea.
[Wait there like a good boy. I'll be sure to give you plenty of love, too.]
It was the moment the demon turned its gaze back to the Crown Prince.
Suddenly, Chris swung his sword.
[Huh?]
The demon frowned and looked back at Chris.
[How dare you.]
And yet.
Something strange happened.
Slash.
Fwaaat!
Blue blood spurted from the demon's shoulder.
[Huh?]
The demon tilted its head.
An expression that said it couldn't understand that it had been cut.
[You...?]
But that wasn't the end.
Chris swung his sword again, and the demon raised its hand.
It tried to defend properly this time, but. Something even more unbelievable happened.
Slice.
The demon's neck was severed and flew into the air.
***
Fwaaaaaaaah!
Blue blood gushed from the demon's severed neck like a fountain.
A sight that was unbelievable even seeing it with one's own eyes.
But Chris watched the scene with cold eyes.
It wasn't over.
Indeed, a surprised voice came from the severed head.
[You have a curious talent, don't you?]
Faaat.
Along with a chilling black light, its body regenerated.
A demon's body was, in the first place, just a manifestation of its spiritual form, so it could regenerate as much as it wanted.
Its reaction just now was less one of having taken damage and more one of simple curiosity.
[Indeed, is a Hero a Hero for a reason? What kind of trick did you use?]
“I just cut you.”
[Hmm?]
“I just cut, and you got cut. It seems demons aren't all that special.”
The demon burst into cackling laughter.
It was certainly a beautiful voice, but it was filled with a chilling energy that felt as if it would tear one's soul to shreds just by listening.
[You're amusing. This child has become boring now.]
As the demon gestured toward the Crown Prince, the light went out of his eyes, and he met his death.
Of course, that wasn't the end.
Now his soul would fall to Gehenna and suffer for eons of pain.
The demon licked its lips with its tongue.
[You know something? I like arrogant children like you. There's nothing more lovely than the sight of a once-proud soul breaking down wretchedly.]
“What are you trying to say?”
[I'll grant you a special mercy. How about becoming my slave?]
“……”
The demon spoke in a soft voice.
[Not only will I spare you, but I will also bestow my grace upon you, and you will share in my power.]
Chris let out a snort of derision.
“What would I do with a share of the power of a mere low-ranking noble?”
[!!]
“Instead of that, how about this? I have a proposal for you.”
[…What is it?]
“Let's make a bet. If I lose to you, I will offer you my soul.”
For a moment, an unconcealable greed surfaced in the demon's eyes.
It was a proposal with no reason to refuse.
[In return, what is it that you desire?]
“Do not flee to Gehenna, even if the fight turns against you.”
[…What?]
“Because it would be anticlimactic if you ran off to Gehenna after we've gone to the trouble of fighting.”
In other words, he was saying he would prevent the demon from escaping and kill it for certain.
The demon had a blank reaction for a moment.
But only for a moment.
It burst into high-pitched laughter.
[Ahaha. You truly are amusing. I accept your proposal. Ah, I'm so looking forward to this. It's rare to meet a child as lovely as you. I wonder, just how long will you be able to endure for in eons of pain? A week, a month, a year? Ten years? I hope you can last for as long as possible.]
The demon panted as if excited.
A look that showed no hint of tension whatsoever.
It was only natural.
It had just taken an unexpected blow, but compared to the demon, a transcendent being, Chris was nothing more than an insignificant creature.
But Chris continued to spout incomprehensible words.
“You know something? I like you, too.”
[Hmm?]
“Because crushing a bug like you is quite entertaining in its own way.”
[!!]
The demon let out a dry laugh.
[I see now that you're insane. I like confidence, but I don't like it when someone is completely out of their mind. Well, once you've received my deep love, you'll come to your senses.]
The demon raised its hand.
Gooooo.
The surrounding space began to distort.
He could feel an energy swirling, equivalent to a 9-Star ultimate technique.
But then, something unbelievable happened again.
Fwaat.
Chris swung his sword again, and.
Slice.
the demon's hand was severed and sent flying.
[!!]