Chapter 327

It was a story that denied the world's absolute proposition that light and darkness were incompatible.

But it was not an empty boast.

A miracle was happening at Chris's hands.

Within the domain of darkness, the energy of light began to surge.

His darkness had truly dominated even light!

“Now, be gone.”

The radiance, shining even more brilliantly from within the darkness, enveloped the Death Knight Lord.

[Kaaah… Gwooooooo!!]

As if evil and light were colliding, the energies of demonic power and Stellar Radiance churned as if they would explode.

Then, the battlefield fell silent.

After the vortex of light slowly faded, an astounding sight was revealed.

The form of the Death Knight Lord had vanished. It had truly been reverse-summoned!

[…You really are a madman.]

The Demon King of Silver Snow said blankly.

From seeing her ultimate technique and immediately sublimating it into his own enlightenment, to that impossible Domain of Dominion, there was nothing that wasn't shocking.

Chris shrugged his shoulders and said.

“I'm just that good.”

[Your personality is mad, too. I like it. We have always been fond of madmen. In any case, follow Us. We will guide you to where Our real body is.]

It wasn't far.

Arriving at the place of the seal, Chris’s party let out a gasp.

A beautiful woman was floating in a glass tube filled with a transparent liquid.

It was the original body of the Demon King of Silver Snow.

If the little girl who had appeared as a thought-form was like a cute princess, her original form was like a majestic queen.

[…Are you not staring a bit too intently? Don't tell me your heart has begun to flutter for Us?]

“……”

[Ahem, well, We understand. Even We think We are beautiful. We often fall into turmoil every time We look in the mirror.]

“It's not like that. And to be honest, you’re not my type.”

Type or not, he was too busy just trying to survive day to day to have the mental leeway to care about such leisurely emotions.

[I-is that so? Are you saying We are not charming? It's embarrassing to say this, but We are still single since birth. We, too, wish to experience love.]

As the Demon King of Silver Snow shriveled up again and spouted nonsense, Chris had a bewildered look on his face.

This Demon King. For a Demon King, she was surprisingly noisy and petty.

“But even for me, this seal doesn't look easy to break.”

Chris said, surveying the surroundings.

The body of the Demon King of Silver Snow, floating in the glass tube, was pierced by countless thin tubes, and it seemed her energy was being absorbed.

The problem was the seal.

It was so solid that even Chris didn't dare to think of tampering with it.

‘If I really committed to digging into it, I might be able to find a way, but I don't have the time.’

He felt he would have to hang onto it for at least half a month.

There was no way the master of this seal, the Lord of the Four Kings' Castle, would just stand by and watch until then.

“Is there any other way to break the seal, by any chance?”

[There is not. It is impossible to break the seal.]

“Yes, then?”

The Demon King of Silver Snow continued in a calm voice.

[There is only one way. Kill Us.]

“!!”

Chris’s eyes widened.

[It cannot be helped. If this continues, I will become a tool for the Four Kings' Castle and be used by them to do terrible things. I would rather die now than let that happen. It is a noble sacrifice for the sake of the world.]

The Demon King of Silver Snow shrugged her shoulders.

[Of course, We know. If a being as perfect as Us in every aspect—character, ability, and beauty—were to die, it would be a great loss for humanity. Even We think it's a pity.]

“……”

[…It is also a shame that there are many things I haven't been able to do. Instead of just secretly reading romance novels in the Demon King's castle, I should have tried dating at least once. All the men in the world must be blind. Why does no one show any interest in a perfect person like Us?]

The Demon King of Silver Snow let out a deep sigh.

[Our words have grown needlessly long. It is because We are sad to die. We have said all We have to say, so hurry up and kill Us.]

And with that, the thought-form of the Demon King of Silver Snow went into a corner and squeezed her eyes shut.

“…What are you doing?”

[It is because We are scared of dying. We usually acted cool, as if We didn't care about death, but no matter if one is a Demon King, dying is a scary thing.]

“……”

[Ah, that doesn't mean you shouldn't kill Us. Hurry up and kill Us. I'm fine! Just scared! It's okay to be scared, isn't it?]

Chris stared at the sight as if it were absurd, then burst out laughing.

“No, I will not kill you.”

[Do not pity Us! It's fine! It's scary and regretful, but it's all fine!]

“It's not out of pity. It's for a new suc—... No, it's for the sake of the world.”

That's right.

The Demon King of Silver Snow was a sucker Chris absolutely could not afford to lose.

“I have another way.”

[…What?]

The Demon King of Silver Snow's ears perked up.

“Offer your soul to me.”

[!!]

The Demon King of Silver Snow wore a dumbfounded expression.

[What do you mean by that?]

“You must know that I possess the soul-rank of a Transcendent. If you offer your soul, I will use that contract as a basis to put your entire being into a state of suspended animation. So that those bastards from the Four Kings' Castle cannot use you.”

The state of suspended animation Chris was speaking of did not just refer to the state of her physical body.

It meant literally ‘everything’, including her spiritual being and the demonic energy of her core.

It was a measure that was only possible because offering one's soul meant offering one's everything to another.

[…Isn't that a flimsy, temporary measure? If it's those bastards from the Four Kings' Castle, they will find a way to nullify your trick.]

“I will rescue you before that happens.”

[!!]

Chris continued in a nonchalant voice.

“Because the Four Kings' Castle will fall at my hands anyway.”

It was an absurd story, but.

At the voice filled with firm conviction, the Demon King of Silver Snow stared at Chris for a moment, then spoke.

[You truly are a madman who surpasses all imagination.]

The Demon King of Silver Snow nodded.

[Yes, fine. We will follow your words. However, keep this in mind. It is not because We are afraid to lose Our life. It is simply that for a great person like Us to disappear would be a pitiful thing for the world!]

“Let's go with that.”

[And promise Us! That you will definitely come to save Us! If you don't, We will become a banshee and torment you for the rest of your life!]

“…That would be a truly terrifying thing. I already have one noisy banshee.”

Chris, imagining the Demon King of Silver Snow becoming a banshee and chattering away with Marie, shuddered slightly.

That was a future that had to be prevented at all costs.

“Then, let us begin.”

Chris stretched his hand toward the Demon King of Silver Snow.

And so.

A Demon King-class sucker was born.

* * *

Meanwhile, at the Richard Plains in the territory of the Dark Demonic House.

The heavy clouds of war were swirling.

“…It’s incredible.”

Duke Huam of the Venomous Demonic House looked across, his face pale.

A great army of undead, so massive its numbers could not be counted, was surging like a tide.

“That is the power of a force in a league of its own.”

In the Corridor of Death, the Necromancy Demonic House could not display its proper strength.

Because the rough terrain limited the number of forces they could deploy at one time.

However, an open plain like this was the most advantageous place for the Necromancy Demonic House.

“Has Grand Duke Christian not arrived yet?”

“That is correct. We have completely lost contact with him since the news that a commotion had broken out at the Four Kings' Castle.”

Count Khazar replied heavily.

‘Such a reckless operation. This crazy son of mine.’

From infiltrating the Four Kings' Castle in the first place, it was a ridiculous operation with not a single realistic element.

What was even more dumbfounding was that they had decided to believe in and follow that mad plan.

It was partly because, as Christian had said, there was no other good option.

Above all.

‘…Because I believe in Christian.’

Count Khazar let out a sigh.

Yes.

His trust in Christian.

For that reason alone, he had decided to follow this insane operation.

“It is time.”

Nordian stepped forward.

He could see a man with a pale complexion revealing himself on the other side.

It was Pliton, the Lord of the Four Kings' Castle.

“All of you, do not worry. Believe in my grandson.”

In truth, it wasn't that Nordian, who said this, wasn't worried himself.

Was this operation really possible?

However, every time he had doubted, Christian had performed a miracle as if to show him.

He had to believe.

“All of you, make those boneheads know the greatness of our Dark Alliance!!”

“Waaaah!!!!”

And so, the battle that would decide the continent's fate began.

Depending on who became the victor, the future of the Magus Empire, and of the continent, would change greatly.

“Don’t get pushed back by those boneheads!!”

“Kill them all!!”

At first, the battle was neck and neck.

No, the Dark Alliance seemed to have a slight advantage.

‘It’s thanks to the Grand Duke training us.’

‘We won't lose!!’

The completely transformed Dark Demonic House fought with great distinction, and for a moment, the forces of the Four Kings' Castle faltered.

However, as time passed, the tide of battle began to turn.

They were at too great a disadvantage in terms of absolute numbers.

‘These damn persistent bastards.’

‘Even if we kill them, and kill them, there’s no end.’

The main force of the Four Kings' Castle was not its magi.

It was the undead, the wraiths, that they commanded.

The puppets and chimerical monsters created by the Curse Demonic House were just as difficult to deal with.

Individually, they were not hard to face, but their numbers were endless.

On top of that, there was an even more difficult problem.

“Gah! Get a hold of yourself!”

“If a comrade's corpse is made, be sure to cut off its hands or legs so it cannot be revived as an undead!”

In various places, the dead were rising as undead and attacking their comrades.

The same went for those who had fallen to the curses or puppetry of the Curse Demonic House.

‘This can't go on.’

Count Khazar swallowed hard.

One fortunate thing was that something seemed to have happened to the Lord of the Four Kings' Castle, as his power was not what it used to be.

If it weren't for the fact that this gave the house heads a bit more breathing room, the tide would have already turned greatly.

‘But we’re at our limit soon. We're going to be annihilated.’

He had to make a choice.

Whether to retreat now and preserve their forces.

Or to believe in Christian and hold out.

‘You damn son of a bitch! When are you coming?!’

In the end, Count Khazar made his decision.

“Relay to the entire army. Tell them to deploy the Andokmyeol Formation.”

It was a formation that Christian had designed.

One where the magi of the Dark Demonic House become the shield, the Venomous Demonic House provides support, and the Destruction Demonic House provides cover fire.

Its form was simple and easy to deploy, and it was specialized for defense.

“Just hold on a little longer!!”

“The Grand Duke will be here soon!!”

“When the Grand Duke arrives, victory will be ours!”

They blocked the offensive with a stance of do-or-die resistance, and the front line became a stalemate.

[I don’t know what they’re aiming for.]

[Even if it is that Christian bastard, there’s no way he can turn the tide in this situation.]

The high command of the Four Kings' Castle frowned.

They, too, knew that Christian was plotting something.

Especially since their main castle had been raided.

But what could he do in this situation?

No matter how incomprehensible and crazy that bastard was, he was still just one person.

[It doesn't matter, we can just wipe them all out anyway.]

[They are putting up quite a fight, but they won't be able to last long.]

[If they had at least run away, they could have preserved their forces.]

The high command of the Four Kings' Castle let out a sneer.

However, inwardly, they all felt a sense of unease.

No matter how they thought about it, it didn't seem likely that the mad monster would have committed such a hopeless, reckless act without a chance of winning.