The Demon King Overrun by Heroes Chapter 201 : The Stars and the Four Heavenly Kings

Chapter 201: The Stars and the Four Heavenly Kings

Kaede adjusted her grip on the sword.

It was the first ti she had faced an enemy since entering the Demon King’s Tower and becoming a Dark Knight.

The fact that the enemy was a hero—soone she had thought she would never be hostile toward in her life—weighed on her mind, but she was a knight.

Even if it was the Demon King, she would faithfully obey if her lord gave the order. That was all.

And, borrowing Ernan’s words, she too had co to like this tower. It was better than life in the fiercely contested imperial palace. She wanted to protect this peace.

‘There was also my promise to Brother Rufus.’

A promise that she would never leave the tower, that she would not be rescued by the heroes’ hands.

“Dark Knight? Four Heavenly Kings? Don’t make laugh. You demon bastards—are you putting on so kind of play?”

Pablo Barkat sneered.

A hero active in the Southern Alliance. His weapon was a massive greatsword, and his destructive swordsmanship crushed everything with brute strength and savagery.

─!

He swung his sword. Kaede parried. She naturally deflected and redirected it.

With a single clash, they gauged each other’s level.

‘Strength.’

She was pushed back.

‘Speed.’

She was ahead.

‘Technique.’

She was ahead as well.

Imperial swordsmanship, praised as the finest on the continent, had advanced another step after she received instruction from a swordsman counted among the best even in the Demon Realm.

That was why she did not flinch even before the na of a Star. Rather, she felt confident of victory.

This ti, she struck first. Golden aura traced a long arc through the air. Red montum charged straight toward it.

─!

─!

Aura collided with aura. Gold and crimson intermingled.

Shattered fragnts of aura scattered in all directions.

Kagagak—

The enormous greatsword slid along Kaede’s blade. It smashed into the ground, and seawater welled up through the shattered cracks.

The salty stench that filled his mouth made Barkat recoil in shock.

“You bitch! You’re not a demon—you’re a hero!”

He felt not a single speck of demonic energy. Instead, there was a sense of kinship, a fullness of dinsional power.

And that was not all.

“That slash. That swordsmanship. That sword path.”

It was more than rely familiar. The strange sense of déjà vu from the beginning had beco unmistakably clear after several clashes.

How could he not recognize it?

As the de facto leader of the Southern Alliance, Pablo Barkat had clashed countless tis with the Empire.

It was not completely identical. But that was only natural. Even the sa swordsmanship differed depending on who wielded it.

“Why in the world would an imperial hero call herself one of the Demon King’s Four Heavenly Kings?!”

“Does that matter?”

“It does, it really does! Proof that those imperial bastards betrayed humanity is so impo—!”

A line was drawn. Pablo urgently leapt backward.

The edge followed like a serpent. The greatsword hastily forced its way between them.

─!

Pablo retreated two steps to dissipate the impact. Kaede advanced by the sa amount.

She scattered her sword once more.

“No. That really doesn’t matter.”

She murmured quietly, as if making a declaration.

“Because today, no one here will be leaving.”

“You dare ambush like this! And you call yourself a hero?!”

“You are mistaken. I am a Dark Knight. And it is only natural for the Demon King’s vassals to use ambushes.”

Kaede did not relinquish the montum she had seized.

She deflected every one of Pablo’s slashes. She thrust whenever she found an opening.

‘Strong.’

But weaker than Gordon.

‘Fast.’

But slower than herself.

Above all, it lacked technical refinent. Compared to Gordon’s near-perfect swordsmanship, it was endlessly crude and instinctual.

Instinct itself was not a bad thing. But at least here and now, it was not enough to surpass Kaede.

Kaede stepped forward. Pablo stepped back.

Kaede’s sword gradually grew faster, while Pablo’s sword struggled just to keep up.

The savagery and ferocity he prided himself on could not fully manifest when pressed on the defensive. No—there was more to it than that.

‘This is impossible…!’

It felt as though he were swinging his sword inside a prison.

Every direction was blocked. Whenever his blade extended, the Dark Knight’s sword inevitably deflected it. The mont he strayed even slightly beyond the prescribed range, killing intent flew at him.

Like a beast being trained, his wounds increased one by one.

“I am Pablo Barkat!”

The de facto leader of the Southern Alliance!

One of the ten great Stars!

A great hero!

“You think I’ll die while being mocked by the likes of you?!”

He released all his aura at once. The explosive rebound forced Kaede back.

In that brief opening, Pablo swung his sword. A crimson wave tore through space as it surged toward her.

Kaede calmly cut through the gaps in the wave. As the aura split left and right, Pablo appeared as if he had been waiting.

─!

She blocked it, but could not deflect it. The shock rattled her skull, and her foot smashed through the Demon King’s ice.

She wrapped her body in aura to dissipate the impact as much as possible. She forced her strength, twisting her sword. She twisted her aura, twisted space, twisted even her opponent’s blade.

In the instant of “ah,” the enemy’s sword followed Kaede’s blade. Pablo’s posture wavered.

She planted her foot into the blatantly exposed opening.

Pu-eok—

With dented armor, Pablo’s body was flung away. Kaede closed in.

Pablo could not recover his stance. The distance between them was far too close.

The opponent’s sword was already prepared to descend. All he could do was desperately spew out his aura and take a defensive posture.

─!

But the result exceeded his imagination. His poorly honed aura shattered. His sword split in two.

“...This is impossible—!”

The short scream beca his final words.

Seog—

The sword cut across his chest. His armor tore like paper.

He fell backward, spraying blood. As he tried to endure, a fist smashed into his head.

Thud—

Pablo collapsed.

As Kaede raised her sword to finish him, she recalled Ernan’s request.

“...For now, keep him alive.”

She had asked that he be brought to the tower.

Kaede hoisted him over her shoulder.

* * *

Ralph Schmitz was flustered.

Since taking up a shield and receiving the title of Star, the only ti he had ever endured such overwhelming force was when facing the Demon King.

But his opponent was definitely not the Demon King.

A monster.

Not a Titan alone—if his thinking was correct, it was a chira equipped with the remnants of a dragon.

‘Then…’

His gaze slipped between the descending fists.

A masked woman sat atop the monster’s shoulder, calmly looking down at him.

Ralph Schmitz had deep ties with Rozel Charnte. Naturally, he had also been entangled with the Kingdom of Arkan.

That was why the figure before him was relatively familiar. Though this chira had changed in appearance, traces of its forr form had not completely vanished.

If his assumption was correct, the woman who called herself the Commander of the Legion of Death was Lavinia Arkan, the missing princess of the Kingdom of Arkan.

The monster before him was Cher, the Titan chira she commanded.

But was that really possible?

No matter how unusual Lavinia Arkan was, could she truly beco the Demon King’s vassal and oppose the heroes?

He could not believe it.

Yet as ti passed and the battle intensified, doubts and hypotheses gradually turned into conviction.

At last, he cautiously opened his mouth.

“...Your Highness, could it be Lavinia?”

“Death. Commander.”

The reply was a denial, but the tone could not be denied.

“Why would Your Highness claim to be the Demon King’s subordinate?”

“Your Highness—no.”

“No? Only Your Highness speaks that way.”

“No.”

“I have t Your Highness—”

“No.”

Her voice dropped even lower. At so point, the monster’s attacks had stopped. Their eyes t through the slightly lowered head.

“No.”

Lavinia enunciated each syllable clearly.

When had it been that she hooked fingers and made a promise with the Demon King? That she would never reveal herself as a princess.

So it was no.

But the tactless hero failed to understand her intent. To keep her promise, she turned her mind.

‘Not being discovered is the top priority, and if discovered, the best thod is to eliminate the witnesses. If the witnesses disappear, then it was never discovered.’

Those were the Demon King’s passing words.

Corpses could not speak, and if there were witnesses, one simply made them disappear.

She had thought it a novel thod.

And now, it was ti to follow it.

“...Your Highness?”

Ralph Schmitz noticed the killing intent in Lavinia’s eyes.

The master’s will was conveyed to the chira. Cher roared. Then it breathed fire.

“...My goodness.”

The Titan spewed searing flas.

A grotesque phenonon impossible under normal circumstances—possible only because it was a chira.

Because the essences of a Red Dragon had been perfectly embedded.

There was no leisure to gape in awe. The heat was aid directly at Ralph Schmitz.

“...I understand.”

Thud—

He planted his shield firmly and wrapped himself in aura.

─!

Aura and flas intertwined.

“Your Highness must have been brainwashed.”

The origin of ntal magic lay with demons. Lavinia Arkan must have been kidnapped by the Demon King of Dark Fla and brainwashed.

Otherwise, why would she act as one of the Demon King’s Four Heavenly Kings?

“I will save you, Your Highness.”

She was a princess of Arkan. With so many outstanding mages, there had to be a way to undo the brainwashing.

He advanced through the flas. Stubbornness was his strength. Power born of steadfast defense was his specialty.

“Attack is the best defense.”

It was an old adage passed down with the phrase that one must prepare for war to desire peace. In the past, Ralph Schmitz’s master had said this to make him take up a shield.

“If attack is the best defense, then the opposite also holds true. In other words, defense is the best offense.”

“That sounds absurd.”

“Do you know why attack is the best defense?”

“Because you protect yourself by annihilating the enemy before they attack?”

“Correct. In that sense, saying defense is the best offense is also correct.”

“Huh?”

“Think about it. Soone attacks you. You know that generally, the defender has the advantage, right?”

“Yes.”

“A solid defense draws the enemy in. It devours manpower, devours supplies, and drags the opponent into a quagmire. That, too, is an attack—just of a different aning than a conventional one.”

“But that’s war. What does it have to do with using a shield—”

“It lets you induce complacency. If you only hold a shield, they’ll think you’re a fool who can’t even attack.”

“Usually, yes.”

“But listen. A shield is heavier and thicker than most maces. It blocks even those maces. And if you smash the enemy with it? I guarantee it—the shield is the finest blunt weapon in the world!”

The finest blunt weapon. Enchanted by that idea, Ralph Schmitz took up the shield. Later, he learned that his master only knew shield techniques, but by then, he was already captivated by its charm.

Click—

He gripped the handle with both hands and kicked off the ice. His body soared upward.

The chira’s massive fist filled his vision. He angled the shield and deflected the aura.

With a dull boom, the fist slipped aside. Using the impact as a foothold, he rose even higher.

Below, he saw the chira. He saw the brainwashed princess of Arkan.

“Your Highness, I will show you why defense is the greatest offense.”

Ralph plunged straight down. The thick shield charged toward the princess.

A massive fist blocked the way.

There was no avoiding a fist thrust straight on. Covered in red scales, it looked absurdly solid. But it was not sturdier than his shield.

──────!

The shield shuddered. The monster let out a howl.

With a crunch, the fist twisted. Every muscle in Ralph’s body felt like it would tear apart.

But in the end, he endured.

The shield remained firm, and the fist was blown away.

The violent rebound drained much of his strength, but it was still enough to knock out a princess who was good at nothing but crafting.

The princess was right before him.

Ralph smiled triumphantly.

But—

Tap—

A snow-white hand caught the shield with absurd ease.

“...Huh?”

He had lost strength from the clash, but it was not weak.

“You. Bad.”

The Commander of the Legion of Death was angry.

“Cher, hurts.”

A small fist drove into his chest.

A pale, childlike hand. He thought it could not hurt much.

────!

Ralph cursed the self of one second ago.

His aura shattered. His armor crumpled. His breath was knocked from him.

He could not go any further. Unable to dissipate the impact, Ralph fell to the ground. And what awaited him was the giant’s foot.

“Crush.”

The commander ordered, and the giant obeyed.

Bang bang bang bang bang!

Dozens of impacts. Ralph felt his entire body being pulverized.

That was his last mory.

“Pick him up.”

Cher collected the unconscious Ralph Schmitz.

“Ernan.”

She did not like that Cher had been injured, but Ernan had said to avoid killing him if possible and imprison him in the tower.

“You.”

Lavinia stopped a passing monster and placed Ralph over its shoulder.

“Tower.”

Grr.

The monster turned toward the tower.

Lavinia scanned the battlefield for her next prey.

* * *

─!

─!

An axe tore through space as it descended. The weight and force carried on its edge were heavy enough that even Watton Colo, standing in the position of a Star, could not ignore them.

‘This is just a subordinate of the Demon King?’

Were all those called the Four Heavenly Kings like this?

In truth, this was his first ti personally standing on a battlefield to subjugate the Demon King. More precisely, it was the first ti he had seen the Demon King and fought near him.

He had gone back and forth between towers several tis as part of assault units, but his first hero’s march had been the subjugation of the Demon King of Dark Fla.

He had failed to find the tower even when he set out with Hero Hillan Cargill, and ended up unable to rejoin the hero’s march.

But that did not an he lacked the qualifications to be a Star.

Stars were the greatest among heroes. Watton Colo was more than qualified.

“I am the great Star, Watton Colo!”

“So what? Then I am Louise Berfht.”

“...What?”

But.

His opponent was not a hero, yet she was a princess destined to beco as great as a Star among heroes.

A dwarf who wielded an axe forged by the greatest craftsman, Roger Friedrich, using the finest material—dragon bones.

“...You an… Princess…?”

Then an unintended ntal shock followed, creating an opening. A massive opening.

And Louise’s instincts did not miss it.

───!

“Kugh…!”

Watton instinctively raised his sword. But there was not enough strength behind it. His aura did not flow smoothly.

The axe, imbued with draconic energy, shattered the sword and split his armor.

Blood sprayed, and Watton scread.

That single blow decided it.

“Are you really a Star? That was too easy.”

“...Impersonating a princess to make drop my guard. C-cowardly.”

“Who says so? Impersonating?”

“Y-you’re saying you’re not…?”

“Of course not. Who would dare impersonate ?”

Louise slightly lifted her mask. The face revealed beneath was one Watton had definitely seen before.

“L-Louise Berfht…!”

“I told you. I’m the real deal. What, are you going to say you couldn’t fight properly because you were flustered?”

“That is true…”

“Yeah, I know. That’s why it’s a sha.”

She had wanted to fight properly.

“But even so, I can’t redo the outco now, can I?”

Crunch—

She stomped on Watton.

“He’s so boring I don’t even feel like killing him.”

She had been told from the start by that crazy princess not to kill.

She grabbed the unconscious Watton by the ankle.

She asured the distance to the tower, took a running start, and sprinted.

And then—

Paaat—

Watton’s body flew toward the tower.

“Now then, who’s next…?”

With her axe slung over her shoulder, Louise wandered in search of her next prey.

* * *

Inside the tower. While all the demons and monsters had gone out to face the heroes, dwarves and elves still defended the tower.

The dwarves operated mana cannons against the bombardnt of the floating battleship, and Ellena commanded the elves to receive those entering the tower.

“Water attacks are flying in!”

“It’s Sister’s power. Don’t interfere.”

The water bubble that had flown like lightning dropped a single person the mont it entered the tower, then evaporated.

“It’s Aina Diaphrin.”

“What shall we do?”

“Put shackles on her and imprison her. In a special cell separate from where the Imperial Prince and princesses are held.”

“Yes.”

Two elves dragged her away.

“There’s another one here.”

“Lady Kaede.”

Kaede, who had arrived at so point, set down a hero.

“Oh, it’s Pablo Barkat. He’s not dead, right?”

“He looks like he’ll be in danger if we don’t treat him.”

“Then we’ll take care of the rest.”

“Please do.”

Kaede roughly shook off the blood and headed back to the battlefield.

A massive monster crossed paths with her and entered inside.

“Why did a monster co back?”

“There’s a person on its shoulder!”

“Put him down!”

A blood-soaked hero was dragged across the floor.

“It’s Ralph Schmitz. It looks like Lady Lavinia won as well.”

“His armor is completely crushed, and he’s covered in blood. Isn’t he dead?”

“He’s still alive. Treat him and Pablo Barkat properly, then shackle them and put them in the cells next to Aina Diaphrin.”

“Yes!”

After treating the Stars just enough to keep them alive, the elves disappeared again.

Then—

“Sothing is flying toward us!”

“It’s a person!”

“Don’t attack rashly!”

Ellena stirred the wind. A gentle tailwind slowed the projectile and settled it on the ground.

“It’s Watton Colo. Lady Louise won. Then all the Stars except Balraf Dislode have been subdued.”

She had doubted it, but the Four Heavenly Kings truly had defeated all the Stars. No matter how much dragon power they had gained, their greatness could not be denied.

Ellena and the elves felt the montum of victory.

“Quickly treat him roughly and imprison him too!”

“Yes!”

“But should we really let that one live as well?”

Ellena followed the elf’s pointing finger with her gaze.

At the center of the battlefield, the Demon King and a hero were fighting, shattering all the ice around them.

It was more intense and destructive than any other battle. Monsters, demons, and heroes alike lacked even the courage to approach.

“...I’m not sure.”

Ellena swallowed her words for a mont.

But she already knew the answer.

Because she had never before seen the Demon King reveal such dense killing intent without restraint.