Chapter 208: Departure
“It seems there’s so misunderstanding.”
Berje lightly brought a finger up.
Chiiiiik-
Kkreeeeee-
The heat of searing flas nearly burned Daniel’s face.
“You are not in a position to make any kind of deal right now.”
“The one mistaken is you. Just as you said, I have no way out anymore. If I am going to lose my life anyway, why would I help you?”
“If you do not want to talk, then do not. I will shatter your mind and extract it.”
“Go ahead. I was the one who had hunted dozens of Demon Kings over several hundred years. My mind is not so weak that I would fall to so half-baked succubus.”
As he said, he might be able to destroy his mind itself, but he would never obtain what he wanted.
At Daniel’s assertion, Berje’s brow creased.
He had hoped he was not a pathetic man. He had hoped that even when captured, he would remain proud and continue to show that sa disgust from before.
Only then would it be enjoyable to break him. But this was not the form he had wanted.
After pondering briefly, Berje’s eyes glimred. Thinking about it, there was no harm in playing along with his tune.
After all, the initiative was with Berje. And it was obvious what the foolish hero would say in order to demand ‘trust’ and ‘faith’.
“Fine. If you tell everything about Jason Kokemundo, I will release you.”
“Swear it on the First Demon Emperor and The Demon King’s Standard that you revere so dearly.”
“Did it really have to go that far?”
“If not, how could I trust a Demon King?”
“Then how could I trust a hero?”
“I would swear on the power of dinsions. If you swore on the First Demon Emperor and The Demon King’s Standard that you would spare my life, I would tell you everything I knew about Jason Kokemundo.”
Despite all mana being bound, a faint movent of power was felt.
It was a dinsional restriction that constrained the hero’s power and imposed compulsion.
“Now it was your turn.”
“Did you know what the First Demon Emperor and The Demon King’s Standard ant to us when you asked that?”
“I did, that was why I asked!”
He put strength into his eyes. Berje glared back at him, then muttered softly as if he had no choice.
“I swear on the great First Demon Emperor and The Demon King’s Standard that if you tell about Jason Kokemundo, I will release you. Ah, as promised, I would cut off one arm.”
Was that enough?
“Now, start talking.”
“...Where should I begin. The eting with him would be best. Exactly 458 years ago, I t him.”
“Four hundred and fifty-eight years.”
Jason Kokemundo had descended here less than 150 years ago. Yet 458 years?
“You should know my past to so extent.”
“I heard you killed two Demon Kings, and that you went around saying you would beco a god if you killed the third.”
“I was not the one saying that. It was simply that followers gathered around . At the ti, the heroes’ power was not as strong as it was now.”
It had been just over a hundred years since humanity had begun to truly gain the upper hand.
Although thousands of heroes had killed quite a few Demon Kings, there had rarely been anything like an overwhelming victory. They always had to fight desperately, staking their lives.
In that situation, an overwhelming powerhouse appeared.
Daniel Deyrus. From the mont he awakened as a hero, he began to stand out, and soon killed two Demon Kings.
For heroes, ability was power and fa. Followers gathered around him, and his honor rose.
So even revered him as sacred, calling him a ssenger of god who would end the oppression of the Demon Kings.
“But there was opposition as well. Filthy ones who did not want to let go of power.”
Daniel survived while fighting those who envied and resented him. But those who were few at first soon began to move on a national scale, branding him a public enemy of the continent.
“I thought I needed stronger power. I wanted to wipe out those damned pigs.”
“So you went to kill the third Demon King?”
“Yes. I still rembered it. The Demon King of Colossal Stone. A Titan.”
The Demon King of Colossal Stone had repelled many assault units and hero’s marches at the ti, earning a notorious reputation.
“He was strong. I even made a deal with the power holders back then. That I would kill him alone. When I reached the summit, I was exhausted. It was a reckless challenge. No matter that I had killed two Demon Kings, I was still immature at the ti.”
“And then?”
“I fought a desperate battle with the Demon King of Colossal Stone. We ended up in mutual destruction, leaving fatal wounds on each other. The Demon King and I both fell. With no strength left to move, we stared at each other, fighting over who would die first, and who would soon follow.”
That was when it happened.
“An uninvited guest appeared.”
“That was Jason?”
“Yes, it was Jason. Or rather, he was not called Jason back then. Anyway, Jason ignored and walked straight up to the Demon King of Colossal Stone. And then he was sucked into the Demon King’s body.”
Monts later, the dying Demon King of Colossal Stone rose. Then, looking at Daniel, he whispered.
‘So you are the famous Daniel Deyrus. Your potential is astonishing. You will be useful.’
‘Do you wish to live? Do you wish to take revenge on those who sacrificed you for power?’
‘Then.’
‘Would you consider making a contract with ?’
“...That was what he said.”
* * *
“....”
Kaede, who had been about to step into the prison, eventually turned her body around.
She had heard that her elder brother was shocked after witnessing the corpses of heroes.
The Demon King had mocked him and told her to take revenge.
But such actions did not suit her temperant.
‘This was enough as it was.’
Even without her stepping in, the First Prince had suffered a great shock. Leaving aside whether it was excessive or insufficient, there was no need for her to act. She did not want to.
No matter what, he was her blood, her elder brother.
‘A knight should always be harsh.’
As a blade for one’s lord, personal emotions had to be excluded. In that sense, she was unfit as a knight.
Returning to her original place, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Slowly, she drew her sword.
The sword made from dragon bone she had received from Roger revealed its brilliant form.
Beautiful.
As she looked at the sword, stray thoughts vanished. She wanted to swing it. She wanted to display swordsmanship with this blade.
She did not restrain her surging desire.
She swung the sword. It was light. It was fluid. Like a beloved sword she had used for years, it fit snugly in her hand.
She envisioned a hypothetical enemy.
There was a suitable opponent. The Star she had clashed with not long ago.
A massive greatsword flew in. She blocked it. She deflected it and closed in. She swung. Before she knew it, the greatsword returned to its place and knocked her sword aside. It pressed down from above.
Her body vibrated under the powerful force. As she stepped back, it pursued her. But it was half a beat late. She evaded the surging power with minimal movent. She ignored the crumpling armor. She extended her sword straight toward the blind spot...
She stopped her sword. A faint vibration was felt in her arms.
“Brother?”
It was a communication device. A direct line communicator given to her by the Third Prince, Martin Zespine.
『Kaede! You received it!』
When she infused mana, an urgent voice ca through.
“Brother?”
『The Demon King! Where is the Demon King!』
“The Demon King is, of course, in the tower.”
『Then why is he not responding....』
“Did sothing happen?”
『Yes. It was not an enormous matter yet, but it showed signs of becoming one.』
Sensing the anguish and gloom in his voice, Kaede asked urgently.
“What happened?”
『...The Empire is going mad.』
“...The Empire?”
『Tell the Demon King.』
『That we need help.』
* * *
More than a simple shock.
The deaths of nearly 300 heroes.
Over 500 wounded.
Severe injuries among the five surviving Stars.
And.
The Berfht Kingdom’s treasure, a floating battleship, sunk.
The great hero, Balraf Dislode, dead.
【A shocking defeat.... A great Star has set.】
【Where the Stars stood, there was neither light, glory, nor victory.】
【Another defeat, the death of Balraf Dislode, was humanity truly above the Demon Kings?】
【Testimonies from survivors ‘The False Demon King was helping the Demon King of Dark Fla. The Demon Kings were cooperating while pretending not to.’ Uproar....】
【A Demon King left his own tower to help another Demon King. There has never been such a case before....】
【The Demon Kings have begun to cooperate, the continent has lost its greatest Star, urgent desperate asures required....】
The dia, which had always sward like hyenas whenever sothing happened, were different this ti.
The defeats until now, despite being defeats, had still carried hope.
The hope that the greatest Star existed.
The hope that they had fallen into a trap, but had not yet truly fought.
The hope that if they could kill dragons, they could kill Demon Kings too.
But all of that hope vanished.
Even if ti were turned back to just a hundred years ago, it would not have seed strange.
On average, heroes had held the advantage through overwhelming numbers, but many heroes had also died, just like Demon Kings.
However, it had been over a hundred years since the era of peace arrived after killing every Demon King except False. Most who had lived through the past were dead.
To them, victory was natural, and it was natural that humanity stood above the Demon Kings.
Assault units were hunts for spoils, and whenever a hero’s march occurred, at least one Demon King had to die.
That was shattered. Once or twice could be laughed off. But it was repeated several tis.
Defeat after defeat after defeat.
Hope was broken, and Stars fell.
No longer did the reassurance that humanity was superior remain in their hearts.
In its place, the fear called the Demon King of Dark Fla sat heavily.
“We must kill all Demon Kings!”
“Demon Kings must not exist!”
“The Alliance should do what the Alliance must do!”
Public opinion deteriorated rapidly. Many began to call for the extermination of all Demon Kings.
Because of that, the Alliance promptly convened a eting. In a way, it was fortunate. The continental nations had already agreed to act as one when facing Demon Kings.
“We must take a hardline stance.”
Cain, the Fifth Prince representing the Kingdom of Arkan, asserted.
“We have been struck repeatedly, and even Balraf Dislode, who could represent the heroes, has died. Our prestige has fallen to the ground, and our people are trembling in fear. We must take revenge, set an example. We must kill Dark Fla. If Dark Fla was impossible, then at least another Demon King must die.”
Other envoys nodded, agreeing with Cain’s statent.
“Those words are right. However, Demon Kings were like weeds. Over the past thousand years, we have killed dozens of them. Even so, they continued to descend and never disappeared. Was that not why, a hundred years ago, we left False alive instead of killing all Demon Kings?”
“That was right. Indiscriminate Demon King subjugation would only increase sacrifices aninglessly.”
So envoys voiced doubts, not so much opposition as a call for greater caution.
“That does not an we can do nothing. Fortunately, we have a suitable target.”
“A suitable target?”
“According to the surviving heroes’ testimonies, the failure of this hero’s march was not solely due to the Demon King of Dark Fla. The problem was another Demon King who ‘cooperated’ with Dark Fla. And that Demon King’s tower lay plainly within our grasp.”
While all other Demon Kings had vanished, False had remained in that sa place for over a hundred years.
“We must kill him.”
Because he was False.
Because he was a Demon King who had stood like a symbol of Demon Kings for over a century.
It carried even more aning.
“If not now, we might never have another chance.”
Although a great hero had died and the Hero Guild’s strength was at its lowest in history, that very fact was uniting the opinions of all continental nations.
Fear and anger were binding the Alliance more tightly.
“When all nations beca one to overco this fear.”
“Indeed. The fundantal problem is Dark Fla, but we can not deny that False’s help had been significant. He is a Demon King who has watched everything on the continent for a long ti.”
“If we must set an example, I also agree that it should be False.”
“But to do that, we will have to move armies from each nation....”
“Through an agreent, for this case alone, the passage of armies....”
“If we act while watching each other’s reactions, we will once again fall to the Demon Kings....”
The nobles exchanged opinions. And the flow was heading toward the subjugation of False, just as Cain wanted.
“What is the Empire’s opinion?”
At that mont, Cain’s gaze turned to the Empire’s envoy, who had remained silent.
“...We.”
His expression was strangely dark.
That was understandable. The one that had suffered the greatest damage from the Demon King of Dark Fla was the Empire.
The Ninth Princess had been abducted.
Cities had been devastated by monster invasions.
Most of the tens of thousands of soldiers who died in the trap tower had been Imperial troops.
The First Prince had also been abducted.
And the great hero Balraf Dislode had clearly been an Imperial hero aligned with the Empire.
‘But from the holand’s perspective, it was not entirely bad.’
Balraf Dislode had been a significant obstacle in expanding influence within the Hero Guild. Nor could they be displeased that the Empire’s power had weakened.
Although it was not sothing to consider when facing a great enemy like a Demon King, Cain, from his position as a prince, could not help but keep the Empire in check.
“I apologize for throwing cold water on the mood.”
But then.
“The Empire would not participate in this Demon King subjugation. We would also withdraw from the Alliance. This was the will of His Great Majesty the Emperor.”
“...!”
“...!”
No one expected the Empire’s sudden withdrawal from the Alliance.
User Comments
0 comments from readers