“Y-your majesty!”

“…What are you even saying right now?”

“H-how could you insult God?!”

“Why have your eyes turned black…?”

The high priests and the kingdom’s executives observed the sight of the king’s black eyes with trembling chins.

“You aren’t surprised.”

King Boarn smiled gently at Raon, not caring about the priests and their wide eyes at all. Pitch-black demonic energy was crawling from his shoulders.

“Did you know all along?”

“I wasn’t certain.” Raon shook his head, meeting King Baorn’s grotesquely distorted eyes. “You were just the most suspicious after I listened to Sir Hopen.”

He pointed at Hopen, whose eyes were getting teary in disbelief at his father’s change.

“What did he say?” King Baorn stroked his chin, showing his curiosity.

“I heard that you were overtaken by sadness after Sir Biten’s death, and that you were unable to do anything for a while. Logically, it doesn’t make any sense for a person who loves his son so much to dispatch his youngest son to a dangerous mission that wasn’t even properly investigated.”

Raon calmly closed his eyes before opening them again.

“Moreover, instead of being relieved at your youngest son’s safe return, you only repeated hollow words of gratitude towards me.”

King Baorn hadn’t called on Hopen separately to talk with him, nor had he punished the information department for their lack of investigation. A father who has lost three of his sons could’ve never behaved like that.

“That implied that there was either a matter more important than your son, a drastic change had occurred in your mentality, or both.”

Raon continued with certainty, “To begin with, wasn’t the reason you dispatched the troops to Divarn Mountain without proper investigation to prevent Zieghart’s interference?”

“Hah…” King Baorn weakly tapped his forehead. “Exactly. You read my mind perfectly.”

He nodded while smiling faintly toward the only son he had left. The warmth and cold-heartedness mingled in eerie harmony within his gaze.

“My impatience must’ve shown because the great plan was set to happen soon. What a shame. I wanted to see your surprise.”

Baorn nodded, not flustered at all. He admitted that he was the ringleader behind the incident without any resistance.

“F-Father… It really was my father…”

Hopen’s hands were shaking in disbelief at the situation. He seemed incapable of bringing himself to believe it.

“Damn it!”

“I didn’t believe it! I didn’t believe it until the end! Why the hell are you doing all this shit?!”

Tears were welling up in the saintess’s eyes, unbefitting her harsh appearance.

“Wh-what’s even happening right now?” Kinnear bit his lip while touching his gauntlet. “Why are you talking like you are the perpetrator, your majesty?!” He shouted at King Baorn.

“As expected, you don’t understand me.” King Baorn calmly nodded, looking at the saintess and Kinnear one after the other. “I love our kingdom far too much. It’s even more precious to me than my own life.”

He raised his finger and pointed at the kingdom, which was slowly being blanketed by darkness.

“However, there’s one thing I’ve learned after I became king. Despite my wishes, this vast kingdom is an extremely weak place, one that could disappear in a single shake of someone’s hand.”

“What do you mean…?”

“My first son was murdered by a demonized human from the Black Tower during his second mission. He was devoured to death, not even a bone left behind. The Iron Blood Demon from Eden killed my second son by tearing all his limbs apart during his holy service. I couldn’t complain even though my beloved sons were killed. Why?”

The corners of Baorn’s lips ascended frighteningly.

“Because God didn’t want revenge. More importantly, it was impossible to take revenge! This kingdom is pretty much a paper castle in the face of those monsters, the Five Demons!”

Blood flowed from his lips. It had a dark hue, a dead man’s blood.

“I prayed. I wouldn’t crave revenge, I’d remove my anger. I prayed countless times, begging God not to take my children from me in return for my faith. However…”

A giggle slipped past King Baorn’s blood-blackened lips.

“Countless priests, holy knights, and innocent civilians perished by the blades of villains. My third son died in Banneret, where you were also present. Moreover, he was sucked dry of blood by the White Blood Religion’s leader. I can’t even imagine his pain and sadness.”

“......”

Raon couldn’t say anything because he’d witnessed Biten’s death directly.

“Revenge. I desired revenge—to drain her of her blood just like she did to my son. However, I couldn’t do it. God didn’t want revenge, and I lacked the ability to do so to begin with. That was when I finally realized it.”

King Baorn smiled while looking at the dimming sky.

“God doesn’t exist in this world. My prayers so far were directed at a motherfucking son of a bitch!”

“F-Father…” Hopen’s lips trembled as he listened to Baorn’s twisted laughter.

“Your majesty…” Kinnear gritted his teeth, still showing his disbelief.

“That’s why I joined hands with the darkness that approached me at that moment. He immediately answered my question, unlike that deaf God.”

Baorn put his hands together. Pitch-black darkness emerged from his hand where light used to gather.

“You are the deaf one!” The saintess shouted, standing in front of King Baorn. “All of us protected you with all our hearts, so how…?”

She was glaring at King Baorn, her gaze full of pain rather than malice.

“Saintess. No—Olga.” Baorn looked at the saintess, his lips curving into a smile that gave an impression that his divinity was crumbling away. “You are the most noble soul in this kingdom. But you are too kindhearted.”

“Shut up!”

“I’m going to kill the idiotic god who calls such a person to heaven so quickly. Soon… Hmm?”

He calmly nodded but suddenly came to a halt.

“What?” King Baorn furrowed his brow upon seeing that the demonic energy welling up to the wall of holy power was interrupted. “I thought we already eliminated all of the holy artifacts and holy water.”

He rubbed his fingers, wondering why the demonic energy had stopped moving.

“We’ve taken countermeasures.”

Raon pointed under the tower with his chin. He was pointing at the holy knights and the Light Wind Division, who were suppressing the demonic energy from the walls with holy artifacts and holy water.

“So that we can stop the ambition of whoever allied with the demon.”

“Hah! I did hear that the Dragon Slayer’s real weapon is his tongue and mental ability instead of his sword, but I didn’t know that it was true.” Baorn didn’t lose his composure even after he saw the Light Wind Division stopping the demonic energy. “However, delaying it should be all that you can achieve.”

He put his hands together, and the demonic energy blazing between his hands floated into the air and started to spread all around the kingdom.

Thud!

Raon gritted his teeth and executed the Supreme Harmony Steps. He then leaped toward the sky, where demonic energy was welling up, and unsheathed Heavenly Drive and the Blade of Requiem.

He unleashed an extremely swift Frost Pond with the two swords in a single breath.

Cring!

The blade unleashed by his experience, hardened by countless life and death situations, started to crush the demonic energy.

However, he couldn’t contain it perfectly because King Baorn’s demonic energy was far too intense. The frightening demonic energy fell towards the north, east, and south, though not the west.

Whaaam!

Monsters engulfed in dark flames emerged from the demonic energy that collided with the ground, letting out their monstrous roars.

“Err…”

“Aaaaack!”

“M-monsters!”

“Save—Gaaah!”

“R-run away! Escape right—Ack!”

The residents who’d been praying were trampled or devoured by the monsters before they could escape.

“Kuh…”

“S-save me!”

“Oh God…”

The monsters’ movements were better than any ordinary monster’s, and the powerless residents of Schper perished helplessly as a result.

As their blood flowed across the white land, the dark flame further intensified.

“Stop it!”

“Baorn!”

* * *

Raon and the saintess rushed towards King Baorn at the same time.

A blade sharpened like a protruding vein and a fist incorporating the lightning of holy power advanced towards King Baorn’s neck, only for a wall of holy power and a blue astral sphere to block the path.

Claaang!

A powerful shockwave spread around, shaking the entire spire and filling it with a dark fog.

Four eyes were shining in the midst of it. They belonged not to King Baorn but to Father Firn and the royal guard captain, Danief.

They weren’t the only ones. Four high priests were located behind them. The king wasn’t the only one who fell.

“F-Father Firn!”

Saintess Olga gritted her teeth, looking into Father Firn’s unwavering eyes.

“Even you!”

Her fingers trembled, showing that she was even more heartbroken by his betrayal than by the king’s.

“I knew it…” Raon twisted his lips, looking at Danief, who was crossing blades with him. “You were both with him.”

Hopen had told him that Father Firn and Sir Danief had served King Baorn ever since their childhood, and the Light Wind Division’s investigation had confirmed the same thing—that they were almost always together.

Since there was no way they wouldn’t have noticed King Baorn’s change when they’d been together ever since their childhood, Raon was expecting that they must’ve become traitors together.

“Huh?” King Baorn raised his eyebrows in surprise. “I didn’t think you would manage to read us so far. But it’s all over now.”

He put his hands together once again, and darkness welled up from below his feet.

“It’s time for you to leave.”

Darkness filled King Baorn’s surroundings, and the spire’s floor suddenly collapsed beneath their feet before they could even react.

“I will have become a god by the time we meet again.”

King Baorn floated into the air and entered the dark sphere. Father Firn wasn’t smiling anymore as he followed, and Danief was as silent as always.

“Huff…”

“Aaaack!”

“S-save me!”

There were too many people on the spire, and most of them were priests who only had holy power. Almost a hundred people were going to die from the collapse, including those they would fall upon, at the rate things were going.

“Damn it! Damn it! Daaaamn it!”

Saintess Olga moved toward the people right away despite hurling insults. She created a thick layer of holy power to protect them from the fall.

“Baorn!” Kinnear caught the falling people while shouting the king’s name.

“Haa.”

Raon stretched Heavenly Drive and the Blade of Requiem out. He summoned the winds from the Light Wind Style and Garunua at the same time, aiming to slow the descent of those who were falling.

He managed to save dozens of falling people without the smallest mistake because he’d increased his focus with the Ring of Fire. However, King Baorn and his followers had already hidden away in the dark sphere.

Whir!

The sphere of demonic energy engulfed the entire tower, unleashing its dark flames as if trying to protect King Baorn.

The intense flow of demonic energy, which was pulsating like a heartbeat, was enough to send a chill down the spine of those watching.

“Raon.”

Rimmer approached Raon, his shoulder stained dark with blood. He must’ve already cut down the monsters before he came to him.

“It really happened according to your predictions.”

“Damn it, I was hoping it wouldn’t…”

“Division leader…”

Burren, Martha, and Runaan’s blades were also smeared in dark blood as they let out sighs.

“Division leader, the demonic energy is more powerful than expected.” Mark Goetten shook off the blood from his sword with a frown. “My body won’t move as it should. It’s as if the demonic energy is holding me back.”

He shook his head, saying that he couldn’t use his full power.

“We’re spreading the holy water and using the holy artifacts, but it only works for a moment,” Dorian sighed, pointing at the holy artifact that he took from his belly pocket.

It’s only natural.

Wrath nodded while looking at the weak dark flame blazing from the floor.

This is a branding of sacrifice prepared from Devildom. It’s a boundary that places a limitation on the body and mind to prevent the sacrifice from running away.

‘You should’ve told me earlier.’

Raon furrowed his brow while looking at Wrath.

How is the King of Essence even supposed to know when they’ve prepared it from Devildom? He would’ve stopped it before if he knew that the mongrel's follower was the one who made a contract with that idiot!

Wrath shook his head, saying that he also regretted it.

‘Branding of sacrifice…’

Raon narrowed his eyes, watching the demonic energy slowly cover the layer of holy power. The demonic energy was getting stronger at a very slow pace without destroying the layer of holy power.

‘This is what they were planning on achieving.’

Since they’d unleashed their holy power while praying all day long, it should look like everyone was still in the sacred ceremony from the outside. The king must’ve been planning to use that time to enhance his power through sacrifices.

‘And… there’s also a demon in play.’

Instead of the demon who was contracted with King Baorn, the demon Raon had sensed upon his arrival was making their move. The demon wasn’t extremely powerful, but it was going to be a difficult fight because they were inside the boundary.

“I’ll remove the demonic energy.”

Sir Kinnear unsheathed his snow-white sword. He slammed the land with the blade that was capable of removing the darkness, and a pure light spread to the surrounding area, subsiding the flames of demonic energy.

“Kuh! Th-this is stronger than I expected…”

Kinnear’s face turned yellow. Even though ‘paladin’ was the strongest title among holy knights, his holy power seemed incapable of crushing the demonic energy covering the walls and land.

“What a pathetic guy.”

Saintess Olga put her hand on Kinnear’s sword. A huge light sprouted from her small hand. It almost looked like a white mountain was erupting from the center of the kingdom.

Whaaam!

A tremendous amount of holy power was unleashed, extinguishing the flames of demonic energy blazing in all directions.

“Can’t you even do this much?” Saintess Olga furrowed her brow while looking at Kinnear.

“Don’t compare me to a monster like you.” Kinnear shook his head while gritting his teeth.

“Can you sustain it, at least?” Raon asked.

“Do I look like I can’t even do that?” Kinnear lowered his eyebrows deeply, telling him to count on him.

“Hopen.”

“Ah, yes…”

Hopen had been standing there blankly, but his hands trembled upon hearing Kinnear’s call.

“I’ll give you the authority to command all holy knights.” Kinnear handed over the paladin’s emblem that was on his chest. “Wipe out the monsters.”

“I-I…” Hopen swallowed nervously, not accepting the emblem.

“It’s unreasonable to ask for a son to take responsibility for a father’s mistake. However…” Raon let out a small sigh while walking up to Hopen. “This is time to accept that unreasonable treatment.”

“…Understood.” Hopen bit his lip and accepted the paladin’s emblem.

“The demon is taking action.” Raon raised his finger while looking at the Light Wind Division. “Stop them by all means.”

“Since our division leader is pleading so hard, we’ll have to grant this request.”

“Go upstairs and don’t worry about it… Sir.”

“Let’s finish quickly and get ice cream.”

Burren, Martha, and Runaan nodded their heads, telling him not to worry about it.

“I’ll do my best as well.” Mark Goetten also nodded, telling him to count on him.

“Then is my opponent that you mentioned before all the way up there?” Rimmer smiled, tapping on the sword hanging around his waist.

“I’ll be counting on you.”

“I’m also heading out. Even if I have to die, I’m going to smash those damned bastards first.”

Saintess Olga raised her gaze, wiping away the blood flowing from her mouth. Another emblem was added on her thigh, her skin having melted down when she’d used her holy power excessively. It looked like it would be pointless to stop her.

Raon nodded and placed his hand on the dark demonic energy engulfing the entire tower.

* * *

“They’re coming from the right side!” Burren shouted, and the Light Wind Formation’s balance shifted to the right.

Rumble!

A monster engulfed in dark flames charged at them while turning the land upside down. Three tails with eyes attached to them were moving like whips. It was a monster that couldn’t be found in their world.

“First team, Full Spear Assault!”

Martha kicked the ground alongside the first team’s swordsmen. The Light Wind Style’s wind enchanted the blades, brimming with a powerful aura as blue light flickered from the slash.

Whaam!

The monster that had been approaching while shattering the buildings on the way was cut into dozens of pieces, fading away as a dark fog.

Whoosh!

The moment the Light Wind Division’s sword was lowered slightly, a monster in the shape of a huge bird rapidly descended from the sky, extending claws as large as an axe.

Cring!

Runaan and the second team immediately reacted. Blue frost spread around like a web and wind covered its back, completely surrounding the bird-shaped monster.

Slash!

When the monster tried to run away after seeing its freezing wings, Mark Goetten’s saber struck like lightning, splitting the monster in half before it faded away.

“Th-thank you.”

“Thank you for saving us.”

People who’d barely managed to survive lowered their heads, standing on trembling legs.

“Take this.” Dorian took out a small bottle of holy water from his belly pocket and poured it above the heads of the survivors.

“Go to the west. It’s dangerous here.” Burren returned to action after pointing at the west, where monsters hadn’t descended yet.

‘The Light Wind Style is extremely helpful.’

They would normally have needed to spend a large amount of aura because every single one of the monsters was powerful, but the Light Wind Style had increased their combat efficiency. He could guess that they could buy a large amount of time even if they couldn’t kill all the monsters.

“Where the hell is that demon?!” Martha’s lips curved into a displeased frown.

“There are too many presences. It’s impossible to find them by ourselves. However…” Burren licked his lips while shaking his head. “It’s already decided where they are going to come.”

“It’s decided?”

“Yes, we should be able to encounter it if we head there now.”

Burren nodded and turned around. He increased his aura’s output to the maximum while returning to the path they’d come from.

“But this is where we came from.” Krein tilted his head.

“The demon’s goal is obvious.”

“Ah!” Martha clapped her hands, realizing what Burren was talking about.

“We are going back at full speed, everyone!”

Burren ran towards the spire where Raon and the king had offered the prayer while saying that they had to hurry up.

By the time Kinnear entered his vision, suppressing the demonic energy, the central avenue was split in half and a dark flame had erupted from it.

The dark flame turned into the shape of a huge dog with a spiky leash around its neck and destroyed all of the buildings in the surrounding area with a single swing of its tail.

Whaaam!

A black-haired and black-eyed young man with a small horn protruding from his forehead was riding the huge dog. He gestured with his finger at the dog-shaped monster, Kinnear the only goal in his mind.

Just as the monster breathed its flame toward Kinnear, the Light Wind Division charged at him and blocked the path.

Rumble!

The dark flame subsided to the ground, unable to break through the Light Wind Style’s wind.

“Haa, I thought I was going to die…” Kinnear breathed out a sigh of relief, putting his hand on his sword.

“How dare you get in my way?!” The demon with black hair and eyes twisted his lips while glaring at the Light Wind Division. “Do you truly believe that inferior humans like you can stop me?”

“You can bark like a dog despite being a demon,” Martha sneered, glaring at the demon.

“The one we have to fight every day is a demon king, not a trash mob like you.”

“There’s no reason to be afraid.” Runaan nodded.

The Light Wind Division didn’t seem afraid of the demon’s demonic energy at all as they clenched their swords.

“What’s wrong with them…?”

The demon’s black eyes trembled in panic, surprised by the Light Wind Division’s composure in the face of his demonic energy.

***

If you find any errors or have suggestions, please feel free to provide feedback.

Thank you for reading!

[Author – Writing Ant, 글개미]

[Translator – Anowa]

[Proofreader – Harley]