Chapter 63
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 63
Chapter Title: The Ego Golem
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“Ah, the air of the mortal realm. It has been a long time.”
What in the world is this?
“How refreshing.”
Is this a dream?
“But it seems there are vermin disturbing my pleasure.”
Why now, of all times?
“Still, I am in a good mood today, so I shall bestow mercy upon these vermin. Savor the last five minutes of your lives.”
Has Andromalius been summoned?
‘What do I do?’
What do I do? What do I do? What do I do? What do I do? What do I do?
My mind went blank.
A demon being summoned while I was setting traps. I had never, ever anticipated such a scenario.
Can we win?
‘Aint isn’t here.’
The core of every plan Pernyan had ever made was Aint Armian.
The natural enemy of demons, a direct descendant of the Armian family.
The hero of the Prophecy Book, who had absorbed all the safeguards left by the first emperor.
But he wasn't here.
Worse, the pressure emanating from Andromalius far surpassed anything Pernyan had imagined.
‘Was the Prophecy Book merely a glimpse…?’
This was different from the Andromalius I had seen through the prophecy.
He was more chilling, more viscous, more terrifying.
My body trembled uncontrollably.
It felt like no plan, no preparation, would be of any use.
“…What are you?”
Just then, the one to break the silence was neither Andromalius, nor Pernyan, nor Aria.
It was Ruina Bercefe.
She who dreamed of becoming the noblest and strongest knight took a step forward, even in the face of a demon.
“Are you asking me?”
“Who else would I be asking?”
It wasn't that she felt no fear. Her eyes and her blade were wavering.
Yet, their tips were pointed unequivocally at Andromalius.
“…Yes, I suppose you are.”
*Pfft.* Andromalius let out a snort of laughter.
*Pffffhahahahaha.* The snort soon turned into a crazed roar. Though it was just a laugh, the air vibrated thunderously.
“Ugh…!”
“Aahh…!”
Pernyan and Aria clutched their ears. Ruina grimaced but did not break her stance.
“Ah, my apologies. It has been so long since I received a question from such a lowly creature. How novel.”
But then.
“I do not recall granting a lowly creature permission to ask questions.”
The smile on Andromalius's lips vanished.
“Such an insignificant creature does not know its place.”
—!
“Ugh…!”
It was just a light flick of a finger. A single strand of demonic energy.
Even so, Ruina was pushed back several steps as she took the blow. Cracks appeared in her aura, and her sword trembled violently.
“Ruina!”
“Sunbaenim!”
Her struggle made Pernyan realize how pathetic he was being.
‘Dammit…!’
To stand here trembling, doing nothing. It was the ultimate shame, the ultimate humiliation.
‘Losing money is scarier than a demon. Dying without getting to spend the money I earned is more frightening. The thought of my fortune disappearing is more terrifying!’
What was a mere demon, anyway?
Hadn't I gone to such great lengths just to stop him?
I should be wary, yes, but there was no need to be excessively afraid.
“Aria, prepare for battle.”
“…Yes. I can't just sit here and die. I’m sorry you had to see me in such a pathetic state.”
Pernyan and Aria forced themselves to overcome their fear and raised their staves.
As if they were beneath his notice, Andromalius clenched and unclenched his fists, muttering to himself.
“Hmm, is this all? Tsk, as expected. Coming here earlier than planned means the extra effort didn't amount to much. Well, it's more than enough to kill these insects.”
Let’s see now.
“I was told that after I kill all the humans who entered the barrier, I can run wild as I please.”
Andromalius’s gaze swept over them all.
Two humans and one elf.
And.
“So it’s you.”
Not too far away. One human and a tagalong who had been unpleasantly grating on his senses as they approached.
“Armian.”
Andromalius stretched out a hand stained black. A beam of light, incomparably thicker than the one Ruina had blocked, shot out in a straight line.
────!
White light and black darkness collided. A shockwave spread out in all directions.
The earth shook, trees snapped, and dust from what used to be something scattered into the air.
“…It’s Aint.”
At that sight, life returned to Pernyan’s eyes.
His assumption that the demon summoning wouldn't happen before Aint's arrival had been correct.
If so, there was hope.
If so, they could defeat the demon.
Because that was the original history.
And even if something had changed, they were more thoroughly prepared than in the original history.
“Ruina!”
“Yes!”
“Go, help Aint. Andromalius's primary target is Aint. If Aint dies, we all die!”
“But then you will be…”
“Hurry!”
“Understood!”
Ruina sprinted off.
“Aria, you too.”
“What about you, Sunbaenim?”
“I have something to do.”
“Something to do?”
“Yes. I didn't think I’d have to use it so soon, but…”
If you set a trap, you have to spring it.
* * *
—This is absurd…!
Summoning the demons of hell to the mortal realm was no easy feat.
To pierce the dimensional barrier, a corresponding price was required. Immense mana, or life force.
And gathering such things would naturally leave traces. But there had been no signs of a demon summoning anywhere.
No, perhaps I simply didn't know.
—How could you have managed something so important that it became a catalyst for a demon summoning!
—There must have been signs!
Regardless of Gardner’s outcry, the situation continued to unfold.
“W-wait… Aint…!”
The moment he saw the demon, Aint pushed past his fear and terror and advanced.
It was instinct. The demon-loathing of their natural enemy.
The light energy within an Armian utterly cursed and raged against demonic energy.
Following its lead, Aint swung his sword.
────!
A clash with the flashing demonic energy.
The immense repulsive force sent Aint tumbling to the ground. The impact, which bypassed his sword, made his entire body creak.
He was stronger than any foe he had ever fought.
The Vile Breed he had fought just a short while ago was nothing in comparison.
“You of the cursed bloodline.”
Despite the considerable distance, his eyes met the demon’s. The abyss-like pupils sent a chill down his spine. His skin crawled.
“How pathetic.”
The low voice struck his eardrums with clarity.
‘Can I win? Really? He’s on a completely different level from that Vile Breed.’
The difference in class, understood from a single clash, forced him to face reality.
His entire body trembled like a leaf in the wind.
—Calm yourself, Aint!
Just then, Aint’s sword began to glow.
—This is completely unexpected, but that doesn't mean you will surely lose!
The light pushed back the darkness, slowly erasing the pressure bearing down on Aint.
—You are an Armian. A being feared by demons.
—It is not you who should be trembling in fear, but him!
A warm energy enveloped Aint. His shuddering breaths began to stabilize.
“…Can I win?”
—This is not a question of whether you can win or not.
—You must win.
If he couldn't win, there was no future. For the peace of the continent, and for his own survival, Aint had to cut down the demon and live.
—Have you forgotten your resolve from last time?
—You have always fought enemies stronger than yourself. And yet, you are the one who is still alive!
—I will help you. Cut off that disgusting demon’s head and show the entire world that the Armians are still standing strong!
*Grip.* Aint’s hand tightened around his sword.
Gardner was right. This wasn't a question of whether he could win. It was a fight he absolutely had to win.
There was no hope in running away.
“How unpleasant, and unpleasant again.”
The demonic energy grew thicker. In response, Aint activated his aura. A brilliant light confronted the darkness.
“Armians truly have no reason to exist in this world.”
It was at that moment.
—!
──!
─!
Magic circles activated, creating a huge vortex of mana. Bright streaks of light flashed like fireworks.
They were spells, numbering in the dozens.
Lightning struck, flames flickered, and spears of ice and earth were launched.
They all descended upon Andromalius at once.
“Pathetic.”
None of them reached Andromalius, however.
Or so it seemed.
“…Kugh?”
Andromalius let out a short scream. *Hiss,* acrid smoke rose from all over his body.
—What is that? It's decomposing his demonic energy?
Something hidden within the spells was breaking down the demonic energy, piercing through to land an effective blow on Andromalius.
“…Who in the world?”
“Aint!”
Just then, a shout called out to him.
“Ruina Sunbaenim? Aria?”
“Aint.”
“Hi, Aint! Verian, you’re here too?”
“Why are you all here? What in the world is…!”
“It’s a long story. We don't have time right now.”
Ruina stood by Aint's side. Aria raised her staff behind them.
“For now, that demon, Andromalius, is the priority.”
“…You’re right about that.”
—Not bad. With them, especially Ruina Bercefe, they will be of considerable help!
Aint felt his heart lighten. There was a world of difference between feeling like he had to bear everything alone and having comrades by his side.
“Let's strike first before that thing regains its senses.”
“But what was that just now? Was that you, Sunbaenim?”
“Pernyan did it.”
“…Pernyan Sunbaenim is here too?”
Now that he thought about it, Aint belatedly remembered that Verian had come to see Pernyan.
“This damn bastard…!”
But the conversation could not continue. The enraged Andromalius began to move.
*Craaash!* A wall of rock that had sprung up was instantly demolished. No one was ignorant of what that meant.
“Pernyan Sunbaenim is in danger!”
—Go save your moneybags, now!
His aura activated. Channeled through the first emperor's sword, it shone with an even more brilliant presence.
Aint became a flash of light, sprinting forward. Like a stampeding horse, he closed the distance in an instant.
There was no time to test the waters.
He went all out from the start.
He didn't know what trick had been used, but the openings Pernyan had created were a golden opportunity.
──!
Sword and hand collided.
A shockwave spread out. Shattered demonic energy and particles of light-based aura scattered in all directions.
It was much more manageable than the first clash. Whether it was thanks to Gardner’s help or Pernyan’s, it didn't matter.
Aint's sword strikes rained down on Andromalius.
─!
Andromalius’s body slammed into the ground. The earth shook, and shattered rocks flew into the air.
Twisting in mid-air, Aint swung his sword again.
A condensed beam of light fell vertically like a flash.
─!
A massive explosion erupted. Aint followed close behind, unleashing a flurry of slashes.
“No matter how many times I feel it, this energy is utterly revolting…!”
But Andromalius was still standing. He roared in fury, his entire body turning black.
─!
Aint’s body was flung back even faster than he had descended.
Andromalius closed in.
Even as the shock left him unable to control his body, Aint raised his sword. A waterfall of fists poured down.
“That sword. It's that bastard's sword! It’s as chilling and disgusting as it was back then! It’s trash that should be erased from this world!”
The sword's divinity ate away at the demonic energy, and it was no exaggeration to say that was the only reason Aint was holding on.
But even that had its limits.
A trickle of blood ran from the corner of his mouth from his battered internal organs.
In that instant.
─!
Another sword intervened. It ambushed the demon from behind as he focused all his attention on Aint.
Andromalius screamed. The tip of the sword that had stabbed his weakened back was stained with black blood.
“You verminous bitch…!”
“For a demon, your mouth is quite foul.”
The sword's owner, Ruina, steadied her breath.
*Swoosh.* The moment the hidden elf’s wind swept over the demon, she kicked off the ground.
*Clang!* Sword and hand clashed.
*Screeech!* The sword slid down the arm and slashed the demon’s chest.
Or so she thought.
─!
A small shadow shot out and blocked Ruina’s blade.
It was a snake.
The ink-black snake coiled around Andromalius’s right hand.
“Fine. I admit I underestimated you.”
A chilling killing intent descended heavily upon them.
“To think I must go all out against insects. I would never have faced such a humiliation in hell…!”
*Crrrk.* Andromalius’s face twisted into a ferocious scowl.
“Rejoice. I will make it so that even in death, you are not truly dead…”
A storm of blades poured down. Another knight, who had been paralyzed with fear, pushed it aside and unleashed a slash.
“How dare these insects interrupt my…”
Verian screamed as he was sent flying.
“Nice one! Aria, Verian!”
Immediately after, the two knights charged in succession.
Sword and hand collided, sword and snake clashed.
Darkness and light, demonic energy and aura, eroded each other, asserting their presence.
The coordination between Aint and Ruina was like that of comrades who had long entrusted their backs to one another.
They covered each other's openings while striking at the demon's.
The winds that flew in at just the right moments added to their vigor.
Even so, Andromalius was no pushover.
“How dare you…!”
He opened his mouth and spewed demonic energy.
The highly compressed energy struck Aint directly. He blocked it but couldn't withstand the impact and was pushed back.
The snake followed, sealing Aint’s movements.
Ruina, who had been aiming for the demon’s back, was stunned as his body twisted bizarrely, deflecting her sword.
*Crrrack.* Enduring the tearing of her own muscles, she forcibly changed the trajectory and pierced his side.
“You damn bitch!”
*Craaang—*
But immediately after, a heavy fist shattered her aura and crumpled her armor. Ruina’s body was sent flying far away.
“Pathetic.”
The wind tried to stop the demon, but a light flick of his fingers unleashed dozens of fireballs of demonic energy.
Along with an explosion, Aria’s scream could be heard.
“You of Armian's cursed blood. There is no one left to help you now.”
The snake returned to Andromalius’s right arm. In its place, a spear of demonic energy descended on Aint.
Through it, a fist fell once more.
“I have waited a long time for this moment.”
Faced with overwhelming power and demonic energy, the aura gradually lost its light.
“The moment I wipe out the seed of that cursed bastard.”
The aura was crushed, and the armor was mangled.
“He must be vomiting blood in the afterlife. After a thousand years, we will be the victors in the end.”
“…I won’t let you!”
“You won’t let me?”
*CRASH!*
Aint’s body staggered.
“Do you truly believe you can defeat me, trusting in that paltry sword alone?”
*CRASH!*
A thick foot stomped on the fallen Aint.
“Yes, perhaps if I had delayed longer, as he said, I might not have been able to defeat you in this state.”
But that was all just a matter of what-ifs.
“From now on, I will wipe out every last seed that bears the name of Armian…”
──!
Andromalius was sent flying.
“…You are quite tenacious.”
After rolling once on the ground, he righted himself.
“I commend your spirit. To still be able to look at me with such eyes, even in my presence.”
He let out a sound of admiration at the undying eyes of the one in broken armor, bleeding all over.
“Aint Armian.”
It was Ruina.
Her face pale, she blocked Aint’s view.
“I’ll draw his attention somehow. You watch for an opportunity and pierce his heart.”
The demon was strong. But if asked if he was unbeatable, that wasn't the case.
“My sword worked.”
Her sword had wounded Andromalius. Twice, at that.
“Then your sword will be even more fatal.”
For the sword of an Armian was the natural enemy of demons.
“So I will hold him. Wait for an opening and aim for a vital spot.”
It was the only path to victory, and Aint was better suited for that role than Ruina.
“I’d rather I…!”
Aint’s eyes wavered.
Anyone could see that Ruina was in no condition to fight. To draw attention in this state was no different from throwing her life away.
“Set aside personal feelings. If we continue like this, we all die.”
Either they defeat the demon, or they would be defeated. It was one or the other.
“And I am a knight. Though I may not have a lord to serve at this moment.”
This empire, this world, could be called her lord.
A knight.
“Does not flee, leaving their sovereign behind.”
She would not stand by and watch the empire fall to a demon.
A knight.
“Does not die later than their sovereign.”
If the empire falls, there is no meaning in living. So, she would do her utmost to prevent it.
That.
“Is my chivalry.”
And this was the only way to protect the empire.
Ruina’s hand tightened on her sword.
“Remember this, Aint.”
There is only one chance.
Ruina charged toward the demon, Andromalius…
“No.”
Someone suddenly blocked Ruina’s path.
“I will not permit you to go, Ruina.”
Who gave you permission?
“…Pernyan?”
Pernyan’s eyes flashed.
“How do you think I got this far?”
The effort I put in to stop this damn bastard. The amount of money I spent.
Did you really think I would let the future unfold exactly like the Prophecy Book?
“Watch closely, Ruina.”
*Crrraaaack—*
Space itself split apart.
“This is.”
A giant hand suddenly emerged.
“Something that has never been before, and will never be again.”
Following it, a shoulder, a torso, and legs revealed themselves to the world.
“The Ego Golem.”
A colossal giant of steel, with its master on its shoulder, surveyed the battlefield.
*Guwoooooooo—*
The golem roared.