The Reckoning at the Royal Capital
“…My disciple.”
“Yes, Master.”
“Is it truly all right for us to be doing this?”
Master’s voice carried a subtle note of reproach. Normally I would be standing while he sat at ease, but our positions were reversed—I sat while he stood before me. The reason was simple: the other disciples had returned to their posts, leaving the two of us at the vantage point that offered the clearest view of the unfolding situation. We looked for all the world like an ordinary couple out to watch a fight.
That very fact clearly troubled Master.
“You said powerful enemies would appear.”
“I did.”
“Then even if I stay here, you at least should be at your disciples’ side.”
“Under normal circumstances, yes. But they are no longer children. They have all come of age.”
“…That is true.”
“Besides, I cannot keep shielding them forever. As I told you before, they were born with the fate of facing the Enemy’s Will that threatens to throw this world into chaos. I can only help them prepare. After that, I intend to step back.”
The last part was a lie—a blatant one. It was not that I wouldn’t intervene, but that I couldn’t. On the surface I claimed I wanted to gauge their strength and let them grow, but the real reason was that I had no idea when the Fragment of the Demon God might appear. To keep our enemies uncertain about my existence for as long as possible, I had to choose my moments carefully.
“I smell something utterly foul.”
“I noticed it too. I just can’t tell if it’s coming from one person or several.”
Following my suggestion, King Carlos II had led his troops outside the Royal Capital and blocked his own son from entering under the guise of a welcoming procession. The prince, who had planned to march triumphantly into the capital while deceiving everyone, now looked visibly flustered.
Whether through trickery or genuine combat, the prince could have earned considerable support from the people and nobles simply by claiming he had fought for the kingdom as a member of the royal family. He had clearly counted on that support to pressure his weak-willed father. But he had overlooked two crucial facts.
First, those who stood at the pinnacle of power were far more dangerous than they appeared. No matter how much backing he received from the people and nobles, from the king’s perspective it was still only a fraction of the whole. To think he could return while the king still sat on the throne showed a lack of political insight, even if he possessed some cunning.
Second, he had assumed his allies were the only ones capable of scheming. Just as someone whispered in his ear and pushed him forward, plenty of people around the king could do the same. He should have acted with more caution. But a man who had tried to violate his own sister while shouting that nothing was wrong was clearly beyond reason.
“…It seems the one stepping forward is the prince.”
Even from a distance, the man radiated a deeply sinister aura. It might have been the prince alone, or it might have been the even fouler presences clustered around him. Either way, the truth would soon come to light. The prince would do anything to enter the capital—whether by claiming legitimacy or by force.
“…!”
“…!”
“…!”
The distance was too great for voices to carry, but every person emitted a distinct presence, and I was better at reading those than Master was.
“What do you think, my disciple?”
“It’s going exactly as expected. Both sides are radiating tremendous hostility.”
One side saw the other as the enemy who had ruined his daughter and heir. The other saw the first as the man who had stolen the flower he meant to break. Even if they were simply mortal enemies, the fact that they were father and son made the situation absurd. Watching them, I was reminded once again how twisted this world had become.
The bright atmosphere that had existed in the early days of the game was long gone. Only extreme chaos, malice, and the terror of impending destruction remained. Scenes like this were only natural.
“My disciple.”
The moment Master spoke, everything erupted.
As the prince turned, a massive fireball shot toward the king. Everyone froze in shock—until a streak of blue light intercepted it, shattering the blazing sphere into countless fragments. The fireball had been large enough to be called a meteor, yet it vanished completely against that tiny spark of light.
That signal brought the disciples—the Heroes destined to save the world—into action.
Their sudden appearance caused a ripple of confusion, but it came not from the Demon God Worshippers, but from the ordinary people mixed among the prince’s forces. That confusion soon became an offering to death.
“It seems it has begun.”
“It does.”
The moment the Heroes appeared, screams erupted among those who had followed the prince. The hidden Demon God Worshippers had finally made their move. They had not elevated the prince to hero status merely to gain entry to the capital—they had also intended to use the people who trusted him as sacrifices.
“Aaaagh!”
Nobles, knights, and commoners alike were cut down without distinction, offered up as sacrifices. The Royal Capital’s forces were visibly shaken by the sudden turn of events, but my disciples—the Heroes of this world—remained unshaken.
Blue lightning crackled above the slaughter. Bolts filled the sky like divine punishment and rained down on the Demon God Worshippers. Some enemies tried to raise defensive magic, but Daisy’s power far exceeded theirs. The earth split open beneath their feet, robbing them of solid ground, as if daring them to endure attacks from both heaven and earth at once.
With just two surges of magic, Daisy bound the enemies completely.
Lightning struck from above while the ground continued to heave, dragging foes into the abyss. Daisy’s magic was nothing like her usual demeanor—pure, unbridled violence.
Yet the madmen remained madmen. Even as lightning fell and the earth roared, they continued offering sacrifices, drawing out demonic beasts with the blood of the innocent. And behind the prince stood more than just Demon God Worshippers. As I had expected, they had staked everything on this operation, deploying their strongest forces.
“Hmm.”
Master took a half-step forward, eyes fixed on the new Demonic Human who had appeared and neutralized Daisy’s magic in a single blow.
“He is strong. That man wearing the skull.”
“He is still weaker than you, Master.”
“Even so, he is strong. Compared to your disciples, he is nearly their equal.”
Demonic Humans stood at the opposite end of the spectrum from Heroes. Naturally, they were on par with my disciples. The skull-wearing Demonic Human had dispelled both of Daisy’s spells at once. The lightning that filled the sky vanished into a storm of flames, and the heaving earth fell silent as though its mouth had been sewn shut.
In that brief window, the Demon God Worshippers’ bloody festival came to an end. The blood of the innocent who had followed the prince soaked the ground. All that remained were the demonic beasts drawn by the scent.
“Prepare for battle!”
The Royal Capital’s forces focused on defense, forming a solid wall against the incoming demonic beasts. They knew the enemy’s sole target was the capital itself.
At that moment, a crimson flash rained down upon them.
Master clicked his tongue in pity, as though he had already foreseen what would follow.
Dozens of soldiers vanished in an instant, sliced away so cleanly it looked as though something sharp had simply erased them. Not a single scream escaped. They disappeared without even realizing what had happened.
The only reason the attack had missed the king was because—
“Even your disciple could not block it all.”
“It was that powerful an attack.”
“Even I would not have stopped it completely. Impressive.”
Gerard stepped forward, holding his radiant golden shield. A faint anger radiated from him as he took his position. He was furious—at the Demonic Human with the greatsword before him, and at himself—for failing to protect every life.
“Go! For death! For rest!”
The demonic beasts summoned by the Demon God Worshippers let out ear-splitting roars and charged, radiating killing intent toward every living thing in their path.
What Iris had spoken of—the Royal Capital becoming a scene from hell—had finally come to pass. If this slaughter had occurred inside the walls instead of outside, it was easy to see why the capital would have fallen.
I watched the Royal Capital’s soldiers and knights preparing for battle, and my disciples moving to face the Demonic Humans hidden among the enemy.
“Hyeon-ah.”
“Yes, Master.”
“It seems they are coming.”
“…I felt it too.”
From afar, something foul was rapidly approaching. Daisy, Gerard, Iris, and even Iris (Regression) would already have their hands full. The other disciples had not yet arrived. And now enemy reinforcements were on the way.
This was exactly when the card I had prepared had to be played. I had deliberately stayed out of the main fight because I could not touch the Fragment of the Demon God, but if another threat targeted my disciples from behind, I could no longer remain idle.
The place where my disciples fought was not where Master and I should intervene. The place behind my disciples was exactly where we belonged.
“Let us go, Master. Even if we cannot cut them down, even if we cannot touch them… a show of force should be more than enough.”