Chapter 374
Chapter 374
Chapter 374
"KUHUK!"
Roland, firmly embedded in Nebilos's chest, emitted a Radiant light.
CHIIIIIK!
The Radiant light condensed with purifying power began eliminating Nebilos's evil energy.
"KUUUUGH!"
Nebilos glared at Zeke while suffering in pain.
"How dare you,worthless human!"
Black energy surged from his body.
The black energy extending from Nebilos's body transformed into a giant black skull above his head.
The black skull rose into the air and scattered black mist in all directions.
Zeke realized that the black mist created by the black skull was the same as the darkness barrier created by the Knights of the Abyss.
'The casting range is incomparably wider than what the Knights of the Abyss deployed.'
It seemed he was trying to cover this entire battlefield with a darkness barrier.
At that moment, Zeke turned around and shouted.
"Raven!"
Raven, who was riding atop the Tyrant disguised as a phoenix, responded to Zeke's call.
WOOOOOOO!
Raven shot phoenix energy toward the black skull.
Just as when facing the Knights of the Abyss, the darkness barrier created by the black skull began to scatter due to the phoenix energy.
When even the darkness barrier he created was scattered, Nebilos showed a reaction of disbelief.
"Just who! Who are you?!"
Nebilos was a powerful being among the upper-rank demons of the demon realm.
Although he couldn't use all his power since he was summoned to the mortal realm, thanks to the blood ruby stone he could use 70% of his true form's power.
Nevertheless, he couldn't believe he was being so thoroughly dominated by this one human.
Nebilos rode his ghost horse toward the abyss hole.
"In that case, I'll release the beasts of the abyss and destroy everything!"
Among the beasts of the abyss were specimens so terrible that even Nebilos had difficulty handling them.
That's why he had planned to adjust the size of the creatures he would summon to moderately destroy and then occupy the city.
But Nebilos, his pride as a demon noble crushed by Zeke, decided to destroy everything without discrimination.
KUGUGUGUGU!
The entrance to the bottomless pit began gradually widening.
Analyzing this, Hades shouted at Zeke.
"Hey! Hey kid! Stop that lich! All the calculations are getting ruined!"
Hearing Hades's urgent words, Zeke immediately flew toward Nebilos.
He then drew Bahamut and activated Soul Technique.
WOOOOOONG!
Thanks to his increased proficiency in command arts, using Soul Technique became much more natural.
Zeke held Bahamut and called forth will from within his heart.
The power of will he raised dwelled in the sword.
Soul Technique
Double Spell
Will of Magic Breaking
Zeke's sword, imbued with the will to break magic, flew toward Nebilos.
Sensing that the Soul Technique energy in the sword was not ordinary, Nebilos emitted smoke from his skull staff to create a shield in the shape of a skull.
However, it was insufficient to block Zeke's sword containing the will of magic breaking.
BOOM!
Zeke's sword, penetrating through the skull shield, pierced between Nebilos's eyes.
BOOM!
When Bahamut was stuck between his eyes, Nebilos screamed.
"KYAAAAAAAK!"
As an upper-rank demon, this was the first time experiencing such humiliation.
Zeke, keeping Bahamut deeply embedded between Nebilos's eyes, grabbed Roland which was stuck in his chest and raised a blade of Radiant light.
WOOOOOONG!
With the power of magic breaking in his head and the power of purification surging through his chest and stirring inside his body, even Nebilos as an upper-rank demon couldn't endure.
He raised his skull staff toward the bottomless pit hole and shouted.
"O great overseer of the abyss! Grant power to your pitiful servant! Let those abyssal beasts devour these worthless ones!"
Woooooong!
The skull staff emitted a strong vibration, and the bottomless pit hole began to widen further.
Then the giant crocodile's mouth blocking the hole gradually tried to emerge from the entrance.
Hades, who was behind, shouted at Zeke.
"Da, Dammit! How could you not stop it! ?We were so close!"
Then Zeke shouted to Hades.
"Lord Hades! If we delay any longer, the demon beast will be summoned! Just activate the formula!"
"If I activate it now, the formula might get distorted and work differently!"
"Isn't that still better than letting that thing out?"
After considering Zeke's words, Hades gritted his teeth and activated the formula.
"Ugh! Let's hope this works!"
EEEEEING!
Then countless magic circles appeared not only around the abyss hole but also around Nebilos and Zeke nearby, and lines began to extend and connect with each other from within them.
Seeing this, Nebilos urgently gripped his staff tightly as if trying to widen the abyss hole further.
Watching this, chains shot out from Zeke's left hand.
CHWARAARARAK!
The chains wrapped around Nebilos's body, but the demon realm noble had incredible willpower.
Even under the pressure applied to his whole body, he didn't let go of the skull staff until the end.
At that moment, a way to stop Nebilos flashed through Zeke's mind.
'What if I seal him in the sword like Arataso?'
Zeke immediately took out the Damascus sword that had contained Cayman from his inventory.
This sword could summon the chains of sealing that could bind souls.
Zeke thrust the Damascus sword into Nebilos, where Bahamut and Roland were already stuck.
Then black chains shot out from the sword and wrapped around Nebilos's body.
『Kuaaak!』
Even Nebilos could no longer move when both the soul sealing and spell's chains and the Damascus sword's chains simultaneously wrapped around his entire body.
At that moment, all the lines from the magic circles Hades created connected.
WOOOONG!
The magic circles reacted with a huge vibration sound.
However, as the abyss hole grew larger, its operating range had also widened.
Seeing this, Hades was shocked.
"Oh no! That's not supposed to happen!"
Hades hurriedly modified the formula as the range change was unexpected.
Then strong currents sparked from the circuit and Zeke and Nebilos's bodies flickered.
KUGUGUGUGU!
Strong light burst forth from Hades's formula that was reversing the abyss hole.
Zeke pushed Nebilos, who was wrapped in chains, into the light.
"CHAHAAAAT!"
And at that moment, a huge explosion of light occurred from the magic circles Hades created, and the abyss hole completely disappeared in mid-air.
At the same time, both Zeke and Nebilos vanished in that explosion.
Looking up at the sky where nothing remained, Hades blinked and said.
"We're screwed."
* * *
WOOOONG!
Something appeared under the sky of a dense jungle with a huge light.
KUNG!
The head of a huge demon beast that resembled an alligator fell onto the jungle forest.
Along with it, Zeke and Nebilos were also falling at high speed.
Zeke put Roland and Bahamut into his inventory and firmly held Nebilos's soul with the sealing chains while gripping the Damascus sword.
『Kuaaak!』
The demon realm noble Nebilos tried to resist until the end.
But Zeke was an even more tenacious human.
He gripped the Damascus sword even tighter and raised a blade of Radiant light.
WOOOONG!
As the purification power rose violently and settled in his body again, Nebilos finally lost strength and had no choice but to give up resistance.
CHWARURURUK!
The sealing chains dug into Nebilos's body and took root in his soul.
Nebilos's soul had been bound to the Damascus sword.
『AAAAK!』
Nebilos, whose soul was bound by black chains, screamed.
Zeke gripped the Damascus sword and let holy light flow.
『Kuaaak!』
As the sacred light energy flowed in, Nebilos writhed in unbearable pain.
After having his forehead pierced by Bahamut, he couldn't regain his senses from the consecutive attacks.
Arataso, sealed within the green sword, clicked his tongue at this sight.
[To think even Nebilos, the overseer of the Abyss, would end up like this. Zeke, you're truly more demonic than demons themselves.]
In fact, even among demons, they were rivals who coveted each other's territories unless they were subordinates of the same constellation.
Since there was no sense of camaraderie just because they were fellow demons, Arataso watched the scene cynically.
This was especially true because the Lord of the Abyss and The Clear Green Wish were close to being in opposition.
Nebilos, whose will was completely broken by the sacred light penetrating his body, had no strength left to resist.
CRASH!
Then black chains pulled Nebilos into the sword.
["Th-This!"]
The moment he uttered those words after sensing danger, Nebilos was instantly sucked into the Damascus sword.
The noble high-ranking demon Nebilos of the demon realm had been sealed in the sword.
The sword that sealed Nebilos had changed, its blade now glowing with a blue light unlike before.
Zeke shook his head while looking down at the Damascus sword.
"PHEW, this is the first time I've encountered someone this persistent."
To those words, Arataso spoke in an incredulous voice.
[Nebilos is one of the few nobles who received a title among the demons of the demon realm. Though his arrogance is detestable, it's true that he has remarkable skills to match.]
Zeke asked after hearing Arataso's words.
"But do such titles have any particular meaning in the demon realm?"
To this, Arataso clicked his tongue and said.
[Humans inherit titles or receive them through the achievements of their subordinates. But the demon realm isn't like that. They can only be earned through one's own abilities.]
"Hmm, I see. But who grants these titles? The Demon King is currently sealed, isn't he?"
At those words, Arataso fell silent for a moment. Then, with a sigh, he spoke again.
[Haa, to think I'd end up telling so much to a human. You may not remember, but my master, The Clear Green Wish, serves the Archdemon as their master.]
Zeke nodded, recalling when he first met Arataso.
"Come to think of it, that's right. I remember a constellation that had constellations as subordinates. That was the one searching for sacred relics. Back then, you said you couldn't speak the name of that Archdemon."
[Correct. I still can't speak the name. However, what I can tell you is that currently in the demon realm, that Archdemon acts as the Demon King's proxy.]
Zeke's eyes widened at this new information.
"The Archdemon acts as the Demon King's proxy?"
[Yes, but the Archdemon isn't the Demon King. That's why not all demons follow them. Among the powerful demons, there are those who seek to claim the position of Archdemon for themselves.]
"Then are titles granted by that Archdemon?"
[The Archdemon can't do it alone. Six of the strongest demons in the demon realm, including the Archdemon, gather to make the decision. It's a way of selecting outstanding subordinates in advance so that when the Demon King resurrects later, they can command the legions more easily.]
Zeke expressed surprise at learning these secrets of the demon realm unknown to the mortal world.
Zeke continued to ask Arataso.
"So does this mean that currently in the demon realm, the Archdemon and the other five powerful demons are in opposition to each other?"
[That's right. Nebilos's master, the 'Overseer of the Abyss,' is also one of those six demons. The Overseer of the Abyss also possesses enough power to command other demons.]
"Are there any among them who don't want the Demon King's resurrection?"
At those words, Arataso laughed loudly.
[That's the most ridiculous thing I've heard. The Demon King's resurrection is what all demons and subordinates desire. There's only one reason why the six demons meet regularly despite being in opposition. What do you think it is?]
Zeke responded to Arataso's words.
"For the Demon King's resurrection?"
[There's no other reason for the great demons to gather.]
Zeke fell into contemplation after hearing Arataso's words.
'So even demons and demon folk who are in opposition unite under the name of the Demon King.'
If the Demon King were to resurrect, the divided demon realm would unite as one, and invading the mortal realm would clearly be their first objective.
Zeke shook his head to clear away the complicated thoughts.
'No need to think too deeply. Just need to annihilate them before the Demon King resurrects. Then the demons won't be able to unite and will instead weaken as they continue to oppose each other.'
He stood up, put the Damascus sword containing the sealed Nebilos in his inventory, and looked at the giant demon beast's head that had fallen in the jungle.
"Terrifyingly huge."
Thinking it fortunate to have dealt with it before more could appear, Zeke used his shadows to swallow the demon beast's head whole.
Thanks to this, his depleted power was instantly replenished.
After recovering his strength, Zeke caught his breath and opened the minimap to assess his location.
"This is... the southern continent's jungle region? No wonder the scenery looked familiar."
It was a place he used to frequent like his own backyard when attacking the enemy organization's soma camp during his hitman days.
"Did I get flung to the southern continent when Lord Hades's formula distorted? That's fortunate at least."
While contemplating how to return to the central continent, Zeke was surveying the jungle area when he sensed something and looked toward the distant jungle.
'This is... a dragon's energy?'