Chapter 37
Chapter 37
Chapter 37
Catacombs of Doom (4)
-KUOOOOH!
Baphomet struggled desperately.
But in a situation where all magical power and authority were sealed, facing opponents with just physical abilities was too unfavorable.
"Argh! Hey, Rudian! Isn't this guy too powerful for the two of us to handle? If only the two of us had come, we wouldn't have even left bones behind!"
"You have leisure to complain, senior."
"This guy, look at how he's twisting my words?"
Elvin blocked the incoming attack and scolded Rudian.
The greatsword that Baphomet wielded was fast and powerful.
Even though most of his power was sealed, combat power exceeding 10,000 was sufficiently threatening.
But as Rudian said, the situation was turning sufficiently favorable for Rudian's group to the extent that Elvin had the leisure to complain.
-Human woman! If you weren't here, the rest would be easy!
Baphomet understood well that among the current four, Maria was the most dangerous.
The telekinetic barrier that Maria had created was so solid that it couldn't be broken with just the physical force of the greatsword.
-KRAAAAA!
Baphomet tried to target Maria by breaking through the protection of the three, but.
"You think we'd let you do that?"
Rudian, who had already approached using Diablo's stealth ability, cut his leg and he collapsed right there.
-KUOOOOOOH!
Baphomet screamed in pain rising from his lower body.
The situation had already come to the final stage.
-Damn it! If I just had enough time!
Baphomet wailed, expressing his resentment, but from Rudian's perspective, there was no need to sympathize.
If such a giant creature accumulated power diligently for more than 15 years and fully revived, how great a danger would it pose?
"We should crush him while he's manageable."
"You call that manageable?"
"If that guy regains all his power, this kind of fight wouldn't even be established in the first place."
Probably everyone except Maria would die.
The situation had already passed the 30-minute mark since the start of the battle.
Baphomet was dying, bleeding green blood profusely from his whole body, and the group was pressuring such a Baphomet at their leisure.
-Khuhu... Humans and demons, do you think I'll exit so feebly!
Baphomet seemed to be struggling as he dropped his arm holding the sword.
Rudian and his companions didn't lose their tension despite the situation and slowly narrowed the gap.
The enemy was losing strength, but this was precisely the moment when it was easiest to let one's guard down before he was completely neutralized.
-Normally... I would be reverse-summoned to the netherworld like this... But I cannot return leaving behind you who dared to toy with me and those demon bastards.
'...What?'
For a moment, instinct rang a warning bell.
According to Diablo, the creature could cast a powerful curse just before being reverse-summoned, but there was no reason to mention both themselves and the demons when pouring out curses.
-Even if I have to stake everything I have... I will see you all perish!
SHIVER!
Rudian felt immense anxiety.
The creature seemed to be an individual with quite strong pride among Baphomets.
To the extent of prioritizing his pride over his own life.
WHOOSH!
Baphomet threw the greatsword he was holding.
It was thrown so half-heartedly that there wasn't even a need to dodge it.
"What is that creature trying to do all of a sudden?"
"What? Has he given up the fight?"
In an instant, Rudian and Maria saw Baphomet's strangely twisted smile.
SHIVER!
The moment Rudian's eyes met Baphomet's, Baphomet made his hand straight and pierced his own heart.
"He harmed himself?"
"Be careful! The creature has released all restrictions for a moment at the cost of his life!"
Maria, who grasped Baphomet's situation the fastest, deployed her telekinesis and pulled the three toward herself.
"KYAAK!"
"Damn it! Is he going to pour out curses?"
-I offer all my remaining life and magical power, everything! God of outer space! Please do not reject the call of this pitiful goat!
'Huh?'
Rudian's eyes filled with shock at Baphomet's unexpected action, who he thought would cast curses.
God of outer space?
***
There was one thing Rudian had overlooked until now.
The title of Chapter 3 of was 'Space War'.
The Space War portrayed the process of humanity, trying to escape from the aftereffects of the Second Heaven-Demon Great War, waging a desperate war against all sorts of monsters and alien species rushing in from outer space.
'Right, I should have thought of this!'
Although Baphomet was a being from the netherworld, why did that creature appear in Chapter 3 even as a one-time use?
At first, I thought it was a one-time device to show the protagonist's power, but that was Rudian's misconception.
'At least from the flow, that creature was either related to outer space or a being that could summon such beings!'
In the original work, it remained just as a MacGuffin, so it was a mistake that Rudian failed to grasp.
-OOOOH! Come! Come here!
Baphomet took a posture as if worshipping a god, stretching both hands toward the sky.
Then the crystal, which hadn't shown any energy, began to emit black light and suddenly started to react.
At that time, Diablo warned Rudian with a rare serious tone.
-Dangerous. Since he can't call the Netherworld King, he's using such a trick.
'Trick?'
-Most gods related to this planet exist in different dimensions, but there are gods of outer space that exist in the same dimension. That creature is calling such beings.
-That's right, Master. I sense signs of ultra-massive spatial movement equivalent to dimensional movement.
Diablo spoke assuming Rudian wouldn't understand, but Rudian understood Diablo's words sufficiently.
That's why Rudian's dismay was much more serious than the others.
-It's just that the distance is too far, but the summoning itself is actually much easier than for Demon Kings like us. However, unlike us, beings existing in outer space have no particular attachment to this planet. If they are summoned normally, they will obviously go on a rampage, so if you can't stop that, it will be quite troublesome for you.
'...For that guy to say troublesome.'
The black orb embedded in the ceiling was already gradually gaining speed and spinning fiercely.
"This, this is quite ominous?"
Elvin unknowingly shook his body greatly at the heterogeneous energy gradually emitting from the orb.
Even without profound insight, anyone watching would agree that it was about to cause trouble.
Even Luciella, who was confident in front of Baphomet, unknowingly gripped her sword more tightly.
"A power I've never felt before in my life... This anxiety is...!"
A power completely contrasting with natural force.
The alien-specific heterogeneity that pollutes and alters everything it touches stimulated the survival instincts of the entire party.
"We can't leave that as it is. From now on, I won't control my power!"
Maria, the only one capable of intercepting from a distance, was about to use her full power to destroy the orb.
"Wait a moment!"
But such action from Maria was stopped by Rudian.
"We need to kill him, not the orb!"
Already, tremendous power was emanating from that orb.
There was a high possibility that a great explosion could occur if handled incorrectly.
Baphomet, also knowing this fact, laughed greatly and hurled mockery.
-HAHAHA! Too late! Even if you kill me now, it's useless! No, just kill me! It would be fun to see this power go berserk!
"This guy...."
As she is now, Maria couldn't block all of that explosion.
But she couldn't just sit idle either.
"I can't let that being from beyond cross over here! If it crosses over... Truly unmanageable events will unfold!"
Among them, Maria was the one who most acutely realized how powerful the being Baphomet was currently summoning might be.
"Even if the capital is blown away... We must stop it."
If she speaks to such an extent, it must truly be a serious situation.
"Senior Maria."
"Is now the time to casually call my name? If we're not careful, not just this empire but the entire continent could perish!"
Maria seemed to have lost some rationality as she scolded Rudian.
But despite her scolding, Rudian continued calmly.
"The continent doesn't perish that easily."
It might be true that the being coming from beyond is overwhelmingly strong, but if the continent would fall to just one such being, it would have fallen long ago to another.
This is .
A world where beings of that level exist in abundance.
Maria seemed to have completely lost her temper as she hurled curses at him.
"You bastard, now is not the time for wordplay...!"
"I will burrow into that creature's embrace and drive this sword into his forehead."
"......!"
Maria's mouth, which had been pouring curses, stopped at Rudian's single statement.
"The aftermath will certainly not be mild, but can you protect me?"
With Baphomet momentarily regaining all his power, a huge veil had formed around him.
The creature couldn't attack them while conducting the outer space ritual, but conversely, it was difficult for the party to attack him as well.
"You're going to throw your body toward that unidentified power?"
Even to Maria, it wasn't a situation where one could approach.
It was doubtful whether even Maria's shield could properly block that refined storm of power.
"Outer Force, seeing it in reality for the first time, but...."
Luciella and Elvin also actively dissuaded Rudian, but his resolve remained unchanged.
"This guy will somehow make it work."
Originally, he chose this place trusting Diablo.
Though the matter grew larger than expected, the water hadn't yet flowed off the plate.
-Hmph! I see you've finally realized this body's greatness.
Diablo snorted.
Rudian smiled faintly at such an attitude and looked back at Maria.
"Will it be possible?"
"......"
Maria glared at Rudian for a moment, then eventually nodded slightly with a sigh.
"Alright. Then let's go."
WHOOSH!
Rudian fully activated Diablo's power.
'Time limit?'
To Rudian's question, Diablo answered with a slight sneer.
-Your capacity has grown a bit. 1 minute 30 seconds.
'It's enough, but the time increased by just 30 seconds?'
-If you want to properly handle this body, come back when you're what humans call a Sword Master, kiddo.
'I'll definitely become one, just wait a bit.'
At that moment, tremendous demonic energy peculiar to Diablo erupted from the blade.
'GRRRR!'
Rudian gritted his teeth, feeling as if he was being wrung like a rag.
'It really feels like my lifespan is being shaved off each time I use it.'
-It actually is. Don't you feel that it's extraordinary to be able to borrow this body's authority for just a bit of lifespan?
'Shut up a bit.'
Well, even the Dragon King couldn't overcome his curse, so what can I do?
"De, Demonic energy?"
Luciella, who had been watching the situation with an unstable expression, opened her mouth wide in shock when Rudian suddenly emitted tremendous demonic energy.
While the Kepler siblings had experienced it once before, this was her first time seeing Rudian like this.
"As expected, it's not an ordinary demon sword."
At Elvin's words, Maria, whose reason had returned, murmured gloomily.
"Yes, brother. I wonder how long that person will remain sane in the future... I'm a bit worried."
"Is that because of the demon sword? No, before that! You all! Did you know Rudian had a demon sword?"
"Ah, that's...."
Just as Elvin was about to make excuses, Rudian kicked off and rushed towards Baphomet.
'GRRRR!'
The netherworld magic laid around Baphomet, along with the purple Outer Force, began to shake Rudian's body in real-time.
But due to the defensive shield that Maria deployed with full force, though it shook his body, it couldn't penetrate.
BANG!
Rudian's magic sword imbued with demonic energy easily cut through Baphomet's veil.
-Huh! This familiar energy is?
Baphomet was more shocked by the familiarity of the demonic energy than the fact that his veil was breached.
-KHUHUHU! This body doesn't know you, but you seem to know this body.
Diablo's statement was arrogant, but the rank was certainly qualified to be arrogant.
-Ho, how could you? I clearly saw you being sealed by the Great Archangel at the end of the war!
-Oh! So you were the one at the place where I was sealed? Quite an old creature!
Diablo let out a cry filled with madness.
-Then all the more reason I cannot forgive you!
Matching Diablo's outcry, Rudian thrust the blade into Baphomet's forehead.
STAB!
-KRAAAAAAAK!
Diablo's blade began to suck in Baphomet's magical power.
-HAHAHA! Go to the Netherworld King and give him this body's greetings!
-Ah, no!
As Baphomet's power drained out, the force raging from the black crystal also began to diminish rapidly.
MEEEEEEK!
Adi and Diablo literally sucked Baphomet's power to the bone marrow, and Baphomet's body began to dry up in real-time, turning into a straw mat.
'Is this okay?'
Absorbing this power is solely Adi's ability.
But since the medium is Diablo, he was worried about how much share would go to that guy.
While Rudian was momentarily concerned, Baphomet, completely drained of power, turned to dust and disappeared.
CLANG!
And the black crystal on the ceiling also fell powerlessly to the ground and shattered into pieces, ceasing all activity.
"...Is it over?"
The aftermath that Rudian had anticipated didn't occur.
This was because Diablo had so thoroughly absorbed Baphomet's power.
However, Diablo's tone, which should have been in a good mood after absorbing such an enormous amount of power, had somehow changed quite stiffly.
-No.
"...What?"
-It seems that one speck remains.
"......!"
Rudian jerked his head up to look above.
And his body froze right there.
"...This can't be."
"Th, that is?"
The other companions were also speechless, looking at a being that appeared at the edge of their vision.
-…….
Before Rudian's eyes, a silver alien life form with a smooth texture like mercury had appeared.
He was looking at Rudian from mid-air.