Chapter 208
Chapter 208
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 208
Chapter Title: Swift Battle
-----------------------------------------------------------------
●
Inside the mental world, Balkasus was gazing outside with a look of concern on his face.
"...Are you sure this is okay?"
"What?"
"..."
Balkasus's eyes narrowed as he glanced at Kalliban, who was sitting beside him, fully prepared to watch the show.
It was this side that had orchestrated the situation in the first place, yet he seemed utterly relaxed.
"...Isn't that man so worried about this exact thing? All these women gathering in one place right now."
Even while ending up in such a battered state, Dawood Campbell had clearly intended to keep all the vessels of the demons as uninvolved as possible in this incident.
Even amid the escalating crisis, he had gone to great lengths to ensure they never approached the site harboring the vessel of the Red Demon, the epicenter of it all.
"...Demonic energy reacts extremely violently with demonic energy."
Balkasus said in a slightly subdued voice.
A clash between two abilities isn't much of a problem. But a clash between two 'demonic energies' is a massive issue.
A collision between Dominators would send shockwaves across the entire region.
"If they start fighting the Red Demon here and their demonic energies collide, it could shatter the Seraph's barrier spread nearby."
He sighed and continued.
Previously, when the Foreseer used a relic to create just a tiny 'crack' in the Seraph's barrier.
The things inside the Void Zone had reacted so violently.
"That means the vessels and the main body could come into direct contact."
And that.
Would be a scenario directly leading to world destruction without exaggeration.
That's why that man was desperately trying to prevent it.
"What are you all doing here...!"
Just look at Dawood blurting that out in a panicked voice right now.
You shouldn't be here. That sentiment was oozing from him.
It was an extremely rare voice from this man, almost trembling with fear.
As if he were insanely worried about any of them getting hurt.
But.
"As I said earlier, the world doesn't revolve around just you."
Kalliban chuckled lightly and replied nonchalantly.
"What's that brilliant brain of yours for? If you don't even know what's around you."
"...What?"
"I'm saying, while she's been getting stronger, the rest of us haven't just been twiddling our thumbs."
As he continued, Elnor, at the forefront of the group, approached Dawood with steady steps.
And then.
-!
She smacked the top of his head fiercely.
The motion was light, like scolding a child, but the force behind it was immense enough to slam Dawood's head into the ground.
"...?"
Of course, true to the man whose abilities ballooned in crises, he lifted his head unscathed.
But his eyes were filled with confusion. He probably hadn't imagined for a second that he'd get hit by any of them.
"That's to snap you out of it. You've been so frustrating lately."
Elnor continued expressionlessly.
"I've told you how many times to stop suffering alone like this. It's about time you got it."
Her face was unusually furrowed, a sign she was genuinely angry.
"...And above all."
As Dawood stared at her in a daze.
Elnor's gaze turned toward the Hell Guard.
"If you're going to get hung up on an 'easy' opponent like this, don't start in the first place."
"..."
No.
The opponent was a Hell Guard.
No matter how you sliced it, it wasn't someone you could call easy.
The follow-up proved it.
-...
-...!!
It froze for a moment, as if shocked by their sudden appearance, then began emanating red demonic energy from its entire body.
Seeing this, Elnor let out a shallow breath and sheathed her sword.
For an ordinary person, that might signal surrender, but for her, it meant something else.
It meant drawing on other means of combat besides the 'sword.'
Gray energy rose from her body.
"Wait, that's not...!"
Dawood opened his mouth in alarm upon seeing it.
If those demonic energies collided now, something close to a catastrophe would unfold. His voice carried that sharp awareness.
But soon, his eyes widened again.
-!
-!!
Even though the demonic energies clashed.
There was no sign of the 'resonance phenomenon' that should have occurred.
"...What."
A deeply flustered voice leaked from Dawood's mouth.
Soon, energies of other colors layered atop the gray one by one. Yuria's white, Liru's blue, and even Seras awkwardly emitting her demonic energy, unsure how to use it properly.
Gray. White. Purple. Blue. The four demonic energies 'blended' together, suppressing the red demonic energy pouring from the Hell Guard.
After all, even a Hell Guard was just a Pandemonium entity granted power by the Red Demon. It couldn't compete against the combined might of four demons' energies and was inevitably crushed.
The red demonic energy solidified around its body before it could extend properly, then froze it in place completely.
"How...?"
This.
Was undoubtedly something impossible within the limits of the 'knowledge' he possessed.
The atmosphere screamed that he'd never encountered anything like it before.
"We trained."
Elnor, who had been quietly watching, responded calmly.
"...What?"
"...Pardon?"
Balkasus and Dawood, watching from inside the mental world, uttered those words in unison.
"Dawood."
Elnor continued, 'controlling' the amalgamated multicolored energy.
"Even things that seem impossible usually work out if you just do them."
"..."
"These colored energies clash and cause resonance phenomena. And if that happens wrongly in a crisis, it's extremely dangerous. I figured you'd be wary of exactly that."
That explanation flowed out calmly.
"I clearly remember how panicked you got when that wretch and I were about to fight before."
When she had been about to clash with Prime Minister Sullivan. When the golden and gray energies were on the verge of colliding.
She vividly recalled Dawood panicking like never before, trying to take some measure. As if energies like these colliding was something that must never happen.
So.
She had searched with the other humans who could emit such energies for a way to clash without causing a 'disaster.' That was all.
"..."
Dawood's mouth fell slightly open.
The fact that she had remembered all that and prepared this technique for such a situation.
It pointed to only one truth.
"..."
Even without him doing anything.
These women had been continuously working for him in places he couldn't see.
Just as he tried to protect them. They were trying to protect him too.
"Why? It's fine for you to struggle to save us. But not for us to work behind the scenes to be of help to you?"
To Dawood, who couldn't compose his expression, Elnor's teasing voice fell.
"Mark this well, Dawood."
Elnor slowly advanced toward the Hell Guard, which couldn't even steady itself as its demonic energy was crushed.
Then, she struck down on its head.
A motion similar to when she had smacked Dawood's head moments ago. But the physical force within was far more vicious.
-!
-!!
-!!!!!
With an explosive strike, the Hell Guard's upper armor crumpled, its body slammed into the ground like it was embedded there, and its movements ceased in an instant.
It looked as if it had lost consciousness from a single blow.
Just as she had called it 'easy' before.
An opponent Dawood couldn't even face alone, truly handled just like that.
With the method they had prepared in advance, effortlessly.
"We."
Even without Dawood Campbell's intervention, perfectly.
"aren't your pawns, Dawood. Nor dolls on display in a case."
Elnor approached Dawood, who was staring blankly.
"Protect us? By yourself? Shouldering all the responsibility, turning everything upside down?"
Elnor grabbed Dawood's chin and yanked his head up.
Their eyes met. Eyes as clear and piercing as glass peered into Dawood's.
As if demanding he hear every word clearly.
"Don't make me laugh."
"..."
"We're not idiots enough to burden you that much. You have a duty to be loved by us, to receive our affection, and to live a happy future."
Dawood's eyes widened greatly.
Seeing this, Elnor chuckled and released his chin.
"...Don't try to run off alone. You still have much to receive."
"..."
As Dawood, at a loss for words, quietly closed his mouth.
Inside the mental world, cheers erupted wildly.
"Wow, Duchess did great. That's the vibe from the first one to fall-"
"...This is."
Balkasus's confused words cut off Kalliban, who was about to spout nonsense.
"How is this possible...?"
Controlling demonic energy, and blending entirely different ones at that.
How could training make this possible?
It was as absurd as claiming effort could make objects fall upward.
"You and that guy, know what you have in common?"
Kalliban chuckled and spoke.
"The more you know, the more you fear. But in reality, things work out somehow when you try."
"..."
"That's why I said from the planning stage."
Kalliban cackled as he opened his mouth.
"It'll work out somehow, right?"
"..."
It was an irrefutable scene.
●
I run a hand through my hair and sigh.
Something.
My head, which had been boiling furiously lately, finally felt calm for the first time.
"...Thank you, Elnor."
I say with a bitter smile.
"Feels like you always step in to help when I can't get my act together."
Like with the boy king before. And now this time too.
I always get crucial help from her at decisive moments.
"..."
At those words.
Elnor's face flushed bright red in an instant.
She let out a series of fake coughs.
She rubs her nose and pulls down the uniform cap she always wears.
"...That's 50 points."
My eyes narrowed the moment I heard her follow-up.
"What kind of score is that?"
"There's a system like that. The first one to receive thanks from you gets the highest score-"
"...We'll hear the explanation later."
I don't want to hear that nonsense while the enemy situation is still ongoing.
I clutch my throbbing head and change the subject.
"Seraph."
"...Uh, yes? Me?"
"Yeah, you."
I sigh seeing Seras awkwardly raise her hand.
"Send a message to one place. You seem the fastest for it."
"...Where to?"
"Recipient: Archbishop Luminol."
Before coming here, I'd squared things with them.
Time to put it to use.
"..."
This too, surely.
I fiddle with the lion's breastplate hidden in my bosom.
Originally, I would've had to send Eliya ahead and twist myself into knots struggling through.
There would've surely been 'unavoidable' sacrifices too.
Now, with the help of the other vessels, I've gained a clue to end this 'cleanly' without any fallout.
So.
The goal is singular.
Pour everything I have into it.
"We end it in one go."
I've even gotten unexpected solid reinforcements.
No reason not to wrap it up quickly.
●