Party of the Supremes (3)

“Pledge your loyalty to me.”

Lukio stared at the outstretched hand.

Loyalty meant true service and respect.

The undefeated knight Lukio had been abandoned by the king he once protected.

Yet the moment the man extended his hand, Lukio felt a powerful urge.

An irresistible pull to grasp it.

A snippet from the description etched into Pledge Your Loyalty:

‘If you first invite someone to become your vassal, factors beyond their own story—such as various circumstances—may ignite greater respect, loyalty, and other emotions in them, potentially making them your vassal.’

Like this, Pledge Your Loyalty exerted even greater power on those with multiple compelling reasons.

And right now, Lukio had more than enough reasons to pledge himself to Hyun-soo.

Thanks to Hyun-soo, Robus was dead, and he had been restored from demonization back to humanity.

But still, Lukio posed a question.

‘If I take this hand, can I have my revenge?’

The difference between his lesser demon self and now was vast.

Back then, he had been level 600. Now, he was merely 457.

On the other hand, Lukio knew all too well how formidable Demon Gremory truly was.

Just as he hurled this question—whether this man could create such a possibility—

“……So that’s the attack power you got out of a sword like that? Insane.”

The man’s gaze fell on the sword lying broken in the corner, on the verge of shattering completely.

Gremory and Robus had treated Lukio as nothing more than a tool, caring only about turning him into a demon.

The sword he had wielded was a pathetic, rusted blade fit only for ordinary ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠human soldiers.

In that instant, another possibility for slaying a demon presented itself to Lukio.

“I’ll lend it to you. Go cut down Gremory.”

What he offered was a longsword forged of black steel—the Supreme Blade.

The Supreme Blade was Ares’s greatest legendary sword before the Twin Dragon Swords.

Lukio, who had wielded many blades in his time, was stunned as he took hold of it.

Ding!

[Lukio Lv.486]

Just gripping the new sword made power surge through his veins.

Moreover, Lukio himself was a knight who had represented an entire kingdom.

The synergy between the greatest knight and the greatest sword defied common sense.

‘A possibility has opened.’

To unlock such potential with a single blade.

And he couldn’t help but wonder how this man before him—a possessor of immense strength—had come to wield such a legendary sword.

The man flashed a grin.

“……I’ll make you some armor later.”

“……?”

In that moment, Lukio finally realized.

The massive greatsword in his own hand.

The brown coat radiating an aura of malice, along with its artifacts.

And even the man in white armor wielding Babylon, and the Asura gripping a dagger.

‘They all came from this man’s forge.’

The hand extended once more.

Crunch—

Lukio gripped it with all his might.

It signified they would fight together—and that after the battle, he would follow this man.

The instant their hands clasped, Hyun-soo’s own possibilities unlocked as well.

***

This quest had triggered the moment the mark was imprinted on Hyun-soo.

His mind went blank upon seeing it.

There was no way he and Bahala alone could seal a demon.

And the damage would spread like a chain reaction.

The moment Gremory descended with her 22 legions, the Goyad Kingdom would fight to stop her.

Barad, whom Hyun-soo cherished, and everyone he had ever crossed paths with could vanish.

And.

‘She didn’t even see me as worth fighting.’

The emotion she felt was mere desire for a tool.

She had summoned worshippers to end herself.

And in the process, to instill helplessness and despair, forcing submission.

But the situation was shifting.

A brief window where Gremory, struck hard between the eyes, couldn’t move.

Hyun-soo judged he needed to maximize this opportunity amid the changing tides.

As proven before by his lord’s ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠grace and Pledge Your Loyalty.

After handing over the Supreme Blade, Lukio gripped Hyun-soo’s outstretched hand fiercely.

Pledge Your Loyalty was the superior version of Grant Me Your Blessing.

Grant Me Your Blessing yielded only a blessing.

But Pledge Your Loyalty was different.

Upon success, if the target approved and clasped hands—like with Grant Me Your Blessing—it bound them as a vassal and granted a blessing alongside.

And that blessing.

‘Varies based on the potential and power of the one who clasps your hand.’

He was curious.

Lukio, whether he wanted it or not, had gained demonic potential as a demon.

Even restored to humanity, had that potential faded?

No.

Here and now, Hyun-soo grew once more.

Even if it was only 50% of Grant Me Your Blessing’s power.

One step further.

Hyun-soo, Lukio, Bahala, and Kabel advanced toward their target.

There stood Gremory, her brow slowly healing.

Still, they had no certainty of sealing the demon.

Lukio was included.

“…….”

Lukio had died and awakened as human.

His HP, as seen by Hyun-soo, was under 5%.

The problem was that Bahala, Kabel, and Hyun-soo were in no better shape.

Bahala and Hyun-soo had dropped below 10% HP from the fight with Gremory.

The bigger issue: Even with Bahala’s newfound power, most of his mana was depleted, and many skills were still on cooldown.

Kabel was the same.

He had just fought a brutal battle as Asura, nearly dying.

Lukio.

“…….”

Everyone faced reality.

Then, Hyun-soo began to feel a radiant light emanating from his chest.

The light originated from a gift from someone he had met before departing.

***

CEO Lee Se-jin rushed into his office.

‘……This is insane.’

Lee Se-jin was human too, and sometimes just a viewer.

He didn’t want to miss this thrilling scene.

Unlike the Grout hunt, where NPCs had taken center stage to topple the demon, now it was the players leading.

But Lee Se-jin grasped the reality.

“……Why are their statuses like this?”

He understood they had awakened and grown stronger.

The problem was they were all half-broken.

And the seal success probability from the supercomputer Ares:

It was stuck, not rising.

Then.

The probability skyrocketed exponentially.

Spotting the reason, Lee Se-jin shot to his feet.

“……He’s not here, but he’s fighting alongside them?”

Beyond the four members, another existence was opening possibilities.

***

“Bokdeongi, you’re not going home?”

“How many hours has it been sitting here?”

In Atlas.

A puppy stood at the entrance, sniffling and staring toward where its master had gone.

“Kkuuung, eung……”

Whining from its seated position, Bokdeongi had overheard its master and Bahala heading out to hunt a demon.

Bokdeongi knew it was extremely dangerous.

It wanted to follow, but couldn’t.

Right now, it was too weak— it would only get in the way.

But Bokdeongi had learned it would soon transform into another being.

And that something it had cherished for so long could be imbued with special power.

The day Hyun-soo left.

Bokdeongi had given him its most treasured possession.

“Woof! Woof woof!”

A soft light poured from Bokdeongi’s body, shooting skyward.

That light raced faster than lightning toward the item it had given.

***

Gremory had lost 80% of her HP in one blow.

Still reeling from the shock, the dagger lodged in her brow clouded her mind with confusion.

Just a few dozen seconds, but she shook her head violently, sensing powerful forces gathering from all directions.

‘What are these powers……?’

They were overwhelmingly strong.

In the past, the Sword God had protected the continent from demons.

Demons feared the Sword God’s aura.

Demon Gremory trembled—not at a full Sword God aura, which was faint—but at the fusion of humanly impossible powers.

Yet she grasped reality.

No matter how they had grown stronger.

‘They’re dying embers.’

No matter how fiercely those embers tried to blaze, without fuel, they couldn’t ignite.

Her pierced brow fully healed, and her HP recovered to 25% at an absurd speed.

“You pathetic worms, even gathered together, what difference does it—”

She couldn’t finish.

A light fell from the heavens.

And from the creator of Babylon’s chest, something floated into the air.

It was utterly ridiculous.

A small dog’s barbecue doll, chewed and ragged in places.

But as a transcendent being, she could see what lesser ones could not.

The heavenly light met the pathetic doll.

Fwoooosh—!

The true entity hidden within projected into view.

Shoulder height: 7 meters.

Lustrous white fur.

The massive, ferocious eyes of a beast.

Visible only to Gremory, the colossal being roared.

“GRRAAAAAHHH!!”

Flinch—!

She recoiled, having glimpsed what others could not.

A mere transcendent dared not meet the eyes of this gigantic existence, leaving her rattled.

And then.

Shimmer—

It dispersed like a mere mirage, revealing something else.

“……What kind of being is Bokdeongi?”

“One thing’s certain: It’s protected you. And today, it protects us. Such a lovable pup.”

“……It’s my master.”

The sacred being vanished, and its true form emerged.

Not dying embers.

Warriors erupting with flames fierce enough to devour all demonic mana.

Even the system knew.

This alert rang for everyone except Lukio.

They all understood.

Whom they would now entrust their backs to in battle.

“I’ll take the left.”

“I’ll handle the right.”

“Then I’ll take the front.”

The three turned to one man.

The brown-coated figure gripping the Twin Dragon Swords.

Hyun-soo met their gazes and aimed at Gremory.

“I’ll just beat the crap out of her.”

They all nodded in agreement.

And an alert they could all endorse followed.

Hyun-soo could feel it too.

Transcendent demons.

They had been reduced to mere prey before it.

No longer.

Gremory’s sweating face told the tale.

“Commencing demon seal.”

Now, the demon was their prey.