Chapter 248
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 248
A violent surge of magi erupted from the key, shrouding the surroundings in a dense, suffocating fog.
“Ugh.”
I clutched my head, struggling to repel the Demon God’s consciousness as it clawed at my mind.
A viscous, oily voice echoed in my skull.
[Surrender. The feeble mind of a human cannot withstand this.]
The Demon God’s consciousness intensified its mental assault, seeking to seize control of my vessel.
Flicker.
With every blink, the scenery shifted—a product of the bastard’s twisted illusions.
A scorching inferno, a blood-soaked torture chamber, a battlefield piled high with mountains of corpses and seas of blood, and finally, a world after the fall of humanity where I was the only one left alive.
These ghastly scenes unfolded before my eyes like an endless, horrific film.
The landscape shifted incessantly, an attempt to brainwash me through sheer sensory overload. Even when I squeezed my eyes shut, the visions played out vividly in the theater of my mind.
“Kuh.”
Scrape. Scrape.
A swarm of insects, each no larger than a grain of millet, tore at my skin. They burrowed through every orifice, gnawing on my internal organs.
The horrific pain felt terrifyingly real.
I wanted to claw at my own skin, to rip and tear until the vermin were gone.
Next came a grueling illusion where I experienced my own death, repeated for what felt like an eternity. Then, as I watched my loved ones die one by one, I felt the foundations of my mind begin to erode.
“Guuuh…”
My combat prowess had grown by leaps and bounds, but my mental fortitude hadn't kept pace with my physical evolution. The boundaries between dream, reality, and illusion gradually collapsed, crumbling into dust.
But even as I stared into the abyss of this hellscape, I refused to break.
Twitch.
Trapped within the nightmare, I forced my fingertips to move, fighting a desperate battle to reclaim control of my body.
And then.
Flash.
Wrapping my hand in magi, I struck my own body with a bolt of lightning to jolt my mind awake.
CRACKLE—!
A sharp, electrifying agony spread through me with a roar of thunder.
This pain allowed me to distinguish between the illusion eating away at my mind and the cold reality of my situation. Gasping for breath, I spoke to the presence in my head.
“Such crude tricks… won’t work on me.”
Most people don't realize they're dreaming while they're in the dream. But upon waking, it becomes clear how different a dream is from reality. Illusions were no different.
That meant if I could just find the boundary—the trigger—that separated the nightmare from the truth, I could shatter the illusion.
The trigger, of course, was physical pain. To be precise, it was the discrepancy between the pain felt by my illusory body and my real one.
The Demon God’s voice echoed in my head as if in response.
[Hmph. If you insist.]
Shhhk.
In that instant, particles of magi rushed in through my respiratory system. They spread through my nervous system and began to forcibly hijack my body.
My arms moved on their own, defying my will.
Crrrack.
I resisted until I thought my bones would snap, but it was no use against his absolute control. My body was now less a creature of flesh and blood and more a mass of energy woven from Authority.
The psychic entity, a being of pure thought, was far more adept at handling this new body than I, who had lived in a physical form my entire life.
And using my own body, he…
CRACKLE—!
…called down a bolt of lightning that pierced straight through my head.
“…!”
My head exploded from the lightning he had summoned.
For a moment, my vision went black, and my thoughts ceased. In that void, all I felt was excruciating, raw agony. It wasn't the false pain of an illusion, but real, physical torment sent from my own nerves.
Then.
Shwoosh.
Particles of magi gathered, regenerating my pulverized head in an instant. Now that I had completed the Sublimation Ritual, this level of damage wasn't enough to kill me.
It only left behind a pain equivalent to death.
“Guuuh…”
I had barely a moment to groan in that unprecedented agony before he manipulated my body again, unleashing bolts of lightning and beams of light in all directions.
Flash.
KABOOM—!
A beam of darkness pierced my skull once more.
[Hahaha! Let’s see how long you can endure this!]
It was an endless cycle of agony—my body crushed and regenerated over and over. He repeated the act, staining my soul and mind with pure suffering.
Through countless deaths and revivals, my soul and self-awareness were crushed by the torment, gradually fading away. My consciousness blurred until I could barely remember who I was or where I was.
My will to resist the entity that had seized my nervous system vanished completely.
The moment the connection between my mind and body was severed…
Swoosh.
…the Demon God’s consciousness seized the opportunity to fully occupy my body. Just like that, I lost control.
Soon, the voice of the one who had stolen my body rang out.
“The mind of a human, in the end. It cannot resist the pain of the flesh. Your souls are ultimately bound to the vessel that is the body. Such is the fate of mortals. I suppose your resistance up to this point is an achievement worthy of praise. Now, sleep peacefully. And…”
The Demon God, in control of my body, waved his hand.
Shhh.
The black fog that filled my vision receded, revealing the altar.
“Watch my triumphant return from the underworld.”
*
“The ritual… is over.”
The rift above the stairs, which had been shrouded in black fog, gradually disappeared. The ceaseless lightning and the ominous magi also subsided.
Gulp.
The Venerables gathered at the altar held their breath, waiting to see the outcome.
Shhh.
With a whisper of wind, the fog on the stairs cleared. Revealed within was the Successor.
Now that he had contained the storm of energy that had been raging around him, he looked no different than before. The Successor descended, stepping on the air instead of the stairs, and slowly set foot on the altar.
Step.
He silently surveyed his surroundings.
The completely destroyed altar and colosseum. The meteor crater, from which black smoke rose alongside the flames. The mangled corpses of demonic beasts.
It was a hellscape, but to the Demon God, it was a familiar, unremarkable sight. His eyes took in the wounded Venerables and the bodies that had already been burned to ash.
He opened his mouth.
“The Venerables of this era are weak.”
“…!”
With that single sentence, the Venerables knew who had claimed the Successor’s soul. At the same time, led by Gilean, they hastily prostrated themselves on the ground.
“We greet the Master of Darkness.”
The Demon God accepted their reverence as if it were his divine right. He looked down at the prone Gilean, his gaze piercing.
“You harbor an impure scheme in your heart. But that plan is far from seeing the light of day. Change your mind and swear your loyalty to me.”
“…”
The Demon God already knew everything.
Gilean swallowed hard and slowly replied.
“Yes.”
The moment he pledged his loyalty, the magic of a power word tightened around Gilean’s heart.
Squeeze.
A chain of magi bound his heart. Now that the Demon God held power over his life and death, Gilean had no choice but to become his true servant.
The Demon God’s gaze then shifted to Carmilla and Amur. With eyes that could see into their very hearts, he gauged their feelings.
“You seem displeased with my advent. Did you wish for this body’s original master to survive?”
“…”
They had lived and trained alongside Roen for the past six months. They had come to admire Roen’s human side and his fervent drive to achieve his goals.
But that Roen was now gone. His soul had been annihilated, and only the Demon God’s descent remained.
The Demon God, wearing Roen’s face, spoke.
“But it matters not. I do not dwell on the past. Pledge your loyalty, and I shall accept it.”
“We… obey your command.”
Thus, the Demon God exchanged oaths of loyalty with the seven surviving Venerables: Gilean, Carmilla, Amur, Calvador, Yungraum, Rimgar, and Saiyar.
Chrrrr.
The binding spell, imbued with ancient power words, tightened around their hearts one by one. The oath was made through words of power, and the only escape from it was death.
Having finished the oaths, the Demon God looked at another person standing on the altar. A being that was neither a Venerable nor a demon.
It was a human girl with black hair.
“…”
He didn't know why a human was here, but now, she was merely an obstacle. The Demon God addressed the girl, who was trembling slightly.
“And you… what are you?”
Twitch.
As his eyes fell upon the girl, the Successor’s body—which he thought he had completely under his control—twitched. The soul that had not been completely extinguished was reacting to her.
From that reaction, the Demon God discerned the girl’s identity.
“Hoh, so you were acquainted with this body’s master.”
The Demon God spoke with a smirk, as if to confirm Roen’s annihilation.
Ciel’s voice trembled as she asked.
“…What did you do to Lord Roen?”
Despite the deep anger and sorrow in Ciel’s question, the Demon God just shrugged and asked lightly.
“Roen. Is that the name of this body’s former master?”
“…!”
The Demon God’s words struck Ciel like a thunderbolt, and her face went pale. He chuckled at her reaction and spread his hands.
“My apologies, but he is already dead. I completely annihilated him with my power just a moment ago. He was remarkably persistent. No matter how many hundreds of times I killed him, his life force kept squirming… it was like that of a cockroach.”
The Demon God compared Roen’s resistance to a cockroach with a cruel smile. The eyes of the girl before him wavered, her emotions in turmoil.
Taking in her reaction, the Demon God smiled faintly. He had been confined beyond dimensions for a long time. To him, who had been mired in boredom and ennui, the diverse emotions of humans were like a kaleidoscope of colors.
Driving the beings who radiated these emotions into despair was, for him, the greatest amusement—the finest of games. Having felt a thrill in the process of subduing the Successor’s soul, he decided to provoke the girl further.
“But did you know? This body was not inhabited by its original owner’s soul, but by another’s.”
“…”
The shocking statement that someone else’s soul had been in Roen’s body hung in the air.
But Ciel was not surprised. She had known everything when she made her way here. Ciel quietly bit her lip, recalling the past.
A year ago.
While she was on the verge of death from poison, Roen had left her. He hadn't fled. At the end of a fierce and desperate battle, he had willingly gone with the enemy to protect everyone.
When she later heard what had happened that day from Freya, she had been overcome with regret. If only she could have gone to the Demon Realm with him. If only she could have at least seen him off.
But she didn't stop at regret. She calmly read the letter Roen had left for her. And what she read in that letter left her speechless.
The stories Roen had kept secret for so long. It detailed why he had shouldered the burden of evil, why he had suffered alone. He had chosen to throw himself away and become the Demon King for the one and only way to save humanity.
And one more fact.
‘The one in Roen’s body was not the real Roen.’
Reading the letter at the time had been a great shock, but the more she thought about it, the more it made sense. After his illness at the beginning of their second year, Roen had abruptly changed his ways, as if he had become a different person.
To think that the person she had served all this time actually had someone else’s soul.
At first, she felt a deep sense of betrayal, but as time passed, she began to understand the feelings of the one who had possessed Roen’s body. The bewilderment of suddenly living someone else’s life, and the thoughts and intentions to adapt and gradually change.
How scared and anxious must he have been, having to hide his identity as a half-demon and the fact that he was another person possessing the body?
But instead of being consumed by that fear, he pushed forward. He worked tirelessly to clean up the infamy Roen had accrued, interacting with others and gradually expanding his influence. He fought for the weak and stood tall against the strong without being intimidated. He was not swayed by personal desires but moved silently toward his goal.
And in the end, he willingly shouldered the burdens Roen had carried and left everyone behind to protect them.
Of course, he wasn't a superman, so he occasionally showed moments of weakness. Like when he first killed Demer, or later, when she had demanded he show his emotions and tell her the truth.
He had told her then. That because of her, he was able to endure those difficult times.
Ciel recalled that day and all the memories she had shared with him, one by one. The days they exchanged barbs and cold retorts, and the days they walked together along the cool streets. The memory of dancing together at the party on the airship, and the night they shared a drink on the last day of the academy festival.
Throb.
Ciel clutched her aching heart, her eyes welling with tears. He was no longer a stranger who had possessed Roen. He had Roen’s body, his memories, and above all, he had inherited the will Roen had left behind.
‘He was another Roen.’
He was the very person she had loved her entire life.
Clench.
Ciel slipped on the gauntlets Roen had gifted her, recalling the words written at the end of his letter.
[If, after knowing all this, you can still forgive me, then come find me on the day the moon eclipses the sun one year from now.]
Her resolve hardened. Ciel had crossed the Great Wall and traversed the Demon Realm alone. Sometimes she slaughtered the demonic beasts that blocked her path; other times she held her breath and fled from them. Sustaining herself on their flesh and blood, Ciel completed her long journey.
She had reached this place to meet Roen again, only to be met with a cruel fate. But Ciel did not regret it. In fact, she felt a sense of relief to be here.
She had sworn never to let him go alone again. Ciel resolved to fight, staking her life to get him back, or at the very least, to be buried here with him.
Squeeze.
Ciel clenched her fists tightly, preparing for the final battle to come. She forced down the surging emotions and shouted in a firm voice.
“Bring it on, Demon God! I will take back… the man I love.”