105
Chapter 105
One step, another step.
The further I walked, the stronger the ominous aura grew. An instinctive sense of revulsion washed over me.
However, I couldn't afford to stop walking.
This was actually proof that we were heading in the right direction.
I carefully checked on Ciel and Rien's condition.
Unlike me, who had at least seen this scenery through a computer screen, the others had absolutely no experience visiting this place.
I thought I might need to be the one to ease their tension. And the result was...
'Yeah, it was an unnecessary worry after all.'
Hans was all tensed up and terrified on his own. But on the contrary, the two of them were just like their usual selves.
Beyond simply lacking any tension, they looked so at ease that anyone watching might mistake this for a visit to their hometown.
After a moment of thought, I spoke up.
"We'll see our destination soon enough. Everyone, don't let your guard down."
Too much of anything is bad.
Being too scared is a problem, but having zero tension is also a problem.
At my words, Ciel and Rien nodded. Ciel was as expressionless as always, making it hard to tell whether she was tense or not.
At least Rien seemed properly focused.
But... out of nowhere, Hans kept glancing my way. That bothered me, so I opened my mouth again.
"If you have something to say, please feel free."
He had committed his crimes, after all. He probably didn't view me favorably, but he was still the one acting as our guide.
As everything that had happened so far proved, it was uncertain whether the common knowledge from the original work I knew still held true.
There was nothing to lose by hearing the guy out.
When I stared at him directly, Hans opened his mouth very cautiously.
"Um... I know this might be overstepping. But don't you think there's no need to be so tense? With your level of skill, most monsters wouldn't stand a chance against you."
"That's certainly true."
It seemed his reputation as a professional wasn't just empty talk.
Hans's words had some merit. Weren't we the party that had even defeated a Sword Master once?
"And if luck is on our side, we might be able to finish this job without even catching a glimpse of those Demon fellows?"
That was also true to some extent.
Unlike monsters, Demons were all incredibly powerful, and both their mindset and actions were beyond comprehension.
On the flip side, their numbers weren't that great.
Unless you had astronomically bad luck, the chances of encountering a high-ranking Demon were slim. And with a Guide like him who had plenty of experience in the Demonic Realm, that risk dropped even further.
So Hans must have thought I was overreacting.
But...
"We probably won't be able to avoid a fight."
That's what I told them.
Perhaps unable to understand my words, Hans's face filled with confusion. But there was no need to painstakingly explain the situation.
The saying "seeing is believing" didn't exist for nothing.
I casually raised my index finger.
There was no need to bring out the Holy Sword. I applied a slight amount of force, focusing Divine Power at the tip of my finger.
A radiance so bright it could blind.
And this was just from releasing a tiny bit of Divine Power.
I didn't even believe in a god, so maybe I caught a bug, but my Divine Power just kept duplicating itself.
"P-Pope, Your Holiness? But the Pope couldn't be this young... W-wait! That's not the issue right now!"
Maybe he was quicker on the uptake than I thought. Grasping the gravity of the situation, Hans's face turned pale.
"We need to call for backup! This won't be enough!"
Hans shouted desperately.
Well, showing that kind of reaction was only natural.
Monsters, Demons, Demon, Demon King.
Divine Power exerted the most powerful effect on these guys.
But conversely, that also meant Divine Power was the thing they hated the most.
Just as I found the Demonic Energy flowing from the Demonic Realm unpleasant, they would also find the Divine Power emanating from me offensive.
The mindless monsters would naturally try to attack that unpleasant enemy.
The Demons, who moved solely by instinct, were impossible to communicate with and uncontrollable; they would also try to kill me.
'It was exactly like this in the original work too.'
The protagonist, who merely held the Holy Sword and didn't even have much Divine Power, still struggled immensely in the Demonic Realm.
Then what about me, who not only had the Holy Sword but also possessed an enormous amount of Divine Power that continuously duplicated itself in real-time as if it had bugged out?
In the worst-case scenario, I had to be prepared to face all the Demons and monsters in the Demonic Realm.
This was exactly why I was reluctant to come here.
Only by coming and looking around in person could I use my knowledge of the original work to deduce things like where the Predecessor met their end.
I could also conquer the dungeons and pluck out only the exact fortunate encounters I needed.
But once I entered, I would have no choice but to fight until I wiped out every last trace of every Demon and monster.
"We need to go back and call for reinforcements right now! You seem to be a high-ranking official of the Holy See, so if you lead the Holy Knight Order..."
"I have no intention of going back. Just guide us properly."
But even so.
Running away wasn't an option.
I couldn't stay ignorant of what kind of situation I was in forever.
I needed to know.
Just what had happened here.
Hans trembled in fear. It was as if the words "I don't want to go" were written all over his face.
However, I didn't need to be the one to persuade him. After all, Ciel, like Lucy, was a master of persuasion.
She stared intently at Hans.
Just from that, Hans changed his mind and, despite trembling in fear, began to guide us.
The ominous aura grew increasingly intense.
It was clearly supposed to be broad daylight, but the surroundings were incredibly dark.
A black sky.
Not a single ounce of vitality could be felt from the earth.
I could tell without Hans having to spell it out. That this was the entrance to the Demonic Realm.
"Are you ready?"
At my words, Ciel and Rien nodded.
I took a deep breath, huu, and steadied my mind....
"...Let's go!"
I sent the signal.
As soon as we set foot in the Demonic Realm, enemies swarmed us as if they had been waiting. But this was expected.
As discussed beforehand, Rien, holding her sword, spun around us wildly swinging her weapon.
Rien specialized in Physical Combat and had little experience wielding a sword. But that didn't matter.
Swinging a sword with that kind of strength was threatening enough, even if it lacked any refined technique or skill.
The countless swarming monsters were helplessly sliced apart.
Occasionally, ranged attacks we failed to block rained down on us.
But that was fine too.
Because Ciel's shadow swallowed up any attacks flying our way.
And while under the protection of Ciel and Rien, I prepared to unleash the Holy Sword.
If the opponents were Demons, nothing was as effective as the Holy Sword. I was the perfect fit for this role.
Sure enough, a massive aura could be felt from afar.
Corpse Lord, Duke of Ruin, Soul Reaper. Apostle of the Void.
The infamous high-ranking Demons charged at me.
I felt cold sweat running down my back.
Could I block all of their coordinated attacks? What about the next attack that would come after taking them all down?
Such doubts clouded my mind.
But I couldn't back down. I desperately squeezed out every ounce of my strength and swung the Holy Sword.
I thought we would be fighting for our lives in a desperate struggle for days on end.......
...But such a thing never happened.
Not a single Demon challenged us to a fight, let alone the sight of any common monsters.
Rien meaninglessly swung her sword through the air, whoosh, whoosh. Her face was filled with confusion.
She kept glancing at me.
With a look in her eyes that seemed to ask if this was right.
But there was no way I could give her an answer. To be honest, I was the most flustered person here.
Well, it wasn't like I was a madman who enjoyed life-or-death battles. Having no enemies was a good thing, but...
But making sense of the current situation was a completely different issue.
It wasn't like they had collectively moved out. Where on earth had the monsters and Demons of the Demonic Realm disappeared to?
Naturally, my face filled with confusion.
'Just what on earth happened here?'
*****
A lavish office.
Inside a room as splendid as its owner.
The muscular man with a cigar clamped between his lips burst into hearty laughter. He couldn't help it.
Today was the day he had claimed his first victory against Black Fang.
"I wonder what kind of expressions you all are making right about now...."
He couldn't see their reactions in person. But the Second Prince was certain of what kind of faces they were making.
They were probably drowning in despair.
Considering they had lost both a comrade and a crucial piece in their plan to overthrow the Empire.
"Well, it was certainly a decent move. Worthy of being called my rival."
Demons.
How they managed to recruit those living disasters, with whom neither conversation nor common sense worked, was a mystery. But that ability of theirs was certainly impressive.
"But you guys just had bad luck."
The next Emperor of the Empire. The lucky bastard blessed by the Goddess of Victory herself.
They had the misfortune of crossing paths with such an existence.
The list of Black Fang members handed over by Asmodeus. A strange name hidden among the countless circles.
As soon as he saw it, the highly capable Second Prince realized it.
That it was definitely a Demon. That there was no way a being using such a name existed other than those madmen.
Furthermore, with his outstanding decisiveness and execution skills, he had even prepared a plan to deal with it.
'My damn brother tried to interfere with my plan, though.'
But there was no way such interference would work.
When his brother asked to borrow the Elite Force under the pretext of doing some useless task, the Second Prince returned a very simple reply.
A raised middle finger.
A beautiful piece of sign language representing a mountain.
His brother had spouted nonsense, claiming he found a way to catch Black Fang and telling him not to interfere. Naturally, he ignored him.
Seeing him try to mobilize two Sword Masters for a futile endeavor. He even reported it to his father to strip him of command over one of them.
Sword Master Heinrich and the Empire's Elite Force.
Using them, the Second Prince eventually succeeded in his plan.
He had wiped out every single Demon inhabiting the Demonic Realm.
That was how he was able to claim his first victory against Black Fang. The counterattack was just beginning.
"This is the majesty of the Empire, so fear us! Tremble in terror! That's the only thing you can do anyway. Kahaha!"
The Second Prince of the Empire, Renya, smiled wickedly.