Is This a Deal Too?
Amid the horrific sounds of flesh tearing and screams echoing through the fog, Lupera and Rita returned, their bodies drenched in blood.
"What happened to you two…! Covered in blood like this…!"
"Don't worry, miss. This isn't our blood."
"That's right. It got on us during the fierce battle with the demons."
Thankfully, the blood staining Rita and Lupera was from the demons. It seemed there had been so many that burst out, they ended up covered excessively.
"I was worried. Showing up like this, soaked in so much blood…."
In a mix of joy and concern, I pulled Rita into a tight embrace.
"Miss, you'll get blood on your clothes."
My white dress was already soaked with the blood from Rita's armor, but I didn't care. If I ended up fighting soon anyway, blood would naturally get on my clothes. Above all, right now, I just wanted to hold Rita, who had returned safely.
"It's fine. Because I can hold you."
"Hehe. It's touching to see you like this, miss, but we don't have much time for it right now."
"…Why? Did something happen?"
Before Rita could answer, an eerie surge of mana prickled across my skin. Stronger than when we'd faced that Rank 2 demon before. Even stronger than when the demons had swarmed us earlier. I knew without being told. The being approaching now was a Demon King.
"…Get ready for battle, miss. It looks like even this mutt and I together won't be enough."
Almost simultaneously with Rita's words, the fog began to lift slightly, revealing the figure approaching.
A demon with jet-black skin mounted on a horse as dark as the night sky. Its overall form resembled a human, but it had six eyes. Its mouth gaped open as if torn, with something like tongues writhing and squirming inside.
Just facing that presence made my breath catch. Part of it was the terror instilled by its appearance. But the overwhelming pressure radiating from it was on another level entirely.
{Humans…}
When Kamisar opened its mouth, a voice slammed directly into my mind, as if bypassing my ears.
"Ngh…!"
{A prophecy has come down. One among you will take Lord Baal's life…}
I couldn't help but be shocked by Kamisar's words.
Baal. The Demon King of the 1st Demon Realm, the first lord of hell, king of all Demon Kings. Just from that epithet alone, one could guess how powerful Baal was… And there was a human who could kill that Baal? From among us?
{So I'll cut the sprout of that prophecy right here.}
The moment Kamisar finished speaking, vibrations rumbled from the sky. The ground and air trembled as if the world itself was screaming.
"Everyone, prepare for battle!"
Lupera's shout cut through the fog, snapping us out of our brief daze. The hunters swiftly formed ranks. The elites from each branch gripped their weapons and charged toward Kamisar.
As Kamisar raised its hand, winged lesser demons poured out from three magic circles in the sky.
"Take the left flank, maid! I'll handle the right!"
"Understood!"
Lupera's axe cleaved through the air, scattering the oncoming demons. Rita drew elegant lines, severing the flow of incoming foes.
"Hup!"
I followed behind Rita, finishing off any demons she missed with my sword.
"Kyle! Duck!"
I lowered my head at the voice from behind. Irene's activated spell unleashed a silver beam of light that pierced through the demons.
The demons kept coming relentlessly… but our side was composed of the absolute best. They were dying faster than they could swarm.
{You useless trash…!!}
Kamisar let out a roar. The magic circles overhead turned red and began to vibrate.
"Rita! Watch above!"
Soon, compressed mana in the form of spears stabbed down from the sky, piercing the ground.
"Ngh…!"
Rita rolled backward reflexively, and red flames erupted from the punctured earth. Even from afar, the heat was intense.
"Everyone, move carefully! It's still a Demon King!"
Almost simultaneously with Irene's shout, Kamisar began to move. Every time the horse's hooves struck the ground, black smoke billowed out. When the smoke obscured vision, the demon hunters hesitated, and Kamisar exploited the gaps to spear them.
"Gaaahhh!!"
"Guhk!"
Unable to stand it, Lupera attempted a frontal charge. But with a gesture from Kamisar, the ground itself rose like a shield, shoving her back.
"Hng!?"
"Lupera!!"
As I rushed to catch the flung Lupera, Kamisar appeared behind me as if teleporting.
{Are you the seed of the prophecy?}
"…!"
The moment its cold fingertips grazed my back, Rita's sword flew toward Kamisar's face.
Kagagagak!!
Rita's sword clashed with Kamisar's spear. The impact scattered the surrounding demons.
"Haaap!!"
Rita pushed back with a kiai, trying to repel the spear. Meanwhile, Kamisar's six eyes fixed on Rita.
{…Not this woman, but you.}
"What?"
{The child of prophecy who will hold a blade to Lord Baal.}
Kamisar's mouth tore wider into a twisted smile. Dozens of tongues inside writhed, murmuring Rita's name.
{This battlefield was designed from the start to capture you. Since you're still just a fragile sprout, I'll personally crush you.}
This crazy Demon King thought it could erase who now? Rage boiled to the top of my head.
"You ugly Demon King bastard!! You think I'll let scum like you kill Rita?"
I screamed and charged with my sword drawn. Kamisar twisted its spear, disrupting Rita's balance.
{Insolent human…}
"The insolent one is you, you mouthy Demon King!"
My sword tip plunged toward Kamisar's side. But just before it hit, the jet-black spear swung, batting me away.
"Kuh!"
My body spun through the air and tumbled across the ground. Then Rita called out and rushed toward me.
"Miss!"
{You've shown an opening.}
Exploiting Rita's exposed back, Kamisar thrust its spear. But—
"Lupera, now!!"
With Irene's shout, Lupera leaped from the left, closing in on Kamisar.
"Hraaaaa!!"
Lupera's axe slammed down like lightning, smashing into Kamisar's shoulder.
Kwaaang!!
Kamisar staggered back half a step. But as it swung its spear for a counterattack—
"Stop. That's as far as you go, you Demon King bastard who looks like you were born after your face got pounded in a mortar three times."
Irene pointed to the sky. Mana surged explosively, forming a massive magic circle overhead.
"If you thought demon hunters were for fucking, you're dead wrong."
Dozens of mana orbs rained down like shooting stars. Kamisar couldn't recover amid the relentless barrage. In that gap, Lupera, Rita, and I charged.
Rita led first. Her swinging sword traced a silver blade light, slicing into one of Kamisar's eyeballs.
{Gaaaaahhh!! You… bitch!!}
A roar erupted. But slicing an eye wasn't enough—Kamisar's spear spun toward Rita.
"I'll take the rear!"
Lupera charged with her full power. Her heavy axe cleaved the ground as it swung.
Kikikikik—!!
Spear met axe. As Lupera held it off, I rushed at Kamisar. My sword tip aimed precisely at its chest.
"Die, you Demon King scum!!"
I leaped into the air mid-charge and thrust straight for its heart.
Puhwuuk!
Dark red blood sprayed. Kamisar's body twisted. A boiling mass of mana inside began to rampage.
{To think… such… a… worthless… human…}
Kamisar's flesh melted away. Its eyes burst, and the writhing tongues burned black. Soon, it collapsed into a single black mass. Amid the thick fog, the Demon King's form bearing darkness vanished completely. Only a red stain of bloodied water remained on the ground.
"…Is it over?"
I knelt, gasping for breath. Dark red blood dripped from my sword tip.
Rita. Lupera. Irene. Everyone was breathing heavily, but safe.
"Yes. We won."
Rita announced our victory with a small smile. After the grueling battle, hard-won triumph. All the demon hunters on the field rose with cheers.
Just as I thought we could now safely head home—
Clapping came from nearby. From the black mass.
{A fine play.}
The mass tore open, and a hand emerged. Giant claws rose from the ground, seizing several demon hunters.
{But the touching drama ends here. Time to drop the curtain.}
The mass split fully, and a humanoid figure burst out.
{As Kamisar said earlier, I'm here to cut the seed of prophecy.}
Prudududuk!!
With horrific crunching sounds, the demon hunters gripped by the claws were crushed to death by sheer force. A truly gruesome sight. I wanted to scream, but the being before us exuded pressure that prevented even that.
{Humans are frail. Dying from something like this.}
'Crazy…!'
It was common knowledge that the lower the number of the Demon Realm they ruled, the higher a Demon King's rank. We'd just taken down the 66th, only for a top-tier one—the 24th—to appear.
As the overwhelming pressure left us frozen, Lupera attacked Naberius.
"Hraaa!!"
Her heavy, sturdy axe cleaved the air toward Naberius.
Kwaang!!
That strike could split an ordinary demon in half. But.
{What is this, mutt?}
Naberius's voice was utterly calm. It had blocked the axe with a single finger. In an instant, a black claw engulfed Lupera's foot.
"—!!"
Peueok!!
Lupera's body, caught by the claw, was slammed into the ground like an iron mace from midair. The sound of bones crunching echoed.
"Lupera!!"
Despite Irene's cry, Lupera couldn't rise. Blood trickled from her mouth, her eyes unfocused.
{The beast barks.}
Naberius shook off its hand in disgust. Lupera moved no more. She lay collapsed, face buried in a pool of blood.
"…!!"
I swallowed hard. I had to jump in. If I didn't, Lupera would die. I raised my sword.
"Lupera…!!"
I charged, thinking at least I could buy time. But.
Naberius didn't even turn its head, merely flicking its fingertip. Suddenly, dizziness like the world flipping overwhelmed me. My vision split and shook doubly.
"Ngh…!!"
My legs gave out. Vertigo. Nausea. Panic. All crashing at once felt like my mind shattering.
"Gaaah…!"
I barely propped myself with my sword. But when Naberius's gaze reached me, all my senses shut off in an instant. My eyes were open, yet the world went dark. My ears open, yet sound vanished. My mouth agape. Breath… stopped.
Rita stared blankly at the tragedy unfolding before her. Lupera crushed by black claws, buried in a pool of blood. Irene caught in Naberius's hand, choking. And Kyle, collapsed on the ground, sword-propped, unable to even breathe as her mind crumbled.
Rage surged. Blood tears welled in her eyes. But Naberius's overwhelming presence crushed even Rita's fury. She instinctively knew no sword or tactic could fell this monster.
'This won't do.'
A single name flashed in Rita's mind. The one being who could reverse this. The moment it surfaced, Rita bolted toward the saintess.
She reached Camilla, standing atop the valley, watching the flow below in her white dress. Rita knelt and pleaded.
"Please help, Lady Asmodeus."
"…What are you saying, Lady Rita? I'm the saintess…."
"I'm serious right now. No joke, please… I beg you…."
Camilla smiled at Rita's words. Her dress shifted to black as she revealed her true form.
{Is this a deal too?}
"Do whatever—just deal with that Demon King first…."
Camilla—no, Asmodeus, Demon King of the 32nd Demon Realm and Lust of the Seven Deadly Sins—deepened her smile.
{This time, I'm looking forward to what you'll offer, my lovely contractor, Rita.}