Chapter 54
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 54
Chapter Title: Demon (1)
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At first, doubt crept in.
Suddenly critical? What the hell happened out of nowhere?
Second came urgency.
If the System was bothering to notify me, it had to be pretty damn serious.
Grand Mage or whatever be damned—I needed to get back to Roel right now.
And finally, the third.
[Cannot be retrieved.]
My mind froze.
"What?"
I couldn't grasp the situation.
An error? An error?
Can't retrieve it?
Then what about Roel?
"......Fuck."
Realization hit soon enough.
The 'worst-case' scenario I'd never even imagined was unfolding right now.
I had to get back somehow.
[Telepathy]
The first thing that came to mind was Sitla.
If I could use Sitla's 'Gate,' I could help Roel even without retrieving the Avatar.
Yeah, it'd be fine.
We could handle this.
[Target's consciousness is offline.]
[Telepathy failed to activate.]
It wasn't fine.
One impossibility after another mocked me relentlessly, and my mind started to blur.
Thwack!!
Even as a massive hammer smashed into my body, it didn't change.
While I flew like a foul ball and crashed into the ground, I desperately racked my brain.
[Retrieving Avatar.]
[Error occurred.]
[Cannot be retrieved.]
Find a way.
Somehow, a way...
Is there a way?
"......Haha."
Of all the times for me to be out here far away.
Of all the times for Roel to be in danger.
Of all the times for retrieval to become impossible.
What a coincidence dripping with malice.
"This is really tough."
My heart pounded like mad.
Not anxiety or tension.
I was pissed.
Rage boiled up beyond my control.
I'd worked my ass off all this time.
When told to become the villain, I did.
I killed when necessary, endured the hatred.
I figured that's what it took to end this damn possession.
How long did I have to keep this up?
What the hell was it all for?
Doubt crept in.
I...
"Don't lose yourself."
"You're not a demon, are you?"
"......"
A sigh escaped me.
That day, I shouldn't have gone to Ortella.
Now I couldn't even give up freely... damn it.
"Get it together."
It wasn't too late yet.
The situation sucked, but it wasn't total despair.
There had to be a way out.
"......Magic."
I needed magic power.
The spatial transfer spell Dylan used during finals would get me to Roel.
I looked up.
"Anyone—"
At that moment, a barrage of spells rained down from above.
The Grand Mage's doing.
[Avatar repairs disabled.]
[Exercise caution in actions.]
"That startled me just now. Didn't expect you to emit such a vicious aura..."
"Let me ask anyway."
The most proficient mage here was this bastard I'd been fighting.
If I could get his help, I was ready to swallow my pride.
"You gonna help me?"
"Hm?"
"Just cast one spell for me. Please."
The Grand Mage stared at me before starting to cast.
Unfortunately, not spatial transfer.
"Even if I die, that won't happen."
"Figured as much."
I gripped my sword with both hands firmly.
The mana a human body can handle is limited.
That's why knights train endlessly—to wield more mana.
So what happens if you force more than the limit in?
No need to test it; anyone could guess.
It breaks.
"......Are you sane?"
This Avatar couldn't repair anymore.
The broken body would cause constant pain, no longer function properly.
Still, I had to do it.
Any later, and Roel dies.
"I'm busy right now. Let's end this quick."
From now on, I wouldn't care if my body broke.
Crunch.
An ominous sound came from my leg.
Instinct screamed danger, but I didn't stop.
As a result, I leaped at unprecedented speed.
"What the...!"
I closed in on the Grand Mage in an instant.
He frantically calculated spells, but too late.
I swung my sword.
Crunch.
Crack-crunch.
Shoulder, arm, finger joints.
Every part I'd used shattered.
It hurt like hell.
"Gah, aaaaagh!!"
But I severed the Grand Mage's arm, at least.
"Not done yet."
I formed a mana platform.
Right before falling, I stepped on it for a bit more time.
I moved my creaking arm again.
"I, I must become a 'god'...!"
"Shut up. Let me focus."
[Cleave]
Light flashed.
Mana blade shot out, shredding everything in its path.
The massive Cleave engulfed the Grand Mage's body.
No one would ever find the Grand Mage's corpse.
"......Done."
After that, I descended almost like a crash-landing.
Blood poured from my mangled limbs, but I ignored it.
I headed straight for the gathered mages.
"I'll say this once."
I aimed my sword at them.
[Killing Intent]
I couldn't go soft.
I had to force cooperation, even if it meant killing one.
"I'm looking for a mage who can use spatial transfer. If no one steps up after three seconds, I'll kill you all."
I counted.
One, two, three.
The mages stayed silent.
No choice.
To make an example, I had to kill one.
I moved my sword.
"Wait!"
Just as an innocent life was about to end.
Someone rushed out desperately.
"You're..."
The brown hair was familiar.
Helen Forrest, Dylan's little sister, was there.
"I know how."
"Haha, hahahaha!"
The human who had been dying moments ago suddenly burst into mad laughter.
'Has she lost her mind?'
No.
She was genuinely delighted.
The emotions radiating were liberation, and...
Evil.
"Ah, aaaah! Yes, so many things I want to do! Let's start by killing humans. So this wench despairs more when she wakes..."
Malice so vicious it was a first even for Astra.
Even she got chills.
"Oh, almost forgot."
Flinch.
Astra swiftly assumed combat stance.
"Stop hiding and come out."
But she wasn't the target.
The woman's hand plunged into the shadows and yanked something out.
"Let, let go...!"
It was a demon.
"Shut up."
"Kek..."
The woman's grip tightened visibly.
The captured demon thrashed desperately before passing out from lack of air.
She tossed the unconscious demon aside and spoke.
"No need to tense up. I'll let you live specially."
That was directed at Astra.
"Thanks to you, I could come out into the world! I'm not ungrateful enough to ignore that."
So that's what it was.
Everything clicked now.
The one standing there wasn't that girl anymore.
A 'demon' implanted for some reason.
......Demons were thought extinct 3,000 years ago.
"Unnecessary mercy."
Judgment made.
This demon was a huge obstacle to the Demon King.
Couldn't let her live.
"Tch, after I showed mercy..."
She activated her 'Authority.'
The special power granted directly by the Demon King.
Astra could pierce targets with just her gaze.
This time, aiming for the demon's head.
Crush the head, anything dies—that's universal.
No reason this demon would differ.
Astra's gaze reached the demon's head.
"Got you. Just die."
And then, her eyes crushed.
"......?"
Light vanished, instant darkness.
She saw nothing.
Crack.
No time to feel the eye pain—both arms twisted grotesquely.
Blind, she couldn't tell what hit her.
Only the sensation of being grabbed.
Hands?
Not just hands.
Dozens of hands twisted her joints one by one.
"Ugh, ah, aaaagh...!"
Her head slammed down.
Smell of dirt.
The unidentified hands didn't stop.
They gripped her hair, repeatedly smashing her head into the ground.
'At this rate, I, I'll die...'
Such power was unheard of.
Such overwhelming defeat, unprecedented.
......A legion commander like this.
Humiliating.
Consciousness faded.
Despite the slams, she felt floaty.
Just as she couldn't endure more, the impacts stopped.
"So, changed your mind a bit?"
"Hrgh, ngh..."
"Yeah, yeah, you wanna live? Too bad. Opportunities you kick away yourself don't come back."
A faint laugh echoed.
Terror of death enveloped her.
"Oh, you're lucky."
For some reason, the next attack didn't come.
Instead, another sound.
A man's voice.
"......What the hell are you."
"Who do you think?"