Chapter 187
Chapter 187
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 187
Chapter Title: Severing the Demon King's Thread
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To be honest, at my age, who else has tangled with this many Demon Kings?
Even the sixteen-year-old Iron-Blooded Duke was too busy smashing cults to have met one face-to-face.
At this point, maybe I should write a treatise on Demon King studies. Publish a book under my name.
- How to Meet Four Demon Kings and Survive.
Shortened to MaManSal.
It'd probably become a bestseller, topping charts alongside records of miraculous feats.
And from the cool-headed insight of this Demon King scholar, future great author Ruan Bednicker...
There's no need to understand those wicked transcendents from overly complicated angles.
Excluding Harden Ihar, I've met three Demon Kings. Subtracting Eldest Martial Brother, whose identity as my senior brother hits harder than any Demon King, that leaves two.
Tangtata and Ahop.
These two were demons with wildly distinct personalities, and strong personalities mean their tendencies boil down to a single word.
First, Tangtata.
This green pig generally treated people as playmates. He dressed it up as "partners" without any self-awareness, sure.
Next, Ahop.
That black lanky freak maintained utter indifference toward humans, casually crushing even his own priests who followed him. It felt like he truly saw them as bugs.
Absurd as it sounds...
Those two, crueler than anyone, probably harbored no malice toward humanity.
So what about Harden Ihar?
I pondered while eyeing the doll piles scattered around.
Maybe this one sees humans as literal toys.
Not sarcasm—dead serious.
'And the way he sees me... could be a limited-edition toy or something.'
The Blood Moon's speech was surprisingly clumsy.
In some ways, its mental age seemed far lower than Tangtata's...
When you try snatching a toy from a kid by force, you get one of two reactions.
They wail pathetically or throw a screaming tantrum...
Either way, trying to reason with an emotional toddler is the ultimate time sink.
'Wonder if it has any cards left.'
It hadn't fully descended, but somehow I sensed this wasn't over.
The Demon King was still hiding something, and I wanted it revealed before Seren made her real move.
That was the reason for pushing the provocation, no matter the risk.
That was the moment.
Crack...
A chilling sound like reality fracturing echoed out.
Was the building collapsing? Not quite. The noise was too loud.
'The sky?'
It was the Blood Moon.
A crack spiderwebbed across the warped lunar face. Not figuratively—literally.
Did it rage so hard its facial muscles tore? As that idiotic thought crossed my mind, countless dots appeared beyond the window frame, blotting out the sky.
...
On closer look, they weren't dots.
Kuuuooooh—!
"...What the hell is that?"
Plummeting with ferocious momentum: fragments of the moon.
Trailing fiery tails like shooting stars.
"......"
Even I, who keeps my cool in most situations, blanked out for a second.
The crimson meteor swarm stitching the blood-red sky could be called breathtaking, depending on your view.
If only those damn shards weren't headed straight for us.
"Everyone, get down—!"
I wasn't speechless.
I shouted loud and clear, but it didn't even reach my own ears.
Kwaaaaang—!
The explosions swallowed everything.
* * *
Research Building 13.
The structure from an impossible urban legend.
The Blood Moon's personal meteor bombardment turned Building 13 back into legend.
By erasing it from existence, that is.
"Ughhh!"
I shoved off the debris crushing my shoulder and barely stood.
My body ached in several spots.
At least four bruises, minimum. Even with qi shielding me, the damage was hefty.
No broken bones? Count my blessings.
"Everyone alive?"
At the same moment, a click sounded, and the Deathberry horde buried under rubble lunged at me.
"...Not you fuckers."
I smashed a fist into its gaping maw.
Crack. Dry impact, like striking a wooden doll.
A living thing would've had its neck vertebrae pulverized, stopping it cold. But these doll bastards kept moving even with shattered heads and torsos bisected.
Even ghouls revived by necromancy wouldn't be this tenacious.
Crunch. One Deathberry bit my shoulder. I clicked my tongue, crushing its face in my grip...
But the building's collapse spelled trouble for us.
Narrow fields favor you against superior numbers. That's why you lure mobs into alleys.
This place? Wide open.
Get surrounded, and you're done. Had to keep mobile, burning stamina fast.
[......]
My nape itched.
Not the Deathberries.
The Blood Moon hovering in the sky kept its gaze fixed on me.
My ploy to draw attention had exceeded expectations...
The problem? Not knowing what that bombardment did to Seren.
Worst case, she's dead. Otherwise, unconscious.
'......'
For now, assume she's mostly fine—but brace for the worst.
"Eup!"
Right then, a lax voice emerged from the rubble, along with an unexpected face.
"Evan?"
Frankly, this guy had the highest odds of being dead. He'd been knocked out.
'Lucky bastard.'
By sheer fortune, he looked unscathed.
"Ruan?"
Evan gawked at me wide-eyed. I tossed him the Seven Sins Sword.
Stab.
A Deathberry sneaking up behind Evan slumped, impaled on the blade.
I looked away from him.
"Sleep well?"
"Damn it. Worst wake-up of my life! Borrowing this!"
Evan grabbed the Seven Sins Sword.
It wasn't your standard sword—worried how he'd handle it, but no time for tips.
Instead, I pondered something else.
'Is Evan's survival just luck?'
He'd been unconscious. Totally defenseless.
What're the odds of emerging unscathed from that barrage?
'Maybe...'
What I'd thought was indiscriminate bombardment from the Blood Moon might've targeted me precisely.
Meaning the moon overhead wasn't as distant as it seemed.
Long-range accuracy varies wildly by distance.
To rain hell on one human inside a building... the moon had to be closer than it looked.
Didn't the Chancellor say as much?
The moon drawing nearer to the ground.
'Of course, could be my illusion, or some Demon King power.'
Doubts about unknown foes never end. Shove that possibility aside.
Moments later, another emerged from the rubble: Charon. Honestly, he looked the worst off.
How much blood had he lost?
Drenched head to toe, eyes rolled back as he hacked at foes.
Halfway delirious, probably. Even he must feel half-dead.
But alive.
'Charon pulling through...'
Jacked up the odds Seren was fine too.
So why hasn't she shown?
'Hunting her moment?'
Smart play.
No need to expose herself.
Ambushes hit hardest; daggers threaten most when hidden.
Problem: I couldn't pinpoint her hideout. No spare focus for Fiery Golden Eye.
Needed her position.
To lure the main body's reverse eyes there.
I'd already clocked the main body.
Farthest from me.
As expected, the Demon King guarded me closest. But why not evacuate it fully safe?
Guess: that one's the core controlling the surrounding dolls.
Like a primary receiver for the sky moon's orders.
Stray too far from range, and the horde freezes.
'Just keep circling like this?'
Patrol the debris field; Seren ambushes from hiding.
Solid, but would my stamina hold? Evan or Charon might drop first.
Mid-thought—
Fwaaa...
Hundreds of flowers bloomed from the rubble.
'Flowers?'
Absurd sight made me question my sanity, but the scent said otherwise.
Not Demon King trickery.
A Blessing? The aura suggested it.
A Blessing growing flowers. Had to stifle a laugh, but not weird.
Heard of duds nicknamed "duds."
'Whose?'
Glanced at Evan and Charon. Their confusion ruled them out...
Left one.
'Still kicking, huh.'
Demon King wouldn't know it was Seren's Blessing. A message to me.
I scanned around.
Lavender roses blooming everywhere, eerily like Bednicker eyes. Hated rose scent; head swam.
In the melee, sniffing detested perfume while scanning? Maddening...
But I spotted it.
A daisy amid the roses.
'...Childish.'
Childish, but got the intent.
Daisies symbolized Goodspring.
My body heat rising nicely, I inhaled deeply, chest swelling.
"......!"
Vision went white.
Easily entered White Radiance, taming the euphoric qi as I tensed my legs.
Crackle. Lightning arced from my eyes.
Thunder Heaven Step.
Rumble!
Kicking the ground flipped the flower field atop ruins; rose petals scattered wildly.
Kwa-gagak!
Clinging Deathberry swarm hurled away by destructive footwork shockwave. Intentional—I'd overchanneled inner power.
A bolt of lightning, I closed on the Deathberry core instantly.
Grab!
Clutched the temple horn with both hands, maxing grip strength.
Crunch!
Wanted to rip it out, but no dice.
Held the horn, hoisted the Deathberry, hurled it toward the daisy bloom.
Crack-crack!
Simultaneously, ice tendrils from below bound the Deathberry fully.
For the first time, the main body's reverse eyes—and the sky Blood Moon's gaze—left me.
Seren emerged from rubble. Head injured? White hair bloodied.
Cold sunken eyes, Amon's scissors in hand.
[......!]
Cracks reappeared on the sky moon's face. Black dots—moon shards—flooded the sky again.
Round two? Too late. Scissors reached the Deathberry.
Click.
The blades finally severed the Demon King's thread!
"......!"
No. Something off.
Seren's face stiffened slightly.
'Didn't cut?'
That spot was right.
Focused inner power in my eyes.
'Huh?'
The thread once at the cervical vertebrae had shifted to the crown.
And it wriggled live-like in real time.
'Fucking hell.'
Last-ditch spasm ground my teeth, but Demon King felt real crisis.
Problem: Seren.
Her eyes couldn't track the thread.
Quick decision.
Jammed fingers into my bitten shoulder. Pain drew curses, but stifled groan, withdrew.
Blood-slick fingers beheld, Thunder Heaven Step again. Closed on the tossed Deathberry.
Needed no flair now.
Drew rising lightning qi from legs to torso. Body thrilled like pierced by bolts.
Aftereffect of forcing unadapted qi.
Didn't matter.
Trained body tough for moments like this.
Crackle. Thrust lightning-clad fist.
Thunder Fist.
Boom!
This technique.
Only used once in real combat—against a Demon King, coincidentally.
Deathberry shuddered as fist sank into gut.
Not paralysis from lightning. Doll, after all.
I wanted chaos.
If threads relayed Blood Moon's commands, disrupt the chain.
Fists couldn't burn threads, so lightning. Snap judgment—worked fine.
Splash!
Then flung blood droplets from left hand onto its crown.
Not an attack.
Blood beaded on the Demon King thread.
Now, even invisible, position clear.
'Honestly...'
Seren's eyes flashed.
'I've spoon-fed it.'
Slice—!
Amon's holy scissors finally severed the Demon King's thread.