Chapter 339: The Red-Haired Duke (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 339: The Red-Haired Duke (2)
Clang, claaang, clang!!!
The Heaven-Shattering Demonic Sword, cloaked in aura, swung through the air, unleashing shockwaves in every direction.
The cave shuddered once more, and the ceiling began to collapse. Soon, rocks and stone fragments rained down from above.
Despite it all, my gaze remained fixed on the demon before me.
“Hmph…”
Even against an onslaught that would have torn any A-rank magical beast to shreds, the demon blocked my attacks with her fingernails as if it were nothing.
A dark red energy enveloped her fingers.
It was demonic energy.
And it was of a much higher grade than the demonic energy I wielded.
‘…At least this isn't her true form. If it were, she would have killed me in an instant.’
Only the most exceptional S-rank powerhouses or an 8th Circle Archmage could hope for victory against a demon that had descended in its true form.
But even if this wasn't her true form, the demon who called herself Gremory was incomparably stronger than that deer-head from before.
At least S-rank or higher.
I clicked my tongue inwardly.
She was not an opponent I could afford to face in my battered state.
CRASH!!!
“You’re a bit rough, aren’t you?”
“I get that a lot.”
Screeeech—
Sparks flew between my sword and her claws.
From a distance where I could reach out and touch her, I glared at Gremory.
She was breathtakingly beautiful, but my instincts were screaming, rejecting her very presence.
“You seem a little worked up. Why don’t we calm down? I didn’t come here to fight—”
“Sorry, but I don’t listen to more than three words from a demon.”
Kiiiiiiing—!
The Heaven-Shattering Demonic Sword let out a cry.
An immense radiance erupted, illuminating the surroundings, and the Vajra Qi that engulfed the blade sent Gremory flying backward.
“One of my women happens to despise demons.”
[Extreme Blood]
Crack!
The muscles all over my body swelled.
I swung my sword, a strike that surpassed the limits of my physical body, meant to cleave the enemy before me in two.
Formless Sword Art: Genesis.
I swung the blade, intending to split the demon—and the entire cave—in half.
But in that instant.
“Stop.”
“?!”
Gremory’s voice echoed softly, and my arm froze in mid-air.
I hurriedly activated my magic circuits.
For a moment, I suspected mental erosion, but there was nothing wrong with my mental barrier.
But if it wasn't mental erosion, there was no other way to explain what had just happened.
I had clearly swung my sword to kill the demon before me. Yet, my sword and arm had stopped dead in the air.
It was as if the very will to swing the sword had been ‘deleted.’
My vision naturally fell upon Gremory, who stood there as if nothing had happened.
She wore a smile, as if mocking me.
“It’s my Authority, you see.”
“…Authority?”
Click, clack—
The sight of Gremory approaching so leisurely was utterly ominous and dangerous.
The revulsion toward demons, ingrained in me like an instinct since birth, sounded a warning bell.
“Humans believe without a doubt that they possess free will. But I wonder?”
Gremory shook her head.
“For example, human males are governed by hormones like testosterone and estrogen, which induce lust and aggression, sometimes leading them to commit crimes. Even when they know full well it will ruin their lives.”
Before I knew it, she was close enough to touch.
I couldn't feel any killing intent or hostility from her, but I didn't let my guard down, ready to draw my sword at any moment.
However, as if reading my thoughts, Gremory continued the conversation with a meaningful smile.
“I believe human free will is nothing more than an illusion. Human emotions and thoughts are simply controlled by hormones.”
“…How reductionist.”
“Is that so?”
“It’s true that hormones play a large role in determining human emotions and thoughts, but to claim that’s all there is to it is to overlook human complexity and agency, isn't it?”
Learning, sociocultural backgrounds, relationships, and more. There were countless other factors that influenced human thought and emotion.
Just as giving hormone injections to someone who fears people due to childhood trauma wouldn't solve everything.
“You might be right.”
To my response, Gremory didn't argue but simply nodded her head in agreement.
“To be honest, the truth doesn't really matter.”
Ping—
At that moment, the crown floating above her head glowed ominously.
“After all, as long as my Authority exists, humans can have no free will.”
“…So when I stopped my attack, was that you controlling my free will?”
No answer came.
But sometimes, silence is the most definitive answer.
Of course, I didn't believe everything she said. I wasn't naive enough to take a demon's words at face value.
“So, what is your objective?”
I decided to continue the conversation to buy some time.
My stamina was an immediate problem, but ultimately, if I couldn't figure out the nature of her ability, my chances of winning were practically zero.
Moreover, now that I was almost certain this demon was the cause of this whole incident, I needed to dig up some information.
“You, of course, Mr. Kang Hyun-woo. I’ve been dying to meet you.”
“…You wanted to meet me?”
“Yes!”
Gremory’s unexpected answer left me momentarily bewildered.
No matter how I thought about it, I had never done anything to attract a demon's attention.
‘…No, wait a minute.’
Suddenly, the image of the deer-headed creature who had introduced himself as a count of Gehenna flashed through my mind.
“Don’t tell me, is this because of that deer-head?”
“Pfft!”
The moment I finished speaking, Gremory burst out laughing.
I was at a loss for words as she clutched her stomach, choking with laughter for a long while.
Honestly, it didn't suit her.
“Sniff, sob…! I-I’m sorry… I just never imagined a human would call him a deer-head.”
Gremory wiped away the tears welling in her eyes with her fingertips.
“Phew, to get straight to the point, you’re right. I was curious about which human received an apostle offer from that oaf.”
“Then you could have just come quietly. Why go to all this trouble?”
“I was worried about attracting attention.”
“Attention?”
Gremory shrugged.
It was a gesture that said she didn't want to explain it herself.
“Anyway, it’s a bit of a shame. Since we were going to meet anyway, if you had come just a little later, you could have had a good time with Miss Seoah.”
“…What?”
At Gremory’s words, my gaze naturally turned to Han Seoah.
“Wh-where are you looking!”
Now that I looked, her clothes were completely disheveled.
As if someone’s hands had been all over them.
“You should be thanking me, you know.”
“…What?”
“I saved you before you lost your virginity.”
“?!!!”
Han Seoah screamed and started cursing at me.
Of course, befitting a rich young lady, her curses were so refined they could hardly be called profanity.
“Huhu, you two seem to be close.”
“You’re mistaken.”
“Am I?”
Gremory looked at Han Seoah, who was thrashing about in her chains, with a strange expression.
Her eyes, filled with heat, were mainly focused on her chest and thighs.
“Haa… what a shame. If you had come just an hour later, I could have remodeled not only Miss Seoah but also the goat lady behind her to my personal tastes—”
“Hey.”
“Yes?”
Kiiing—
A pure white energy began to rise from the Heaven-Shattering Demonic Sword.
“Stop getting on my nerves. Before I kill you.”
My battered body screamed in protest again.
It was a natural reaction.
This was a bluff, made possible only by wringing out every last drop of energy from my body.
In this state, I could probably only manage one more swing of the sword.
Fortunately, my threat seemed to have worked, as Gremory hugged herself and trembled slightly.
‘Phew…’
I swallowed dryly.
My plan was to recover just enough stamina to swing my sword three times—no more, no less—and then cut off that demon’s head.
Of course, the chance of failure was high, but if it came to that, I could just escape using Matching.
“From now on, you will only answer my questions—”
“…Truly.”
—!!!!!
“?!”
In that instant, the demonic energy erupting from Gremory spread out in all directions like a storm.
As if everything up to now had been a game, the sudden increase in the density of her demonic energy made it hard to breathe.
“Truly, truly magnificent…! To think your killing intent could make even a demon like me tremble…!!”
Gremory looked at me and let out a bizarre laugh, like someone in a state of extreme ecstasy.
That was madness.
Woooong—
At that moment, the crown above Gremory’s head began to spin, emitting a strange light.
I instinctively drew upon my magic, reinforcing my mental barrier to its absolute limit.
Thud—
I heard something collapse behind me.
Han Seoah and Lumina had lost consciousness and fainted.
“What do you think you’re—”
“Shhh…”
Gremory, who had somehow slipped into my arms, pressed her fingertip gently against my lips.
“You don’t have to worry too much about those two. I just put them to sleep for a little while.”
“…”
Cold sweat trickled down my spine.
The atmosphere had changed completely.
‘…She’s insane.’
The one before me now was not an avatar, but her true form.
I had no idea what trick she’d used, but I extended my senses to check on the two of them.
Thankfully, they were still breathing.
“Now that you’re done checking, would you mind putting that sword away? I have a bit of a phobia of sharp objects, you see.”
Despite her gentle tone, I could feel a faint killing intent.
This was no request.
‘…If things get dangerous, I’ll have to use Matching.’
Shing—
As I sheathed my sword, Gremory smiled.
“Now then, could you show me that black flame from before again?”
“…Black flame?”
Was she talking about the Black Flame?
It was a request I couldn't readily understand, and I hesitated, but I had no other choice right now.
‘Damn, I might have to use the Magic Eye for this…’
The Mystic Eye of Time had the ability to turn back time at the cost of my eyesight.
Preparing to activate the Magic Eye, I summoned the Black Flame.
Fwoosh—
As the black flame flickered to life in my palm, a strange light appeared in Gremory’s eyes.
“…Just as I thought.”
My wariness toward her reached its peak.
Regardless, Gremory paid it no mind and sent a peculiar gaze my way.
“Hyun-woo, shall I tell you something interesting?”
“…I’d rather not hear it.”
Snap—
Gremory snapped her fingers, and a table, chairs, and a tea set materialized out of thin air.
She sat down first and began to skillfully brew some black tea.
Trickle—
“Here, drink it before it gets cold.”
“…”
As expected, I had no right to refuse.
I sat down, and pretending to sip from the teacup, I opened my inventory inside my mouth and poured the tea in.
As if I’d be crazy enough to drink something a demon gave me.
“How is it?”
“It’s terrible. Go make me some instant coffee.”
“Huhu, you’re joking.”
Wooooong—
The crown above her head began to spin again, and an unidentifiable pressure started to weigh down on the space.
“If you keep being so naughty, even someone as gentle as me might get angry, you know?”
“…”
This woman was definitely not sane.
Then again, she was a demon, so was it natural for her to be insane?
“Shall I tell you something interesting?”
“Are you leaving now?”
“What did I just say?”
“…”
Gremory’s continuous threats were starting to make my head boil.
If I had my way, I’d love to perform a little sword dance, but for now, I had to endure.
Not only was the demon before me stronger than Han Lael and the Duke of Rutland, but there were too many people behind me that I had to protect.
“…What is it?”
“God is dead. A certain philosopher once said that.”
Gremory dipped her finger deep into the steaming teacup.
But she showed no sign of pain.
Because there was nothing in the teacup.
“Of course, it wasn't a denial of God's existence. But depending on who heard it, it could have been interpreted that way.”
“Don’t tell me you’re trying to have a philosophical discussion right now.”
“Of course not.”
Gremory tilted the teacup, which had somehow refilled itself.
Clink.
“In this world, God does not exist.”