Chapter 96

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Translator: penny

Chapter: 96

Chapter Title: Humanity's Betrayer (3)

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Clang—!!

Sparks flew from the sharp steel sword.

What blocked it was nothing more than fingernails.

Salleos flicked the sword away.

"Hahat♡ Is this how you treat a young lady?"

"Shut your mouth, you traitor!!"

"Why are you so angry? After getting hit twice, you'd think you'd be used to it..."

"Shut up!!!"

The one attacking her was the Skeleton Knight Balam.

He swung his flashy sword strikes wildly.

A downward slash from above.

The moment it was blocked by her nails, he angled the blade obliquely toward her arm.

Even that was stopped by her hardened demonic energy.

This time, he twisted the blade for a central cut.

He swung with the intent to bisect her waist.

What was terrifying was that all these attacks and defenses happened in the blink of an eye.

It was combat befitting a high demon, but...

"......"

'As expected, a head-on fight puts us at a disadvantage.'

Balam, the only human-born among the high demons.

He felt it in his bones.

Right now, he wasn't the one on the offensive.

It was more like his attacks were being 'permitted.'

And that was exactly the case.

"Hrng♡"

'I was planning to take a few hits and lure her to the walls, but she's weaker than I thought.'

Their names originated from the '72 Ancient Archdemons.'

Salleos ranked 19th among them.

The Salleos who inherited that name was roughly that strong as well.

In contrast, Balam was 51st.

There was that much of a gap between them.

'Hmm, if I play this right, I might be able to kill her.'

But Balam saw a chance for victory.

Ranks were from ancient demons.

They didn't represent the strength of the current generation.

And above all...

His 'curse' hadn't activated yet.

'I need to change the battlefield. Somewhere filled with fear!!'

Whoosh— He swung his sword as a feint.

Then Balam leaped back greatly.

He spun his body.

And charged forward at full speed.

Toward Eisen gart.

"...Ahhat♡"

'Planning to fight there? Saves me the trouble♡'

Salleos gleefully pursued him.

Balam's intentions were obvious.

But her orders were to lure them in.

No reason or need to stop him.

As a result...

The two demons charged toward Eisen gart.

"...Salleos and the Skeleton Knight, approaching!!"

'Well done, my slave!!'

Seeing that, Yi Hyun cheered inwardly.

Salleos running naked across the plain.

Even the pussy juices scattering from her were endearing.

"What about the other monsters!"

"...Uh, yeah. In the middle of a group orgy?"

"Did I hear that wrong?"

"The Death Knights are rubbing their dicks on the skeletons... um, infighting."

The carnage Salleos had caused—a hellscape of corpses devouring bones—was a bit much.

But Yi Hyun didn't pay it much mind.

This was par for the course in the dark fantasies he'd experienced.

"Lady Minerva, interception ready?"

"She'll handle it just fine on her own."

"Lady Blanc."

"Hilde, take the knights and prepare for contingencies. If things don't go according to plan, you're authorized to act at your discretion."

"Got it if it comes to that."

The humans began their preparations as well.

First, the knights assembled near the walls.

They began dripping liquid onto their swords.

It was a potion Minerva made to maximize holy water's effects.

-Click.

'If I get a few shots in, maybe I can split contributions with Lumine?'

Yi Hyun gripped his rifle too.

Taking cover behind wall obstacles.

Eyes peeled for any finishing blows.

Finally, the core of this plan.

The Saintess Lumine.

She was gathering divine power from the priests.

"Goddess, please..."

"Thank you, Sister Anne. Rest now."

"Urgh..."

"Thank you all for lending your faith."

Already 97 lay collapsed on the temple floor.

The divine power received from them shone like the sun, illuminating the temple.

Some were even offering prayers.

"...Mmmph♡"

'This is the most comfortable position, so I asked for a simple confession booth, but why is it so uncomfortable?'

The actual sight was quite pathetic.

But no one made an issue of it.

Even if it was a confession booth, it was natural 'common sense' for the Saintess to be like that.

In the end, good news reached the knights.

"The one in the lead right now."

"We're counting on it! Hey, interception prep is done!!"

"Oooooh!!!"

Cheers erupted.

The knights raised their swords and roared.

Most had vaguely guessed the Saintess's involvement.

Even Blanc and Yi Hyun, who knew the details, were the same.

'With her holy spell...!!'

'Wonder how OP it is that Luna and Lilia trusted her so ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠much—let's see!!'

Both looked on with eager eyes.

Alternating glances between the temple and the walls.

Yi Hyun especially eyed the Skeleton Knight arriving at the walls...

"......?"

'What? Why does he feel familiar?'

A sudden sense of incongruity hit him.

But Yi Hyun couldn't quite pinpoint why.

Balam surely never imagined anyone would feel déjà vu from his bare-bones form.

-Rat-tat-tat!!

"...Tch."

'That smug look while playing with that toy pisses me off.'

Meanwhile, Balam racing across the plain.

He had no idea what was happening inside the walls.

That Salleos was colluding with them.

That he was being targeted by Lumine's 'holy spear.'

That he was literally running into the jaws of death.

All of it.

And the price of ignorance...

——Came back as bone-rattling pain.

The massive divine power gathered to Lumine.

Surpassing an individual's limits, the divinity coalesced into a spear shape.

The power so immense that Empress Luna faked her death to keep the Saintess in the capital.

The Empire's ultimate secret weapon against archdemons.

Its tip...

Aimed at Balam.

"Sigh..."

'Hero, have mercy!'

With a small wish.

A breath softly drawn.

Recited along with the incantation.

"——Holy Spear."

KABOOOM—!!!!

With an explosive roar, the ultra-compressed divinity tore through the air.

It passed through the temple walls like a ghost.

Crossing the Eisen gart territory.

-Gulp.

"...That's the Holy Spear."

'Isn't that supersonic missile level?'

Yi Hyun, already using super acceleration.

Could barely track its trajectory.

Balam had no chance of dodging.

"Hng!?"

'Attack!!'

Balam raised his sword.

Wrapped demonic energy around the blade.

Dodging was impossible, so he planned to deflect it.

-Crack.

"...Ah."

The Holy Spear shattered the demonic energy.

Dark red aura scattered everywhere.

White light pierced through it.

BOOM—

The divinity rejecting the impure...

Engulfed Balam.

A pillar of light enveloped him.

"......!!!!"

"Kyaaah!? W-what is this!!"

Even Salleos instinctively backpedaled.

That attack neutralizing a fellow high demon in one hit.

Even she would be in danger if hit.

Her overheated mind cooled in an instant...

-Halt.

"...Ah♡"

'It's Master♡'

But only for a moment.

Knights were swarming the walls.

Among them was Yi Hyun, the man she'd longed for.

"D-did we get him!?"

"Lady Minerva, please shut up!!!"

'Why jinx it!!'

Yi Hyun was trembling with unease.

But Salleos couldn't care less.

-Leap.

She vaulted straight to the wall's top, launching herself at Yi Hyun.

-Whiiiiiish!

"Maaasteeeeer♡ I... Gahk!!?"

"...Lady Hilde?"

"S-sorry. Reflex."

Hilde's hammer swing hit dead-on by chance.

She tumbled unsightly back down the wall.

But no knight blamed her.

When she finally climbed back up.

Everyone looked at her with fear.

"T-this is Salleos..."

"...Hmph."

'Pathetic humans.'

Salleos was quite annoyed at the hammer blow too.

Yi Hyun was the exception.

He checked the status window right away.

One phrase glowed brilliantly inside.

'Gotcha!!'

Enslaved. The status that even subdued Luna.

No way he'd fear her after seeing that.

Instead, he strode forward.

Ruffled Salleos's head vigorously.

"Good job, my slave!"

"Heeeng!!? H-hey, aren't you scared of me...?"

"I'm the kind of master who rewards obedient slaves!"

"Still, I'm a demon."

"You're my slave now, aren't you?"

"......Ahhat♡"

'He's different♡ Treating a demon like a slave despite being a lowly human— so cool♡'

Thanks to that, Salleos's mood lifted.

Pussy juices dripped steadily—

She couldn't hide her arousal.

The knights relaxed seeing it.

"She's really switching sides..."

"But why is she naked? Sage, any guesses?"

"She's a demon. Don't expect human logic."

"Fair, same as Lady Hilde."

"Hey, you've been subtly roasting me lately?"

"It's not wrong, though."

"You little...?"

Tension eased into brief banter.

But Blanc, Yi Hyun, and Minerva ignored it.

The priority was subjugating Balam.

"For now, Salleos, thank you for your cooperation. We won't forget this deed."

"Forget that— hurry, hurry♡ Maaasteeer♡"

"Salleos?"

"I was good, so... that♡ What you did with her♡"

"Calm down. Once subjugation's done, you can have your fill..."

Then they turned their gazes below the walls.

-Halt.

"——Huh?"

Soon, all four faces changed.

Within the slowly fading pillar of light.

Balam stood firm.

"N-no way!! He took Lumine's Holy Spear head-on!?"

"Argh, that's what you get for stacking death flags!! Screwed!"

"I don't get 'flags,' but Minerva? Is the Holy Spear normally this weak?"

"No way!! Even against that raider Saks, Lumine's finisher did him in! With temple buffs too—demons should drop in one shot!"

The walls grew chaotic.

Everyone failed to hide their shock.

Salleos's interjection only worsened it.

"Hey, Master? That was the Saintess just now?"

"Yeah!! Burns evil deeds in hellfire proportional to sins."

"Didn't ask you... Anyway, Master, it won't work well on him."

"Huh? Why not?"

"He used to be human. Specifically, a hero."

"......Huh?"

Minerva was speechless.

Her blue eyes met the Skeleton Knight looking up from below.

"That's... Ariel...?"

Her pupils trembled.

Her cloak damp with cold sweat.

The precious comrade she'd searched for.

Turned demon?

Unbelievable...

"Huh? Him?"

"Master? What's wrong?"

"He's not the same height as the Hero, looks more like male bones."

"......!!"

Shock froze her briefly.

Minerva hurriedly examined Balam.

Soon, a sigh of relief escaped.

'He's male?'

[Broad question...]

'That skeleton—male?'

[Interpretation complete in 3 seconds. Yes.]

"Phew, scared me."

She confirmed his gender with Blessing too.

"My slave, when did that guy die?"

"Hmm, about three hundred years ago? Younger than me."

"That's right. You're safe."

Salleos's testimony ended the confusion.

And Yi Hyun...

Suddenly stood up.

'Low evil deeds, former human.'

"Lemme talk to him a bit. Hey!! Skeleton dude down there!!!"

"......"

Balam, bones cracked.

He raised his head.

The man once called hero in the past, and the current celebrated hero.

Their eyes met.

"You're Yi Hyun."

"That's me!!! Heard you were human once—wanna join our side maybe?"

"I don't listen to cowards yelling from the safety of walls."

"This isn't—"

"Come down like a man to talk, or hand over the traitor Salleos and scram. Choose."

"Tch."

'Fair, I'd ignore me too.'

Yi Hyun pondered.

Then asked Salleos.

"Hey, if I go down, will he ambush me?"

"Yi Hyun!!?"

"No way you're falling for that."

"Situation's like this? He seems reasonable, so if I can recruit him, I should."

He'd go down and talk personally.

Absurd, but...

"...Salleos, odds he'll bite?"

"Why's this non-master bitch keep ordering me."

"My slave, answer."

"Yeees♡ About fifty-fifty? He's a demon against his will—offer hero treatment, he might flip."

"Worth a shot then?"

Minerva judged: high risk, ultra high reward.

She met Yi Hyun's eyes.

"Can you bolt back up if it goes south?"

"Saw him jump— he's slow. Hide-and-seek viable."

"Blanc, as sage, I suggest sending Yi Hyun."

"That's!!"

Blanc hated it, but...

"Lady Blanc, undo your armor a sec."

"Huh? Why suddenly."

-Pinch.

"Oguuuuh!!?"

"Pinkie promise. Won't make it risky."

"O-okay, stooop♡ Pleeease♡"

"Roger. Salleos, stay here—join if needed."

Yi Hyun defused it quickly.

Then whoosh—

Leaped down from the walls.

-Thud.

"Ta-da, superhero landing."

"...He really went down."

"Real men don't back down here."

Before the walls.

The two men faced each other.

Distance between them: a mere hundred meters.

"Anyway, sorry for the Holy Spear. Thought you were a vicious demon."

"Don't apologize. Sick of that terrified act."

"Wasn't scared..."

"——Is that so?"

And Balam...

Unleashed his curse and blessing.

"Let's see if you say that after this. Shatter."

Fwwoosh—

Blue glow flashed in his eyes.

-Grooo...

"Wh-what is this."

"Suddenly, my body."

"Eek...!"

The knights atop the walls.

Froze in collective terror.

Legs trembling.

Fearlord Balam's curse: Instills dread indiscriminately, friend or foe.

-Step.

"Hero, I respect your knightly guts facing me. Just hand over traitor Salleos, and I'll withdraw."

'That should make him give up.'

And before the tip of his aimed sword.

Yi Hyun parted his trembling lips.

'So that's the déjà vu.'

"Wa... wa... waa......"

The knight who'd bought fear his whole life with the curse.

Led to betrayal, death, resurrection as demon: Balam.

Yi Hyun standing before him.

Unlike his expectations.

Wasn't scared at all.

What shook him wasn't fear.

——Intense joy.

"WA!!!! SANS!!!!!"

'He knows me!!!!'