Chapter 97

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Translator: penny

Chapter: 97

Chapter Title: Humanity's Betrayer (4)

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Balam froze solid.

His jawbone dropped with a crack.

His mouth hung open on its own.

He couldn't believe it.

"Sands? Who's that?"

"WA!! You don't know!!! This is so fucking sad!!!"

"...?"

How on earth was this young man in front of him.

Gazing at him with eyes like he was looking at an idol.

'Like me as a child, when I first resolved to become a knight.'

One day, shunned because of his curse.

A knight who shielded him, saying this wasn't right.

The emotion he felt back then.

Why did it feel so vividly from Yi Hyun?

'No way.'

It was impossible.

His curse was a power that instilled fear in all humanity.

When he was a child and the curse was weak, maybe, but after growing up, no one ever looked at him that way.

He had trained to the point of grinding his bones to overcome it.

And even after achieving feats that earned him the title of Hero.

Until the moment he was betrayed and died, not once.

Yet, the gaze he had longed for his entire life.

Was coming from the hero of this generation.

It was only natural he couldn't understand.

"Whoa, whoa...!! Whoa!!! Wooowaaaah!!!"

'What do I do with this internal affinity!!'

Of course, it was fortunate he didn't know why.

If he did, he'd be even angrier for no reason.

Balam would never dream of it.

In the end, a subtle standoff began.

"Doesn't it scare you? Me?"

"WA!!! You're so fucking sca... No, not really?"

"Heroes must be different. Makes sense, since you took down Citri and swayed Saleos."

"I'm just like that. Anyway, wanna really join us as a comrade? I didn't take the wipeout route."

A playful proposal laced with sincerity.

Why not become a comrade?

"Wipeout, huh..."

"Yes! No need to go through that horrible time."

"I refuse."

Balam rejected it outright.

He glanced back at the horde of skeletons and continued.

"Do you see those wretches?"

"Them? Why?"

"They're the ones I killed. The knights who fought alongside me, the territory soldiers who defended the land. The betrayers who condemned me as a demon while I was still human and tried to cut me down."

"Uh, um."

"So I wiped them out. Even those I couldn't kill at first, I brought back in this state and finished them off. Every last one, without mercy. So thoroughly not even records remained."

"..."

"That was the moment I was reborn as the demon Balam, no longer human."

He raised his hand.

Now only bones remained, but to Balam, it looked blood-soaked.

"No regrets. Taking revenge on those filthy betrayers was only natural."

"Then maybe there's room for mitigation."

"No. Humanity betrayed me, so I betrayed humanity. Coexistence is impossible now."

"Tch."

Yi Hyun was at a loss for words.

His eyes flicked briefly to the walls.

'Can't avoid the fight...?'

A demon, even if formerly human.

Taming him like Saleos? Impossible, since he was male and a skeleton.

And now he was even raising his sword.

Fight seemed inevitable.

The moment he sensed it, click—

He summoned and gripped his rifle.

"That's too bad. I really thought we could get along great."

"One last question. Will you hand over Saleos?"

"I'll ask one last thing too. Can't you just forget it all and ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠become a comrade?"

"Some things can't be compromised on."

"Looks that way. Oh, one last thing. Blanc!!!"

Yi Hyun raised his voice.

Loud enough to reach the walls, without turning his back on the enemy.

In the corner of his vision.

A status window floated up.

"Make sure no one looks at him!!! He gets stronger the more people in his sight!!! I'll fight him alone!!!"

First, he blocked ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the line of sight directed this way.

The power of the Fear King that Balam gained upon becoming a demon.

It was useless in a one-on-one.

'Can't stand a damsel in distress!'

And one more thing.

Balam was already in near-death state.

Because he had been directly hit by Lumine's 'Holy Lance'.

Yi Hyun saw his chance here.

'My current combat power...'

His level was in the 150s right now.

Factor in the stats bought from the status window?

His actual specs were nearly level 180.

And with super acceleration, Gunner mode, etc.

If he used all those ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠cheat-level skills?

'Plenty of chance to win! If I strip away the level boost from fear and fight!'

Balam in near-death.

Landing the killing blow was possible.

An objective assessment without arrogance.

-Swish.

"Y-Yi Hyun... it's dangerous!"

'To face such a mighty demon alone!'

But to the others, it looked entirely different.

Blanc even approached, trembling, to stop him.

His actions seemed that reckless.

"Blanc, trust me and leave it to me."

"It's dangerous, I said!? What if you die."

"He's already near-death. I'm faster, and I can attack from range. I'll win for sure."

"But!!"

"More than that, he's actually a pretty good knight. We should at least send him off with a heroic last stand."

He insisted on fighting alone.

It considered Balam's 'Blessing', optimized for multi-man fights.

'Can't pass up the killing blow contribution.'

If he couldn't recruit him?

At least take the contribution points.

He believed this was best.

For himself, and for Balam, who had unwillingly become humanity's betrayer.

In the end, Blanc hugged him once and turned away.

-Squeeze.

"...You have to win."

"I'll be back before the Imperial Princess's pussy juice cools."

"Why bring up another woman, you idiot."

Thud—

The golden figure leaped onto the walls.

Immediately, Balam's presence weakened.

Under Blanc's orders, those watching had gone below the walls.

But Balam.

Didn't care much.

"You insist on one-on-one when fighting Saleos would be easier. The epitome of a knight."

"You're no slouch either? You waited for me. Even allowed me to weaken you."

"The gap in our levels is clear, so this much is fair."

He raised his sword.

Aimed at Yi Hyun.

Blue flames flickered in his eyes.

'My body's heavy. I'll probably lose.'

He sensed defeat.

He had endured somehow, but the Holy Lance's power was beyond imagination.

He was already in tatters.

For revenge, he should retreat and bide his time...

But he didn't want to.

'Yi Hyun.'

The one whose eyes shone toward him.

Not as a fearsome demon to hate.

A hero who saw him as a knight.

He didn't want to run.

He wanted to face him knightly.

The pride he couldn't let go even as a demon.

Led him to stand before death.

'A perfect day to die.'

He looked up.

Clear sunlight. Blue sky.

Beneath it, the hero Yi Hyun.

He liked it a lot.

"Fear King, Balam."

"Imperial Quartermaster, Yi Hyun."

"I yield the first strike."

"Graciously accepted."

He even yielded first strike.

Yi Hyun aimed his rifle.

Bang—!

Silver trajectory rushed at him.

Balam deflected it easily.

"...Whoa!! He deflected that!?"

"You're impressive yourself. Such clean sword aura, no wonder you felled Citri..."

"Here comes the real deal!!"

Thud.

Yi Hyun kicked back.

Silver bullets filled the air.

The wave of sword aura crashing toward him.

Felt more beautiful to Balam than anything.

'To give his all against even me like this, quite gratifying.'

"Hup!!"

He swung his sword.

Unleashing the swordsmanship honed in his human days.

Clang, clang—

Deflecting bullets, advancing step by step.

-Slash!!

"...Kuh."

'Can't deflect them all, after all.'

He didn't fully dodge,

"...Whoa, shit."

'Full auto spray and he only takes that much?'

Yi Hyun couldn't hide his admiration.

Even Blanc couldn't dodge his shots completely now.

Yet in near-death, without demonic powers active, he blocked them.

'Sands form is insane! He's really strong!'

To Yi Hyun, it looked insanely cool.

Praise burst out naturally.

"Too bad no one can see this! You're super cool right now!!"

"I was called a hero, after all!"

"Seriously no thoughts on joining!?"

"Sorry, but no!!"

Balam advanced one step at a time.

Crack—his left arm bone shattered, unable to hold.

Yet he kept stepping forward.

The blue flames in his eyes blazed like a final burst.

'Dying like this wouldn't be bad...'

"Here I come!!"

A duel with a hero who saw him as a knight, after centuries.

What he'd dreamed of for over three hundred years.

A truly heroic, knightly battle.

He wouldn't just take it lying down.

Whoosh—

Balam kicked off the ground, lunging at Yi Hyun with a sword swing.

'Huh, death throes pattern? Can't dodge if he jumps skyward?'

Click.

Yi Hyun aimed at the sky, at him.

Planning to shoot without thinking,

-Bang.

"...!!!"

'Now!'

Balam's figure vanished in an instant.

Even taking sword aura rain, he held back power.

Exploding the last gathered demonic energy.

Yi Hyun's blind spot, his back.

Balam's sword aimed there.

-Whiiiiiish!!!

'Won't kill you. But I'll leave a scar on your back!'

With full power.

He swung.

"M-Master!!!"

'Can't lose ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠to that worthless bastard!!'

And then, whoosh—

Saleos hurled herself from the walls like a cannonball.

She planned to intervene.

But just a bit too late.

Her teeth ground in anxiety...

'He's behind me!'

Yi Hyun was already turning.

A perfect ambush exploiting the blind spot.

Impossible for him, tracking positions with Lumine's blessing.

Faster than Balam could swing.

Yi Hyun super-accelerated his rifle swing.

Clang—!!

Yi Hyun's rifle, his dagger.

Deflected the sword Balam held.

The sword slipped from his grasp.

Spun in the air.

Finally plunged into the ground.

The match was decided.

"...A strike from the heart, yet you blocked even that. Do you have eyes in the back of your head?"

"I was shocked too. Teleport? Keeping that hidden?"

"Wanted to leave a scar on your back."

"A back wound is a swordsman's shame."

"Haha, true."

Yi Hyun aimed his rifle barrel at Balam's skull.

"One last question..."

"Enough. It's been three hundred years since my finest fight. Even that betrayer over there doesn't fill me with hate."

"...Master."

"My slave, stand back. Don't interrupt men's talk."

Yi Hyun's finger on the trigger,

"Not trying to recruit. Just curious about your name."

"Fear King Balam."

"Not that. Your human name. Balam from the start?"

"...Pfft, thanks for asking."

Balam's jawbone moved slightly.

For some reason, it looked like a smile.

"Eisen. The Iron Knight, Eisen."

"..."

'You're the one, not Sands? The one who said from now on I'll stand in the heavens?'

Yi Hyun laughed in disbelief too.

Then pulled the trigger.

"Eisen, I won't forget. Be happy at the Goddess's side in the afterlife."

Slash—

Despite the gunshot, a bone-slicing sound echoed across the field.

The blue flame blazing in Balam's eyes.

Finally lost its light and faded.

'Yi... Hyun...'

-Crack.

Only then did the bones tumble down.

Shattering into thousands upon hitting the ground.

Revealing how gravely injured he had fought.

And a status window appeared before Yi Hyun.

"...!!!"

'Two hundred thousand points!?'

He was speechless for a moment,

"W-Wooowaaaaah!!"

'Lord Eisen, GOAT!!'

Letting out a cheer.

Saleos, who had been watching timidly beside him.

Jumped for joy too.

"Master, Master♡"

'Now we can have sex♡'

Her reason for joy was different.

She didn't care about Balam, whom she betrayed and killed.

Yi Hyun thought it was a bit much, but.

Demons were like that.

And this cheer.

Reached even the walls.

-Rumble.

"Y-Yi Hyun!!!"

"You won!? You really won!!!?"

"Knew you would, damn it!!"

The knights leaped from the walls, charging in.

Faces flushed with the unbelievable feat.

Blanc, Hilde, Silpi even had tears welling up.

Seeing that, Yi Hyun smirked, raised his hand high...

"D-Did he get her?!"

-Halt.

"Ah."

That instant.

Minerva uttered 'those words',

"...!!!!?"

'One more in the sky!!'

Lumine's skill detecting evil.

Warned Yi Hyun.

No time to think, he launched himself.

'That Minerva, gonna spank her ass when we get back!!'

"Everyone, run!!!"

"Huh? Master, why."

Saleos, the slave heated up expecting sex soon.

Didn't react instantly to his shout.

The price was too great.

'That lowly thing tastes bad, but Saleos is different. I'll enjoy you.'

"———Demon betrayer, die♡"

Kwaaaaa—

Right above Saleos.

Demonic energy of power matching Citri, far beyond Balam, plunged down.

An arrow at its tip.

Engulfed Saleos.

'Leraje?! When the hell di— boom.'

-KABOOOOOM!!!!!!!!!

Unlike when Balam was hit directly by the Holy Lance.

A pitch-black pillar filled the sky.