181
I Killed the Demon King. It Was a Mistake.
Chapter 181
Raven teleported directly to where Barre was.
She saw Geotech eating jerky received from Barre.
Being a troll, Geotech was nearly 3m tall.
Seeing such a huge creature crouching down and cautiously eating jerky while watching Barre's reactions, Raven somewhat understood what Barre meant.
Even to Raven, he looked... Pitiful.
"You came?"
"...Yeah."
Raven properly looked at Geotech.
She thought about her relationship with Geotech.
Geotech's goal was to advance to the Demon King's castle and become the Demon King.
Believing they needed to stop Geotech since he would inevitably clash with the Allied Forces, Caesar and Raven's side moved first before being attacked.
While it's true that Geotech's methods were extremely vicious and he wronged the beast people, looking at the results, he hadn't directly harmed Raven.
The 100 beast people who sacrificed their lives to save Raven would be satisfied just by ensuring Geotech no longer torments their kind.
Barre handed him jerky and asked.
"Why did you want to become the Demon King?"
Geotech glanced nervously at Barre and Raven.
"...Uh."
"Just speak comfortably. Relax."
Barre used psychometry while placing his right hand on his thigh.
"I can tell whether you're lying or not anyway."
Barre intended to cut his throat immediately if he tried anything suspicious.
Geotech seemed to read the atmosphere and spoke honestly after thinking briefly.
"I was hungry..."
"Hm?"
"The wasteland is a hungry land. There's nothing to eat."
Through Barre's psychometry, the creature's terrible past flowed in.
"We survived by eating our own. We survived by eating those who lost in wars with other tribes. That's why we always wanted the Red Mountains which had abundant food, but the Demon King forbade it."
"So when humans invaded, it was good. When humans invaded, we fought and ate them. Many of us died, but it didn't matter. At least we weren't hungry."
But when the Demon King died, a ceasefire was signed with humans.
The Greenskins gained peace but hunger followed.
"When hunger came, slaves appeared again. Slaves are no different from human livestock. When there are no 'kindred' to hunt nearby, slaves are eaten first. That's how I lost my wife, children, brothers, and mother. They wouldn't have reached heaven since they didn't die honorably in battle. More than their deaths, I was devastated that they couldn't reach heaven."
Geotech's gaze turned toward the forest full of vitality.
"We starve because the Demon King only let us live in the Greenskin Wasteland. If we conquer the forests and plains abundant with food, we won't have to starve. If we don't starve, Greenskins who can't reach heaven will disappear, and when they achieve eternal life in my embrace, this hunger-filled world will become heaven. A world of eternal battle and eternal satisfaction. I wanted to become the Demon King to create that world."
Geotech looked at Barre with a dejected expression.
"Is this wrong?"
'...It's fucking wrong?'
In the end, the world Geotech wants is one of eternal war without hunger.
The moment he pacifies the Demon Realm, he'll advance north and the Second Demon Realm War will break out.
Barre and Raven's eyes met.
They could tell what each other was thinking just by looking.
'What should we do with him?'
Rehabilitation seems impossible.
Geotech's problem is related to his innate background as a Greenskin.
Greenskins don't consider any means of securing food other than hunting and plundering.
Negotiating with such a creature is nonsense.
'But wouldn't it be different if it's the Demon King?'
Greenskins have traditionally respected and followed the Demon King.
If they tell him a new Demon King already exists and order him to obey that Demon King's commands, he might surprisingly listen well.
Wasn't the reason Greenskins rarely left the Greenskin Wasteland because of the Demon King's orders?
If Agatha tells Geotech to live in the Greenskin Wasteland, he might obey.
Let's carefully ask.
"But a Demon King already exists?"
"...What?"
This delayed reaction wasn't from Geotech.
It was from Raven.
"What do you mean? There's a Demon King?"
"Ah, didn't I tell you? Agatha is the Demon King."
"What?! That succubus?"
"Yeah. You probably didn't notice when you met her last time because her horns were black, but they're gradually turning white."
"So the reason you're trying to settle Agatha in the demon realm is because you follow her?"
"No. Agatha and I aren't in a master-servant relationship. I'd say we're more like friends? Or maybe people who help each other? Anyway, something like that."
Geotech's expression also became gloomy.
"Then even if I conquer the Demon King's castle, I won't become the Demon King? These horns won't turn white?"
"Well, yeah. Though there's no way you'd become the Demon King just by conquering the castle anyway."
"Ah..."
Geotech's expression suddenly turned sour.
He seemed quite shocked to hear he couldn't become the Demon King after working so hard towards that goal.
"Then why did I get these horns? Did the prophet lie to me? The prophet clearly told me I was destined to become the Demon King."
Barre read the face of the 'prophet' reflected in his memories.
He was a devil with 6 horns and a gaunt figure that smelled of ashes.
Barre knew him well.
His name was Belial.
Known as the Devil of Ashes, he was impossible to defeat without knowing how to counter him.
Even Yan might die if they encountered him without knowing his weakness.
Anyway, what's important is that Belial encouraged Geotech to become the Demon King and is hiding in the demon realm.
It wouldn't matter if ordinary 4-5 horned prophets were wandering the demon realm, but if someone of Belial's caliber had sprinkled ash on their plans, he wouldn't stay quiet.
'It's one problem after another.'
Now he had to think about Belial on top of Geotech and Elijah.
His head felt like it would explode.
"I promised to lead my people to paradise. I said I would turn this land into an eternal battlefield without hunger."
"Unfortunately, that's impossible. There's already a Demon King. But I have a proposal."
"A proposal?"
"Serve the new Demon King. Then I'll spare your life."
"Serve... The Demon King?"
"Yes. And don't leave the Greenskin Wilderness. Then I'll let you live."
This was Barre's final mercy.
However, his atmosphere subtly changed.
Raven noticed the strange shift in his magic waves and prepared to cast.
"Hey, Geotech."
"Don't leave the Greenskin Wilderness and serve another Demon King...? Live through that hell... Again?"
While it was the final mercy Barre could offer, that mercy seemed to have properly touched his reverse scale.
His pupils began to turn deep purple.
"You mean when I'm hungry I should sacrifice my brother, and when hungry again sacrifice my mother, and when hungry again sacrifice my wife and child...? You're telling me to keep living in that hell?"
His eyes went mad.
"I... don't want that. I really don't want that. No. No. I hate it more. I hate the pain too. No. N-"
Barre mercilessly cut off his head in one strike.
As his head flew off, the remaining body burned in holy flame.
"Raven!"
"Over there!"
Barre looked in the direction Raven pointed.
Beyond the fog, Geotech was born by tearing open the belly of a troll priest.
His body was even more withered and his pupils had turned an even deeper purple.
Crunch! Crunch!
Barre could see his body changing strangely.
His body became thinner and black liquid began flowing from his mouth, nose, eyes, and ears.
Not only that, but a new horn grew on his head.
Raven spoke while preparing to cast.
"What? You wanted to try talking with a devil? Want to try again?"
"Sorry. I thought he was a devil we could reason with, but I was wrong."
"Where in the world is there a devil you can reason with?"
"They exist. But it looks like he's not one of them."
"Stop talking nonsense and think about how to deal with him."
"What's there to think about? Nothing's changed. We just keep killing him until he stays dead."
Barre approached him at once and struck with Thunder.
Though he clearly aimed for the head, the creature twisted his body with surprising speed he hadn't shown before.
Of course, he couldn't completely dodge Barre's axe.
Barre's axe crushed his collarbone and buried into his forehead.
The holy flame on Thunder ate away at his blood and flesh.
But he seemed to feel no pain as he got up and stared at Barre.
"...I don't want to go back to the wilderness."
Geotech's hand moved.
Barre instinctively bent his waist to dodge.
Black blessing that flowed from his pores scattered everywhere.
The black blessing no longer looked like smoke or ash.
It was a viscous liquid like oil.
When that liquid fell on trees and ground, it burned black while releasing acrid smoke.
Then terrible screams rang out from all directions.
Aaaaaaahhhhhhh!
It was the screams of Geotech's tens of thousands of followers.
The air trembled and ground shook from the followers' screams.
Barre reflexively drew Thunder and stepped back.
Geotech's wounds were burning from the holy flame.
But Geotech seemed to feel no pain as he just glared at Barre.
"I will become the Demon King."
Black blessings filled the sky and ground as they flew in.
All the black blessings were in the form of viscous liquid, and Barre was certain that getting hit by it would leave not even bones behind.
Then Raven's voice flowed into Barre's ears.
-Stay still.
Whoosh!
Barre escaped using Raven's teleportation magic.
Looking around, Geotech was nowhere to be seen.
Instead, the surroundings were filled with Black Horn tribe members who had died and become mummies.
Raven examined the corpses.
"All the Black Horn tribe members suddenly died."
"And they grew an additional horn on their head."
Barre thought for a moment before speaking.
"Is this good then? Instead of having to deal with tens of thousands of Black Horn tribe members, we just need to catch that one guy."
Raven frowned.
"But his abilities have changed."
Devils' abilities typically increase with each new horn, rather than changing existing abilities.
But there are exceptions.
Like when their mental state deteriorates and they use their abilities indiscriminately without distinguishing friend from foe, causing their powers to become extremely aggressive.
In the terminology of Dre Order's holy knights...
"Right. He seems to have become a 'Disaster.'"
"Usually it's best to avoid Disaster's."
Since you wouldn't know how their abilities have changed, you could be seriously hurt if you're not careful.
Barre thickly applied holy oil to Thunder and Lefty.
This is all they have left.
"Still, we should clean up the mess we made."
"Technically, you're the one who messed up."
"Are you drawing lines now? You also flew here wanting to talk."
Raven prepared magic while waving her wand.
"Never mind. Let's plan our strategy first."
"What strategy?"
Barre spun the axes in both hands.
"Just give me one-man support magic. I'll cut him down quickly."
"Even you won't be safe if that black liquid touches you. It's a devil's ability after all."
"I know. But..."
Barre saw the black liquid that had already approached close.
The black liquid was consuming and burning everything like viscous lava.
Barre swung his axe at the black liquid.
The black liquid split like the Red Sea parting when hit by the compressed wind Barre released.
"As long as I can disperse it with my axe, it doesn't matter."
"Can you really do it alone?"
"Alone? We're doing this together."
Raven and Barre's eyes met.
"It's been a year and six months? You haven't forgotten the supporting magic, right?"
"Of course not."
As Raven prepared the magic, Barre's heart beat like a bull's.
To be honest, it had been a bit boring until now.
Even after becoming Barre, it felt like he hadn't experienced a proper high.
But things would be different now.
Barre's body was dyed in green light.
As unprecedented power seeped into Barre's body, he felt like he could accomplish anything.
"Yes. This is it."
Barre looked back.
Raven was already gone from around Barre.
She seemed to have fled far away using teleportation.
Then he could go wild as much as he wanted.
"Woohoo!"
Barre instantly stacked Berserker 8 times.
A refreshing sensation flowed through Barre's blood vessels.
Even with Barre's original body, stacking 8 at once would be too much.
But with Raven's supporting magic, this level doesn't put much strain on the body.
When Barre jumped, the moisture-laden ground couldn't withstand it and exploded.
Barre didn't need axes to push through that black liquid.
The wind pushed by Barre's body completely repelled the viscous liquid.
Geotech, noticing Barre's approach, didn't stay still.
He raised his hand to dissolve Barre in black liquid.
The black liquid rushed in from the direction Barre was coming from.
Black waves that absorbed all light surrounded Barre from all directions.
Barre thought it was finally time to move his axe.
---!
Barre swung Lefty.
The axe handle crafted with Pesson's utmost care bent dangerously after just one swing.
Barre used the elasticity of the bent axe handle to push out a large amount of air, and that air became a shell that pushed back the black waves.
A huge tunnel formed.
Barre inserted his body into that vacuum-created tunnel.
Barre's body was pulled forward like dust being sucked into a vacuum cleaner.
Black liquid rushed in to devour Barre, but there was no way to stop him.
Geotech's body was blown away by the air Barre pushed.
Barre stepped on the ground once more to jump and instantly reached before him.
"...I."
Geotech's hand stretched out.
Black liquid gushed out abundantly from Geotech's body.
"Woohoo!"
Berserker 9 stacks.
With one shout, Barre completely blew away all the black liquid at once.
Then he brought down Thunder towards Geotech's head.
Before Thunder even touched his head, the winds compressed around Thunder poured out in one direction.
Crack!
Along with the sound of his limbs breaking, purple blood flowed from his eyes and nose.
Finally, Thunder was embedded in his hard skull.
Thud!
Thunder completely buried in his skull.
And the powerful current wrapped around Thunder fried his nervous system.
"---!"
He couldn't even scream with the axe stuck in his head.
Barre swung Lefty horizontally towards his neck.
"Now die peacefully."
Barre's Lefty cut off his neck.
Blue holy fire blazed on his severed surface.