189
I Killed the Demon King. It was a mistake.
Chapter 189
There is a crucial difference between Caesar's axe and Yan's sword. While a sword is light and sharp, an axe is heavy and blunt. This means a sword allows for various techniques, while an axe remains simple. However, when it comes to pure power collision, a sword cannot match an axe.
Even though Elijah used ‘Root Planting’ to anchor his feet to the ground, he couldn't withstand Caesar's strength. While Elijah's strength succeeded in blocking the axe, he couldn't prevent his feet from lifting off the ground. Elijah momentarily lost his balance, and that perfect timing belonged entirely to Caesar. Caesar kicked off the ground and drove his axe toward the airborne Elijah.
A rattling sound emerged from beneath the ground where Caesar stood. By reading Elijah's thoughts, Caesar immediately understood what he was trying to do. Instead of thrusting his axe at Elijah, Caesar rolled to dodge the golden chains that burst from the ground.
The chains continued to spring up from every spot Caesar stepped on, attempting to bind his hands and feet. Caesar didn't bother trying to strike the chains. Instead, while dodging, he threw Thunder at Elijah. Elijah deflected the sonic boom-creating Thunder skyward. Caesar's throwing of Thunder was a mistake, with Thunder out of his hands, he had one less weapon to attack with.
Caesar swung his axe through the air. As Thunder swept across the battlefield, the disappearing Thunder rode the wind currents and smoothly returned to Caesar's hand. Elijah couldn't even manage a hollow laugh at this strange axe technique, as Caesar, having avoided the chains, brought his axe down toward Elijah.
Elijah gritted his teeth and barely blocked the axe. Sword energy meant nothing before Caesar's weapons. All of Caesar's weapons were made of either 100% pure Terra alloy or Terra itself. While it might be possible to scratch that axe, it would take hundreds of strikes to completely destroy it. However, Elijah showed no signs of urgency.
"How many times have you stacked Berserker?" Elijah asked.
Caesar had no energy to answer Elijah's question. The aura in his lower abdomen was nearly depleted. Though he had rested briefly on Whitey, he had to use considerable aura to fly here from the Red Mountains. One wrong move now could result in death from aura exhaustion.
"Seems you've stacked it at least seven times," Elijah observed.
Caesar charged at Elijah like a meteor. Elijah didn't use his golden chains. He simply calmly blocked Caesar's axe. Unlike before, Elijah wouldn't be caught off guard. He blocked Caesar's axe with perfect timing and posture, able to maintain his position while defending.
"What exactly do you want?"
Elijah's words and greatsword moved simultaneously.
Caesar could see how Elijah's greatsword changed fluidly with each heartbeat. Elijah could conceive dozens of variations from a single downward strike. This meant he was fully prepared to respond with the most effective route based on how Caesar reacted.
This wasn't about talent. Elijah had lived as Elijah for about 250 years. This was the realm of karma, created by the accumulation of those 250 years of experience. That's why even though Caesar could read Elijah's mind, he couldn't break through Elijah's greatsword defense.
The impact made Caesar's whole body tingle. The muddy ground split open, sending mud spraying upward. Caesar swung Thunder while being hit by the mud. Elijah deflected Caesar's axe with the steel shield surrounding his shoulder blades. Thunder's lightning couldn't penetrate the smooth steel shield and discharged. The sharp crosswind rising from Thunder swept across the armor and flew toward Elijah's head. Elijah barely dodged the sharp wind aimed at his head. A thin cut appeared on Elijah's cheek, drawing blood.
"You share the same dream as me," Elijah communicated mentally.
Another impact resounded.
"The collapse of the demon realm front line."
Another crash.
"And the division of the Imperial Kingdom."
Another powerful collision.
"Today, everything you and I desired has been accomplished."
Another thunderous impact.
Blood flowed from Caesar's mouth along with a sensation of his internal organs being shaken. Even Caesar wasn't immune to the effects of Elijah's greatsword technique, ‘Lion Slash.’ It was fortunate that he had consumed plenty of miracle medicine to increase his body's durability whenever he had the chance, otherwise, he would have long since collapsed while coughing blood.
However, Elijah wasn't in good condition either. The sharp winds Caesar created had wounded Elijah's hair, earlobes, and cheeks. If Caesar's wind entered Elijah's eyes or ear canals, it would be disastrous. That's why Caesar pressed his attack even harder. Losing momentum now would be fatal.
Another powerful collision rang out.
"So why do you oppose me?" Elijah questioned.
Elijah's question wasn't born from pure curiosity. He knew quite well who Caesar was. Caesar was a twisted individual, the kind of person who would stop at nothing to achieve his goals, yet found it unbearable when innocent people became victims in the process. There was only one reason why Elijah posed such a question to Caesar.
"There is no perfect answer where everyone in the world can be happy."
Caesar felt as if his body was crumbling from within. Though they had only fought for about 3 minutes, his aura was nearly depleted.
"Do you still dream of universal happiness while knowing full well that all you can do is pray for misfortune to be concentrated solely on your enemies? How foolish."
Elijah was attempting to break Caesar from the inside by pointing out the contradictions in his nature.
BANG!
Elijah's greatsword clashed with Caesar. The impact sent Caesar flying. He barely managed to spin once in the air before landing on the ground. However, he couldn't even lift his axe and was forced to kneel. His vision was blurry, and he could barely breathe. It was aura exhaustion. Elijah's greatsword arrived indifferently before Caesar, resting at the edge of his chin.
"Your ambiguous beliefs and excessive ambition have driven you to death."
Caesar smirked.
"You think you can kill me?"
Caesar already knew what was in Elijah's heart.
"You can't kill me. You're just like me, always overreaching. Aren't you still wondering how you might be able to win me over?"
Elijah found it difficult to refute Caesar's words. Through Caesar, Elijah had hoped to quell Agatha's anger. He wanted to engrave peace in the demon realm using Friedrich's power. For this, Caesar was an indispensable existence to Elijah. However...
"You're right. But I'm starting to get annoyed with you now."
Elijah's greatsword rose high into the sky.
"Die, Caesar. Stop making me harbor these ambiguous desires."
The greatsword came down like a guillotine. Yet even in that moment, Caesar could still smile. Caesar wouldn't die. This wasn't groundless faith. It was because Caesar had Yan.
CLASH!
Yan's sword blocked Elijah's greatsword.
"Thank you, brother."
Caesar felt as if someone was pulling his body away. Looking back, he saw a White Knight grabbing and dragging him away.
"Thanks to you, I've regained some of my senses."
A brilliant green light enveloped Yan's body. It was Raven's one-man support magic.
***
The place where Yan escaped to through spatial movement was right in front of Caesar's troops.
"ElijahRRR!"
Yan searched for Elijah like a mad dog. However, looking around in all directions, there were only mages and knights. At that moment, cold water poured down like a waterfall over his head. The ice-cold water was sufficient to cool down Yan's heated fervor.
"Get a hold of yourself, Yan."
Yan lifted his head up when he heard the familiar voice from above. Raven was descending while riding on Whitey. Raven dismounted from Whitey while clutching her queasy stomach.
"Raven...?"
Raven looked at Yan's purple eyes. Seeing Yan in the process of devilization, Raven grabbed him by the collar.
"If you don't come to your senses, Caesar will be the only one dying a dog's death. Caesar threw himself at Elijah just to save you alone."
"I must... Save them."
Yan moved toward the east where the sound was loudest, as if in a trance.
"I must save my knights. My disciples."
Yan picked up a broken sword that had fallen to the ground.
"No, I must kill Elijah."
Raven felt like her insides were turning over at the sight of the broken Yan. Fighting back the urge to vomit, she cast a binding spell on Yan's body. When his body was restrained, Yan reflexively looked at Raven. Yan's eyes were full of murderous intent like an evil spirit.
"Why are you stopping me...?"
"Because I'm telling you to come back to your senses."
Raven poured cold water on Yan's head. When Yan was hit with the ice-cold water, he became like a drenched rat.
"You don't have time to lose your mind like this right now."
"I am in my right mind, Raven. I must kill Elijah. That's the path to atonement."
"I have no idea what nonsense you're spouting. But I know that if you go in this state, both you and Caesar will die."
Using telekinetic magic, Raven lifted 'Nameless' that he had taken earlier during the confusion from Whitey's side. Yan's eyes and heart were drawn to Nameless.
"That..."
"Originally, I was planning to return this to you. But seeing your state, I don't think I should give it to you."
Raven thrust Nameless into the ground.
"I've wanted to say this for a very long time, but you've been getting stranger the more you wield this sword."
"Raven, give that back to me."
"No! I can't trust you."
Raven bound Yan's legs as he tried to approach.
"Every day you try to get drunk on alcohol that doesn't even affect you, you're obsessed with Rose, and you keep leaving decisions to other people!"
Raven knew Yan's exact state through magic waves.
"You... You're afraid of yourself."
Yan was indecisive. However, he wasn't stupid. In other words, Yan's indecisiveness was a problem he could somewhat overcome as he gained experience and accumulated wisdom. Nevertheless, Yan didn't choose the path he wanted for himself, instead wanting to be swayed by people like Mitchell and the Emperor. The reason was that he knew his mental state wasn't completely sound. Yan knew better than anyone that he was becoming stranger the more he wielded the sword. The murderous impulses that came suddenly and the pull of Nameless. Because he knew himself that this easy decision to solve complex problems by swinging Nameless was never right, Yan didn't trust his own decisions.
"Raven, all of this started because of me."
The color started returning to Yan's eyes gradually.
"I betrayed and insulted Lord Elijah who tried to embrace me until the end. I'm paying the price for that act."
The broken sword in Yan's hand fell.
"I'm paying the price with other people's blood instead of my own... What kind of hero am I?"
Tears flowed from Yan's eyes and fell down his chin.
"Tell me, Raven. What exactly should I do? What can I do in this situation besides killing Elijah? Will killing Elijah really end all of this?"
Raven threw a sword in front of the collapsed Yan. It was one of the swords in relatively good condition lying on the ground, not Nameless.
"Don't try to avoid your responsibility. That's where you went wrong first."
Raven released the binding spell on Yan's body.
"If you think killing Elijah is the only way to solve this problem, then kill him. If you want to persuade him, then persuade him. But whatever choice you make, you must take responsibility for it."
"Can I really bear such responsibility?"
"How would I know? But since you've become a hero, you must accept that your footsteps leave deep marks. However, one thing I can say is that if it's something you can't take responsibility for, no one else will be able to handle it either."
Yan gripped the sword. It had a completely different feel and weight from Nameless. Instead, the sword didn't cry. Yan took a deep breath before speaking.
"I have no right to curse Elijah."
"What do you mean?"
"All of this happened because of me. If I hadn't dreamed the vain dream of being a hero, none of this would have happened."
Yan took a deep breath. The faint purple in his eyes completely disappeared.
"But that doesn't mean I can leave Elijah be. So I will stop Elijah. No, I will kill him. And I will reveal all the truth and step down from the position of hero. That's the best I can do."
Seeing Yan's eyes return to normal, Raven prepared a spatial movement spell. She couldn't know if Yan's decision was right or wrong. But because she knew that Caesar lay in the path of Yan's newfound conviction in his eyes and sword, she calculated without hesitation.
"This is time that Caesar bought us. Don't forget that either."
"Caesar, that guy, I owe him far too much. And you too."
Yan spoke while looking at Raven.
"Can you do one man support magic?"
"Ready whenever you are."
As the wand was waved, Raven, Whitey, and Yan performed spatial movement.