Chapter 209
Chapter 209
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 209
Chapter Title: Lucifer Who Leads Evil - 1
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"Nothing here."
"Indeed."
There was nothing inside the castle. Normally, we would have had to push forward while painstakingly slaying demons that lunged at us even more ferociously than usual to protect their king.
Unlike me, who was simply walking along with the Wingless Nightmare in hand amid the empty surroundings, Caecilia was smashing every demon statue she spotted lining both sides of the corridor.
The statues, intricately carved from some unknown material, crumbled in heaps. Fragments and dust piles from what were once statues accumulated thickly behind us along the path we'd taken.
'...No statue of that guy, huh.'
Just in case, I'd checked the statues myself before Caecilia could smash them, but there wasn't a single one depicting the World Devourer, like the one we'd found inside the gladiator demon's castle.
That made it even stranger.
If statues of that thing were erected here and there, I could at least think the demons had come to worship it instead of Lucifer, but so far, the only one we'd found was that single piece in the castle basement.
"What a revolting place."
Splash. Caecilia's leather boots stepped onto the path made of dark crimson blood. It had stretched continuously from right in front of the castle gate all the way here.
The blood path seemed to guide us, extending straight down the corridor ahead. No matter how far we'd walked already, there was no sign of it ending.
No, since this matched the route to the final boss in my memories exactly, it was definitely guiding us. I just couldn't fathom the reason for it.
"Delta. Was there anything like this in your knowledge?"
"...No, Your Majesty."
"I thought as much. If this had been part of your knowledge, you wouldn't have worn such a troubled expression. There's only one thing you need to tell me: whether this is the right path or not."
"Yes. Following this will definitely lead to that thing's lair."
"Good. If it's the correct path, that's enough. Didn't you say you had questions for it? Meeting sooner means killing it sooner—it's all to the good."
The blood path continued for quite some time longer. After repeatedly ascending and descending stairs and rounding several corners, we finally found a door leading deeper into the castle.
And the bloodstains ended precisely in front of that door leading inside the castle. I didn't know why they'd left the trail, but the intent was clear.
"You said there's still more path ahead."
"We've just left the outer castle now. The inner castle where the king of demons resides is separate."
"It calls itself a king and builds a palace beyond its station. Disgusting."
"The inner castle isn't as large as this one, so we'll arrive soon."
After passing through a garden-like space beyond the door and walking just a little further, we'd enter the inner castle where the DLC final boss resided.
With confirmation secured, Caecilia wasted no time. Her sword, radiating brilliant light, shattered the door to pieces.
As soon as we stepped through the broken door, a fishy, metallic stench assaulted our noses. It was so overpowering that I wrinkled my nose involuntarily. The light from the holy sword intensified.
"This is..."
Caecilia's murmur, laced with doubt, reached my ears.
The open clearing that should have been the site of the mid-boss battle had been filled on all sides with corpses of demons, leaving only a narrow path barely wide enough for one person.
No exaggeration: the demons' corpses were piled as high as castle walls.
'...What the hell is this?'
The demons meant to protect their king were dead, their bodies stacked like mountains in the mid-boss arena, and their blood had flowed to form a path guiding us two.
It made no sense whatsoever.
While I racked my brains desperately trying to make sense of it, Caecilia approached one of the corpse piles with an impassive expression and prodded it with her holy sword.
The demon corpse near the holy sword began to burn away, purified by the sacred light. The corpse pile wobbled momentarily but easily regained its shape due to its overwhelming mass.
"These are genuine corpses. No illusions or phantoms."
"I get that, but I don't understand why anyone would do this."
Even if gathering all the castle's demons still made them far weaker than a single final boss, using them as meat shields would be far more profitable than this pointless slaughter.
It could drain our stamina, and if done right, even inflict damage.
"Why bother guessing the thoughts of beasts no better than animals? Ignore it. We just need to do our job."
Caecilia stepped forward onto the dirt without hesitation.
Her leather boot, bearing one person's weight, sank into the ground like stepping into mud. The sand had turned to muck from the blood.
Confirming that about half the boot's sole was submerged, Caecilia irritably pulled her foot free. Thanks to the holy sword's effect, the leather boot remained spotless, without a speck of dirt.
"However, this will hinder movement."
With those words, Caecilia raised her right hand overhead. Sunlight gathered at the sword's tip. As its wielder swung her arm downward, the sunlight amassed in the holy sword cleaved through the garden.
Where the light passed, a massive, sharp curtain of light erupted skyward, like a drape descending from the heavens.
The golden curtain paused briefly before slowly expanding left and right. All blood and flesh in its path were purified, burning away.
Her leather boot stepped onto the now bone-dry dust. This time, it didn't sink. Caecilia glanced back briefly, signaling me to follow with her eyes.
I obediently trailed behind her. Even as we entered the area, the light curtain relentlessly purified the corpses, expanding toward the edges.
Soon, the mountains of corpses vanished completely, without even a trace left behind. The piercing blood stench followed suit.
With the corpses gone, the entrance to the inner castle emerged, hidden beneath blood and flesh. The door stood wide open. I pointed at it with my finger.
"That's it."
"Finally, I'll see that wretched face. Excellent."
The interior was fairly clean. The outside had been drenched in blood and littered with corpses, but nothing like that could be found here. Not even things that should have been there originally.
In my memories, the entrance to Lucifer's boss room was lined on both sides with rows of demon statues. But now, nothing of the sort was visible.
A few pillars supporting the ceiling. That was all in sight.
—Creak!
As we took a few more steps inside, the door slammed shut with a grating noise.
Caecilia ignored it completely, striding forward steadily. Her eyes had long been fixed on the demon king. The holy sword in her hand blazed more fiercely than ever.
—Welcome, human.
A massive voice echoed throughout the inner castle.
The demon, whose nickname was "Lucifer Who Leads Evil" yet seemed rather petite—about my height—lounged arrogantly on the throne atop the stairs, looking down at us.
Strange red roots covered its entire body, leaving only its right eye visible. Every other part of its body was completely enveloped in those red roots.
"You dare posture so arrogantly before the Emperor? I don't know where you learned such manners, but you'll pay for that crime with your life."
Caecilia aimed her holy sword at it. Despite the sword—deadly poison to demons—being pointed at it, the creature showed no agitation.
—You who are protected by a false god. I've been waiting for you.
To be precise, it showed no interest in the holy sword at all.
Ignoring Caecilia completely, Lucifer fixed its single visible eye on me.
Caecilia, insulted right before my eyes, nearly flipped in rage and swung her sword, but she halted abruptly when I stopped her with my hand.
Even though it was utterly insolent behavior considering our respective stations, Caecilia obediently lowered her sword tip at my word. But her eyes still burned with fury.
"...Protected by a false god? What the hell does that mean? And waiting for me?"
It didn't seem poised to attack me right away, so I planned to try talking as much as possible. Those words were impossible to ignore.
—Exactly as it sounds.
With that, it rose from its seat. Just that alone began warping the nearby space. I'd seen this in the cutscene.
I'd thought conversation might be possible, but it was just going to monologue and end it? Time was short. I quickly whispered to Caecilia.
"Your Majesty, this is the situation I mentioned."
"I know. If it takes me along, we fight together. Otherwise, you or I fight alone."
"Yes. Judging by that form... it looks like I'll be the one taken."
The spatial distortion grew. It was about to swallow us both—precisely, just me. Caecilia's surroundings remained utterly unchanged.
"What a pity. I'd been counting the days until I could tear it to shreds."
Caecilia wore a genuinely regretful expression.
Maybe I should have let her attack when she drew the sword earlier, but even I hadn't expected it to monologue and then lunge—I had no choice.
"I'll avenge you too, Your Majesty. If you wish, I'll even tell you every word it utters before dying."
Catching my implication, Caecilia smirked.
"Already thinking of the aftermath of victory? What an insolent retainer you are. Go on."
Those words barely finished when red light engulfed me. Suddenly, I was transported to a place far more hellish than outside—a spot perfectly suited to the word "hell."
Nearby flowed a river of boiling blood, and in the sky floated two round, blood-red orbs. The air itself felt oppressively humid.
As expected, Caecilia was gone. I'd hoped otherwise, but no such luck.
—I've shown you my sincerity.
I aimed the Wingless Nightmare toward the voice's origin. Sacred light flowed from the blade, half gold and half silver.
Lucifer stared at me with its single exposed eye, slowly advancing.
"Sincerity?"
—I cleared the path for you.
"...That was really your doing?"
—That is my sincerity.
No reasoning with this thing. I sighed inwardly.
In the game, it lunged the instant the player transferred here, but it showed no such intent, arms spread wide like delivering a sermon.
I'd thought it wanted to talk, but it was just unilaterally preaching. Hopeless.
—I've shown sincerity, so now show faith.
Its eye widened.
—False history. False faith. False god. Nothing true among them. I have opened my eyes. You too, now serve the true god.
"..."
Floretta was quietly praying in the Sun Cathedral. Praying for the guest's safety, and for the Lord to forgive Floretta for failing to protect the guest.
The prayer continued endlessly. Without a sip of water, without a moment's sleep. She'd even told the Heresy Inquisitor not to approach the Sun Cathedral for the time being.
She had to do this, or she couldn't suppress her grief.
"Holy Pontiff of the Sun. May I have a moment?"
The Heresy Inquisitor's voice pierced Floretta's ears. A voice that shouldn't be here.
"Didn't I order no one to enter or allow anyone in the Sun Cathedral for the time being, Heresy Inquisitor?"
"I know. But this is something Your Holiness absolutely must know."
"...What is it?"
Her verdant green eyes lifted slightly. If even the Heresy Inquisitor said that, it had to be extremely important.
"A woman claiming to have been a holy knight 400 years ago has appeared, and she says she knows how to reach the guest."