Chapter 150
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 150
Chapter Title: The Demon King's Plan
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What's going on...?! This can't be...! This isn't supposed to happen...!
I knew that guy was strong.
But right now, I'm far more powerful than before—I've even received the Demon King's power on top of my old strength. I was certain there was no way I could lose with this kind of power.
But.
Kaang—
"Keuk...!"
I blocked In-hyeok's swinging sword with everything I had using my own blade, but the full shock from the clash transmitted straight to me.
My body—which I'd thought invincible—began trembling wildly just from taking that hit.
"This can't be happening... No way...!"
I'm the chosen hero... the protagonist who even got power from the Demon King himself. So why am I getting wrecked like this? Why am I losing to a loser like him?
"I'm supposed to be the protagonist... I'm the one chosen by this world... Not some nobody like him...!"
Muttering that to myself, I forced strength into my shaking arms, gripped my sword tight, and charged at In-hyeok this time—unleashing a barrage of attacks.
They say anger makes you stronger. The power the Demon King had planted in me felt even fiercer now.
And sure enough, the guy who'd been overwhelming me was now helplessly parrying my dual blades, stuck purely on the defensive.
Yeah... that's more like it...! Die!!
Screaming it in my head, I swung my swords wildly with every intention of killing him in one shot, thrusting and slashing relentlessly at In-hyeok.
Seeing him only defend made me think I'd seized total control. He twisted his face into that disgusting grin again and said it while prepping his counter.
"You thought an extra like you could beat me, the protagonist?!"
Min-gun saw In-hyeok as nothing more than an extra meant to make him shine.
Sure, he was strutting around stealing all the girls right now—but someday, he'd crush that extra, take back everything, and claim his spot as the true protagonist.
From the moment he'd been summoned, he'd bought into that tired isekai cliché without a shred of doubt.
Now, with visions of delivering a finishing blow to kill off that extra—and then claiming Yusia, the Saintess, the Succubus Queen, and someday even the Demon King herself—he merged his dual swords and brought all his power crashing down from above onto In-hyeok.
Seogeok—
The sound of flesh slicing open. Min-gun figured it was In-hyeok getting carved up by his blade. He laughed and looked—only for In-hyeok to have nothing but a tiny cut on his chin, already healing at blinding speed.
What... the...?
Where had that flesh-cutting noise come from? As the thought hit, his vision started spinning.
His view of In-hyeok split off to either side. Strength drained from his limbs. Consciousness slipped away.
Thud—
His body crumpled sideways.
The instant he hit the ground, he knew exactly what had happened—whether he wanted to or not.
Clinging to his fading mind and warped sight, he glared at the man with bloodshot eyes.
Noticing the stare, the man looked down pityingly, let out a sigh, and muttered softly.
"What the hell have you been babbling about, you moron?"
With that, Min-gun's consciousness went black.
"Eugh, nasty."
Min-gun lay split clean in half, halves toppled aside. No energy leaked from him at all now—he was really, truly dead.
If you're cleaved in two, you die. So why was he so damn stubborn about it?
Those wild-eyed death glares earlier had been so creepy I nearly hurled.
And maybe because I'd gotten too strong, the fight wrapped up way more pathetically than I'd expected.
I'd braced for a brutal slog with all that weird, ominous aura pouring off him. Instead, he dropped like a sack.
Maybe because I'd offed the Demon King's lackey? I could feel my stats ticking up right away. Wanted to pull up my status screen—but something mattered more.
"Sia, you okay?"
"...Yeah, I'm fine."
She said she was fine, but her face told a different story.
Her body was tense, trembling just a little. Her lips quivered ever so faintly, screaming the truth.
"......"
She glanced at Min-gun's bisected corpse a few times—sliced open by my blade—then turned away and slipped into my arms.
To calm her subtle shakes, I patted her back and asked.
"You mad I didn't even try to spare him? Just killed him outright?"
"No, not at all... Why would I ever hate you, oppa?"
She buried her face even deeper into my chest.
"Just... seeing a friend die hit me weird, that's all."
"......"
"It couldn't be helped."
Sia hadn't wanted Min-gun dead.
They'd been tight as kids. Even after growing apart, he'd been a friend—and one of the few from their shared homeworld who'd crossed into this one with her.
But that didn't mean she held it against In-hyeok for killing him. Not one bit.
It'd been unavoidable. And he was the man she loved more than anyone.
She just wasn't used to deaths hitting close to home. Her heart was churning, but like she'd said—she was truly okay.
"So yeah, I'm really fine. It's not even Min-gun's death that bugs me... It's that now I've got no one left from home? Kinda sucks."
She tossed in a half-joke to reassure me, since I was fussing too much.
Her words made In-hyeok's face shift into something unreadable. He looked at her and spoke up.
"Didn't see the point in saying it till now... but actually, Sia—I'm from Earth too. Just like you."
"...Huh?"
Sia blinked in confusion. Was he just spinning a white lie because she'd mentioned having no one from home left? She started to laugh it off—
—but In-hyeok kept going, dead serious, face and voice both earnest as hell.
"Goddess screwed up. I lived on Earth, but I actually reincarnated here."
He was so straight-faced about it, Sia couldn't dismiss it as bullshit.
In-hyeok's bombshell wiped Min-gun's death clean from her mind. All that echoed now were his words.
"Hoo..."
Garis—who'd been spectating that man through Min-gun's body—let out an admiring grunt as both he and Min-gun dropped dead in one go.
She'd figured even juiced up with her power, he wouldn't kill the man or win.
But croaking this easily? Never crossed her mind.
Garis was a regen freak especially. The second he clocked his body getting halved, he'd twitched to heal—but he'd already eaten an instant-death strike. No regen for him. Dead as dirt.
Her top servant gone? Demon King Kiria Agnes only felt her fondness for the man spike higher.
Sure, she wanted a crack at fighting him herself. But if he was this strong, he'd be a game-changer for the plan she'd cooked up. She was dying to chat him up.
[What do you think of that hero, Demon King?]
The Demon God's remnant rippled in front of her, asking.
Unpleasant twinge, but she played it cool—no sign of it. Gave the exact answer the Demon God wanted to hear.
"Nothing special. He's got some punch, sure—but compared to the power you bestowed? Peanuts."
[Right... of course. That's only natural...! Haha... hahaha!]
Every soul in the Demon King's castle—bar her—felt their minds reel from the Demon God's booming laugh.
Even the Demon King clutched her pounding head for a second from the noise. She slumped onto her throne and stared down the remnant, face blank.
[The strongest Demon King I ever forged. My Demon King. Of course a puny hero from some goddess is no big deal.]
[This time, we'll claim victory over that wretched goddess for sure.]
The remnant cackled like it was crumbling the castle itself, spat its piece, and vanished. The Demon King sighed deep, lost in thought.
That laughter wouldn't last much longer.
Once that man powered up just a hair more... and she could slip this barrier...
She reached out toward the man in her vision—then waved at empty air, smirking. Summoned the Immortal Rigel.
"...You called, my Demon King?"
Rigel arrived and dropped to one knee before her. His massive armor thudded hard enough to rattle the floor.
Head bowed, awaiting orders. With him like that, the Demon King—propped on her throne, chin in hand—finally spoke.
"Garis is dead. You know that, right?"
"Yes."
"Gear up with everything you've got for her vengeance. Go execute that hero."
Rigel dipped his head in a slight nod. Blue flames roared once in his armor's eye slits.
"Your command, I obey."
He answered her—then turned with heavy thud-thud footsteps, shoved the doors open, and marched out.
As Rigel's steps faded beyond the doors, the Demon King's heart only sank heavier.
Rigel wouldn't beat that man. He'd die by his hand.
Immortal or not, he wouldn't truly perish—just sleep till the next Demon King.
No... There'd be no next Demon King.
For Rigel, facing eternal slumber... true death. The Demon King shut her eyes like in mourning—then snapped them open. Yellow irises flashed.
Demon Kings spawned by the Demon God ended with her. The hero who'd topple Rigel and grow even stronger...
That man. She'd join hands with him. And kill the Demon God.