Chapter 136
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 138
Chapter Title: Mock Demon King Battle (2)
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I separated them without fusing.
Just that keyword alone allowed me to guess why the ring hadn't reacted to the plague.
In other words, it hadn't reacted because it was pure plague, untouched by any divine authority.
Sukra's plague was so potent that even the power of life recognized it as such, but apparently, it wasn't enough to qualify as a target for the ring.
The plague infecting the elves, the plague corrupting the World Tree, and the plague that had been Otiliv's primary means of attack up until now... those had qualified as targets for the ring because they were infused with divine authority.
"Tch...!"
So from now on, that meant I had to deal with the plague, the divine authority, and the demonic energy separately.
This might actually be trickier than the real Demon King Otiliv.
"Cecilia. Can you keep blocking the plague and demonic energy?"
"...I'll try!"
At my question, Cecilia gripped her necklace with a determined expression.
It was the necklace-form legendary relic, 'Holiness of the Early Dawn'.
Yes, Cecilia had grown quite a bit herself, and with that relic dramatically boosting the efficiency and power of her holy spells, she could probably handle it on her own.
Plus, this was a battle in the divine realm, not the demonic one, and our opponent wasn't the real Demon King but just an avatar, so there might even be some leeway.
That left the divine authority.
Fortunately, I had prepared a countermeasure for that in advance.
It was the legendary relic I'd stolen from the barbaric tribe 'Claw of Kubel': 'Kubel's Soul Totem'.
True to its name, 'Kubel's Soul Totem' was pillar-shaped, about as thick as my forearm, carved with images of various beasts.
"...Sticking it here should activate it, right?"
I frowned as I looked down at the Great Forest ground, ruined by the high demon's power and the Demon King's divine authority.
This relic only activated when planted in the ground, and with it contaminated by high demon abilities and Demon King authority, I felt a twinge of unease.
"Hup!"
I drove the totem into the earth with all my might.
It sank in with a sickening squelch.
Flash─!!
"Guh!?"
"Sir Alzen!?"
"Oppa!"
Immediately, a blinding light erupted, and I reflexively shielded my eyes.
I could feel Lampoon Pashtra and Vivian crying out in alarm and embracing me.
"...Good thing it activated properly."
By the time I blinked a few times, the light had already faded.
Following the obstacle blocking my view, I craned my neck upward, and the relic's true form revealed its majesty.
A trunk as thick as a mature tree, towering high into the sky, and carvings of beasts so vivid they seemed ready to spring to life.
Strangely, it was impossible to tell what animals the carvings depicted.
They looked like wolves, bears, foxes, or snakes depending on the angle, perspective, or even the moment.
But the eyes of the carvings gleamed brightly, overlooking the ground.
Srulk, srulk,
The changes brought by the totem began slowly but surely.
"Ah..."
"This is...?"
The plague and divine authority seeped out from the earth and trees.
A fresh scent and soothing atmosphere relaxed my body.
Things that had been grotesquely twisted didn't return to their original forms, but they met a calm, quiet death.
The ability of the legendary relic 'Kubel's Soul Totem' was 'Honorable Duel'.
It nullified status ailments, mental attacks, poison, magic, and even divine authority.
Centered on the planted totem, it excluded all supernatural powers within a radius of several hundred meters, except those related to close combat.
Thus creating a land for warriors only, by warriors: that was 'Kubel's Soul Totem'.
No wonder the barbarians had foamed at the mouth chasing after it.
"Wh-what...!? My, my power...!"
"Hm..."
However, it seemed even this couldn't fully nullify the Demon King's divine authority, as a faint trace emanated from Otiliv's body.
Still, that much was bearable.
"Haaah!"
"Die already!"
The Aura Blades of Master-level warriors stabbed into him indiscriminately wherever they found an opening.
"Gr, graaaah!? Aaaah! It huuuurts!"
With the plague and demonic energy blocked by Cecilia's holy power, and the divine authority greatly suppressed by 'Kubel's Soul Totem', he was little more than a living sandbag now.
"Kyaaaah! Aaaah!"
He thrashed desperately to turn the tide, but a brute who only knew how to overwhelm with raw power was helplessly sliced by blades infused with profound technique.
Sliced, sliced, and sliced again.
Slashed countless times, torn and ripped apart.
Yet even so, Otiliv regenerated tenaciously and revived.
"Now it's a war of attrition..."
I plopped down right there and tilted my flask with my twisted right hand.
A day passed.
"Aaaah! I won't forgive you! I can't forgive you! I'll kill you! You humans! You filthy lowly humans!!"
Surprisingly, Otiliv was still full of vigor.
With a physique rivaling Master-level, he rampaged wildly, endlessly spewing massive plagues, demonic energy, and suppressed divine authority.
Like a natural disaster, he just kept repeating it.
Without tiring, bereft of reason, endlessly.
"Huff, huff...!"
"Damn...! He's really, disgustingly tenacious...!"
Fortunately, the close-combat fighters were holding up well.
No notable injuries, and they didn't look particularly fatigued as befitting Masters.
But mentally, they were showing considerable strain, their faces slightly darkened.
Schwick! Crunch! Crack! Slash!
The sounds of slicing the Demon King somehow felt grim and oppressive.
Before, each strike had carried tension, but now they were accepted like white noise.
"Cecilia. You okay?"
"Huff, huff...! Yes! I'm fine! I can hold out longer!"
"...Good."
However, Cecilia, who had been continuously blocking the massive plague and demonic energy, was starting to falter, sweating coldly and breathing raggedly.
Two days passed.
The situation remained the same.
Otiliv rampaged madly, spewing plague, demonic energy, and divine authority wildly, while the close-combat warriors efficiently sliced, diced, and carved him up.
Yet despite the clearly advantageous battle dragging on, no one was rejoicing.
The atmosphere grew even darker and more desolate; it was hard to tell if they were warriors fighting a Demon King or machines butchering flesh and bone.
"Ah..."
In the midst of it, Cecilia clearly reached her limit, collapsing with a pale face and squeezing out holy power with difficulty.
"Rest now, Cecilia."
"N-no... If I'm gone, what will you... do..."
"Don't worry and rest. I'll manage somehow. You still have an important role."
"Y-you're going to do that again... N-no. I'll hold on. Somehow... Ah...?"
Mid-sentence, the beam of light from Cecilia's body cut off sharply, and her small frame slumped to the ground.
"...Good work. Leave the rest to me."
"I can... do more..."
"Just rest easy. Who's worrying whom here."
I activated the scroll-form relic glowing sword-black, 'Curtain of Sacrifice'.
From now on, all damage from plague, demonic energy, and divine authority inflicted on the party would be transferred to me.
...But I had no intention of taking it all fully.
I'd collapse in no time if I did.
No one knew better than I how frail this body was.
"...In the name of the Goddess, grant me the 'Opportunity of Trials'."
As I murmured, the Goddess's authority flowed into me from the underside of the world, or the crevices of space.
"Hoo..."
Now, all external interference directed at me would be blocked.
"...It doesn't disappear, huh."
Unfortunately, the transferred plague, demonic energy, and divine authority circled me like predators stalking prey.
They periodically lunged desperately, but were repelled each time by some invisible barrier.
It was a pathetic sight... but those things would vanish once the Demon King died, right?
If not, I'd be dead for sure... Eh, whatever. It'll work out.
Three days passed.
"Humans... I'll kill you, kiiill youuu...!!"
The Demon King's momentum had waned a bit.
As expected, an avatar had its limits.
The problem was that the close-combat warriors were even more exhausted... but we had the ultimate supporter, Arpe.
"Arpe. Rested enough? I need your help."
"Hoo. Yes! ─!!"
As Arpe began singing with her performance, the warriors' slowing movements regained vitality bit by bit.
Good thing 'Kubel's Soul Totem' didn't block buffs too.
"...Hey, is that thing even going to die?"
Then, Weller, with dark circles under her eyes, called out from a distance.
No one could approach me now.
The accumulated transferred plague, demonic energy, and divine authority had warped the space around me visibly.
"It will die. Even as an avatar. Especially because it's an avatar."
"...Got it. What's my job?"
"Wait a bit longer. Step in when I give the signal."
"......"
Weller nodded silently and gripped her staff tightly.
Four days passed.
"......"
I nearly dozed off, but chugging booze, biting my tongue, and chewing the fallen flesh as an appetizer finally cleared my foggy head.
"Uwaaaah! I hate you! Why! Why are you tormenting me like this! What did I do! Die! All of you dieee!!"
The Demon King's tantrum continued unabated, etching deep exasperation on the party's faces.
"...Ah, Sir Alzen. I'm recovered now. Let me handle the demonic energy and plague from here."
"No. It's fine. Save your holy power."
I flatly refused Cecilia's anxious proposal as she fidgeted, staring at the plague, demonic energy, and divine authority swirling around me, then checked on the Demon King and warriors.
We were still unilaterally pummeling him, but exhaustion was visible.
Arpe's buffs had long hit their limit, so no more support there.
"...This isn't good."
Time to create a rest window.
"Pashtra."
"Y-yes!"
"Prepare to pull that totem."
"Yes! Uh, yes? Is it safe to pull it?"
"It's fine. But pull it exactly on my signal. And replant it precisely too."
"Yes! I swear!"
I gave a small smile at Pashtra's resolute face, then turned to Weller.
"Now it's big sis's turn."
"Hoo... I was getting bored waiting. So, what do I do?"
"Use that relic for a rank-1 spell. 'Prison of Ten Thousand Thunders'."
"Got it. But does it go off right away?"
"No, it'll take some time. The Masters need to buy that time."
"...Won't those things pile up even more in the meantime?"
Weller grimaced, pointing at the thickly swirling plague, demonic energy, and divine authority around me.
I chuckled.
"Worried about me right now?"
"Who said I'm worried about you? If you drop dead, we're all wiped out anyway. That's what I'm worried about."
"Don't worry. I won't die till I kill him. Pashtra. Pull it."
"Yes!"
At my word, Pashtra hugged the totem and yanked it out effortlessly, like.
What strength.
Barbarian blood after all.
"Focus, big sis Weller."
"Hoo, shut it. I know what I'm doing...!"
As Weller gripped her staff-form legendary relic, 'Stubbornness of the Foolish', and concentrated, massive lightning immediately began to swirl.
Threatening on its own, but this was just the prep phase.
"How long?"
"...Three minutes. No, two."
With each mana injection, the lightning's thickness and scale grew.
"Hoo..."
I exhaled cigarette smoke and surveyed the battlefield.
"Graaaah! I'll kiiill youuu!!"
With his authority restored, Otiliv thrashed like a fish in water.
But all damage transferred to me, so the visible scene hadn't changed much.
Just mercilessly shredded and sliced.
"...Hooo."
Beyond the billowing cigarette smoke, the plague, demonic energy, and divine authority grew thicker and fiercer.
That much pouring in would be instant death.
"...Prison of Ten Thousand Thunders."
Moments later, with a trickle of cold sweat, Weller's low incantation rang out, and reverse-flowing lightning from ground to sky engulfed Otiliv.
"Gaaaaah!? Aaaaaah!!"
A horrific scream echoed, but no one paid it mind.
"Everyone, come rest. Drink potions and eat."
"Haa, haa...! Is Sir Alzen... alright?"
I shrugged at the somewhat disheveled Murel's question.
"I'm fine. A few days without food is no issue."
"That's not what I... Actually, thinking about it, that's a problem too... Hoo..."
Murel swept back her messy hair, lips twitching as if she had much to say, then clamped them shut.
"...For now, I'll focus on fighting."
"Good thinking."
As Murel pulled potions and rations from her Subspace Pouch, the close-combat warriors collapsed and wolfed them down.
"How long will that spell hold?"
At Rebecca's question, everyone looked to Weller.
Weller answered without taking her eyes off her spell.
"...Two hours... No, three. I'll hold it no matter what till then."
"...Understood. Thank you, Lady Weller."
After devouring the food, they took short naps, recovered some stamina, and reentered combat stance.
"Pashtra. Do it."
"Yes!"
Unable to move, I had Pashtra replant 'Kubel's Soul Totem'.
Then, like mist evaporating, the spell dissipated.
"Huff, huff...!"
Weller, having splendidly completed her role, collapsed, streaming sweat and panting heavily.
"Good work, big sis."
"Hoo, hoo. No big deal. This much is..."
I smiled at her bravado, then turned back to the battlefield.
Eight days passed.