A Mock Demon King Battle
Piecing together the circumstances, it seemed Demon King Otiliv had gone so far as to forge an avatar out of Sukra's flesh solely to abduct me.
With her authority, digging up information on me would have been child's play, but I still couldn't fathom why she was targeting me in the first place. ...According to the lore, Otiliv adored Rubias, the Demon King of Space-Time, while simultaneously burning with bitter envy and jealousy toward her. Maybe this had something to do with that.
"W-Whaaat?!"
Compelled by the Absolute Ring of Taunt, her body moved against her will, prompting an unsightly, un-Demon-King-like shriek of pure bewilderment. Seeing her unravel so quickly felt quintessentially her, drawing an involuntary nod of understanding from me.
When people think of "life," they usually conjure vibrant, luminous, high-spirited, and positive imagery. Demon King Otiliv, however, was the polar opposite. She was gloomy, depressive, profoundly negative, and utterly riddled with low self-esteem. Much like Rubias, Otiliv was an entity driven into a corner by her own authority. Because she could perceive every spark of life in existence—because she held the absolute power to dominate and manipulate it at whim—she had become hyper-aware of how pathetically insignificant she truly was, or something along those lines.
Most likely, it stemmed from the fact that her authority could twist and distort even her own life force to suit her fancy. To her, the authority held primacy over her very existence. And since that authority originated from the Evil God... honestly, her despair wasn't entirely incomprehensible.
Whoooosh!
Predictably, the assault she unleashed upon me was channeled purely through her authority. To be blunt, it was the only trick in her bag. Unlike Rubias, who could weave complex dark magic, Otiliv lacked that kind of aptitude. Of course, her raw physical specs were still monstrous enough to tear through high demons with ease.
"Hmm..."
To slip past the tendrils of her authority creeping forward to warp my very life, I triggered the Ring of Absolute Evasion. Enveloped in an eerie violet radiance, my form turned translucent, slipping entirely free from the authority's grasp.
"Hup!"
"Hyaaah!"
Watching my party charge at the Demon King's avatar, I activated the Absolute Counter Ring.
"Heh... heheh. Hate to break it to you, but mere Aura Blades won't—wait, wha—?!"
Otiliv, who had been snickering creepily while deflecting the Aura Blades with an overwhelming wall of demonic energy, gaped in sheer disbelief.
"W-What...?! My authority is—kyaaaagh!"
A sickening chorus of snapping bones, bursting muscle fibers, and tearing flesh rang out. Thick, unnaturally heavy fluid dripped down in sluggish gobs, staining the soil dark crimson.
"Guh, huff...?! It, it huuurts...!"
Weeping profusely from the agony, she turned a bewildered gaze in my direction.
"Y-You wielded my authority...?! C-Could you be... Lord Evil God...?!"
"......"
I had no idea what kind of ridiculous delusion she was spinning now. Back in the game, she was infamous for spiraling into her own bizarre misunderstandings—flying into rages, wallowing in sorrow, and nursing crushing disappointment all on her own. Some players called it cute, but frankly, it just felt unhinged and repulsed me.
"N-No, you're not...! You aren't Lord Evil God...! H-How dare you deceive me! A mere human...!"
Having reached her own conclusion, she flared with violent outrage, a foul, murderous intent billowing from her frame.
"I-I'll never forgive youuu! How dare you, how dare—kyaaagh?!"
Mid-sentence, her torso, limbs, neck, and head were simultaneously sliced apart. Having vanished into the shadows, Muriel, Cacciola, and Nemeth had coordinated with Wendy, Lira, and Rebecca charging from the vanguard, carving her to ribbons with their Aura Blades.
"Y-You filthy wretched maggots...!"
Swoooosh!
A tidal wave of plague glowing with an ominous light erupted from her shredded body. It wasn't a standard contagion, but a pestilence supercharged by her divine authority; under normal circumstances, mere contact would spell instant death. Yet, my lips curved into a smirk.
You couldn't ask for a more favorable matchup. Normally, the ring set could only be triggered against a target's 'first strike,' but this plague was newly generated with each manifestation. In other words, as an entirely new creation, I could exploit the rings indefinitely.
"Where do you think you're aiming?"
"W-Whaaat...?!"
Triggering the Absolute Ring Set once more, I drew the entire deluge of pestilence toward me. Dodging effortlessly before reflecting the onslaught, I watched her body wrench and buckle all over again. What's more, unlike before when it was pure authority, grotesque yellow pustules and blisters bubbled to the surface of her flesh, her blackened tissue festering and churning violently.
"Urgh, gah...! Ahe, hic...!"
Apparently, her own plague transcended physical harm, gnawing away at the mind and soul as well. Spasming in incoherent agony with drool dribbling from her lips, she was swiftly diced into mincemeat once more by an endless barrage of Aura Blades.
"H-Heeek?! Hyaaak...! A-Are you really Lord Evil God...?!"
"...Yeah. Behold, I am the Evil God."
Just on the off chance it might work, I played along. But after staring blankly for a second, her face violently contorted.
"N-No, you're not! You're nooot! Y-You bastard! Liar! Trying to trick me with lies again! Humans! Abominable humans! Why do you torment me like this?!"
Figured it wouldn't work. I had only stoked her fury for nothing.
A terrifying eruption of demonic energy accompanied the instantaneous regeneration of her severed limbs, immediately followed by another torrential downpour of pestilence. Even if it was merely an avatar, a Demon King was still a Demon King. Blood trickled steadily from my eyes and nose under the oppressive weight of her transcendental existence.
"Do you completely lack the capacity to learn?"
Her efforts were utterly futile. Using the ring to reflect the authority-laden pestilence back upon her, she fell into disarray once more, writhing under another wave of agony.
"Aaaaargh! How?! How can you wield my authority?! A-Are you... truly Lord Evil God...?!"
"...Lord Alzen. Is this creature truly a Demon King?"
"To be precise, it's an avatar, but it is undeniably the Demon King herself."
"She seems far too fragile... and bizarre for that title, doesn't she?"
Nemeth sounded sullen and unconvinced. I shook my head.
"Well... fight her a bit longer and you'll change your mind. Either way, conserve your stamina as much as possible."
"...Understood."
Seeing her nod with lingering skepticism, I sighed softly.
Truth be told, when I briefed them on Sukra, I had touched upon Demon King Otiliv as well. Explaining the Authority of Life naturally required mentioning the master of that power. Even so, it seemed impossible to truly grasp without experiencing it firsthand.
"Gaaah! Khhk! Kraaaaagh!"
Staggering as if on the verge of collapse, drowning in agony while shedding a pathetic mess of tears and snot, Otiliv nonetheless unleashed endless bursts of demonic energy and plague. Of course, every time she did, I countered with the ring and my fighters tore into her with their Aura Blades, yet she restored herself to perfection every single time, stubbornly repeating her onslaught.
Over and over.
Yes. Endlessly.
"What in the world is this thing...?!"
"How is she still alive?!"
Flustered cries began to slip from the Master-rank combatants locked in melee. Yeah, it had to be sheer torment for them. Her attack patterns were simple and her defenses were easy enough to breach, making her look manageable on paper. But her raw destructive power was unequivocally top-tier, and she hurled wide-area devastation without breaking a sweat. You couldn't let your guard down for a single second. That was the nightmare known as Otiliv.
Reminds me of my gaming days...
Rubias, the Demon King of Space-Time, was the strongest, and Annus, the Demon King of Death, was the most absurd. But Otiliv, the Demon King of Life, was by far the most infuriating.
"...Sir Alzen. Am I still not permitted to step in?"
"Not yet. Hold."
Giving Cecilia a firm response, I kept my eyes pinned on Otiliv. In the game, she was merely an exercise in stamina. Her patterns looped predictably, meaning as long as you maintained focus, you could steadily wear her down to death—even if it took a dreadfully long time. But now that it was reality, how would it play out?
"Aaaagh! Aaaaaaaargh!!"
"K-Kyaaaaaaaaargh!!"
"Guaaaaaaaargh!!"
The grotesque heads embedded beneath her skin burst awake as though roused from an ancient slumber, opening their jaws wide to unleash horrific screams.
"Arpe!"
"—!"
At my shout, Arpe, who had been poised and waiting, lifted her voice to the ethereal accompaniment echoing through the air. A delicate, sorrowful soprano opera solo resonated across the battlefield, utterly dissonant with the brutal carnage around us. Her song bolstered the physical attributes of every ally while granting partial resistance to mental assaults.
I held back Forced Awakening for now. It was best saved to crush unforeseen variables with overwhelming firepower, or to seal the deal with a decisive finish.
"Ggyaaaagh!"
"Ggeeeeeeek!"
"Gguaaaaaaaargh!"
What poured out alongside those shrieks was sheer, unadulterated might and presence—a catastrophic tempest of demonic aura, plague, and divine authority.
"Her berserk phase...?!"
This pattern existed in the game, but with the pestilence layered on top, things were getting complicated. Still, I could handle the plague with the ring—!
"—?!"
The ring didn't respond. Why? The plague billowing out right now was undeniably newly created, wasn't it?
"...Cecilia! Prayer!"
"Yes!"
"O Goddess! Grant us the strength to conquer this blight and pestilence! Bestow Your radiant light to illuminate our eyes clouded by malice, filth, and curses!"
Responding instantly, Cecilia unleashed an immense wave of divine power that drifted over the area like gentle snowfall. It looked so ethereal and delicate that a mere breath might scatter it, yet that pure mass of divinity cleanly dispelled both the plague and the demonic miasma. Of course, it couldn't nullify the Demon King's authority itself.
"Ngh..."
"Kh, agh...?!"
Lashed by the Authority of Life—an absolute force governing the Demon King's domain—Rebecca and Cacciola's limbs twisted at grotesque, unnatural angles.
"...Tsk!"
If our offensive output waned and our mobility stalled at this stage, we could genuinely face a total wipeout. Left with no other choice, I pulled out the Shroud of Sacrifice.
A Unique-grade relic procured from Delarang. Its effect allowed the bearer to transfer their own damage to registered targets, or vice versa—to draw registered targets' damage onto oneself. I had already finished registering everyone in the party, so activation was instantaneous.
Crack! Crunch!
"Urgh...!"
The instant I focused my mind and triggered the Shroud of Sacrifice, my own limbs buckled and wrenched out of joint, forcing me straight to my knees.
"Lord Alzen?!"
"Brother?!"
"Th-This is... the authority?! Sir Alzen! Wasn't that relic supposed to transfer the bearer's damage to the registered targets?!"
Lampon Pashtra, Vivian, and Cecilia rushed forward in panic to support me. Arpe also cast a startled glance my way, though she couldn't afford to break her song, her eyes trembling with alarm.
"Khh... Can't you see for yourself? Naturally... it can also redirect their damage to me..."
"W-What...?! You never mentioned that!"
"I intended to use it like this from the start... Quit making a fuss and keep your eyes on the fight. Don't waste your divine power on me..."
Grabbing Cecilia by the head as she frantically poured divine power that had no effect on me, I turned her gaze back toward the battlefield.
"Sir Alzen, you...! Why must you always look at us with those eyes...?!"
"Eyes? What the hell are you talking about all of a sudden...?"
Tilting my head in confusion, I wobbled and steadied my footing. Muriel, Rebecca, Nemeth, Wendy, Lira, and Cacciola were all stealing glances back at me, their focus slipping.
"Focus, everyone. Eyes forward."
"...Lord Alzen. Later, you and I are going to have a very long conversation."
"I shall have something to say as well! Hmph!"
"You idiotic master! You seriously need some sense beaten into you! For real!"
"Man, terrifying..."
Shaking my head at Muriel, Rebecca, and Cacciola's scolding, I turned to examine Otiliv's condition.
"Heh, heheh... Ahaha...! So that's how it is...?"
Even as her flesh was cleaved and blown apart by Aura Blades, she seemed to have grasped something. Grinning darkly, she cast a triumphant glare in my direction.
"If I don't merge them together... if I separate them, you can't counter it, can you...? Heehee, ehehehe...!"
"......"
Guess she's not a complete moron after all.
We might be a little screwed here.
Watching the torrential cascade of demonic energy, plague, and authority surge forth once more, my brow furrowed.
"Don't get cocky, you stupid bitch."
Reaching into my coat, I pulled out the Invitation of the Forgotten and Kubel's Soul Totem. It felt a bit early, but this wasn't the time to hoard my trump cards.