A Date with the Demon King (2)
The Demon King of Space-Time, Rubias.
And ten high demons accompanying her.
Calling this the worst possible scenario wasn't an exaggeration in the slightest.
"...Phew."
Never once in the game had I ever faced a situation like this. Boss battles were supposed to pit our party against a single target. That was the unwritten rule. Bringing a whole entourage of high demons when you're basically the final boss—does this bitch have no shame?
"Fucking psycho."
I grumbled, but honestly, once the game became reality, it wasn't as if I hadn't considered such variables. It was just that if this worst-case scenario actually happened, there was practically no answer, so I'd simply put it out of mind. What was I supposed to prepare against a Demon King who was already monstrously powerful, charging in with an elite vanguard? Could anyone even stop that, no matter how much they prepped? By that point, it would be entirely out of my hands. There was a hard limit to what I could accomplish alone; the entire Empire would have to mobilize.
...Yet now that the catastrophe had slammed right into my face, the sheer helplessness felt far more suffocating than expected.
"Inhale... exhale..."
Suppressing my churning emotions with a deep breath, I quickly took stock of the enemy's strength.
On their side... one Demon King and ten high demons.
The Demon King was beyond consideration, and every single one of those high demons had to be a Master or a monster on par with one. None of them were faces I recognized from the game. Which meant I had to clash with them blind, without a scrap of intel.
"Unbelievable shitshow..."
I swallowed the curses threatening to spill past my lips.
By contrast, our side had nine Master Ranks, counting Tsarkhella and me. On top of that, we had Saintess Cecilia, who held an absolute affinity advantage against demons; Third Imperial Princess Arpe, who could dramatically elevate our combat potential not just through Forced Awakening but an array of buffs; and the sorceress Stanasila Weller, armed with a legendary relic.
"...Wait."
Looking at it objectively, wasn't this surprisingly winnable?
Of course, it would be vastly harder than taking on a lone Demon King, but the Blessing of the Evil God that protected demonic power within the Divine Realm wasn't something handed out like candy. If that kind of spam were possible, the Evil God would've showered blessings over all three Demon Kings and a horde of high demons to conquer the world ages ago. In other words, there was a strong chance the enemies before us couldn't unleash the full extent of their original power.
"Fufufu. It has been quite a while, hasn't it, Kang Han-gil? Have you been well?"
While my mind churned, Rubias had already glided close, offering an elegant wave with a bright, airy smile.
Her outfit was meticulously curated—dazzling, alluring, and dripping with raw sensuality. A paper-thin, skin-tight knit top accentuated her ample bust and curvaceous hips, while the back was cut out entirely, dipping so low her tailbone was practically in plain sight. Below, she wore an asymmetrical pair of jeans; one pant leg was sheared away right beneath the curve of her buttock, while the other was distressed with vintage tears that squeezed the supple flesh of her thigh until it swelled slightly through the holes. She clearly wasn't wearing anything underneath, as not a single panty line was visible.
"......"
The whole ensemble screamed nymphomaniac... but what bothered me far more was how blatantly modern the clothes were.
"...I don't really feel like it's been that long. You talk in my head every damn minute."
"We didn't converse often enough to warrant such phrasing! You heartless man! Besides, proper etiquette and atmosphere matter for a rendezvous like this!"
"Bullshit. Anyone listening would think we have something special going on. We're nowhere near that close, are we?"
"How cruel! A fellowship forged across death upon death! Weren't you the one who claimed we shared such an intimate, viscous communion?!"
"Pretty sure I already told you that was all a lie."
"If I refuse to believe it, then it is no lie! I shall not believe it! Nay! Even if I were to, we need only cultivate such a bond from this moment forth, and all is resolved!"
"...Crazy bitch."
At my profanity, the auras of the high demons standing behind her flared violently, swelling like an erupting volcano. Yet Rubias merely giggled, fluttering a delicate hand to calm them.
"Mmm. That reckless tongue of yours. Unchanged as ever."
"...What the hell are you wearing?"
"Ah, this? How is it? Do you like it? I took a peek into your memories and imitated the attire."
"...What?"
My face tightened in genuine shock.
"Hm? Why so surprised?"
"Wait... you could do that? You've been sifting through my memories all this time?"
"Indeed!... Would that I could say so, but alas, no."
"Explain."
Faced with my icy, rigid reaction, she stared intently at me before curving her lips into a suggestive smile.
"Hmm~? There is little to explain. Did you not recently accept divinity? In that fleeting instant when it elevated your standing and your soul to lofty heights, I merely reached out and caught a glimpse."
"...How much did you see?"
"Fufufu. Judging by how rattled you are, there must be something you dread revealing, yes?"
"Answer me."
"Hmm..."
She rested an index finger against her lips, playfully dragging out the pause with a mischievous smirk, before giving a wicked grin.
"Tell me, Kang Han-gil. Even if I did see those memories, does it change anything?"
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Would it, for instance, extinguish your desire to kill me?"
"......"
She had a point. No matter what she saw, she was still a target I had to kill. The outcome wouldn't change.
"*Exhale*..."
"It seems you have regained your composure. Ah, but to answer your question: regrettably, I caught very little. Merely fragments of the world you once inhabited."
"...Do you know of Origin World?"
"Hmm? Origin World...? Nay. It is a phrase I have never heard."
"Is that so."
It might be a lie, but if she truly knew about Origin World, she'd have no reason to hide it. If she knew, she'd be the one pestering me with curious questions.
When I let out an unconscious sigh of relief, her slit, beast-like pupils softened into crescent curves.
"In any case, Kang Han-gil! Our long-awaited date has finally arrived. I looked forward to this moment with such fervor that I could not even sleep!"
"You don't sleep in the first place."
"Hah... Pwahaha! Quite right! Ah, truly! My dearest! How do you make my heart flutter so?! How do you know this body so intimately?! My sole confidant! My eternal companion! My fated lover! Oh, what joy! I am so ecstatic it feels as though fireworks are detonating behind my eyes! My love! You will take responsibility, won't you?! Nay! I shall make certain you do!"
"Haah... completely unhinged."
Covering one ear against her shrill, booming voice, I turned my awareness toward the Absolute Ring Set. I'd grown quite strong myself, but in the end, this was still the first thing I leaned on.
"Now now, it is far too early to begin bloodshed, Kang Han-gil."
"That's not for you to decide."
"Are you truly prepared? If our full might clashes as things stand, someone will perish. Wouldn't it be far wiser to converse a bit longer? We could even discuss our future plans together."
"......"
Baring my teeth in a vicious smirk, I glared into her eyes.
"You think any of my people will die to some third-rate Demon King?"
"Hahahahaha!! Such arrogance! Such pathetic bravado! And yet! That is precisely what makes you my dear friend!"
"Shut your mouth."
The moment I spat those words, I triggered the Absolute Ring of Taunt and fired off a mental command into the minds of my party.
—Ignore the Demon King and strike the high demons first! Arpe, save Forced Awakening for now and focus purely on buffs! Cecilia, deploy barriers around Vivian, Pashtra, and Weller-noona! Weller-noona, support the Masters and bombard the high demons with magic!
Throwing her arms wide, Rubias flashed a gruesome, ear-to-ear grin.
"It has been so long since my body moved on its own accord! Marvelous! My dearest friend! My singular nemesis! It may be slightly premature, but go ahead—try and slay me!"
"......"
Everyone else caught by this ring had lost all reason and lunged blindly into an attack, yet how on earth was that mouth of hers still flapping away without a hitch?
Kwwwoooooosh!
In that instant, space and time were literally twisted and warped. Beneath my line of sight, time decelerated until rising plumes of dust squirmed like amorphous organisms; above, time accelerated into a blur, the clouds overhead scattering and coalescing at unnatural speeds.
Crrraaaash—!!
Then, like shattering glass, space splintered into countless fractals, giving birth to an ominous, static buzz.
"Come! My companion! Bestow upon me the sensation of being truly alive!"
Her attack, pulverizing space and time in its entirety, descended with the singular purpose of tearing me to pieces. Yet my body was already enveloped in the violet radiance of the Ring of Absolute Evasion.
"...What an absurd joke."
Naturally, the Demon King wasn't the only one I had targeted with the Absolute Ring of Taunt. I had thrown the taunt over all ten high demons standing in the distance as well. Every single one of them had succumbed as expected, losing their minds and rushing in with reckless frenzy. Spells, projectiles, curses and elemental strikes unleashed through Soul Gears, close-quarters charges...
Never did I imagine that every last one of their attacks would be swallowed up and erased inside the Demon King's area of effect.
"Aaaaargh?!"
"D-Demon Kiiiing...!"
Two of the high demons who had charged in for melee strikes were instantly caught in the spacetime distortions; they vanished without leaving a trace of ash.
"She's completely out of her mind."
Triggering the Absolute Counter Ring to reflect the onslaught, I watched the Demon King's reaction.
"Hahahahaha! Come to meeee!!"
Oblivious to the fact that she had just vaporized two of her own high demons, Rubias laughed uproariously as she welcomed the reflected attack, now magnified to twice its original destruction.
A grotesque, skin-crawling roar raked across the world. Viewed from beyond the planet's atmosphere, it likely would have appeared as a colossal scar gouged into the crust. Naturally, any flesh buried inside such a scar couldn't possibly remain intact.
"Kh-aaack?!"
Shattered, shredded, crushed, dispersed, and obliterated. A terrifying banquet of destruction threatening to annihilate every cell down to the subatomic level.
"Fufufu... Ahahaha! How exquisite! I truly feel alive! Ahh! Such lovely agony, such sweet torment!"
Even after taking such a catastrophic blow, Rubias reconstituted her flesh without a flaw and grinned. It was a stark contrast to the two high demons who had vanished so abruptly I couldn't even recall their faces. Well, that was why she was a Demon King.
"Phew..."
Preparing for the ensuing battle, I ignited my Shamanic Ritual Tattoos. Terrific heat and vitality surged through every fiber of my being. Since this wasn't a fight to hold back, I was just about to unleash my Authority when my gaze locked with Rubias's.
"Fufu... Kang Han-gil. Are you about to invoke that pitiful beast's authority?"
"You...?"
The moment I saw the gentle smile on her face, an instinct clicked. I focused my will on the Absolute Ring Set once more and activated it.
"...Oh dear. Caught red-handed."
Forced once again to ready an attack against her will, an expression of awkward chagrin flickered across her face.
"What the hell is this? You don't intend to fight?"
The fact that the Absolute Ring Set could trigger again meant she harbored zero malice toward me. I tilted my head, bewildered. Of course, I didn't let my confusion interfere with my execution.
Reflecting her strike at double its magnitude via the Ring of Absolute Evasion and Absolute Counter Ring, the Demon King's body was atomized once more, only to regenerate from the cellular level yet again.
"...You're still valid as a target. What the hell is going through that head of yours?"
I fixed my awareness on the Absolute Ring Set once more. Meeting my eyes, she gestured toward me with a tender, affectionate expression—like an adult soothing a fussy child—though a hint of desperation bled through.
"My beloved. Battle is well and good, but couldn't we indulge in something a bit more akin to a date? If you fear the jealousy of your women, worry not. They appear entirely preoccupied at the moment."
Rubias gestured toward the distant field where my companions were locked in fierce combat against the high demons. Eight against eight... With two high demons having met an absurdly premature demise, we weren't outnumbered, but given the nature of demons, dragging the fight out worked against us.
"...Hah. Rubias. For all your talk about communing through death, you don't actually have the stomach to kill me, do you?"
"To be frank, yes. No matter how I contemplate it, this body cannot bring itself to end your life. Therefore, let us merely converse today. Let us enjoy a date just like ordinary human lovers. Do so, and I shall send the high demons away."
"Who said you get to decide that?"
"Hm?"
Grinning, I triggered the Absolute Ring Set again, and a crimson haze seeped into Rubias.
"Seems you take that line about 'communing through death' far too lightly. Or maybe you just can't fathom the idea of a mere human dying over and over again to take your head?"
Driven by the Absolute Ring of Taunt, the Demon King prepared yet another cataclysmic strike against her will.
"W-Wait! Kang Han-gil! I beg of you! A plea from none other than myself, a Demon King! Please, can you not delay the bloodshed just a little—even for a moment?!"
I paused.
Seeing her tear up as she pleaded with such earnest, desperate sorrow gave me a brief moment of hesitation.
"Do you really think a cheap guilt trip like that is going to work on me?"
It was so absurd all I could do was laugh.
"...If you think I won't kill you, you've made a massive mistake. If you're willing to roll over and die, that's fine by me."
Evading through the Ring of Absolute Evasion and deflecting the strike with the Absolute Counter Ring, I smirked.
"I'll put you down, Rubias."
Struck by her own amplified power once more, her body was mangled and thoroughly shattered to pieces.