The Absolute Lord of the Abyss

The 7 Abyssal Palaces. They were the greatest public enemies feared by humanity, and seven enigmas that defied all common sense. Over the past century, even when the Empire's Four Heroes attacked them in droves, they were routinely and helplessly slaughtered. In the Demon Realm, they were worshipped as the sacrosanct and absolute Seven Sovereigns. Even the Seven Archdukes of the Demon Realm dared not raise their heads before the 7 Abyssal Palaces without permission.

The Death Knight stood silently, watching the holy order. The psychological pressure radiating from his mere presence was undoubtedly due to that terrifying reputation.

"Is that monster... the Lord of the Abyss Palace?"

"C-Commander."

"Everyone, halt. Do not move a single muscle without my command."

The knights froze, their eyes locked onto the boss. The Death Knight standing before them was indeed a Lord of the 7 Abyssal Palaces. If the holy order made a reckless move, it would end in nothing but a senseless slaughter.

I must do this.

If he acted now while everyone was still uninjured, they could all return alive.

Gulp. The heavy weight of saliva sliding down his throat was palpable. Wilhelm calmed his trembling hands and adjusted his grip on his hilt.

Facing the Death Knight brought back memories of the boss of Bango's Dark Abyss. To subjugate that monster, a top-tier raid party of 247 elites, including the Four Heroes, had launched an all-out assault.

In the end, though the four heroes returned safely, they suffered over 130 casualties—more than half their forces.

Wilhelm knew. His former self would never have stood a chance against a Lord of the 7 Abyssal Palaces.

But things are different now.

An undead, against whom he held a natural elemental advantage. Above all, he had awakened the Holy Sword. With these two factors, even a Lord of the 7 Abyssal Palaces was within his reach.

Even if he couldn't kill the boss outright, the power of the Holy Sword would surely inflict an irreparable, fatal wound. Wilhelm hardened his resolve. He didn't care if he died, as long as he could avenge his dear friend.

Whirrrr— A terrifying holy power began to gather within the Holy Sword. A blinding solar light filled the surroundings, threatening to incinerate all darkness.

Seeing this transformation, Charlotte's expression instantly froze.

How am I only realizing this now...?

Why had she only recognized it after seeing that brilliant radiance? That Holy Sword had been awakened through divine revelation for the sole purpose of slaying the Lord. Because she had relied so heavily on her Lord, she had grown complacent the moment he arrived. But she shouldn't have. That weapon was the only blade in the world capable of threatening him.

Charlotte bit her lower lip. Stemming the flow of blood from her severed arm, she forced herself up.

It's dangerous. Even for the Lord, this is dangerous.

To the undead, a Holy Sword was the ultimate counter. Since it was an awakened Holy Sword, even his very life was in jeopardy, like a candle flickering in the wind. No matter if he was a Lord of the 7 Abyssal Palaces—even if he was the master who had slain Valmonk in a single blow—this was too much.

"M-Master Balutak. Wake up, quickly. The Lord is..."

"Kirik..."

Balutak, his body severed in half, was slowly dying. Even Charlotte, who was urging him, stumbled. She was in no better shape than Balutak. Before she could even construct a spell formula, moving a single finger was an agonizing ordeal. The extreme blood loss made her nerves hazy. Her consciousness was fading, on the verge of snapping entirely.

A pool of blood had gathered at her feet, deep enough to splash with every step.

"O vile, supreme evil! I, Wilhelm, shall avenge my friend this day!"

"Ah..."

With less than a second remaining before the explosive clash, all Charlotte could do was watch helplessly.

"Burn to ashes in the light of the sun!!"

She didn't care about her own fading life. Wrapped in despair and helplessness, her heart ached with agonizing pain. The fact that she was right there but could do nothing to help brought a torment worse than death.

Back then and even now, I...

...am never of any help. If her Lord died, she would soon follow. If that was the case, she would rather throw her body forward right now—

For a fleeting second, she had doubted her Lord's survival. That was, until the Holy Sword ended up in his hand.

"...Huh?"

A paladin's soul seemed to escape in a single, breathless syllable. That brief gasp perfectly captured the scene that unfolded in an instant.

Wilhelm's hands were empty. The Death Knight now held the Holy Sword.

Witnessing this, Charlotte gasped in sheer shock. An undead was supposed to burn to ashes upon mere contact with a Holy Sword. That was an absolute truth, yet the Lord held the Holy Sword without a single scratch. He hadn't even snatched it. The Holy Sword had floated into the air and nestled into his hand of its own accord.

"H-How...?"

The answer to her involuntary question was already right before her eyes. Just as she had realized the truth upon seeing the Holy Sword, she realized it once more upon looking at her Lord. He was a Lord of the 7 Abyssal Palaces. Because he was incomprehensible and transcended common sense, he was a Lord of the 7 Abyssal Palaces. Even when everyone else hovered on the brink of death, the Lord remained unscathed. Therefore, the 7 Abyssal Palaces remained absolute.

Clank. One step. Two steps. With every stride he took, the crushing pressure of the 7 Abyssal Palaces itself weighed down upon the space.

"O-O Lord... how could You..."

His legs giving out, Wilhelm collapsed to his knees. A man who had offered everything to his faith and gained everything. Death now approached the man who had ultimately lost everything.

"Your God has abandoned you."

The Lord of the 7 Abyssal Palaces raised the Holy Sword high.

"Know this. No sunlight shall ever reach this place to guide ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠you."

Charlotte knew she would soon die. Yet, she had no regrets.

"Ah..."

She had witnessed with her own eyes the calamity that would bring about the end of humanity. Even in her final moments, she would die as his subordinate. Could there be a more glorious death in this world? An ecstatic smile spread across Charlotte's face.

"As long as I stand here, God is nowhere to be found."

Slash! Wilhelm's head bowed. The bowed head fell, rolling across the floor.

The eyes of the knights, previously cast down, shifted toward the Holy Sword. The Death Knight stood holding the brilliant, unfading Holy Sword. As he walked toward them with absolute composure, everyone's bodies trembled violently.

"O-O Lord..."

"God, my ass! That God abandoned the Commander! W-We're going to be abandoned too!"

"I don't want to die like the Commander! Screw this, I'm out of here!!"

One by one, the knights broke formation. Starting with those few, the entire holy order turned and fled without looking back.

Even as they scrambled past her, Charlotte's eyes remained fixed solely on her Lord.

"Ah, my Lord..."

Even his silhouette, standing tall and gazing into the darkness, was peerlessly noble. Her Lord was unscathed. Therefore, the 7 Abyssal Palaces stood absolute.

That was a close one. I almost died.

Even with the Holy Sword, if the entire holy order had rushed me at once, I would have been utterly helpless. Because my Enhancement skill succeeded, the cooldown still had an hour left. I bluffed as hard as I could, praying they would run away on their own, and thankfully, it worked perfectly.

Phew. I exhaled a chilly breath that sounded like a sigh, calming my racing thoughts. If I still had a heart, it would be pounding like a jackhammer right now.

"Kirik... Great Chief... strong-dak..."

Balutak's voice. Despite his upper body being completely severed, Balutak was alive. He was barely hanging on, but he was alive. As expected of the DLC boss, the Insect King Balutak—it was a miracle he was still breathing in this state.

Putting aside the thrill of acquiring the Holy Sword, saving these guys was my top priority. I couldn't use Evolution on someone I had already evolved once. But even without Evolution, I had a way to save the dying Balutak.

This will definitely save him.

The holy power of the awakened Holy Sword had two modes: 'Solar Hellfire' and 'Healing Sunlight'. According to Wilhelm's dialogue in the game, switching between destruction and healing depended entirely on the wielder's intent. With the intent to heal in mind, the orange solar light shifted into a pure white sunlight.

To the undead, both would act as hellfire, but Balutak was an insectoid. I picked up Balutak's lower half and pressed it firmly against his severed torso. When I brought the Holy Sword close, the wounds began to fuse, sealing together with light.

"Kirik?"

I carefully scanned his other wounds and moved the Holy Sword over them. The fatal injuries that were slowly killing Balutak vanished in the blink of an eye. Now completely healed, Balutak stood up and brought his two front scythes together. A gesture of absolute submission.

"Kirik! Great Chief saved me-dak! Thank you-dak."

I realized it every time, but being an undead really had its perks. It allowed me to maintain a perfect poker face among the strongest monsters, and it made it easy to remain completely unfazed in a grotesque scene filled with corpses and blood.

Leaving Balutak behind, I walked over to Charlotte. Isabella had only fainted and wasn't in any life-threatening danger. After Balutak, Charlotte was the most urgent. Her right arm was completely severed, and she was dying of blood loss.

A deathly pale complexion. Bloodless lips. Her pale skin contrasted sharply with the crimson blood splattered all around her. Paradoxically, Charlotte looked up at me with a faint smile.

"My Lord... It is my greatest honor... to have you present at my death."

"..."

Has she lost her mind because she's about to die? Did she not see me save Balutak just a moment ago? Well, when you're on the verge of death, you probably don't notice your surroundings.

Even though Charlotte was on the brink of death, I didn't panic. Aside from the fact that I could definitely save her, this was actually a prime opportunity for growth. Normally, the Evolution skill couldn't be applied to humans. Monsters, familiars, demi-humans—broadly speaking, only non-human species could evolve. However, while Charlotte was human, the Empire classified 'witches' as demi-humans. The game system also recognized her as a demi-human, and the absolute limit of what was allowed under that category was a witch.

The notification window that had been hovering in my vision was proof of that.

I picked up her severed right arm and aligned it with the wound. The natural healing that accompanied Evolution wouldn't automatically reattach a severed limb. So, I planned to evolve her first, then use the Holy Sword to fuse her arm back on.

Charlotte's potential was beyond question. And the criterion for 'sacrifice' depended entirely on the mindset of the one risking their life. Charlotte had risked her life for me, and with my human heart, I was deeply grateful. To me, sacrificing one's life for another was one of the hardest ways to die.

Particles of light gathered around Charlotte's wounds. Starting with her pierced shoulder, all her injuries began to rapidly regenerate. In less than five seconds, her fatal wounds were completely healed, and I seamlessly fused her right arm back on using the Holy Sword.

"...?"

Charlotte slowly opened her eyes. Looking at me, she examined her body. She swung her right arm around. After a moment, she stared intently at me. I could see exactly what she was thinking.

"You shall not die."

"Ah... My Lord, you are truly merciful. I believed that failing to fulfill my duties meant I could only atone with my death..."

It seemed Charlotte knew I had the means to save her. She had accepted her death only because she feared she didn't deserve to live. In a way, she was an adjutant with a bizarrely warped sense of self-worth.

Why on earth would I let you die?

Without you, this dungeon is doomed. How am I supposed to defend this place with a bunch of troublemakers and my weak-ass boss self?

"You did well. You have more than fulfilled your duty as my adjutant."

"...I am deeply honored."

Her courage in trying to stop the Hero of the awakened Holy Sword was commendable. Just making the attempt was impressive, but she had held out until the very end. My gaze naturally drifted to Charlotte's eyes.

"However, you have become a Demone."

"A Demone? Yes?"

I had expected this, of course, and spoke to let her know. Evolution is called evolution because it brings about physical changes. Having completed her evolution, the pupils in Charlotte's eyes ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠had been replaced by pentagram magic circles. When a witch evolves, she becomes a Demone. One could identify a Demone by this sole physical change: the magic circles replacing their pupils.

For reference, a Demone was different from a half-demon. Unlike a half-demon, who is half-human and half-demon, a Demone meant a 'magical human'.

With this, the magic circles Charlotte could wield had likely increased from the 7th circle to the 8th circle. For mages, though not an absolute rule, the threshold of magic circles generally divided every ten levels. Level 50s could cast up to the 5th circle, level 60s up to the 6th circle, and so on.

The magic circle pupils were just the most visible change; there were many others. Her mana sensitivity had reached a whole new level. She had developed a mana-breathing organ that could substitute for oxygen. Furthermore, her artificial mana circuits had likely evolved into a form optimized purely for magic.

I extinguished the light of the Holy Sword and held it out to Charlotte. The polished blade reflected her eyes like a mirror.

"A Demone..."

Charlotte looked back and forth between the reflective blade and me. Having already witnessed Balutak's evolution, her gratitude clearly outweighed her shock.

"I am deeply moved by your grace, my Lord."

Charlotte prostrated herself before me. For someone whose entire life revolved around magic, this evolution must have meant the world to her. I wondered how she would react when I gave her the Necronomicon.

"Ugh... Wait, what?!"

I was planning to check on Isabella first, but she had already woken up and was looking around. She had no visible injuries and seemed perfectly fine. No need to worry about her, then.

Standing where I was, I pulled out the grimoire I had carefully hidden behind my eleventh rib. Seeing this, Charlotte tilted her head.

"Could that be...?"

Despite her questioning tone, she clearly recognized the grimoire.

"It is the Necronomicon. I had to go through quite some trouble to get it from Rosesha."

In truth, I had obtained it incredibly easily, but a gift is always appreciated more when there's a story of hardship behind it. Charlotte stared intently at the grimoire, her mouth slightly agape. She looked exactly like a cat that had just spotted a massive pile of catnip. For the usually expressionless Charlotte to react like this, she must have wanted it desperately.

"It seems you have developed an interest in necromancy, my Lord. Indeed, with that grimoire, it would be of immense help to you."

"Hmm?"

"...I am envious."

Gasp. Charlotte gasped and hurriedly waved her hands in panic.

"T-That was a slip of the tongue! I beg for your forgiveness! How could someone like me dare covet my Lord's possession..."

The witch, who had always behaved like a machine, was actually babbling. I was seeing so many ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠new sides to Charlotte today. Was it because she had just survived a near-death experience? On the other hand, it was quite comical that she, the only necromancer here, assumed I was keeping it for myself even if ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠she died.

"Could it be... that because of my inadequacy, you intend to learn necromancy yourself? Yes, that must be it. I apologize. Just as you thought, I am useless to this dungeon."

Now she was spiraling into self-deprecation. I'm telling you, this is yours!