374. Gap (2)
374. Gap (2)
- 1 -
Charararak —
If what unfolded on the ground was a blood-red weaving of Fate, then what took place in the sky was a ballroom dance of light and darkness.
The clash between the two monarchs was the stuff of myth.
Swaaak —
Saya's sword tip traced the empty air in silence.
Kwarrrrreung —— !!
The crimson-gold lightning that erupted in its wake split into dozens of branches, tearing through the void.
Each one a Fate-charged slash carrying a sharpness that could cleave even castle walls with ease.
Her movements were like the Goddess of Light herself dancing across the heavens.
Swaaaak —
Every time her golden wings fluttered, her form leaped through space without leaving so much as an afterimage, pouring down thunderous strikes.
But her opponent, Paimon, was no pushover either.
Kung!!
Following Paimon's touch, the sky tore open.
Beyond the wound carved into the heavens, waves surged from deep, unfathomable darkness.
What comprised them was an immense mass of black chains.
Chwarararak —
The chains poured forth like a torrent.
They writhed like living serpents, spinning a vast spiderweb across the void, and Paimon, riding a black warhorse with nine horns, galloped leisurely across those chains.
Kakakakak!!
Every time Saya beat her wings, every time her lightning sword grazed them—
dozens of chains were severed with a shriek.
But with a single gesture, Paimon drew even more chains from the rift.
It was an endless battle of spear against shield.
"Impressive. Is this what it means to be the young lady of a prestigious house?"
Paimon smiled leisurely atop the black horse.
'... She's strong.'
But that leisure was merely a facade.
For the woman's sword strikes did more than simply strike fast and hard—they were cutting through the very laws of space, as if denying the very Authority of 'Binding' that belonged to Paimon.
Unconsciously, Paimon clutched her skirt tightly, pouring in her full strength.
"But that alone cannot reach me."
She was only feigning composure.
Some of the chains filling their surroundings dissolved into black mist, disrupting Saya's senses.
A curse magic that distorted vision and made sound disorientingly shake the ears.
But she did not waver.
「Soul Dissipation Bowel Severance - Frozen Moon Tear Sound」
Her mask was dyed blue, and her sword aura transformed.
From a tempestuous swift sword to an ultimate dominating blade that crushed everything before it.
The speed slowed, but the weight contained in that single strike existed on an entirely different dimension.
- Deudeudeudeuk —— !!
A single sword strike.
The hundreds of chains and the cloud of curses reaching for her were all shattered and scattered at once.
"Hoh...?"
Pure admiration flickered in Paimon's eyes.
But only for a moment. A cruel smile soon curled upon her lips once more.
After all, she too was an ancient demon who had driven the continent to terror two hundred years ago.
Even if she had lost some of her senses for unavoidable reasons, she could not be so easily flustered.
"Interesting. Yes, that's the way it should be for someone worthy of becoming my toy!"
The battle was a tense, even match.
Saya strove with all her might to pierce Paimon's defenses, and Paimon, recovering her senses, gradually began to press Saya in return.
Kkattak.
A simple flick of the finger. But the result was anything but simple.
The entire space distorted as hundreds of chains converged on Saya simultaneously.
It was no simple physical restraint.
Saya's vision momentarily warped.
Colors inverted, the direction of gravity reversed, and sound was twisted into light, light into pain—scrambling her senses.
"Ugh..."
Saya let out an unconscious groan. But that, too, lasted only a moment.
"... This much."
The crimson-gold radiance in her eyes blazed even brighter, and her wings also poured forth brilliant light and heat.
"Will not break my sword."
Kwakwakwakwang — !!!
The Fate-charged lightning strike shattered the curse chains, and Saya re-established her combat stance.
The roar and color born from the clash of the two monarchs' mana filled the sky.
- 2 -
At the same time. The office of Clarent Citadel.
I was observing the battle through two crystal balls.
"Hmm."
A dissatisfied sound escaped my lips on its own.
Inside the crystal ball, I saw the demon summoning black chains and veils, matching wits with Saya.
"Is that one truly a scheme prepared by the Holy Kingdom?"
"I don't know. Last time, they did not appear in the world, so..."
Esther answered my question honestly.
Though it was now closer to dawn than morning, my saintess had rushed over without a moment's hesitation at my summons.
Yet, as always, she was neatly dressed in her holy vestments.
"Then?"
"Demons suddenly erupted from the Holy Kingdom, and the winds of great chaos blew across the continent. By the time we learned that the culprits were Astaroth and the Archbishops..."
She paused briefly, biting her lip, then continued with a darkened face.
"It was already irreversible."
I understood her feelings.
Though the high-ranking officials of the Holy Kingdom were akin to mortal enemies, among the ordinary clergy there must have been many she knew and had been close with.
She couldn't possibly sever her feelings for them just because of her grudge against the upper echelons.
There was no need to point it out.
She was not someone who would fail to do 'what must be done' for me because of such emotions.
"... After that, I remember the scale of the Holy Kingdom and Rugnisah was reduced by almost half."
"Astaroth must have grown considerably stronger."
"Yes. That's correct."
Nodding, I looked at the crystal ball once more.
Shue's situation was overwhelmingly favorable.
Even against five demons, she was pressing forward with ease.
But Saya's side was a little different.
She had the upper hand at first, but as time passed, the opponent recovered their skill and the situation was gradually tilting against her.
It was a foreseen outcome.
Even if they had ascended to the Monarch-grade, a Dungeon Lord of the same grade possessed more than half again the specs just on paper.
Rather, it was remarkable that Saya was pushing that hard.
'What could their identity be?'
The enemy's mana was extremely alien.
I had seen countless demons and demon beasts, but there was almost no matching pattern, let alone an exact match.
Curiosity naturally arose.
As a mage, as a demon...
And as a Dungeon Lord.
"Let us go. I should see for myself."
"Yes, Master."
Evangeline bowed her head respectfully.
It might be an even match now, but the outcome was already decided.
All that remained was to go personally and collect the spoils.
Seuseuseu...
I raised my mana and changed my clothes.
The white nightgown instantly transformed into a black dress, and Evangeline approached to tidy my hair.
"What shall we do for a tiara, Master?"
"Leave it be."
"Yes."
Her touch gently stroked my hair.
My hair, perfectly arranged with just a few touches.
It was rarely disheveled to begin with, but their touch was always pleasant.
"It is done."
"Alright."
I snapped my fingers.
Hwooook —
A massive shadow arose and instantly enveloped the three of us.
Kwarrrrreung — !!
Kwang!!
When I opened my eyes, we were already upon a plain where the sky and earth were drenched in deep crimson Fate-color.
- 3 -
Shue was boiling with rage.
"Vermin."
Kwang!!!
As her fist struck the earth, an explosive shockwave spread in all directions.
It plowed the ground, and the aftereffects alone were enough to shake the demons' bodies.
"Damn it, how can one person be this strong...!"
The vampire gritted his teeth and groaned.
His old suit was already so tattered it was hard to recognize its original form, and cold sweat ran down his pale face.
"Focus! The moment you let your guard down, you die!"
The Black Knight shouted, summoning his giant shield once more.
But even his voice carried fatigue.
Kwang — !!
Shue's fist, flying through folded space, struck the shield.
"Kuuuugh...!"
Kwang! Kwang! Kwang!
The Black Knight's body bounced pathetically across the ground, slamming into trees and rocks.
The Fate-charged impact shook him as if it would shatter his body to pieces.
Surprisingly, this was a sight they had already witnessed several times in this battle.
"Not yet...!"
But the moment he was sent flying, the shapeshifter transformed into a giant golem and took his place.
Kwadeuk —
But before the golem's giant fist could even reach Shue, it was deeply gouged by her kick.
"Weak."
Shue muttered expressionlessly.
"Too weak to be any fun."
Her voice was tinged with anger and disappointment.
Disappointment in demons whose actual skill couldn't even reach half the strength of the mana she had first sensed.
Anger that those wretches had dared cast a curse using an illusion of her Master.
Even with five of them attacking, they were barely managing to hold her back.
- Block her! I'll take her attack!
"Goddamn it, my regeneration is slowing...!"
- Create an opening! We need to cast the curse again!
Still, the five demons were persistent.
They couldn't use their full power since it hadn't been long since they were released from the seal, but their experience and survival instinct were not to be ignored.
Shue was certainly overwhelmingly stronger than any of them individually, but their persistent cooperation was effectively holding her back.
Kwadeudeudeuk — !!
Meanwhile, the situation in the sky was also shifting.
As the battle lengthened, Paimon's senses, which had been dulled by the seal, were rapidly recovering to their prime.
"Now then, let's stop this game of tag. My dear little hawk lady."
When Paimon smiled and snapped her fingers, the very space around Saya began to warp.
Her intention was to 'bind' and 'usurp' space itself, creating a chain prison to entrap her.
For the first time, a hint of impatience showed on Saya's face as she looked around.
'There's no... opening!'
Unlike before, the veil woven by Paimon's chains showed no gap into which to thrust a blade, nor any room to push through.
That was precisely when.
"... Huh?"
"Master."
Everyone on the battlefield, as if by agreement, simultaneously halted their movements.
The desperate struggle on the ground, the splendid clash in the heavens.
Everything, as if it had all been a lie.
Ttallang... Ttallang...
Breaking the strange stillness, a clear and cool bell tone rang out.
Like a sound announcing the opening of the gates of the netherworld.
Chwaaak!!
In the middle of the ground, space was torn open in blackness.
A rift far more stable and solid than the one Paimon had opened—on a completely different level.
Beneath it, a massive sunshade borne aloft by four ghostly maids emerged first.
And within that shadow, a single presence gradually grew larger.
"Master..."
Saya murmured unconsciously.
At those words, Paimon's nine eyes flew wide with shock.
'The Dungeon Lord of this land...!'
What soon revealed itself was a woman with jet-black hair, dressed in a black dress.
Beneath her half-closed eyelids, the violet glint that flickered briefly swept across the sky before her lips curved into a deep smile of interest.
Paimon's group was seized by extreme tension.
For they believed the Dungeon Lord would soon reveal her full power.
But their expectations were completely off the mark.
"... What?"
The Black Knight, who had shown no emotion throughout, let out a bewildered voice.
Dalkak.
Far from joining the battle, the 'Dungeon Lord' sat down at a table set up by the ghostly maids and leisurely lifted a teacup.
As if she had no interest whatsoever in the fight.
Drinking tea in this situation? Was this truly the conduct of a Dungeon Lord?
Two female knights of extraordinary presence stood guard before her like escorts, but for the procession of a monarch appearing on a battlefield, it was far too shabby...
And arrogant.
They did not know.
That her mere appearance on the battlefield changed many things.
Kwarrrrrreung—!!!
Paimon's face, having blocked Saya's subsequent sword strike, was colored with shock.
A blow incomparably stronger, faster, and heavier than before.
Jjeojeojeojeok — !!
Cracks appeared in the barrier Paimon had erected with full force.
"What in the...!"
Paimon was stunned.
They had been even just moments ago, and suddenly the opponent had changed.
And the same was true on the ground.
"Master has come. I cannot show a more disgraceful sight..."
「Ferocious Peril」
Kwakwakwakwang —— !!!
As Shue swung one hand upward from the ground toward the sky, the explosion bursting from the earth engulfed the five demons.
"Th-this is cheating...!"
The shapeshifter screamed.
'That's right...!'
Paimon finally remembered.
That the monsters contracted to a Dungeon Lord exert stronger power near the Dungeon Lord.
And that a Dungeon Lord who moves away from the Dungeon Core becomes relatively weaker.
It was a memory so old she had not been able to recall it in time.
'If so...!'
Paimon's gaze turned toward Libertas, who was leisurely sipping tea.
'I must eliminate the Dungeon Lord first...!'
She squeezed out all her power.
Thousands of chains coiled around Saya to bind her, even for a single moment, and in that interval, Paimon extended her hand.
But the next moment.
Something flying through the void entered Paimon's vision.
'... My arm?'
Before that question even finished, a sensation utterly unfamiliar pierced her mind.
A sense of loss.
Seogeok — !!
Only then did she realize.
That a chilling slash, as if cleaving from the ground to the heavens, had already severed her arm and passed through.
"How dare..."
Evangeline's eyes sank coldly.
"Aim for Master."
Her blade held a brilliant light.