Chapter 383: The Demon Nergal
Chapter 383: The Demon Nergal
Crushed eyes. A torn and mangled arm. A pierced abdomen.
Simon couldn't keep his wits about him, assaulted by the pain from three different parts of his body. His always-composed face was twisted into a grimace. His lips, which usually wore a smile, were covered in white foam. He had screamed so much that the occasional cries that escaped him were completely hoarse.
“Guuuh…”
Simon was filled with regret.
He knew his opponent was a monster.
But he had been confident. He had thought himself a monster, too.
However… he never imagined his opponent would be this strong. A level of power that didn't just defy common sense but shattered it entirely.
This was, in a word, a different ‘class’ of being.
The moment he acknowledged that, a complex mix of emotions began to surface within him.
I can't win.
I'm scared.
This is humiliating.
I want to live.
Despair. Fear. Humiliation. Desire.
How… How did I climb this high, only for it to end like this…
It was at that very moment.
Kikikikikikikikiki…
A tingling sensation resonated from his lower abdomen.
It seems… the time for another deal has come.
At the low voice that followed, Simon’s thoughts came to a halt.
He asked back.
“The time… for a deal?”
Kikiki! Yes. Let me ask you one thing, Simon Grimes.
Hearing that he would be asked only one thing, Simon instinctively perked up his ears.
After a brief pause, the voice, lower than ever but with a sweet tone, resonated deep within him.
Do you desire power?
“Power… you say?”
The power to turn this whole predicament around!
Simon’s head snapped up.
*
Seeing Simon with his head hung low, all his earlier bravado gone, I briefly turned my gaze to the empty air. I had kept Third Eye activated ever since the war began.
Player Status
1. Name: Simon Grimes (Year 6 User)
2. Class: Blood Sovereign (Secret, Blood Sovereign, Master)
3. Nation: Nebula
4. Clan: Tyrant
5. True Name · Nationality: Blood-crazed Tyrant, He Who Received the Demon's Seed · USA
6. Sex: Male (22)
7. Height · Weight: 174.4cm · 62.3kg
8. Alignment: Evil · Chaos
[Strength 31] [Durability 32] [Agility 64] [Stamina 43] [Magic Power 94] [Luck 77]
(Remaining stat points: 0)
(Has received the seed of Nergal, the first creation of the Demon of Destruction, Beelzebub.)
He Who Received the Demon's Seed.
My purpose for participating in this war was to eliminate the User, Simon Grimes, who would later seize control of the Western Continent. The reason lay in his True Name: ‘He Who Received the Demon's Seed.’
In the first playthrough, after being defeated in the second battle against the East, Simon safely returned to the Western Continent. Sometime after that, for some reason, he awakened as ‘Nergal, the Demon of Espionage.’ (Of course, this fact was revealed much, much later.)
The awakened Nergal then lay low for a time before eventually becoming the main culprit behind the chaos that spread across all continents, starting from the West.
Personally, I believe Belphegor’s summoning was a product of chance—an unintended disaster brought about by the greed of the ancient Residents.
But Nergal could in no way be seen in the same light as Belphegor. The evidence was clear: his True Name, ‘He Who Received the Demon's Seed.’ A demon being summoned by chance and a seed germinating to take over a body… they were similar, yet there was a distinct difference.
Killing him isn’t the problem…
If I did that, the seed would lose its function the moment the host died. It was merely a link, not the demon's true body. Only when the seed germinated and took over the host's body could the true form be considered to have manifested in the world.
“Ugh… Ugh…”
A groan reached my ears, and I shifted my gaze slightly. Simon was gasping for breath as if he would pass out at any moment. Just as I was beginning to feel a slight twinge of concern for him…
“Grrrrr…”
Suddenly, Simon’s head shot up. The moment our eyes met, I realized something was wrong. I was certain I had crushed his eyes, yet I saw a crimson light flash from within the empty sockets.
Don’t tell me… has it started?
As if in answer to my thought, Simon’s body began to change.
Dark red spots started to sprout uncontrollably on his pale skin. The spots soon covered his entire body, dyeing it black, and at the same time, his flesh began to swell.
“GRAAAAAH!”
A massive roar suddenly erupted. It was so vicious and savage that it could no longer be considered Simon’s voice.
Pop! Pop, pop!
His swollen body began to expand endlessly like a balloon. His skin tore and split, creating a gruesome sight that most people would find unbearable to watch.
Rip! Riiip!
Dark red smoke began to ooze from one of the tears. An unpleasant feeling washed over me, and I immediately drew and readjusted my grip on the ‘Victoria’s Glory.’ Just then…
Thud!
Splat!
The moment I saw his body, now on the ground, crack apart, Simon’s form exploded all at once. His flesh burst into fragments that scattered in all directions, and black smoke instantly enveloped the area. As the billowing smoke engulfed me, I kept my eyes wide open, staring straight at the trees.
“……”
After a short while, the smoke that had stained the area began to clear. The instant I saw a crimson glint flash within my partially restored vision, I swung the ‘Victoria’s Glory’ without hesitation.
Whoosh!
The wind pressure from the sword scattered the remaining smoke in one fell swoop. But I felt no impact on the blade’s edge. As I tilted my head in confusion, a grating, vile laugh echoed from above.
“Kikiki! Kikikikiki! I’m finally out in the world! Kikikikikiki!”
I immediately looked up. I could see the black smoke that had risen into the air being rapidly sucked toward a single point. Soon, as the smoke thinned, Simon’s form was gradually revealed.
No. It wasn’t Simon.
He stood roughly two meters tall. His brawny, muscular body was as black as jet. A pair of wings, similar to a bat’s, sprouted from his back, and two horns protruded from the top of his head. Yes. That was…
“But to be attacked with a sword the moment I appear… Kikiki. What a gutsy human you are! Kikikiki!”
It was the demon, Nergal.
“Kikiki… Normally, I’d tear you to shreds for your crime, but I’ll make a special exception and forgive you. For helping this proud body of mine emerge…”
“It’s been a while, Nergal.”
“Wha-What?”
As I called his name, the crimson light in Nergal’s eyes flickered for a moment.
“…How do you know my name, human?”
“How do I know?”
I replied curtly and slightly bent my knees.
“Answer me! You insignificant insect!”
“I know it because I plan to kill an insignificant demon… like you!”
The moment I said “you,” I kicked off the ground with all my might.
“What the—!”
Even as he spoke, Nergal moved with agility. I saw him clench his fists a couple of times in that fleeting moment. In response, the smoke still lingering in the area rushed toward me.
He had countered my surprise attack with one of his own, but I trusted my magic resistance.
In truth, it wouldn't matter even if it broke. Now that I had confirmed his true body had emerged, it was more advantageous to kill him as quickly as possible before he could fully recover his strength. As such, I was willing to endure a little damage.
Swish! Swish-swish!
The black smoke lunged at me as if to coil around my body.
Vwoom!
Whoosh!
But the moment it got close, it hesitated. Some of it scattered, while the rest began to circle around me. My magic resistance had blocked the smoke’s approach.
At the same time, my eyes were now fixed on Nergal right in front of me. I drew upon my magic power, focusing it into the ‘Victoria’s Glory.’ The moment I met his crimson gaze, I brought my sword down vertically toward the crown of his head.
Slice!
I felt the sensation of cutting something, and Nergal’s right arm flew into the air.
Tsk.
I clicked my tongue. My sword had struck its intended target precisely, but the surrounding black mist had momentarily obstructed its path. That wasn’t all. He had used a portion of the remaining mist to pull his own feet, allowing him to evade at the last second. As a result of those two factors, the ‘Victoria’s Glory’ had severed his arm instead of his head.
Thud!
“KIIIIII!”
Nergal landed on the ground and let out a piercing scream.
As I, too, landed, the look on his face was a sight to behold. It was filled not with the pain of a severed arm, but with a trembling rage. It was an emotion likely born from his race’s characteristic arrogance and pride.
“My, my arm…! You bastard! What trick did you use?!”
Watching the rampaging Nergal, I aimed my sword at him again.
A demon that has emerged into the world can exert up to 70% of its true body’s power due to restrictions. However, they don’t start at 70% right away; depending on the individual, they gradually recover their strength from about 20% to 30%. In other words, a demon is at its weakest the moment it appears.
And this was precisely why I had risked everything to participate in this war. It was the easiest way to dispose of Nergal, who, along with Belphegor, would later play a pivotal role in the large-scale emergence of demons.
“A mere human! How dare you, how dare…!”
Nergal was still spouting furious nonsense. That was fortunate for me. If the ‘Demon of Espionage’ decided to flee with all his might, it would be quite a nuisance for me to deal with.
“Shut up.”
“What did you say?!”
“It seems the high and mighty Demon Lord fights only with his mouth.”
“Kikiki! Ha! Are you trying to provoke me now? A worthless human like you?! Kikikiki!”
As expected, he was a cunning one. Seeming to grasp my intention, Nergal immediately changed his attitude and tried to provoke me instead.
But I just gave him a faint smile. I knew the most effective way to provoke a demon that was nothing more than a creation.
“Don’t make me laugh. You’re just like one of Beelzebub’s creations.”
“!”
“Is it because your head is filled with nothing but destruction? In any case, you inherited your stupidity straight from your master. Hahaha!”
“How does a human know my lord’s name… N-No. What did you say…?”
“I said you look stupid, so your master must be stupid too. You insect-like bastard.”
In that instant, the atmosphere around Nergal grew deathly still.
“……”
The glare from his eyes felt considerably colder. Just as it had been with Belphegor, creations possessed a blind loyalty to their creators, to the point of risking their lives.
About fifteen seconds passed.
“GRAAAAAH!”
After letting out a fierce roar, Nergal spoke, his crimson gaze having grown even deeper.
“…Fine.”
“What’s fine?”
“Don’t run your mouth. I don’t know what skills you have or what you know, but…”
Nergal paused. Then, the black smoke around him began to swirl rapidly. The gust of wind grew large enough to conceal his entire body, and it soon turned a dark, bloody red.
Nergal continued.
“I will make you regret every word you just uttered! Kikiki!”
Rumble-rumble-rumble!
A moment later, streaks of crimson fire began to leak out from between the gusts of wind. Looking closely, I could see a billowing flame erupting from Nergal’s body. The flame drew a circle as it spun with the swirling wind, instantly spreading in all directions. It was like watching a storm of fire.
I felt a current of hot air on my face. The incoming air was mixed with a nauseating, metallic scent of blood. Having only ever seen the pure Eternal Flame, seeing such a wretched energy for the first time in a while made me frown instinctively.
Perhaps misinterpreting my reaction, Nergal sneered in a cold voice.
“Kikiki! What’s wrong? Why the long face?”
“Is this… fire?”
“That’s right. Lord Beelzebub’s Authority, Crimson Tempest! Are you starting to feel some regret now? Kikikiki!”
Crimson Tempest?
“Ah.”
The moment I heard those words, a thought suddenly flashed through my mind.
I took a deep breath and checked my body’s condition. Thanking Ahn Sol for her ‘Miracle,’ I unleashed the power of my heart to its fullest.
By the authority of the primordial…
Fwoosh! Fwoooosh!
At my command, a current of pure flame began to rise from my entire body.
“What trick are you trying to pull now?!”
To Nergal’s shout, I answered by raising my left hand.
“Domain Declaration.”