Chapter 413
Chapter 413
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 413
Chapter Title: Dark Nest (3)
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"Emergency—! Hiss—!"
[Hurry with the barrier... No, first summon the troops... Ugh! Damn it!]
"This can't be! How did no one notice them until they were right at our doorstep?"
The forces of Helheim had appeared smack in the middle of Dark Nest's main base.
The sudden emergence threw countless demons into chaos all at once.
It was only natural for them to react so intensely.
After all, the very existence of the "gates" was meant to prevent exactly this kind of situation.
And this was the heart of the faction, connected to all their territories, wasn't it?
They had no choice but to maintain ironclad defenses against outside intrusions, yet all of it had been rendered utterly pointless...
"Heh heh~ Still, it's surprisingly impressive. Even in a situation like this for the first time, their response is more organized than I expected. As expected of Dark Nest, huh?"
[...Ugh!]
Hela, the mastermind behind this surprise event, casually scanned her surroundings while completely ignoring the marquess-level demon Serentata glaring daggers at her. She let out a low murmur of genuine admiration.
The opponent seemed to take it as mockery and seethed with rage, but she meant it sincerely.
She had expected them to flounder helplessly in the face of such an unforeseen crisis and crumble easily, but she was impressed by how they were scrambling to respond despite the chaos.
It was a level leagues beyond the Abnormal forces of Duke Gworang that she had crushed before.
"Well, it's all pointless resistance in the end anyway."
A chilling smile curled at her lips.
The moment she had personally set foot here—no, the instant Davidson had first stepped onto this land before her—the outcome had been all but sealed.
Of course, using her "World of Endless Heaven" as a pathway to transport the forward base's troops here intact had been quite the undertaking...
The forward base is positioned at Dark Nest's strategic central gate. And with me personally intervening in this heartland connected to every domain, there's no way we could fail!
Naturally, it wasn't a simple task.
It wasn't for nothing that she had poured so much blood, sweat, and tears into meticulous preparations over a long period to make this plan succeed.
If she hadn't obtained the Fragment of Divinity through Ken, she couldn't have pulled it off this quickly.
No wonder the Mad Dragon Duke is rampaging like a madman after losing that. Of course, that's probably not all he lost.
Hela let out a scoffing chuckle.
As someone versed in black magic herself, she could easily infer what the enemy had been up to just from the temple's facilities.
Not only had he been using the Demon King's remains to remodel his own body, but he had also planned to use the cherished Fragment of Divinity he had hoarded ever since.
Given how freely he was using the temple, he might have even been set to become another apostle.
But just as he was about to kick off the main operation, a thief suddenly appeared and snatched all the key materials.
How could he not be furious? Especially since it had been a grand project he had prepared for nearly centuries.
Perhaps because of that, Dark Nest and Demoniac were currently locked in a fierce, mortal feud even now.
Though it's less a fair fight and more Dark Nest unilaterally pressing Demoniac, who are desperately holding out by any means necessary.
If asked whether she felt even a shred of sympathy for Demoniac or Duke Blackrock.
Of course not. Not even a speck.
And that was because Hela had already grasped to some extent what schemes the bastard had been cooking up behind the scenes.
He must think he's weeded them out thoroughly...
Her most powerful asset.
The one everyone feared for its danger, yet no one could precisely gauge what it was capable of or how.
Through the executives who had been swayed by the power of her rapidly grown "Demonic Nature" far beyond their expectations.
"Heh heh heh heh—."
[......]
Hela gazed at the wary marquess-level demon Serentata with a meaningful smile.
From the snake head with its long neck, to the sinuous body curving gracefully to the floor, and the elongated tail stretching out.
Serentata had the form of a massive serpent with a pair of burly arms, but he couldn't freely swing the vicious axe and huge saw-sword in his hands.
...The moment I move, I'm done for.
His highly developed instincts rejected any reckless action from his body.
Moreover, the air itself around him, the mana filling the world, the space in this area—all surged at once, pressing down on him oppressively.
To keep him from acting rashly.
That was why even the base's defense commander couldn't move freely.
Rumble—!
Thud— Thud—
While he stood frozen, unable to act, the Helheim forces advancing from beyond the wasteland began stomping the ground repeatedly, radiating intense bloodlust.
Lined up behind Hela, they looked fully battle-ready, poised to charge and ignite the war at any second.
The base's defensive barrier shook violently under the volcanic eruption of their military spirit.
It was probably because her "World of Endless Heaven" overlapping had punched holes in what was once a perfect barrier.
Serentata instinctively knew.
...Damn it, we're finished.
This was a battle they couldn't possibly win.
Regardless of backup measures spread around for external attacks or their troops outnumbering the enemy.
The momentum had completely shifted to the other side.
But it's too early to give up. I don't even need to win.
He was one of the top powerhouses in all of Dark Nest.
The moment he surrendered, not just this base but their entire domain would fall wholesale to the enemy.
He rolled his bright yellow snake eyes this way and that, racking his brain for a way out.
Right now, just buying time is enough. If I can hold out until the Mad Dragon Duke returns after hearing the news...!
As he steeled himself with renewed resolve—
"I can hear your brain churning from here. But how long are you going to stand there like an idiot?"
A leisurely voice slipped into his ear, shaking that resolve to its roots.
Just a few words, yet hearing them accelerated the mental corrosion already underway.
And it wasn't limited to him alone.
"Hah... Hah..."
[Ugh... I've heard the rumors, but I never imagined it was this bad...]
"Ahh, Duke Mad Dragon..."
Even amid the chaos, as those following protocol assembled, unrest spread among them.
If even a marquess like Serentata was wavering, it was natural for the lesser ones to react likewise.
[Impossible. How...! Our prior investigations didn't show anything like this...!]
"How insolent."
Hela, arms arrogantly crossed, narrowed her eyes at his flustered outburst.
Daring to gauge her limits with such shallow judgment.
In truth, it was thanks to the recently acquired Fragment of Divinity, but she didn't give such trivialities a second thought.
It was her power now, all the same.
"Looks like you need some discipline. Now, then..."
Her red eyes, infused with the "Domination" power of the Seven-Colored Demonic Eye, flashed sharply.
The aura of domination resonated in a chain reaction with those under Hela's command—blindly devoted to her even now from behind.
And that connected seamlessly with this world, the "Demon Realm"—
["Kneel."]
The response that followed was dramatic.
Boom—!
Rumble!
Thud!
Amid deafening earthquakes, the majority of the troops gathered to block Hela were forcibly slammed to the ground.
Demons of giant, beast, plant, and myriad other forms writhed on the dirt, prostrating themselves before her en masse.
Only a scant few high-ranking demons barely resisted the compulsion.
[......!]
"What?!"
Even they froze at the sudden miracle.
No matter how inferior to high demons, these were the elite guards left to defend the base.
Yet to neutralize them all with a single word...!
"Hoo."
Hela let out a short sigh.
Thump— Thump—
She could feel it.
From the moment she stepped into the enemy's heartland, to now usurping the rival's authority and crushing his followers.
The authority of the Demon King dwelling within her was growing ever stronger.
I get why the Demon King's position in the Demon Realm is so absolute.
Followers of a Demon King in this realm were akin to devout believers.
Having raised several near-divine avatars already, she instinctively knew how to wield this power more efficiently.
At the same time, she understood how idiotic the 15th Demon King—fallen to the Mad Dragon Duke's schemes—had been.
If he had simply mastered his power without needless greed, even the Mad Dragon Duke allied with the Human God couldn't have touched him while in the Demon Realm.
Greed is the greatest enemy of those in power. Nothing new there.
Hela slowly stepped forward.
Not in attack formation, nor any defensive stance—completely defenseless.
Yet Dark Nest's forces, gathered with desperate resolve, couldn't block her path or harm her.
They could only gaze up blankly.
"Kneel!"
At that moment, Shiana, who had been quietly following behind Hela, bellowed fiercely.
For all her complaints, she was still a countess-level demon.
Her savage shout buckled the knees of those barely holding out to the ground.
"Bow your heads."
Ken followed up coldly, his sharp gaze sweeping the surroundings.
With the aura of a true marquess now added, those struggling to rise were crushed back down.
["Lower your heads—!"]
Marquess-level Balrog Tobares, who had swiftly switched sides and now carried the banner of conquest, bellowed thunderously.
Facing his former comrades bowed low in their reversed fortunes, his voice carried a note of delight in the situation.
"This is before the king!"
Helheim's soldiers roared in unison, and Serentata, who had held out to the end, squeezed his eyes shut.
King. Demon King. Ruler of the Demon Realm.
The one enthroned above all demons, governing the Demon Realm in the stead of the Demon God.
...He had no choice but to acknowledge it now.
Here in Dark Nest's heartland.
A new Demon King—the 16th—had been born.
And it wasn't the Mad Dragon Duke he had supported.
Clang—! Shing!
The massive axe and saw-sword slipped from his hands to the ground.
And slowly, he bowed his waist, no longer resisting the overwhelming compulsion as he placed both hands on the floor.
["Hail the new Demon King!"]
And so.
The moment the commander's head touched the ground.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ The influence as Demon King expands. The entity's existence becomes more pronounced. Dark Nest's territory, the pride of the Demon Realm, had entirely fallen under Helheim's control.
It was the triumphant end to a lightning-fast house robbery that occurred while the owner was away fighting.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ The front lines against Demoniac, Dark Nest's outpost.
[...What? What did you just say?]
Mad Dragon Duke Krushayer incredulously asked his subordinate to repeat the report.
He had every reason to.
Anyone would react the same to such an absurd story out of nowhere!
"Th-the gates...!"
But the subordinate's follow-up confirmed he hadn't misheard.
In truth, with senses sharp enough to distinguish individual ant footsteps, mishearing was impossible for him anyway.
What mattered was that something unbelievable had actually happened.
[Impossible!]
The Mad Dragon Duke didn't hesitate, immediately attempting spatial transfer.
To one of Dark Nest's forward bases, which he could reach without issue until moments ago.
But...
[......]
No response.
His draconic body remained firmly here on the front lines.
Trying other locations yielded the same, even his own nest-like main base.
The gates were truly all sealed off.
Even for him, who had free pass authority across all of Dark Nest's domains!
He knew the cause from the full report.
Grind—
While he was away.
A sudden raid had conquered the main base, sweeping clean all connected territories.
By that mongrel from Helheim, who had been quiet for a while!
[GRRAAAAAH—!]
A roar of fury erupted from the Mad Dragon Duke's maw.
Twice in a row, stabbed in the back.
It stung all the more for him, who hadn't been bested since earning his title—save for falling short in the Demon King selection.
[I'll kill you all, you filthy scum—!]
Of course, the gates being blocked only prevented spatial jumps; he wasn't completely immobile.
But he was right in the heart of what used to be Duke Blackrock's territory until recently.
Great for steamrolling advances, but troop transport without gates would take ages.
Returning to the base from here would consume considerable time...
And that'll be plenty for her to absorb most of the territories!
He couldn't charge in alone, abandoning his forces.
Facing that mongrel without backup could lead to irreversible disaster this time.
Crunch! Grind!
"Kieek!"
"D-Duke... Gah!"
To vent his rage, he shoved nearby demons into his mouth indiscriminately.
He stopped only after some time had passed.
And even then, only because of an unexpected contact from an unlikely source.
[...What is it, Pieta? Finally tired of living, are you? Sick of running away?]
The moment Helheim's rampage began.
A summit between the backstabbed victims was forged.