Chapter 108
Chapter 108
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 108
Chapter Title: Disaster, Nightmare, Ghost (1)
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Western Frontline, Demonic Realm Kremphelia.
In the heart of the ruined old city, the knights were taking a rest. Their surroundings were littered with the corpses of demonic beasts. But it wasn't just the beasts' corpses that filled the area.
"...".
Human corpses were scattered about just as thickly as the beasts'.
The knights fell silent at the deaths of their comrades. It was a miracle that so few had perished.
'It's all thanks to the Hero.'
Rather than mourn the dead, they gave thanks for the miracle.
The knights' gazes turned to the figure standing in the center of the battlefield. Starlight shone brilliantly beside him.
The Hero, Kyle Toben.
"...Hoo."
Kyle plunged his holy sword into the ground and let out a short breath. His body felt heavy after swinging his blade all day long.
'I didn't plan on stepping up.'
But he couldn't ignore the Knight Commander's summons.
'Apostates' demonic beasts suddenly appeared on the frontlines.'
The legions of beasts cultivated by the Apostates were formidable.
To combat beasts engineered by combining the strengths of multiple species, the presence of superhumans was essential.
And those beasts had appeared simultaneously across multiple fronts.
Superhumans were limited in number. The assault had been so sudden and ferocious that everyone available had to fight. Even Kyle hadn't escaped injury.
"...Kyle?"
Kyle turned his head.
The Saintess, Sara, was approaching him. Her robes were stained green with beast blood.
"Kyle, are you okay?"
"Heal me up a bit."
"...You're hurt?"
"It's nothing."
Kyle extended his arm.
It was the arm torn into by a beast. Sara frowned at the blood dripping steadily from it. No matter how she looked, it wasn't minor.
"...Your wound's serious, Kyle!"
"It'll heal quick."
"Even if it does, it shouldn't be like this..."
Sara trailed off and clamped her mouth shut.
She bit her lip hard and stayed silent.
Apostates' beasts were tricky, but this wasn't their first encounter. They'd fought worse battles before.
'Back then, he came home without a single scratch.'
Sara remembered it clearly.
The sight of Kyle returning unscathed after sweeping away the Apostates' beasts... she remembered it vividly.
And the man who had been at his side.
That was the reason for her silence.
'Normally, something like this wouldn't happen.'
But it had.
The reason was obvious. It had to be that man's absence.
"...".
Kyle knew the truth as well, so he stayed silent.
As he swung his sword and dashed through packs of beasts, the realization hit him whether he liked it or not.
'No one's coming with me.'
He was utterly isolated.
Normally, such a thing wouldn't happen. Even if cut off, a path would open up quickly. A mage always followed at his back.
He cleared the way.
He stood by Kyle's side, covering his weaknesses.
'Altering terrain, binding beasts with chains... sometimes even taking point.'
With a mage like that, Kyle could swing his sword without worry. But not anymore. Simply slashing away wouldn't cut it.
There was no mage watching his back.
He'd driven that mage away with his own hands—no one else.
"...Hoo."
Kyle let out a short breath.
His wound had already closed up. He clenched his fist once, released it, and gripped the holy sword again.
Ding, clang.
Bells tolled from the watchtower.
Kyle glanced up. Remia, nocking an arrow, signaled with her lips.
"...More are coming. Get to your position, Sara."
"...Got it."
The knights rose one by one at the sound of the bells.
Kyle stood at their forefront. He glared wordlessly at the battlefield.
Thud, thump.
The ground trembled.
Roars of beasts echoed in his ears. Demonic beasts surged from beyond the horizon.
Grip.
Kyle tightened his hold on the holy sword.
Then, a question surfaced in his mind. It wasn't sudden. He'd harbored it for a long time.
'Why hasn't humanity perished?'
No, that wasn't quite right.
Kyle refined the thought.
'Why don't they wipe out humanity?'
The enmity between the Demon King's army and humanity stretched back centuries. Yet humanity endured.
Kyle had once believed it was thanks to the Hero.
But what was the reality?
Now that he was the Hero, he knew.
'The Hero isn't that impressive.'
Objectively, he was strong.
But relatively speaking... the Hero paled against the Four Disasters. A Hero could never be perfect alone.
With the Saintess's blessings.
The Divine Archer's covering fire.
The Sage's support.
Only then was there any balance.
Disasters, by contrast, were perfect on their own.
If even one assaulted a kingdom, it would crumble to ashes.
'No need for them all together.'
Death's Sword Ganikalt.
Even if that most terrifying Disaster crossed the frontlines... Kyle had no confidence he could stop him.
He'd felt it to his bones over the past five years.
He'd sensed it the moment he faced the Demon King.
The Hero was expendable. Not as grand as the tales claimed. No need to reach the Demon King. Just standing before Death's Sword stripped the Hero of all meaning.
'If they wanted to destroy the kingdom, I couldn't stop them.'
Not even him, hailed as humanity's final shield.
'Then.'
Before that truth.
"...".
Did any of this even matter?
Kyle gazed at the oncoming beasts. Then at his own hand.
The holy sword in his grip still shone brilliantly.
Shining on and on.
Brilliantly. Excessively so.
2.
Night city, Cardinac outskirts.
Far from where the beasts rampaged, a hidden passage existed in Cardinac's outskirts.
'A passage to the Demon Realm.'
Rephe had created it.
The Succubus Queen Rephe had lived for a long time. Not quite back to the ancient eras... but at least since before this place—Cardinac—was born.
Night city, Cardinac.
Rephe chewed on the city's moniker and let out a chuckle.
'What a joke.'
Night city. City of pleasure houses.
She was the one who had planned it all.
'Seduced the lord, remodeled the streets to my liking. No one ever caught on.'
It was long ago.
Rephe eyed the secret passage she herself had designed.
"Didn't originally plan to use it like this, but..."
Regardless, slipping out through this passage would end it all. Victory was at hand.
"...Should we have just brought them along?"
"Weren't we avoiding pursuit, Rephe?"
"No, there's zero pursuit. I never imagined it'd be this easy."
Things had gone too smoothly.
Smoothly to the point of absurdity.
'Guards none the wiser, the capital's barriers meaningless against Lord Gletus's parasites...'
They'd even used human corpses to throw off trackers.
But looking back, it seemed pointless. They'd arrived first and were now just waiting for the hostages to be transported.
"...Isn't it too easy?"
Rephe muttered suddenly.
'Raid the capital, kidnap key figures... and escape just like that?'
It was almost as if...
"...If we just barge in, won't it all crumble?"
"What're you talking about, Rephe?"
"No, just think about it."
Rephe explained.
"I've always thought there was something in the capital. Figured that's why even the Four Disasters couldn't touch it... had me scared stiff."
But what was reality?
"We just waltzed in and out."
"...Fair point."
"So why not just wipe them out?"
Dyke nodded in agreement.
It was a question anyone from the deep Demon Realm, subsisting on demonic energy, had pondered at least once.
Humans were far too frail.
Sure, superhumans popped up now and then... but a mere flicker of flame couldn't banish centuries of darkness.
'The Four Disasters.'
Darkness spanning centuries.
No one in the Demonic Realm was ignorant of the Disasters. No one doubted their might.
Ancient Lich Skeval.
Apostate Gletus.
Death's Sword Ganikalt.
Black Storm, Black Dragon Belial.
When one fell, no one could believe it. To demonkind, the Four Disasters were akin to faith itself.
'They're on another level entirely.'
Even the pinnacle of a race was mere vermin before them. They were Disasters precisely because they couldn't be opposed.
'So then.'
The question inevitably arose.
'Over centuries upon centuries, why hasn't humanity perished?'
It was the most natural doubt.
Enmity between Demon Realm and humanity had raged for hundreds of years. Yet humanity persisted.
Kingdoms fell, but balance held.
Demonkind could never comprehend it.
"Why exactly?"
Rephe tilted her head.
Dyke met her gaze and slowly spoke.
"...I've heard something."
"Heard what?"
"Long ago, I had the honor of meeting one of the Disasters in person."
Dyke recalled the distant memory.
Before a mission, he'd chanced upon a great being.
"I asked Ancient Lich Skeval why the other Disasters didn't act."
"And?"
The ancient lich had answered.
Dyke recited it from memory.
"A contract, he said."
"...A contract?"
"Yeah. A contract."
He hadn't understood the answer that day.
It was far too cryptic.
"Primal contract. First light and first trade. Bondage of the stars. He rattled off words like that. I don't know the details."
"Contract...?"
Mysterious words.
As Rephe opened her mouth to press further,
Screeech, draaaag.
Something scraped across the ground.
Rephe whipped her head toward the sound—at the end of the alley.
"...Found you."
A shadow stood there.
A shadow that should have been cast on the ground now stood upon it. It writhed, revealing its pupils.
'Black pupils.'
Those piercing eyes lingered in her memory.
Rephe blinked once, then gaped slightly. Pure astonishment escaped her lips.
"...Never saw this coming."
3.
"...You're as formidable as ever, Senior."
"What is?"
"No, nothing. Just..."
Kalt silently surveyed his surroundings.
Blood flowed between the rubble of collapsed buildings. Thick, blue-black blood.
'This is no joke.'
Squelch. The blood reached his feet, and Kalt inwardly clicked his tongue. Demonic beast corpses towered like mountains around them.
Weakened by the barrier, sure.
But even diminished, they weren't easy foes. Every last one was a nightmare to handle.
'And they couldn't even fight at full strength...'
Kalt shot a glance at the mage ahead.
"You seem even stronger now, Senior."
"Not really."
Raniel van Trias.
The Ashen Mage shrugged.