Uba Kaliarun
A crimson sky. Two suns and two moons. Plants writhed grotesquely over the upheaved earth. White spider-humanoids with four legs clung to crumbling walls, scuttling about, while the ground was littered with rotting entrails spilling everywhere.
Lucius couldn't hold back his nausea at the sight. He could endure looking at it. But the stench burrowing deep into his senses pierced his nose, eventually forcing dry heaves from him. At the same time, he deployed his holy power to shield himself from the demonic energy in the air.
In the distance, he spotted Cain and Lucretia. Cain gazed down with an emotionless expression, while Lucretia, seemingly delighted by the scene, slipped her hand under her mask to cover her mouth and chuckled softly.
"You caught up, huh?"
"...Lucius."
"So, what do you think? Gonna settle things with that kid?"
"No. Let's hurry. No need to waste time on trash like that."
"Heh heh, Cain. You've changed quite a bit since taking in the demonic energy, haven't you? Two years ago, you were just a filthy little brat."
Cain, hearing that, turned to the woman before him.
"You said it earlier too. What the hell are you people?"
"Hm? Didn't you hear Sirayunsul back there?"
"I heard you're the demon cult. That's not my business. What I want to know is how you know me."
"Who doesn't know the talentless second son of Valenos? The rumors have spread across the world already."
"...Lies."
Her eyes, still curved in that unsettling smile, put him on edge. What the hell was she hiding? The urge to violate the woman in front of him had faded long ago. His demonic instincts warned that touching her would mean certain death. She was clearly stronger than Sirayunsul, even at a glance. That only made it more confusing. He couldn't fathom why she'd saved him. There shouldn't have been any connection between them...
"What do you want?"
"You'll see when we get there. Let's hurry. The Demon King is waiting."
"...Wasn't the Demon King sealed by the heroes a thousand years ago?"
"He was. But that was just the body. Their spirits remain here intact."
Did that mean the heroes' battle was in vain? No, it couldn't be. By sealing the Demon King's body, they prevented the demons from crossing into this world. Without vessels to enter, without bodies matching their stature, they couldn't move. That's why they bided their time in Pandemonium, waiting for a chance to break the seal. To that end, they formed the demon cult and mass-produced demonkin through loyal minions. As a result, the cults of the seven Demon Kings were scattered across the world, operating in secret.
Cain set aside his doubts. Thinking about it now wouldn't yield answers. Besides, the Demon King had summoned him. Truth be told, he was terrified. But it was better than dying. He was a coward, after all. Cowards feared death above all. Compared to that, meeting the Demon King might be the best way to survive without dying. It was far better than following that contradictory lump of a man, Lucius, who was hell-bent on dragging him off to his death.
No, Lucius probably didn't intend to kill him. He'd just hand him over to someone else, claiming it was unavoidable. Yeah. To that exorcist called Sirayunsul. Hatred twisted Cain's face.
Lucius wasn't a bad guy. That's what Cain had felt during their travels. But he couldn't trust the man who'd handed him over to Sirayunsul without a second thought.
—I'll find a way to go back to how things were!
"Damn it..."
If he hadn't found a way in two years, maybe there was no solution at all. Cain lamented his situation but let out a sigh of relief.
"Better than dying."
"Yeah, better than dying."
"...Do you have to whisper it right in my ear like that?"
"Heh heh, wasn't that what the whores you devoured as a kid used to do?"
"What the hell are you?"
"No need to know. Our young master is way too suspicious."
Lucretia chuckled as she walked. Was it because they were in Pandemonium? Beautiful fallen angel wings sprouted from her waist. Cain couldn't tear his eyes away from the bizarre sight.
"What're you staring at? Ah, first time seeing someone with wings?"
"Is it even human?"
"Heh heh, demonkin are human too. Think about it. Do you think you're not human anymore?"
Cain glanced back at his own appearance. His countless wounds had already healed, torn flesh regrown with new skin. His once near-pure white skin was now filled with ashen gray, and his red eyes were tinged with dullness.
"...Not normal, that's for sure."
"Right? Same for me. I became a succubus because of my desires."
Succubus. Kin of the King of Lust, Lilith. But Lucretia wasn't Lilith's kin. She'd always reveled in lust from the start, blinded by carnal desires, and thus absorbed the aura of the King of Greed. That whirlwind of emotions and cravings had transformed her into a succubus. That's why she held a lower rank than Lilith's true succubi. Her position as leader of the Greed demon cult stemmed from her 'power.'
Cain wasn't an idiot; he wasn't some moron who could witness that presence up close and feel no fear. As a living being, he instinctively cowered before the stronger. He shook his head. The woman before him had no intention of killing him. No point in useless thoughts.
At the same time, Cain recalled Lucretia's words and looked at himself again.
"So, since I have elf blood, I became a dark elf?"
"Exactly. And you carry incubus genes too."
Cain stopped responding. He could guess why he had incubus genes. He walked, staring at Lucretia's back. What was the succubus who saved him, what was the demon cult's true goal? He tried not to suspect, but the nagging doubts wouldn't fade.
*
A sharp white blade-arm flew at him. Lucius's pure white sword parried it. A horde of white spider-humans confronted him. He was just chasing Cain—why were there so many damn pests getting in his way?
"Out of my way!"
His pure white sword dance flashed with golden holy power.
Slash! The fierce single stroke became a sweeping arc, severing the necks of over thirty spider-humans. Red blood sprayed in a circular path.
"Where the hell did they go!"
Too much time had passed; the trail was gone. Even at supersonic speeds, he couldn't catch up. The demonic energy of Pandemonium weakened his holy power. He used yin-yang to purge the demonic toxins. That's how he endured, but collapse was only a matter of time.
"Kieeeek!"
"...I said get lost!"
"...Human. Prey. Kill."
"Front line. Demonic Sword. Deploy."
Vmmm—! Light particles imbued their white blade-arms. A harsh mechanical hum vibrated. Powered not by rune fragments but by demonic shards, this magitech was perfectly exhausting for Lucius. Demonic technology. Magitech.
As he delved deeper into Pandemonium's heart, a landscape unlike the human world unfolded. An ultra-modern Earth brimming with magitech. Even low-rank demons leaping across mountains blanketed in demonic soil wielded magitech weapons.
Lucius applied swift magic. Rune fragments orbited him. His holy power's yin-yang rotated. Like Rowen's core, he adapted mage techniques. He wrapped energy around his heart's core. Spun it lightly to circulate through his body.
"...Flash Grid!"
In a split second, Lucius—assimilated with Rosmerta—particleized. A time-leaping sword strike turned their bodies to corpses. His particleized form regenerated far away, as if rewinding time. Intense mosaics swirled in the air. He'd replicated a speed even the God of Time couldn't perceive. All thanks to the sacred relic Rosmerta.
But.
"...Tiring."
After hours of combat, Lucius's eyes grew heavy.
*
"...Ugh."
His eyes snapped open on their own. His whole body ached dully. Muscle pain like needles stabbing everywhere roused his mind. The sharp twinges with every movement spoke of his condition. How long had he been out?
He'd barely hidden his body with holy power, blocking the demons' approach. A spell activated unconsciously had saved his life.
"Gotta thank Sirayunsul."
She might even be his mentor, in a way. He recalled the two grueling years of training under her since deciding to become an exorcist. All for Cain's sake... But the Cain he knew was gone now. It wasn't Cain's fault. It was the demon cult. They moved on their desires. Cain probably didn't even realize he was their puppet. He had to stop it. That's why he'd followed... but he'd lost him.
No food, no water. His body wasted away, his mental strength depleted. Three days since losing Cain. Lucius's clothes were in tatters; starved, he looked gaunt. His skinny arms showed his limits.
"Cain. Where the hell did you go."
His body crumbled, hair matted. Even his holy power was at its limit. At this rate, his life was truly in danger. His heartbeat was faint and slow, not strong but weak. Barely perceptible. The thought that his heart might stop flashed through his mind. Lucius knew his body best. That's why he could see his end coming.
"If only there was water at least..."
He turned to the golden barrier. Without it, he'd be dead already. He needed to snap out of it and reach Cain... but his body wouldn't obey.
"Damn it."
The barrier would end the moment he took in demonic energy. With holy power and mana depleted, the demonic energy eyed him hungrily. Like burglarizing an empty house. It licked its lips, eager to forge new demonic genes.
Then, a massive shadow loomed behind Lucius.
"...Damn it."
The shadow was clearly a giant. And the aura it exuded was overwhelmingly powerful. Familiar yet vicious. Powerless to fight, Lucius squeezed his eyes shut.
...Or he would have.
"Snap out of it, boy! Kalia Rune doesn't want you dead!"
Cold water jolted Lucius awake. A massive hand offered a small wooden flask.
"Thirsty? Drink this."
"...Who..."
Lucius poured the water down his throat without hesitation. No time for doubt. On the brink of death, his body moved before his mind when salvation appeared.
Gulp, gulp. Lucius sighed deeply. When the giant handed him a few red fruits, he finally came to his senses. The long-awaited moisture was sweeter than anything.
The massive shadow spoke.
"Came to this backwater on an oracle, but it was close. Boy, what're you doing here?"
"...Ah."
He slowly turned. A light more radiant than any shone there. A light impossible in Pandemonium these past three days. Holy power. And he'd seen that face before. In countless books, and in Abel's unique barrier that Rowen had found.
Was it his imagination, or did a halo glow around him? The one who followed the great will of Kalia Rune. The executor of evil. The weapon master leading exorcism's might. The great warrior Uba Kaliarun stood before him.
"...Why's he bald?"
"Lost a fight with my disciple long ago."
"Doesn't it grow back?"
"...Cursed my head."
It was a far cry from what he'd imagined...