Judas of Betrayal
Nom had blown his chance. The chance to end this battle right now and summon the Demon King. To make matters worse, he had been thwarted by a fellow "Prophet" he had known all this time. Not that he had ever trusted the bastard; he always knew a betrayal would come eventually. But for it to happen now? The timing was atrocious. Or had the bastard been aiming for this exact moment from the very beginning?
"...Judas. Do you want to die?"
"Haha. Is the Boss really struggling this much even when fighting seriously?"
"Answer my question first!"
Judas didn't even bat an eye. He just smirked, chuckling as if Nom's reaction was the most amusing thing in the world. Then, he lightly kicked the exhausted Nom in the abdomen.
Crack! With the sound of tearing air, a circular shockwave rippled outward. Spinning in a spiral, Nom was sent flying, crashing through the trees along the ridge as they splintered and exploded around him.
"You know, Boss, you and I have never actually fought before."
"...Cough!"
"I don't consider someone weak enough to get thrashed by mere spirits to be my boss."
"You ruined everything..."
"Ruined what?"
How shameless. Nom truly thought so. Dragging his battered body, he swung the corrupted crucifix, Carta. A tidal wave of sword strikes unleashed from the demonic blade swept toward Judas.
"Ahahaha!"
Judas welcomed even that with sheer delight. More than anything...
"...Coveting the throne of the Demon King with such pathetic power? You don't know your place."
"You bastard. Don't tell me..."
"Haha! Did you really think I wouldn't know what you were planning, Boss? You wanted to unite the Demon Sect and receive His soul into your own body."
But...
"I have no intention of giving up control of my body."
"..."
"Hit a nerve, did I?"
In an instant, Judas's expression flipped completely. Part of his right arm morphed into a demonic form. Carta and the thorn-covered arm clashed, unleashing equally devastating destructive power.
Nom had no room for composure. Back when he had lost his emotions and expressions, he possessed a cold, calculating rationality. But now, even that composure was shattered. All because of that bastard child over there!
"Haha, do you hate that kid, Boss?"
"Of course I do! You ruined it! Our victory, you...!"
"Hmm... but that's a bit troublesome for me."
In the first place, it was Judas who had given him the cube to locate the members of the Balenos family. Without him, Nom wouldn't have even been able to pick a fight with them.
Kajin and Casiel could only watch in silence.
If we move, we will be obliterated. Kajin felt it now, just as he had in the past, even after eight hundred years. That man was a monster, an incarnation of vengeance. A madman who resented his own birth and coveted power he could never rightfully possess. In the end, he had reached out for everything, transforming himself into an immortal demon.
Crack!
"Chirp, chirp, so noisy..."
"Is that how you're going to flap your mouth when we're reuniting after all this time?"
Casiel gasped, quickly covering his mouth in shock at the sudden, crushing atmospheric pressure weighing down on him. It wasn't just that. The sheer hatred and bloodlust radiating from the man was completely at odds with his relaxed expression. What had Kajin been trying to say? What did he know? Casiel was dying to know, but he dared not move. This man felt like the primordial demons of ancient times—possessing power on par with the Demon Kings themselves.
"Ugh!"
"Haha. Boss, this is getting boring. Can I finish this?"
"Don't talk... nonsense—cough!"
"Hehe. All done."
A crimson thorn pierced Nom's abdomen. It happened in the blink of an eye. Nom instinctively threw his body backward, tearing himself away from the spike. Blood gushed. His ruptured internal organs showed no signs of regenerating. This is all because of Rowen, that godforsaken bastard! If not for Judas's interference, he could have easily killed Rowen. He had bought time by tearing apart and dismantling the spirits. He could have struck Rowen down! And yet...!
"...I will kill you."
"You? Kill me, Boss? Did you eat something bad?"
"I will kill you. Don't expect a peaceful death."
His body was in tatters, his muscles screaming in agony. He forcibly shoved his protruding organs back inside and cauterized his torn skin with fire to seal it shut. Despite this, his internal injuries refused to heal. What on earth had Judas done to him?
"You aren't fit for the throne of the Demon King."
The one who truly deserved it...
"Is me."
By the time Rowen opened his eyes, everything was already over. He had pushed himself to the absolute limit, agonizing over the perfect strike to kill Nom, only to find Nom's stomach already impaled by someone else. The stranger had striking, snow-white hair, looking almost like a member of the Balenos family.
"Who the hell are you?"
Rowen shifted his focus. Even if his ultimate goal was Nom's death, who was this person capable of killing him so effortlessly? Rowen had synchronized the powers of all his ancestors, finding the perfect equilibrium to make it his own. He had opened his eyes expecting a final showdown, but this was not what he anticipated.
"Oh, you're awake?"
"I asked who the hell you are."
The man began walking toward him. His smirk was incredibly grating. Without hesitation, Rowen unleashed a slash. The movement was a perfect mirror of Kajin's. The speed belonged to Karlena, while the sound and vision were Casiel's.
"Whoa, whoa. Calm down. I didn't come here to fight you."
"Then why the fuck are you here?"
"Hmm... Rowen, I'm not a big fan of profanity. Besides, I just saved you from the brink of death, and you don't even have a single word of thanks?"
"You talk as if you know me. In that case, I don't think I need to thank you at all, do I?"
Anyone who truly knew him would know he would never offer gratitude in a situation like this. Sure enough, the man grinned. It was a deeply sinister smile.
"Ahahahahaha! You really are an interesting fellow."
"I'm not."
The two locked eyes. Rowen stared to discern the man's true intentions, while Judas simply stared back because Rowen was looking at him.
"...Damn it."
He couldn't read him at all. The man's eyes were completely shrouded in deception. What was he up to? What was his goal? He radiated the same energy as Nom, yet he had killed him. Was he not an enemy? There was no active hostility, but there was a distinct, underlying bloodlust. He was definitely an enemy... and one Rowen would rather not fight right now.
"A wise choice, Rowen."
"...What?"
"If we fight right now, neither of us stands to gain anything."
"Explain what the hell that means."
"It means that with Nom and Angelica gone, authority over Arkanthia belongs to me."
...In other words, he was the last remaining Prophet. It was unexpectedly good news. If he could kill this bastard right here and now, this war would end in victory. But could he win? He had not yet reached the heights of his past life. His physical body had not fully matured. Having only recently reached adulthood, his vessel was still too fragile to fully contain all his power, soul, and energy.
"...Tsk."
Yet, he couldn't just back down. Rowen gripped his weapons. He held the Holy Sword in one hand and his Ice Blade in the other. He had grown stronger. He would strike first to gauge just how powerful this bastard was. It was a reckless approach reminiscent of Uba, but so what? He had to break through this situation.
"...Is that your choice?"
"Shut up."
"Haha! I'm sorry to disappoint you, but I have no intention of fighting you."
What? Judas put his hands in his pockets and dragged his feet as he approached. He placed his own neck right against the razor-sharp edge of Rowen's blade.
"Go ahead and cut it if you can."
"There's nothing stopping me."
Without a moment's hesitation, Rowen swung his arm. Crunch. The sickening sensation of bone and muscle shearing apart vibrated through the blade. Blood sprayed. It felt strangely anticlimactic, but the man was undoubtedly dead.
"Or so you thought?"
"...What?!"
Rowen whipped his head around. The voice of the man who should have been dead echoed right beside his ear. It made no sense. He had felt the blade slicing through flesh, seen the blood spray, and watched the head fall with his own eyes. How was this bastard standing there completely unscathed, as if nothing had happened...?!
"Haha! Surprised?"
"...What the hell are you? Whose 'Authority' is that?"
Resurrection. An indirect ability that could seemingly rewrite the past as if it never happened. He had never heard of any commander under Lucifer possessing such an ability. Was there someone his father had failed to mention? If not...
—He might just be a monster.
"You monster."
"A monster, huh? It's been a very long time since I last heard that."
Rowen's head throbbed with a dull ache. Valenos seemed to be trying to say something, but his voice was muffled and hard to make out. What was he saying? If the spirit's presence was strong enough to cause Rowen physical pain, he had to be shouting something incredibly important. Yet, something was blocking it.
"Rowen, just ignore whatever that old geezer is saying."
"...What?"
"Even if you do hear him, pretend you didn't. You didn't hear or see a thing."
"Who the hell are you really? Even if you're leaving, you can at least tell me that much."
Judas stared blankly at Rowen before tilting his head. He ran a hand through his messy hair, showing it off, and then pointed to his own eyes.
"Get it now?"
"...No way."
"You've got your answer. Rowen, we're the same. There's no need for us to fight."
The conclusion Rowen reached was simple. No, perhaps it wasn't simple at all. It was a shocking revelation, and it made perfect sense why Valenos was screaming so frantically.
"I'm just like you."
"...Are you a Balenos?"
"Hmm? Of course not. Bastards like us don't get to inherit the Balenos name."
An illegitimate child of the Balenos family. An incarnation of vengeance who had survived from the distant past without dying. A conglomeration of ugliness who had betrayed his family, betrayed humanity, and ultimately betrayed the demons. An avatar of betrayal who was ready to turn on anyone to achieve his goals. Judas was another bastard child of the Balenos family.
"Whose son are you?"
"You wouldn't know even if I told you. My father died from magi. He couldn't join the ancestors."
"...."
"Ah, but I do have a grandfather."
Rowen listened intently. Just as the man's lips began to move in slow motion, a furious roar from Valenos pierced through the mental block and echoed in his ears.
"...What?"
Crack!
"Haha. Man, my grandfather is as noisy as ever."
"...Get lost."
"Did you finally realize you can't win even if we fight?"
"At least it's better than throwing my life away in a dog's death."
"Don't worry too much. I'm on your side. Whether you destroy Arkanthia or rebuild it, I couldn't care less."
At those words, Rowen raised the Holy Sword, pointing its tip directly at Judas. If he kept resurrecting, Rowen would simply kill him over and over until he couldn't anymore. As long as he was a living being, there had to be a limit.
"Hmph... how cold."
"Then get the hell out of my sight. Magitech must be destroyed."
"I have no interest in demon technology. It's just a tool to amplify their power anyway."
"That's true. But that's not what I'm talking about. I'm telling you to get the fuck out of my face."
"Haha, so chilly."
Magic circles of magi filled the sky, and the demonic sword that had absorbed Nom's corpse flew into Judas's hand. Cheap tricks! Rowen swung his sword with all his might. The spirits of his ancestors mirrored his movements. Sky Slash. Multiplied three hundred times.
"Numbers are nice, but they won't work on me."
"...You're a monster. You might actually be close to Beelzebub's level."
"Are you saying I'm on par with the heroes?"
"...At least comparable to Rian."
What a self-absorbed bastard.
"I'll take that as a compliment, then."
"Grandfather, we're just two wronged bastards having a chat. Don't interrupt."
"...Be quiet for a second."
Bzzzt— Static buzzed in his ears. He could no longer feel Valenos's presence. ...What was this? Just like that...
"Hey... you crazy bastard. What the fuck did you just do?"
Valenos's voice had cut out completely.