Reunion
Leviathan was utterly exhausted. Honestly, he felt as if this next step might be his last. His body felt incredibly heavy. The memory of the weak brat before him was still vivid, but now, everything was different. This was a fully realized adult form. No longer a hatchling, his body was forged with immense strength—the complete realization of a Dragon Lord carrying the imperial bloodline.
Lucius panted heavily. With every breath, his crimson armor, formed from draconic blood scales, rose and fell. Sweat mixed with blood dripped into the waves and washed away. Was it the salt? It stung. He aimed his pure white sword—no, the blood-stained sword, Rosmerta—at Leviathan. His long hair fluttered in the surging currents. Lucius wanted nothing more than to grab Leviathan by the hair and deliver the finishing blow, but he was just as exhausted.
"...So there was a reason he chose you," Leviathan muttered.
"Huff, huff... This is driving me crazy."
"Are you tired? If it's too much, just give up, Lucius."
"Hehe. A Demon King is personally entertaining me. I can't let this opportunity slip away."
Leviathan clicked his tongue. "Tsk! I shouldn't have lost to Uba!"
"What's the use of regretting it now? You were destined to lose to him anyway."
Ultimately...
"You were always destined to be nothing more than my sparring partner."
"For a mere 'sparring partner,' you look remarkably exhausted."
"Isn't the same true for you, Leviathan?"
It was a blatant provocation.
Leviathan would not die here. A Demon King's spiritual body would simply return to Pandemonium. The only surefire way to kill a Demon King was to finish them off in Pandemonium using a Holy Sword. Thus, any Demon King invading the human realm would survive as a soul in Pandemonium even if defeated. Therefore, the condition for victory here was to beat him so severely that he would lose consciousness.
"Rosmerta."
Whispering softly, he ignited the pure white sword. Yin-Yang fused together, and the Dragon Tongue was sealed within. Leviathan, the water dragon, unleashed his own Dragon Tongue, summoning a massive wave. He squeezed out the very last of his strength. If he lost this battle, he would have to close his eyes and slumber for decades just to recover his power. Just like when he was battered and cast aside by that sudden uninvited guest, the Great Warrior Uba. To let that happen again would ruin his honor. A Demon King could not afford to be terrified of a mere human. Uba Kaliarun. That bastard was on an entirely different level, which was why he could achieve such a feat. But... but why! Why was he so terrified right now?
"...Persistent bastard," Leviathan growled, gripping his sword of waves and aiming it. The water dragon roared, but its power was weak.
Lucius took flight, breaking the sound barrier. His crimson wings spread wide, balancing his body. Even as the sharp blades of water sliced at him, his draconic blood scales deflected the blows. It was an incredibly selfish power. But because of that selfishness, dragons reigned at the absolute top of the food chain and ruled over humans. That was what it meant to be Dragonic; anyone who couldn't achieve this was unworthy of the imperial name.
"Haaah!"
"Every single one of you mocks me! Do you think a Demon King is some kind of joke?!"
"You're going to die by Rowen's hand anyway. Consider it a favor that I'm putting you to sleep early so you don't have to suffer. You should be grateful."
With those words, Lucius pronounced his sentence.
The three heroes, reunited after a long time, walked together. Arahan had tactfully excused herself. Judging by her pouting lips, she wasn't thrilled about it, but she understood. Since Sirayunsul was with her, nothing bad would happen. Surely they wouldn't start fighting again, right?
The Island of Waves. Walking along this sky-high sea after so long felt beyond disgusting; it was downright repulsive. Fish with human faces... they looked like creatures straight out of a nightmare.
"So, what do you plan to do now?" Mio asked.
"What else? First, I need to have a little chat with Cain."
Cain Valenos. The second son of the Valenos family, and a talentless fool. Despite possessing more mana than the illegitimate Rowen, he had never put in any effort. A pervert blinded by lust. That idiot had now fallen to corruption and headed toward the Demon King's castle.
"Can he... ever come back?" Mio asked.
She was clearly hoping for a positive answer. She could only say such things because she didn't truly know what kind of person Cain was. At the same time, it was a question only someone as kind-hearted as Mio could ask.
But.
"Those who fall to corruption can never return."
Rowen could say this with absolute certainty because he had witnessed that tragic end firsthand. Even Lea—the saintess who had whispered her love to him—could not stop her own descent into darkness. And so, Rowen replied, "We have to kill Cain."
"...That would crush Miyabi's heart."
"I know. But abandoning countless innocent people just to save one bastard is an even greater foolishness."
What had they fought for? Revenge? Hope? Peace? Before any of that, they had fought for humanity. Personal feelings often got in the way, but they had raised their swords because a far greater pride demanded it.
"The corrupted do not return."
"How can you be so sure?" Mio pressed.
...That question must have gouged deep into Rowen's heart. But she wasn't to blame. She knew nothing. Rowen hadn't told them anything about what had happened during that time. But as his companions, they deserved to know.
"How can I be sure?"
A look of profound sorrow—no, immense grief—washed over his face as a suffocating wave of emotion welled up inside him.
"Because I saw it happen."
"...To whom?"
Mio gasped, and Uba fell silent. Then, Rowen spoke.
"Lea."
He softly uttered her name.
Mio wept, and Uba averted his eyes. That big idiot. It didn't suit a man of his massive stature to turn his head away just to hide his tears. But to them, Lea was more than just a Saintess. She was their friend, and more than that, she was family.
"...You're lying."
"I'm not."
Rowen showed them the Holy Sword, stained with Lea's dried blood. Mio probably hadn't known. She hated her past self for so cheerfully sending him off after telling him the location of the Holy Sword. Rowen gently patted Mio's shoulder. Her red hair swayed. The tears swept away by the wind drifted quietly into the waves.
Uba... wept in silence. He didn't make a sound, keeping his head bowed. He simply clenched his fists and thrust one forward. It was pure, unadulterated grief. He punched the air, the sheer pressure parting the waves as he swallowed his rage. That rage was directed entirely at the source of her corruption: Beelzebub.
"We should have noticed!"
"No, you idiot. Even if you had, there was no way to undo the corruption."
"Rian, how can you be so sure of that?"
To Uba's question, Rowen gave a simple answer. A single, clear sentence that carried absolute despair.
"Because she told me so herself. Lea knew there was no hope left."
And I... I...
"Do you think I wanted to kill Lea? I refused. I fought against it, but she... she begged me for salvation... I... I..."
He couldn't finish his sentence. Why was he getting angry? Uba had done nothing wrong. This was solely 'my' punishment for making Lea wait so long. It was his fault. Because he had left her alone for so long, because he hadn't been there by her side, the demonic seed inside her had bloomed.
Mio hugged Rowen tightly, patting his back. They comforted each other. To them, Lea's existence was indeed more than family.
"In the end, we ended up letting Abel down."
"Haha. Rian, you're not one to talk. The moment you died, Abel's dream became impossible to achieve anyway."
But.
"Yet here you are, standing before us again, completely in one piece."
"...But Lea isn't here anymore."
That was why he had made a vow. What she had asked of him. What he had to do for her.
"Nothing has changed. Once we kill the Demon Kings, everything will be resolved."
"Hmm..."
"Lea killed Beelzebub and attained the Angel's Status. If that's the case, then I can do the same once I slay the Demon Kings."
It wasn't a certainty, but it was something he had to do.
"Rian, are you planning to do the same thing Lea did?"
"Yes. I'm going to bring Lea back."
Even if she didn't return in the exact same form, she would meet them again someday. Uba's question was sharp, yet it carried a warm, hopeful light. So...
"It's about time we go pay a visit to the Demon King."
"...Indeed."
Uba wiped his tears and forced a smile. If you laugh right after crying, you'll grow horns on your butt. Uba pointed toward a boy walking toward them in the distance and said to Rowen, "Looks like one of them has been taken care of."
"...Lucius?"
"Yes. The fact that he's walking out of that castle means he beat Leviathan half to death!"
Lucius stumbled, panting heavily. His legs were numb, and his internal organs felt as if they were about to burst. His vision swam, and his throat burned.
"Haa... huff..."
Cruel people. His discipleship had grown so much through such grueling effort, yet no one was there to welcome him. More than that, why was everyone missing?
"...Where on earth did you all wander off to?"
"It's been a while."
No sooner had Lucius finished speaking than Rowen waved his hand. It was a welcome face, but a storm of bewilderment and unidentifiable emotions rushed through Lucius.
"...So you really do carry Dragonic blood."
"Once you see these wings, all your doubts vanish, right? Haha!"
"It's strange. I always thought you and I were complete strangers."
"Even if we were, we're friends first."
As Rowen lightly threw an arm around his shoulder, the strength drained from Lucius's legs. Uba caught his other shoulder, supporting him. It wasn't a bad feeling. Being squeezed between two muscular guys wasn't exactly pleasant, but this heavy fatigue felt somewhat comforted.
"Let's rest a bit."
"...I want to sleep."
"If you sleep like this, you'll die. Let's heal your wounds first."
Rowen chanted a simple spell. Blue frost runes began to orbit around them. Feeling the cool, gentle mana, Lucius experienced a pleasant, refreshing sensation.
Recovery
Gradually, his wounds began to close. While Rowen wasn't as skilled as Lea, he could at least heal him enough to dull the pain. It was a decent result.
"What happened to the North?" Lucius asked once he regained his composure.
It was a natural concern. Other than being told to form an alliance, he knew absolutely nothing.
"We won."
"...Is that true?"
"Yes. We also succeeded in restoring the Pentagon. And all the prophets, except for one, are dead."
"...Does this mean I can finally go home?"
"First, we have to survive here," Rowen chuckled.
But he couldn't just laugh it off. Uba's next question was incredibly sharp, leading directly into what they needed to discuss.
"So the surviving prophet is still alive?"
"Yes. I believe he's currently in Pandemonium as well."
"What's his name?"
"Judas Balenos."
Mio's eyes widened in shock at the name Balenos. She wasn't the only one; everyone reacted the same way.
"...I've never heard of anyone named Judas."
"It's simple. The reason the world grew to hate illegitimate children is entirely because of that bastard."
If Judas hadn't committed that massive massacre, the rumor that illegitimate children were cursed bringers of death would never have existed.
"I can't defeat him yet. Not all of my power has returned. I've only recovered about half of my past-life strength."
"What are my chances of winning?" Uba asked.
"Zero. He's incredibly cunning. There's no way an idiot like you could beat him."
"Rian! I am neither an idiot nor a fool!"
"I never called you a fool, you fool."
"Y-You! You just called me a fool!"
Rowen lightly brushed him off. Seeing Uba huffing and puffing in anger was incredibly nostalgic. He had missed this. He only wished the backdrop wasn't Pandemonium.
Reunited with Arahan, the group took some time to rest. Two days later, they arrived at the Castle of Greed.