370. Heavenly Demon Sovereign-Descent Step (天魔君臨步)
370. Heavenly Demon Sovereign-Descent Step (天魔君臨步)
***
The space where the pillar of light had vanished. At its center, the wolf-like demonic beast with thousands of eyes no longer existed.
As if Zervallua, engulfed in light, had vanished along with the colossal pillar of light.
But in the space where Cheon Ryuhwa now directed her gaze, a woman who seemed to have appeared from nowhere radiated an overwhelming presence.
Within the space where the faint light lingered, leaving its traces as the colossal pillar of light faded.
A woman whose presence shone more dazzlingly than the light itself.
Her stark naked body gleamed as though steeped in brilliant light, and the long red hair that artfully concealed her nudity emitted a vivid blood-red glow, wrapping her intensely.
The woman, who moved as though she had no intention of hiding her nakedness—taking steps, moving her arms—was looking around as if fascinated.
Even so, her light gestures were beautiful beyond compare, as if all the beauty in the world had been gathered into her, and utterly mysterious.
So much so that anyone who saw her would recall a single image.
The image commonly called an "angel" was far too similar to the mysterious figure before them now.
Two pairs of crimson wings rested behind her back, as if embracing her, and within them she moved as though unfamiliar with her own body—clenching her hands, shifting her legs slightly.
But even those movements were enough for most to gaze upon warmly, as her ruby-like eyes, utterly pure, sparkled like stars beyond even her gestures.
After clenching her hands, swinging them, and tapping the ground with her legs, she suddenly raised her head.
And directed her gaze toward a space far in the distance.
As if perceiving the entire vast distance, she took in a single being within that space.
The moment her eyes fell upon a silver-haired woman, her lips moved as if in joy.
"Ah. Ah."
The first words she uttered carried a bizarre tone, as if she were speaking for the very first time.
The woman then touched her own white throat as if fascinated, and moved her lips once more.
"So this. Is how. I see."
When she spoke again, the words were clearly broken, yet the tone was incomparably more stable than before, and anyone could tell she was now producing complete "speech."
Perhaps conscious of her gaze, the silver-haired woman who had been receiving it also looked back at her across the vast distance, and the woman blinked as if fascinated, feeling a single emotion surge within her chest.
"..."
That emotion was too fascinating to her.
At that moment, when she could not say what it was, how it felt, or even how to react.
The woman, who had briefly held her breath as if savoring the emotion, naturally raised her hand.
The woman who had gazed upon everything in the world with pure, mysterious wonder then smiled a smile that seemed as though it might brighten the entire world.
Then, as if concentrating, she clenched her hand with force,
HUMMMM!
Before even a second had passed, a massive and ferocious blood-red energy surged violently in her hand.
Gazing at it, she opened her mouth as if expressing her emotion.
"You. I hate."
As if revealing the emotion she felt, she spoke a single phrase and slashed her hand diagonally through the air. The strange blood-red energy that had gathered in her hand shot across the space in an instant.
-----!!!
Immediately after, countless ruined buildings directly ahead collapsed diagonally, and the blood-red energy tore through half of the ruined city in a single breath.
***
"...That's Zervallua?"
As Yujeong stared blankly at the woman far in the distance and spoke, a laugh inadvertently escaped Cheon Ryuhwa.
"Pfft..."
Then she found herself looking at her.
To have felt the magnitude of that being's power from this distance, enough to face it head-on—and yet to be able to say something like that was fascinating.
Even though she was clearly the weakest being here, she was looking at that thing and speaking lightly of its "essence."
To realize that no matter how its outer form changed or the nature of its power shifted, it was nothing more than a "demonic creature."
The other two beings were now tense, as if struggling to steady their hearts.
The two beings comparable to the Head Temple's Dharma Protectors were showing fear at that colossal power, yet the weaker being felt no fear despite sensing the same power.
Then, at that moment.
She saw "it" raise its hand without any warning.
Soon after, blood-red energy gathered and condensed in that white hand, carrying an ominous light, and she naturally raised her sword.
As the blood-red line surged forward in a massive diagonal slash, I too swung my sword without hesitation.
—Asura Spiral.
As the jet-black light met the blood-red energy that surged forward as if to sever space itself, it repelled it fiercely.
------!!!
The ground where the two opposing energies clashed collapsed outright, and as the black energy fiercely repelled, it suddenly began to rotate strangely, and the blood-red energy that had been pushing back as if to devour it began to gradually shift direction.
The two energies, spinning round and round from the moment they interlocked, continued to revolve until they began moving in a direction entirely different from their original purpose.
As the two beams that had clearly been fired vertically now traveled in completely different horizontal directions, the ruined city, swept up in the aftermath, crumbled wretchedly and let out a massive roar as if crying out in agony.
Immediately after, as a massive storm swept through, a faint breath escaped through my scattering silver hair.
'In terms of sheer magnitude of energy alone, it rivals mine.'
Even though I had chosen to deflect it with Asura Spiral, I could not deflect it immediately and it resisted fiercely. That meant the power contained within that energy was immense.
Demonic Energy, yet bold enough to resist so fiercely against my own Demonic Energy.
And in that moment, I felt it anew.
I had thought I had seen the end of demonic arts, but now, facing Demonic Energy of a different nature like that, I felt my mental image expanding as if my eyes were being opened.
Demonic arts have no end. They are always utterly pure and upright, and an energy equal to all beings.
That is why even a mere demonic creature like that is given room to evolve.
Even in this situation, for some reason, a laugh escaped me.
And without hiding it in the slightest, I opened my mouth.
"You two must act together thoroughly from now on. Even I cannot fully protect you."
I had no leisure to fight while protecting them.
I would need to draw up Demonic Energy while facing that thing, and whether this body could endure it was uncertain.
Before it had transformed, I could have ended it by sacrificing one of my limbs. But now, sacrificing a single limb was nowhere near enough.
Now I would have to draw up Demonic Energy with the resolve to completely discard this body.
But I could not completely throw away this body that was not even mine.
So I continued speaking.
"I will create an opportunity from now on. You must finish it decisively when that time comes."
Cheon Ryuhwa continued speaking with a bright smile.
Why was it? Even while facing Zervallua with its absurdly colossal power, she looked as though she felt happiness.
...
At the sight of Cheon Ryuhwa smiling brightly, Belua, Arianne, and Yujeong all found themselves staring blankly at her.
The current situation was dire.
The two beings like stars were sinking into deep abysses of negative thought, and Yujeong, having moved past incomprehension, simply accepted things as they flowed. She held emotions close to half-resignation.
But.
To be smiling so brightly in this situation.
And Cheon Ryuhwa's bright smile, as if genuinely happy, was so utterly incongruous compared to her previous indifferent demeanor.
Ironically, it made her appear all the more beautiful.
Belua, who had been hesitating while looking at her, seemed to make up her mind and was the first to move her lips.
"I will... trust the Grand Duke."
Arianne also nodded, steeling his heart as if resolving himself.
"I will follow your will."
Finally, Yujeong also looked at her and nodded in place of an answer. Cheon Ryuhwa did not delay any further.
THOOM!
Jet-black energy erupted explosively. At the manifestation of that domineering energy, the very ground where she stood collapsed greatly. An incomparably massive jet-black Demonic Energy burst from her center, spreading her domineering energy throughout the world.
The hand gripping the sword.
The legs planted on the ground.
The scattering silver hair.
At the same time, across her entire body—everywhere without exception—jet-black energy began to settle in.
Cheon Ryuhwa looked at Zervallua, which was still staring directly at her, and twisted the corner of her lips faintly.
"Even if I use excessive force. You will have to accept it."
After uttering words whose meaning was unclear, as if spoken to someone, she then.
Took a single step.
—Heavenly Demon Sovereign-Descent Step.
She stepped forward.
...
"...?"
Zervallua, who had been watching Cheon Ryuhwa, blinked its ruby-like eyes and felt puzzlement.
【Why is she right in front of me?】
Without even a moment to think about the strange thing that had deflected its fired energy. Suddenly, it appeared before it.
Finding it fascinating, Zervallua unconsciously raised its white hand.
It was the absolute instinct of a Great Demonic Beast—closer to an instinctive defensive action, as if it had evolved a step further.