The Right Arm Revealed

The words of an oracle are always metaphorical.

Sometimes the metaphors are so excessive that most people can't even understand them properly.

Interpreting an oracle was no different from solving a puzzle made of words.

But wasn't this strange?

It wasn't like some temporary dispatched hero service.

'Cut off Sirvelis's right arm.'

Kill someone, and do it by precisely severing a specific body part.

This wasn't how oracles worked.

It wasn't some random NPC quest like "Bring me ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠100 goblin ears!"

This was a direct request from the goddess herself.

She wouldn't have phrased it in such a lame way.

And then there was the time limit that had appeared before his eyes.

In the end, Junil reached a single conclusion.

'The right arm... wasn't a literal right arm.'

The right arm meant Belzera.

That also explained the time limit.

Belzera was a demon specialized in infiltration, deception, and mental manipulation—espionage warfare.

Which meant her influence had already reached this place.

'Belzera is here.'

So he immediately threw a knife in an assassination attempt.

Clang!

As expected of a high-ranking demon, she deflected it and revealed her true form.

"Belzera. I am your master's right arm."

The shameless demon who called herself the right arm appeared, and the hall instantly descended into chaos.

"A-a demon!"

Nobles nearby leapt to their feet one after another, screaming.

Crash!

The banquet was overturned in every direction.

The mere appearance of a single demon had reduced those once-dignified nobles to a panicked mob. It was the accumulated terror of years. Unless you were a trained knight or mage, facing a demon head-on and surviving was impossible—an old, well-known fact. Even the countless heroes who had come from other worlds at the goddess's call had failed every time.

The hero Julian from a hundred years ago, who had come closest to success, had ended his story with betrayal and left the stage.

Humanity had not properly defeated the demons in a very long time.

"Ahahaha~ Screams always sound so pleasant no matter how many times I hear them."

That was why Belzera could stand in the middle of enemy territory and still act so arrogantly.

"Kyaaaaaaa!"

"S-save me!"

"Guards! Guards!"

Despite their overwhelming numbers, the humans shoved one another aside, desperately trying to flee the banquet hall.

Amid the chaos, one human remained completely still, confronting Belzera.

It was the hero Julian.

'Running won't save anyone anyway.'

He knew Belzera's habits better than anyone here.

'She only showed herself after she'd already won.'

Belzera was a demon specialized in espionage warfare. Her physical combat ability wasn't particularly high for her position. She wasn't the type to confidently reveal herself in the heart of enemy territory unless she had already secured victory.

Bang!

The knights burst through the banquet hall doors.

And then—

"Th-they're here! You lot! Kill that w-woman right now—kgh!?"

Slash!

The knight at the very front was cut down by another knight's sword.

The massacre had begun.

Slash!

The knights cut down every noble trying to escape.

With a single swing, three or four heads flew into the air.

Blood rained down over the banquet hall.

Red blood splattered across luxurious dresses.

"Uh... uh..."

A slender hand groped around for a head that was no longer attached.

The severed head, eyes wide open, rolled across the floor.

"Kyaaaaaaa!"

A scream of despair echoed through the hall. Belzera smiled.

Grin.

"Haa. What a pleasant sound."

She twisted her body and looked at Junil mockingly.

Junil maintained a poker face, but inside he thought:

'We're screwed.'

He had known she only appeared after winning, but he hadn't expected it to be this bad.

Almost all the knights had been mentally manipulated.

'Not just simple mind-control magic... they've been brainwashed.'

From the looks of it, Belzera hadn't been here for just a day or two. She had invested a lot of time.

"We do all the fighting while these pig bastards just give orders! Kill them all!"

"Serving the demons actually gets you better treatment! Khahaha!"

The knights' grievances had blossomed into rage.

Belzera's black flower, born from lies, deception, and sowing discord.

Fwoosh!

Jet-black corrupted mana enveloped the knights' bodies.

That was why her alias was the black flower that bloomed from falsehood.

Slash!

The black flower grew larger and larger, feeding on red blood.

"Uh... why...?"

The king despaired from behind his royal guard.

Fortunately, Belzera's influence hadn't reached the king's personal guard.

"Stay back, Your Majesty!"

"Prophet, please stay behind me as well. We'll hold this line for certain."

The king and the prophet were being properly protected.

After checking their situation, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Junil thought:

'I just need to mark her.'

He stood motionless, eyes fixed only on Belzera.

She was the only variable here.

The brainwashed knights could be handled by the royal guard.

But the moment he lost sight of her, both the king and the prophet could die.

If that happened, Helket would never be restored.

Conversely, as long as the king and prophet survived, this place would be safe.

"You damn hero bastard! What are you doing?! Save us!"

The nobles, realizing the hero had blatantly abandoned them, shouted.

"Damn it! Why are you just standing there?!"

Someone even prostrated themselves at Belzera's feet.

"P-please, Lady Belzera! I-I can serve the demons too!"

"What can a hero even do?! She's a high-ranking demon! Surrender to the demons!"

They begged Belzera, then turned back to plead with the hero.

"Hero! Help us! Please!"

Their tone had become considerably more polite, but Junil didn't move an inch.

"Oh my. The hero is busy right now~"

"Oh my. How cold. Even while everyone dies, you'll just stand there?"

Crack—

Belzera crushed the head of the pig-like noble crawling at her feet with her sharp heel.

The hero still didn't move.

"I'm just a dispatched temp anyway. I only need to kill you."

There was no way to save everyone in this setup.

His oracle was essentially "Kill Belzera."

No reason to worry about anything else.

The constellations didn't understand why they only needed to kill Belzera.

Junil added one more line.

"You. You're Sirvelis's right arm."

"What an honorable title. Correct."

"I'll tell you in advance. Killing ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠you is my oracle."

After making the mission clear, Junil drew his sword.

Shing.

The eyes reflected on the blade were no longer Moon Junil's.

They were Julian's.

"So if you want to run, now's your chance."

"Ahahahahaha!?"

Belzera burst into laughter as if she'd heard something incredibly amusing.

"Do you know that demons can see your power clearly? Hero? You can never defeat me."

Shhhhhh......!

She emitted violet demonic energy in a threatening display.

It was an enormous amount of magi. In an instant, the surrounding tiles turned black, and small flowers bloomed upon them.

Flowers blooming meant the owner of the magi had dominated that space.

Even the constellations believed this was a fight they should avoid.

Since they'd cleared the 1-star difficulty, some suggested leaving the gate for now and returning later.

Junil didn't think it was a bad idea either.

'It'll be difficult, that's for sure.'

Twenty-three percent of the old Julian's power.

He wasn't sure how much that amounted to.

Even in his first life, it had taken seven or eight years before he could face the Demon King's army.

And Belzera held a considerable position even within that army?

'She has every right to look down on me.'

Belzera's sneer made sense.

But the quantity of mana or magi wasn't everything in battle.

'Slowly. But......'

Shff.

Junil's feet began tracing an oddly fluid, almost limp-looking step.

"Hmm?"

Belzera tilted her head in confusion.

'Then fast.'

Crackle—

Junil's figure scattered with a blue flash.

'Flash Step.'

The technique activated in an instant.

And then one more—

A blue gleam flashed in his eyes as his sword strike extended.

'Mana Blade.'

——Vwoooom!

The Mana Blade immediately tore through the air in a diagonal slash.

Flash Step and Mana Blade linked together as if they were a single skill, turning Junil himself into a sword—a blue line charging forward.

An incredible speed battle.

But speed was also Belzera's specialty.

'Faster than I expected? Hero.'

The moment Belzera's eyes widened, a black whip lashed out.

Clangclangclang!

The trajectory of Junil's charging figure, now a blue line, was deflected.

Hisss!

His feet slid backward, kicking up dust.

The constellations expressed disappointment as the surprise attack was blocked.

Belzera also seemed to be wearing a relaxed smile.

"Oh my. Your speed is quite impressive. I might not have blocked it if—"

"Boom."

The moment Junil made the sound effect with his mouth—

"?"

——KABOOOOOM!

Three daggers embedded themselves in Belzera's upper body and exploded.

While charging with Flash Step and Mana Blade, Junil had simultaneously infused mana into three daggers and thrown them.

Even the ministers present were shocked, clicking their tongues.

"Th-this level of combat...?"

"Impossible."

"There has never been a hero like this before!"

They had already retreated behind the king's guard and were under their protection.

The brainwashed knights were busy slaughtering the remaining nobles.

The knights looked somewhat dazed.

It was likely because Belzera, who had to continuously control them, had been momentarily flustered.

As the dust from the dagger explosions cleared, Belzera's figure was revealed.

"Haa...... ha?"

Two daggers were embedded in Belzera's arms, and one in her abdomen.

Green blood dripped steadily.

Junil gave her no time to rest.

'One more time.'

Crackle—

He immediately activated both Flash Step and Mana Blade again, becoming a sword strike as he charged.

"Hup!"

Clang!

Belzera deflected it the same way, then—

Bang!

She swung her whip in all directions once more.

All the incoming daggers were knocked away.

"You think I'll fall for that again?!"

However, when the whip was swung wide, it inevitably created an opening.

"!?"

Crackle!

Junil had already closed in on Belzera's flank.

Extremely close range.

Tap.

The moment his foot firmly planted on the ground—

'Mana Punch.'

——KABOOOOOM!

Belzera's eyes bulged with blood vessels as her body was flung sideways, crashing into the wall.

"Hero, nice shoooooot!"

"Damn it! Julian! I knew you had it in you!"

"Julian! Julian! Julian!"

The nobles cheered excitedly.

Thump, thump......!

Junil's heart pounded as if it would burst.

"Huff...... hah......!"

This alone wasn't enough to kill Belzera.

Belzera cracked her neck, pushed away the rubble, and stood up again.

"Not bad, hero."

Lick.

She licked the blood flowing from her arm and asked:

"What's your name?"

If the opponent saw through your limits, psychological warfare became difficult.

He couldn't show any signs of fatigue.

Haa.

He caught his breath as much as possible and answered.

"......Julian."

Belzera smiled.

Grin.

"Good. Julian. Congratulations."

KABOOOOOM!

Wings sprouted from her back, and pink lines connected outward.

Those lines led to the knights.

The magi that had been consuming them was being drawn out.

Thud.

The knights began collapsing one by one.

"Now that you've seen your master's true form."

Crack......!

Belzera's eyes changed.

Her black and white sclera inverted—reverse eyes.

The true eyes of demons.

It meant she was about to unleash her real power from now on.

Fwoosh!

Enormous pink magi wrapped around her body and ignited.

Her dull purple skin flushed red, muscles bulged more solidly, and her silhouette transformed.

The horns that had resembled black roses now jutted upward like a classic demon's.

[Belzerak Lv.60]

Level 60 Belzerak.

This was Belzera's true form, the illusion stripped away.

'Ha?'

Junil let out a sigh.

'So it's come to this.'

From here on, he really couldn't make any guarantees.

Even in his first life, without Meyrin, conquering the Helket region would have been absolutely impossible.

* * *

Whoosh—

Her head snapped around, auburn hair whipping through the air.

She had heard something.

'......Julian.'

It was a distant ripple, but her senses, sensitive only to that single word, had caught it.

Like a spider that knew every minute vibration on its web.

"Just now...... I heard the name Julian."

She looked up at the white, towering castle in the distance.

'Helket.'

It wasn't a place with good memories.