121. You Promised!
Arriving at the scene, what Berge Dayas witnessed was a massive crater where the gorge had once stood.
Scattered corpses everywhere, the empire's soldiers covered in wounds, and their groans of agony.
And at the bottom of that crater, a black mage gasped for breath, gripped by the hand of the First Prince.
'Byrif?'
Already captured?
Of course, he hadn't expected Byrif to win.
But he couldn't have imagined everything being shattered so quickly.
And not even with four imperial royals combining their strength.
"...Balaf Disrod?"
At that moment, a voice laced with fury leaked from Rozel Charnt beside him.
Berge's gaze followed hers. When it reached the hero standing guard by the prince's side, he swallowed hard involuntarily.
An overwhelming presence. Stronger and more dominant than anyone else there.
Balaf Disrod.
The top ten active heroes were called Stars.
And among those ten Stars, Balaf Disrod was held in the highest regard.
The undisputed greatest, strongest hero.
"Never thought I'd see that bastard's face here."
During the subjugation of the Beast Tower in the past, his sudden desertion had laid the groundwork for the heroes' failure.
Considering the damage Rozel Charnt had suffered because of it, her rage was justified.
But the current situation wasn't one where she could act recklessly.
"Halt."
Wounded knights and soldiers blocked their path. The Second Prince's knights drew their swords.
"The Black Lion Knights, huh."
The Second Prince confirmed the faded Black Lion emblem, battle-worn from combat.
"Step aside."
"We cannot."
"You think I'm asking nicely right now?"
"These are orders from His Highness the First Prince."
"So only my brother's orders matter, and mine don't? How the hell am I supposed to live with this bullshit!"
Floyan growled.
"Too bad for you, I've got knights just as loyal as these."
The knights of the White Rose Order—symbol of the Boldovov Marquisate and attendants to the Second Prince—bared their killing intent.
"Knights who'll kill every last one of you and clear the way."
The knights tensed at the thick malice.
That was when it happened.
"Make way. Your big brother wants to see you—shouldn't I show my face as the elder?"
The knights reluctantly parted. The Second and Third Princes stepped through.
"Only the princes..."
"You lot have heroes and knights, but I'm supposed to go alone? What do you think of that, brother!"
The Second Prince bellowed.
"Just clear the path."
"As you command."
The way opened. Dozens, including knight orders and heroes, descended into the crater.
There were five in the crater.
The First Prince and First Princess—siblings who had joined hands just for this occasion—the two heroes standing guard like escorts, and the black mage writhing with his throat gripped by the First Prince.
"He's not a Star."
Hillon Kargil whispered after confirming the First Princess's hero.
"Long time no see, brother."
"Brother."
"Floyan, Martin. You've come together."
Ruphus turned only his head, still gripping the black mage's throat.
"Since you're with Marlene, is there any reason I can't be with my brother?"
"So you just happened to meet?"
"Surprisingly, yes?"
"Reuniting with family in a strange place is always a joy. Why not keep sharing that joy?"
"With the goal right in front of us?"
"But what changes if you come now?"
Ruphus smiled.
"It's already over."
"That one black mage?"
"The only one."
"No way."
"Did you see it?"
"What do you mean?"
"I saw it. I smashed the undead myself."
"Is that true?"
Floyan's gaze turned to Martin. Martin looked straight at Hillon.
"No way."
"Hillon Kargil."
"The undead I saw numbered over a thousand. It doesn't make sense for one black mage to summon them all."
"You should've accepted my offer then. What a foolish choice. How does it feel?"
"What?"
"Don't you regret it now that things have turned out like this?"
"......"
Hillon fell silent. Floyan interjected abruptly.
"Cut the crap. If Lord Hillon's right, how could one black mage control over a thousand undead?"
"I don't need to convince you."
"Then ask him yourself."
"After it's all done, you think you can take my catch?"
"It's not over yet."
Floyan bared his killing intent. In response, Ruphus's knights drew swords. Floyan's knights growled back.
'What to do?'
Berge subtly averted his eyes from Byrif's. Fortunately, Byrif hadn't realized he was the Demon King who had bound him.
'Can't save him.'
Stepping forward in a place swarming with the empire's elites and heroes would be suicide.
'Especially that guy.'
Balaf Disrod. His reputation as a great hero was no exaggeration. Across his past and present lives, he was the second strongest hero Berge had ever faced.
The first was the red-sword hero who had pierced his heart. In other words, stronger than even Hillon Kargil, who had grown after devouring two Demon Kings.
'Nothing's going my way.'
The First Prince's exploits had been more prominent than expected, leaving no room for the Third Prince to shine.
And Byrif had been captured far too easily.
'Don't blame me. It's your weakness.'
In the end, Berge decided to abandon him. Useful, yes—but not worth more than that.
That was when it happened.
Byrif's pupils dilated. His gaze locked onto one spot.
'...Oh shit.'
Realizing Hillon Kargil stood at the end of that gaze, Berge swallowed a groan.
Thinking back, he hadn't been the only one to meet Byrif.
'Did Hillon wear a mask...?'
At that instant.
"My lord Demon King!"
Byrif, throat gripped, screamed like a madman.
* * *
Byrif couldn't believe the reality before him.
He had sacrificed everything, detonating all his undead.
He was confident he could kill them all. At the very least, he'd thought the survivors would be too gravely wounded to move.
He was wrong.
Was it because he'd used too much magic power controlling the lesser dragon undead? Or was the empire's strength greater than he'd imagined?
There were more survivors than expected, and especially the hero who had slaughtered his masterpiece didn't stop there.
He burrowed into the ground and demolished Byrif's entire dungeon.
Then dragged him up by the throat and tossed him to the empire's prince.
What he faced was hundreds of surviving imperial troops.
Fury scorching the air, killing intent thick enough to murder.
"It's you. You bastard."
The prince's rough grip seized his throat. He tried to resist, but had no strength left. He thrashed, barely breathing.
"Where are the others?"
They thought there were others?
He understood. Who would believe one man had taken down the undead army he'd built over a decade? Anyone but him.
The worst situation, yet somehow gratifying.
He'd lost, but his achievements were acknowledged.
So he spat.
Ptoo—
No deeper meaning.
He just hated the prince's too-clean, pretty face.
"This scum dares!"
"Your Highness!"
The knights gasped in shock. The prince stopped them. He wiped away the yellow phlegm casually.
"Amusing."
He laughed. But it wasn't a positive laugh.
Byrif felt chills. Still, he feigned composure. Truthfully, no need to fear. Whatever happened, the Demon King would save him.
"Not scared, are you?"
Wanting an answer, the grip on his throat loosened slightly.
"I'm a black mage. Death is always at my side."
"You're misunderstanding."
Crunch—
"Why I..."
Pressure returned. Byrif's face reddened. He gasped roughly.
You killed my soldiers.
Subdued my knights.
Humiliated my mages, me.
"Think I'll let you die easy?"
"...Doesn't matter. Foolish prince of the empire."
It truly didn't. No matter the prince's rage, what he planned to do.
"The great..."
The Demon King would save him.
He'd sworn on the First Mahwang and the Demon King's Canon—he had to.
That was when a knight rushed down into the crater.
"Your Highness."
"Speak."
"The Second Prince and Third Prince are approaching."
"Those bastards?"
As if on cue, commotion erupted above the crater.
"Clear the way!"
'This is bad...'
His faith in the Demon King hadn't wavered. But with more imperial forces, tighter security—could the Demon King save him intact?
'My lord, now or never!'
No Demon King appeared to his silent plea. Instead, more princes arrived. With more knights and mages.
"So you just happened to meet?"
"Surprisingly, yes?"
Bad blood between them—the princes' voices rose.
'...Huh?'
Then Byrif spotted the Demon King in the new group. No, not the Demon King.
Outwardly similar, but not a trace of magic power. Instead, pure mana so clean it was repulsive.
But he pinned his hopes not on the human resembling the Demon King. On the hero beside him.
'That's the one.'
The hero who came searching for him with the Demon King.
Then the Demon King had to be nearby.
'Where is my lord? Watching over me?'
He scanned amid the chaos. But no overwhelming presence.
'Save me now, while they're fighting!'
He prayed desperately. For the soul-bound Demon King to hear and appear.
But no matter how heated the princes' dispute, no matter the growing threat to his life, the Demon King didn't emerge.
In the end, he had no choice but to scream toward the Demon King watching from somewhere in the gorge.
"My lord Demon King!"
He bellowed at the top of his lungs.
"Your servant is here! Please honor your promise!"
His voice echoed.
"Demon King? Ah, that's it. That's why you're so arrogant."
All eyes turned.
"Go on, call him."
The First Prince sneered.
"I'm curious what filthy demon supported you and dared mess with the empire."
He looked down arrogantly.
"Hurry up."
He slapped Byrif's cheek.
"I said call him."
"My lord Demon King!"
His throat tore. Blood flowed. But no response.
"N-no way..."
"Abandoned by your Demon King?"
"N-no! Impossible!"
He'd sworn on the First Mahwang and Canon. The Demon King wouldn't break it.
"Save me quick! You promised to spare my life!"
"Yeah, come save him quick. Your minion's getting pathetic!"
Even amid the prince's mockery, no answer.
By then, Byrif realized something was wrong.
That the Demon King had no intention of keeping the promise. That he'd die here.
"N-no...!"
I can't die here.
"Save me! Hurry and save me!"
He wailed.
"Flame Demon King, you bastard!"
You promised! You swore on the Canon and First Mahwang to save me!
His final cry was choked by tears, but the initial scream had already escaped.
"...The Flame Demon King?"
The royals' fury now had a target.