130. Demon Core of Flames (1)
Sabnack ultimately had no choice but to abandon Granata and head for the southern continent. The summons from the ruler who dominated that land compelled her—the Raging Flames Demon King, reduced to a half-broken shell after losing half her Demon Core—to obey without question.
After a brutal clash with tens of thousands of demons, Sabnack's body was utterly ravaged. Only once the Black Spearman had culled every last one of them could she finally collapse, her flesh heavy as lead.
"Hoo..."
She let out a heavy sigh. Kicking off her boots, caked with blood and chunks of flesh on the soles, she gulped down vials of Elixir Pills to heal her wounds and purge the poison.
"Blech."
The taste was vile. Bitter as hell, like something scraped from a beggar's rags. Sabnack, with her childlike palate, especially despised bitterness. Her face naturally scrunched up the moment the elixir hit her tongue, betraying her disgust.
"Your Highness, they say departure preparations are nearly complete."
"Very well."
Sabnack nodded in response to the Ghost Cavalryman's report. The Demon King Army possessed no ships of their own. The vessel moored at the southern port of the Libria Peninsula hailed from the southern continent—a monstrous warship pulled by a colossal sea beast bound in harnesses.
"...Nothing's changed since that time."
Sabnack gave a bitter smile. Taking one last moment of rest before boarding, she glared at herself with profound self-loathing for failing to reclaim the Libria Peninsula.
"In the end, I accomplished nothing. For centuries, I plotted my revenge... only to fall to ruin at the hands of the Diablo Slayer."
It was just like before—her humiliating defeat at El Seed's hands, fleeing pathetically to the southern continent. She was still powerless, still wretched. Her honor lay drowned in a cesspit, her pride long vanished. Even in this war to reclaim what El Seed had stolen, defeat had shattered her spirit.
"The Diablo Slayer merely got lucky, Your Highness. You didn't truly lose! If that storm hadn't hit..."
"Battles are rife with variables. Even if it led to my defeat... a loss is a loss."
I lost to the Diablo Slayer. Sabnack accepted the bitter truth. Humbly acknowledging her failure, she etched the names of El Seed and Yushin Gilliard into her mind. One day, she would have her revenge. Like inscribing a name in a kill ledger, she burned Yushin Gilliard into her soul.
El Seed and Yushin Gilliard. The Raging Flames Demon King equated the ancient elf swordswoman with the Holy Empire's Diablo Slayer.
Grid, what the hell do you want from me?
Sabnack furrowed her brow, recalling the hulking monster's form. King of all beasts. Tyrant of savage beasts. Ruler of the southern continent. Known by countless epithets, she called the beast Grid.
It was also named Avarisha in ancient tongue, meaning greed, but since "grid" meant greed in demonic speech, that's what she used.
"Preparations to board are complete, Your Highness. Shall we?"
The Black Spearman spoke. Sabnack nodded, hauling her battered body upright. She pushed open the door and stepped outside, where her subordinates had already assembled, awaiting orders.
Kruk. Krurrr.
As Sabnack faced her minions, one beast approached the Black Spearman.
"Yes?"
The beast gurgled phlegmily. Somehow understanding the eerie tongue, the spearman couldn't hide his distress at the relayed message.
"Demon King Sabnack, please board the deck first. I'll follow shortly. The sea beast knows the route, so the journey will proceed without issue."
"What's the matter?"
Sabnack pressed. The spearman hesitated—Should I say it?—then lowered his black spear and replied.
"It's the elves."
Elves never forget vengeance. Once resolved, they pursue it relentlessly, by any means. They'd clearly caught on. Just like before, they'd sniffed out her flight to the southern continent. The Black Spearman sighed deeply at the elves' leech-like persistence.
Hm. I stationed beasts just in case... but for the elves to swarm in after catching the scent. Well, they're hypersensitive to revenge.
The elves' rage toward the Raging Flames Demon King defied imagination. They'd do anything to stop her escape southward. For the spearman, tasked with delivering her to the ruler's domain ASAP, it was a headache. But no real issue—thousands of beasts were already mobilizing against the elves. Having feasted on the flesh of rebellious demons, they'd now gorge on elf meat, he was certain.
But then, an event crumpled the Black Spearman's face.
Craaaaaack!!!
A deafening roar echoed as azure lightning struck the area where the insatiable, gluttonous beasts—bottomless pits of appetite—were likely lying in wait.
Yushin... Gilliard...
Watching the bluish flash descend, the Raging Flames Demon King felt her heart pound fiercely.
Thump-thump-thump-thump!
Like massive boulders crashing one after another, her heartbeat thundered. Her pulse raced wildly, body heating up. Instinct screamed to rush toward the swordsman who'd summoned the bolt. A thirst, perhaps... An primal urge birthed from gut feeling, akin to raging hunger.
Upon learning Sabnack was abandoning her final foothold on the Libria Peninsula to flee south, Ileina ordered all elf warrior captains to pursue.
She would never cease her vengeance. It might take ages, but she'd rally her forces again, sowing the embers of war across the peninsula once more.
Thus, Ileina raised her voice: she absolutely could not let Sabnack escape.
"What kinda bullshit is this? I haven't even gotten the advance payment yet."
Yushin muttered. Ardena's serious expression flushed red at his words.
"I'll handle it later—focus on Sabnack right now!"
Ardena yelled at Yushin, who was openly griping. Yushin and Ardena, alongside the elf warrior captains and heavily armored Helenwood Knights, warped via gate to the nearest point to Granata, then mounted steeds prepared by scouts surveilling the city and rode on.
"Who'da thought she'd ditch the Libria Peninsula's last base and bolt south... Not like Sabnack at all."
Yushin grumbled. Bariteon replied.
"She fled to the southern continent after losing to El Seed before. Some homing instinct, maybe. Not exactly shocking."
An ally in the south. She'd surely slip out of Granata with their aid. Yushin pondered the sharp bone spines that had decimated tens of thousands of demons in one go. If the intel held, it was a nightmare opponent—supremely annoying to face.
"Warrior Captain Bariteon!"
Rosta, leading the charge, bellowed a warning about the threats emerging ahead. Pitch-black hides cloaking beasts, four-legged with bared fangs—they matched the scouts' descriptions of the monsters that had invaded Granata and massacred demons. Gluttons boasting insatiable appetites, turning hordes into skeletons. At their appearance, the captains raised their weapons.
"Yushin!"
"Got it."
At Ardena's call, Yushin lowered Lightning Sword Karus. Azure thunder gathered along the blade. He aimed to swing wide, vaporizing as many beasts as possible in one massive arc.
The instant he moved to strike, an inexplicable pain wracked him, forcing a stifled groan.
He didn't know why. As he tried to unleash the pent-up lightning, something unidentified blocked its release.
Not a Karus issue... Fuck, what the hell?!
Never encountered before, this interference baffled him. The lightning failed to discharge. Some "something" had forcibly clogged the conduit.
Pondering its nature, Yushin left the beasts to the elf captains for the moment.
"Yushin...?"
Ardena asked, startled by his aborted swing. Yushin shook his head.
Nothing happened. Just a glitch. Reassuring himself it was mere conditioning, he swung Karus.
Craaaaaackle!!!
Blue lightning arced over the captains battling the charging beasts, sparks flying as it engulfed hundreds. Acrid smoke rose alongside charred beast corpses tumbling across the ground.
Damn, now my hand's shaking. What am I, some stoner tweaking out?
Yushin swallowed a groan, feeling his sword grip tremble. His condition was shit. Lightning wouldn't obey, and now his body acted up too. Until now, everything had been fine—swinging the sword, unleashing bolts, no hitches.
But weirdly... symptoms started right after warping near Granata.
"They're blocking so fiercely—Sabnack's definitely hightailing it south!"
Bariteon shouted, sweeping his white frost lance wide. Beasts froze into icy statues mid-lunge, fangs and claws locked in air.
"Never seen beasts like these. Southern continent stock, huh..."
Miguel muttered, pulverizing countless beasts into meat with his obsidian knuckles. His weapon was his fists—precisely, the knuckles wrapped around them. Simple, unadorned, it was a gift from the High Priestess. Lacking the flair of other Sacred Relics or divine arms, it resembled something from any blacksmith, fit for an apprentice monk.
Yushin wouldn't have guessed it was a relic without Ardena's explanation.
"Your breathing's ragged. Yushin, something wrong?"
Ardena asked. Yushin dropped the pretense and answered honestly.
"Yeah. Getting closer to Granata, it's like I'm short of breath... Body's a mess, lightning won't listen. No clue why."
"Dangerous. I'll cover you."
"Thanks."
Sensing the gravity, Ardena raised her shield against potential threats. She wielded it masterfully—bashing charging beasts, channeling mana for wide-scale barriers. No novice feel, despite receiving Veronica's Shield from Rosta in exchange for the White Lily Scale.
Ardena swung with proficiency rivaling Rosta's own.