The Thirteenth Research - Godslayer (6)
A devastating barrage of attacks rained down on Balor. The Elemental Lords’ warhammers slammed into the crown of his head, an acid breath strong enough to melt a fortress devoured his chest, and beams of hellfire flickering with vivid purple light pierced straight through his nape.
【…】
Yet.
Even so, Balor did not fall.
Balor spoke with calm detachment. His manner held no contempt for his foes. They had fought magnificently. If one were to compare his current state to a human’s, it would be as though every rib were shattered and blood poured from his entire body. These were no trivial wounds. They simply weren’t fatal enough to bring about his annihilation.
His enemies, meanwhile, could not mount a stronger offensive than what they had already unleashed. They no longer possessed the strength for it, and with the advantage of their opening strike now gone, they would not be beaten one-sidedly either.
Witnessed the True Power of the Archdemon!
Experience +10
Legacy Points +1
70/100 until Level 35
Legacy Points: 4
“My answer remains the same as always.”
Balor let out a roar of destruction and unfurled his wings of black flame. The storm of fire that erupted from them hurled Belkan away and incinerated the mantle of the sea that had been shielding Aeltanar. The silver serpent ensnared by the flame whip that followed let out an agonized shriek and collapsed to the ground. Balor’s follow-up kick slammed into her head.
“KyaAAAAAAAAAAAGH──!”
The silver serpent was sent flying and smashed brutally into the wall. Falling debris buried her completely. Balor yanked on the flame whip, dragging her out from the ruins. Tellorian unleashed several more offensive spells, but Balor endured them with his body and focused solely on attacking the silver serpent.
Tellorian’s attack spells were certainly powerful. Had they struck Balor’s lieutenants, they would have suffered grievous wounds or outright annihilation. To the Archdemon of Destruction, however, they were nothing more than blows his body could withstand.
Balor seized the silver serpent by the nape and rained punches down on her face. Whether she bit his wrist or spewed acidic breath made no difference to him. Compared to the sacred flames wielded by archangels, it was merely ticklish.
Thud!
Thud!
Thud!
The burning fists hammered the silver serpent’s face in rapid succession. Her fangs shattered and her eyeballs were crushed. Balor savored the impact, hurled her to the ground, and stomped down, pulverizing her spine.
Shing!
Balor summoned a blade of flame and gripped it with both hands. Destroying a being who had once been the supreme god would grant him an even higher dignity than he possessed now. Though her divinity had been exhausted, the rank of her soul remained unchanged.
“Elemental Lords──!”
At that moment.
Belkan, having regrouped, prepared a powerful shamanic spell──
Swoosh!
But Balor’s flame whip flew out one step faster. Belkan halted the incantation and threw himself aside to dodge, yet that alone had accomplished the demon’s aim.
“!”
The flame whip struck the ceiling directly above where Belkan had stood. The ceiling collapsed in a thunderous roar, cutting Belkan off from the battlefield.
Aeltanar used the time Belkan had bought to heal her wounds. However, the burns inflicted by Balor’s whip could not be mended by the feeble power of a mere local deity. On the contrary, every attempt at healing only worsened the injury and intensified the pain.
Balor raised his greatsword.
Like an executioner about to behead a prisoner.
“Wait!”
Lucifeles, clad in heavy armor, stepped into Balor’s path. He had lost the Archdevil authority granted by his father, yet the cambion power he had cultivated on his own still remained. It was more than enough to make him strong.
By mortal standards, at least.
“I’ve been calling you this whole time. Why don’t you answer?”
Only then did Balor notice the fly that had been buzzing nearby all this time.
“Lucifeles, Grand Duke of Gehenna and Fourth Prince of Hell, commands the Hell Marshal Balor! Accept my formal challenge for a duel and──”
The Archdemon of Destruction lowered his massive frame and gazed at the clown. He paid no heed to the words spilling from the creature’s mouth. They held no value whatsoever.
And then.
He lowered his left hand and flicked his middle finger.
“?!”
Lucifeles was sent flying like an insect flicked away by a human finger. He bounced off walls and ceilings before slamming deep into the ground.
“Urk… urk… uuurgh…”
“I’m… I’m a warrior too…”
Uahaha!
Uahaha!
Uahahahahahahahahahahahahaha──!
Surely not.
It couldn’t possibly be, but.
…
Kuk kuk kuk, kukukukuku! Kahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha──!
Having witnessed the despair on Lucifeles’s face, Balor erupted into boundless laughter, even setting the battle aside. The enemies might use the time to recover, but he didn’t care. Victory could be claimed whenever he wished, yet the chance to savor such a supremely absurd tragedy existed only in this moment.
Balor’s laughter finally ceased.
The mindset with which he had intended to end this battle in victory and overthrow the order of Hell was revised. As expected, the one truly worthy of being sovereign of the Seven Hells was Azaranos!
At last.
The Archdemon posed a question to the Lore Master.
“If so?”
The more he observed him, the more Balor found Tellorian to his liking. The man possessed not only the wisdom to deceive gods, but also the artistic sensibility to make them laugh.
Whoosh!
Sulfurous flames erupted before Tellorian’s eyes, manifesting a sinister scroll that radiated ominous power.
This was a contract created by the Hell Grand Dukes who ruled the Seven Hells, formed by expending their own authority. It would transform a mortal into a demon.
It was genuine respect from an Archdemon.
…Tellorian allowed a faint smile to touch his lips as he considered the offer. Every mage he had ever observed would have seized such an opportunity without hesitation.
But.
He would refuse it.
Because he had a far more magnificent plan.
“…I offer it.”
The one who had spoken was not the Lore Master. It was the clown who had been crawling across the ground like a worm.
“I offer my ambition. I offer my mana. I offer every scrap of knowledge and magic I have accumulated across my lifetime, and even the souls I have devoured. Every last thing I inherited from my father…”
The dying cambion spoke while gazing at the sunlight filtering through the shattered ceiling. There was nothing left for him to lose, and therefore nothing left to fear.
“So grant me power.”
The Forgotten Holy King conveyed Lucifeles’s oath to the heavens. The King of Heaven did not trust the words of a cambion, yet he had not forgotten the precept that even those who had never learned goodness should be granted a chance.
And so.
An omnipotent being descended.
Lucifeles was enveloped in blinding sunlight. Balor frantically seized his flame whip but could not swing it. The presence of the omnipotent being was so overwhelming that even the Archdemon was seized by fear.
Then shall there be salvation for your soul.
Flash!
The light vanished.
“…”
The wandering cambion had been reborn as a human. He still did not understand goodness, yet he now carried a deep, rooted fury toward evil. The Sun God had recognized the righteousness of that fury and lent him power.
Ascension for Glory
Research Content: Removal of Innate Evil Nature
Research Clues: 2/10
Experience +10
Legacy Points +1
80/100 until Level 35
Legacy Points: 5
The Sun God who had answered the prayer departed without further interference. The King of Heaven still respected the free will of mortals. Therefore, it was only right that the devils summoned by mortals should be cleaned up by those same mortals.
Yet Balor mistakenly believed the King of Heaven had withdrawn out of fear of a decisive battle with Hell. Devils were incapable of viewing responsibility and duty with equal measure.
The clown had become a paladin.
But it would not change the tide of battle.
At that moment, the longsword hanging at the paladin’s waist emitted a sacred light. Balor instinctively recoiled. The man had definitely been dead, hadn’t he?!
Simultaneously.
An old man’s voice rang from the sword.
“Stand up, young one.”
“…”
“From now on you must defeat countless evils. Let us begin by reflecting on the wicked deeds you yourself once committed.”
At those words.
The paladin frowned.
“...You damn bastard.”
The paladin who had once wielded the power of an Archdemon drew the longsword from his waist. The blade that had merely been sturdy steel had transformed into a mighty holy sword.
“You brought me here intending this from the start, didn’t you?”
“Well…”
“You spoke of friendship and free will, but in truth you only needed a chess piece to topple the King of Hell!”
The Lore Master offered an awkward smile.
“You bastard King of Hell!”
“…”
“You must be laughing your head off inside! Damn Lore Master! Damn King of Hell! Damn Holy King! All of you can go straight to heaven! You rotten bastards!”
Godslayer
Research Content: A weapon capable of slaying the God of Destruction has been completed.
Research Clues: 5/5
Experience +20
Legacy Points +2
Level Up!
0/100 until Level 36
Legacy Points: 7
Reward: Godslayer Blueprint
“For now, I’ll dance to your schemes!”
The paladin strode boldly toward the astonished Archdemon. The holy sword containing the soul of the Holy King radiated terrifying light, driving back the demon’s malevolent aura.
“I am Riankal of Erbonia.”
When he swung the holy sword,
a brilliant radiance shot forth.
“This is the downfall of you evil bastards.”