The Emperor's True Face
Charbun looked up, staring at the being seated upon the throne.
The Emperor of the Empire.
He had thought the man was nothing more, nothing less.
But he was wrong.
He's not human...
Sunken, hollowed-out eye sockets.
A dark red demonic energy blazed outward from those very pits.
That power, burning like a living flame, weighed heavily on Charbun's legs, pinning him to the floor.
Was he consumed by the demon he summoned? No... he seems far too lucid for that...
"Charbun, strong one from the borderlands."
The Emperor's voice pierced Charbun's ears.
Though low and quiet, it carried the rumbling resonance of thunder.
"I congratulate you on your victory. I must admit, I did not expect you to defeat everyone touched by my hand."
He laughed.
The demonic energy that had been spilling from his mouth like liquid fire suddenly surged upward.
"Now that you have overcome them all and passed the trial... you must dance for my grand design. That special ability of yours—I shall study it and put it to excellent use."
For the conquest of the continent.
For the glory of the Empire!
A massive hand reached out, enveloping his body.
His vision was dyed crimson.
Infinite pain, infinite regeneration.
It was the moment the demonic army, grafted with his very flesh, was born one by one.
"W-What in the world...?"
A startled voice echoed through the arena.
"Seriously? What is that? I've never seen anything like it..."
Spectators began pointing into the arena, their fingers directing everyone's gaze toward Roan.
Blood was splattered everywhere.
A burst nosebleed and deep scratches carved by armor—the bright red stains from his wounds soaked the sandy floor.
And yet,
"Well! Is this enough to satisfy you?"
The gladiator nicknamed "Mr. Average" looked completely unfazed.
In fact, he was playing to the crowd, asking with theatrical flair if they were satisfied yet.
"...What about that is supposed to be 'average'?" someone muttered.
As if waiting for those exact words, Roan immediately lunged forward.
His opponent was a giant clad in layers of thick iron plate armor.
Roan had suspected it from a distance, but seeing the creature up close confirmed it.
It's not human.
There was no presence emanating from the gaps in the armor. No heat, not even a trace of body temperature.
Yet, the force of its swings was incredibly powerful.
So you have to beat a thing like this to get an audience? I guess it really would be impossible to win without some kind of special ability.
Under normal circumstances, defeating it would be out of the question.
Of course,
—CLANG!!!
Normal circumstances never applied to Roan!
The ear-ringing screech of metal clashing against metal rang out.
The standard-issue gladiator sword Roan held shattered into pieces, but the massive hunk of iron—which looked as though it would never budge—tilted and crashed to the ground.
—THUD...
A wave of sand erupted alongside a heavy vibration.
A chilly silence descended upon the arena.
The crowd's minds ground to a halt, completely unable to process the unexpected turn of events.
"Ah! Unbelievable! An unexpected counterattack from Mr. Average!! Was his seemingly ordinary build just an illusion?! Such absurd strength coupled with unbelievable regenerative power!! He has proven himself more than worthy of claiming the throne!!"
The announcer's booming voice shattered the frozen silence, making time flow once more.
—UWOOOOOOOOH!
As the roaring cheers erupted, a figure descended from the VIP seats.
Judging by the imperial crest embroidered on his robes, he was an official of the royal court.
Stepping into the center of the arena, he projected his voice to the crowd.
"Today!"
His voice carried a magical resonance that instantly commanded the attention of the entire audience.
"A new star has risen in this very arena! The one who shattered the wall by offering his blood and soul, the victor no one foresaw! He shall become the star of the Empire!"
He stretched his arm out toward Roan.
"Wealth and glory shall be bestowed upon the new star who broke the barrier and claimed victory! Tomorrow, His Imperial Majesty the Emperor will personally bestow your reward!"
The exact scenario Roan had envisioned was falling into place. For a brief moment, the corner of his mouth twitched upward.
...
The Imperial Palace.
It was a lavish hall adorned with gold and ornamental swords.
Guided inside, Roan offered a polite bow of greeting.
"Greetings. Having emerged as the final victor of the arena, I am honored to have this audience with His Imperial Majesty."
Now was not the time to show his hand.
He still didn't know the exact nature of the Emperor's connection to the demons.
If he attacked before any summoning even took place, it might severely restrict his freedom of movement across the continent.
Roan was, surprisingly, a man capable of strategic thinking.
Before him, the Emperor finally revealed himself.
"Ah, Del Roan. The strong one from the borderlands."
A middle-aged man sat slouched upon the throne.
He looked gaunt and sickly, as if severely malnourished.
His beard, which might have once looked rugged and powerful, had lost its luster and turned a dull gray.
Yet, there was something far more eye-catching than the Emperor himself.
"Fufu, you said you were from Melgen, correct? To be born in such a place and rise to become the star of the Empire... you've certainly made something of yourself."
It was the woman clinging tightly to the Emperor's side.
She possessed an alluring figure and wore revealing attire.
Unlike the gaunt Emperor, her skin was radiant and healthy, as if she were exceptionally well-fed.
And...
A faint demonic energy.
A subtle trace of demonic energy radiated from her.
She was trying to hide it, but she couldn't fool Roan's heightened senses.
Roan shifted his gaze back to the Emperor.
He had initially thought the ruler was simply exhausted, but looking closer, it seemed his life force was being actively drained by the demonic energy in real-time.
Well, I've seen enough.
So much for "not the time to show his hand." The connection was being flaunted right in front of his face.
Still, Roan decided to keep his thoughts to himself for now.
He hadn't yet uncovered the mastermind behind the information his other comrades—especially Belgard—had brought back.
Watching Roan stand in silence, the Emperor nodded in satisfaction.
"The Iron Colossus. Since you defeated that mighty warrior, your strength is as good as proven."
And then!
"I shall grant an adventurer of your caliber an opportunity. An opportunity to contribute to the glory of the Empire."
Any ordinary person would have thought, 'Are they making me an imperial soldier?'
"Dedicate that special ability of yours to the Empire."
A skeletal hand reached out toward him.
Roan knew they had ulterior motives, but investigating those motives was part of his plan anyway.
He took the Emperor's hand.
The woman beside the Emperor let out a faint, sinister smirk.
"Follow us. We shall show you what must be done."
Roan followed the Emperor deeper into the palace.
The surroundings grew progressively darker.
It was a stark contrast to the bright, gold-and-crimson splendor of the outer halls.
And the destination they finally reached was exactly what Roan had anticipated.
"Ugh... aaah..."
"Please... spare me..."
People lay groaning, wasting away as they were slowly corrupted by demonic energy.
Hands that had once grasped glory were now stained pitch-black, and small horns were beginning to sprout from the foreheads of those desperately trying to cling to consciousness.
As Roan stared silently at the sight, the Emperor placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Welcome to the demon soldier cultivation facility. However, you will not become one of the common rank-and-file here. We must study that body-reconstruction ability of yours."
They had their eyes on Roan's regenerative powers.
"We will flay your skin and grind your bones to distribute your power to all our other soldiers. An invincible demonic army will be born."
"Isn't it magnificent? The Empire will conquer the entire continent using the power of demons!" the woman clinging to his side chimed in.
From their conversation, Roan became certain of two things.
The demon didn't just manipulate the Emperor.
The two of them were like-minded conspirators who had plotted this together.
And... this is exactly what happened to Charbun in the past.
To be precise, he had been subjected to the exact same proposal the Emperor was offering now.
Back then, the fusion between the Emperor and the demon must have been nearly complete.
Charbun wouldn't have had the strength to stop them.
He would have been crushed and used as a sacrificial lamb for the demon soldiers, trapped in a state of living death.
"Your Majesty."
Roan's voice dropped to a low murmur.
However, the Emperor, drunk on the vision of his future army, failed to notice the shift in tone.
"Ah, it seems you are ready to dedicate yourself to the glory of the Empire. Then let us get straight to business."
"You took the words right out of my mouth. Let's get straight to business."
Roan's gaze locked onto the woman.
"What do you—"
—CRACK!!
Before she could even finish her question, Roan's kick exploded against her torso.
"KYAAAAAAAH!"
Thud! Crash! Shatter!
Her body folded backward at an unnatural angle as she tumbled violently across the floor.
She rolled with enough momentum to embed herself in the wall, yet she remained completely uninjured.
At the last second, she had released a dense burst of demonic energy to shield herself.
Pushing herself up from the wall she had crashed into, she glared at him.
Her pupils had slit vertically, and her teeth ground together in sheer irritation.
Uncontrolled demonic energy seeped from her body as she shrieked,
"What the hell do you think you're doing?!"
In response to her screeching, Roan calmly replied to the pair,
"Disposing of a lunatic tyrant."
"A tyrant? A lunatic? Pwahahaha! How amusing!"
The gaunt Emperor let out a booming laugh, his eyes locking onto Roan.
"I am conquering the continent for the resurgence of the Empire. The sacrifice of the few is necessary for the grand design. Even if we must offer the blood of tens of thousands, if it unites the continent under one banner, then that is justice."
'I can't just stand by and watch that happen. Because I've seen the future.'
Roan didn't even bother voicing his rebuttal. He simply lunged forward.
He was currently unarmed.
But showing no hesitation, his fist flew straight into the Emperor's jaw.
—CRACKLE!!!
With a sickening crunch, the Emperor's jaw was violently dislocated.
And yet,
"So you had the strength to back up your big mouth."
There was no sign of pain on his face.
Instead, as if he had been waiting for this, dark red demonic energy began to seep from the gaps of his shattered jaw.
"If a clash is what you desire, then I shall show you. Absolute, overwhelming power."
The Emperor's appearance began to rapidly warp.
As if on cue, the woman clung to the Emperor's body, her flesh melting like liquid fire and fusing directly with his.
The gaunt body was consumed by demonic energy, his skin tearing open.
Dark red demonic energy erupted from his hollowed-out eye sockets.
Scale-like patterns rippled across his torn flesh.
Though his frame grew even thinner, the aura radiating from him was overwhelmingly malevolent.
—I shall put your body to excellent use. Wail as you curse your own arrogance.
It was the roar of a monster steeped in hellfire.
The fusion of man and demon had finally revealed itself.