The Vessel of Wrath
Raon swallowed hard.
Damn it.
A real Demon King had appeared.
The worst-case scenario he'd pictured after listening to Wrath's boasts had become reality. The monster approaching with those sluggish steps was a Demon King of the same rank as Wrath — the Monarch of Sloth.
There was no question of his identity. Every time Sloth moved, the darkened sky and the earth warped out of true. The colossal demonic qi he exhaled as naturally as breathing was shattering space itself.
"What… what in the world is that…"
Milland, having read Sloth's energy, trembled around the hilt of his sword. Even for a man who had reached Master, the existence of a Demon King was a shock unto itself.
No — it was precisely because he was strong that the horror cut deeper. That ironclad expression of his crumpled like bark.
He's gathered quite a bit of power. Not as much as in the Demon Realm, but still.
Wrath looked down at the approaching Sloth and laughed as if he found it amusing.
Not bad for a sleep-addled slob who does nothing but nap.
Why is a Demon King here? I thought you were the only one who'd come up to the human world?
Wrath had occasionally mentioned other Demon Kings, but he'd never said any of them were on this land. Raon had no idea why Sloth was here.
There's no need to tell you why that thing is here. And even if I did, it wouldn't mean anything.
Wouldn't mean anything? You really do pick the most infuriating things to say.
It's the truth. At your current level, you wouldn't understand even if This King explained it.
Tch.
Raon clicked his tongue. Wrath did not lie. Which meant that even if he were told, he genuinely wouldn't be able to comprehend it.
Then why is he coming here?
Because you lot woke him up.
Wrath's eyes turned chilling as he swept his gaze across the troops standing on the castle walls.
Sloth had been sleeping at the summit of that mountain. He was so dead asleep that even This King didn't notice him at first. But the battle in the ravine, the Wave, and the assault by those helmeted lunatics each jolted him awake.
Then that sleeper you mentioned before — the one who went back to sleep…
That's right. That damned thing. True to being the laziest sleeper in the Demon Realm, he didn't get up. He just drifted off again.
Wrath had spent a month cursing some idiot who did nothing but sleep. Apparently that idiot had been this Demon King.
The explosion of the doppelganger, the roar, and the surge of black magic — that's what finally woke this slacker up for good.
"Hah…"
Waking him from sleep was enough to make him radiate killing intent like that? It was so absurd Raon let out a hollow laugh.
It's not just sleep. That thing is a freak among freaks. He might as well have become a Demon King because of sleep.
What?
Let This King tell you an amusing story.
Wrath's blue eyes gleamed as he savored Sloth's steadily intensifying presence.
Even in the Demon Realm, Sloth was a demon who did nothing but sleep. So how did a creature like that become a Demon King?
Don't tell me…
Connecting it to the present situation, Raon thought he already knew the answer.
That look on your face. You've figured it out. That's right. Because he slaughtered every last one of them who picked a fight with him while he was sleeping.
A crescent-moon smile rose on Wrath's face, murderous intent dripping from it.
The Demon Realm is a land of battle and desire. In a world like that, sleeping out in the open is the same as begging to be killed. But that thing survived by beating every attacking demon to death.
Hah…
If they picked a fight, he killed them. If they attacked, he killed them. If they woke him, he killed them. After a few thousand years of that, he had become a Monarch of the Demon Realm.
Perhaps it was the urgency of the moment, but for the first time, Wrath's stories of the Demon Realm didn't feel tedious.
Then right now…
Correct. He's moving now to erase all of you who woke him up so many times.
Damn it!
The more he heard, the more impossible it seemed to stop Sloth. How were they supposed to stop a Demon King coming to take revenge for being woken up? The only person Raon could imagine stopping him was Glenn Zieghart.
A way to stop him? There are two ways to stop Sloth in that state. A powerhouse, or a sacrifice. This place has neither.
Wrath pointed at Sloth, who was crushing the snow-white earth as he approached.
A powerhouse?
Yes. If someone like your grandfather or This King were in this castle, Sloth would avoid a fight.
Why?
Win or lose, a fight would take too long. He wouldn't be able to sleep.
Hah…
The more he heard, the more insane this creature sounded. Sloth was a Demon King even more unhinged than Wrath.
"Cold…. Sleepy…. Everything's a bother…. But anything that disturbs my sleep…."
Every sluggish, disconnected word sent goosebumps crawling up Raon's skin. The power riding on that voice was terrifying.
"Uh? Uhh…"
Terian felt Sloth's presence and broke into a cold sweat so heavy it soaked his clothes. His pupils went slack, like rotting eggs.
"What… what is that monster…"
"Guhh…"
"Th-this is a fight we can't win…"
Even the higher-ranking swordsmen and knights dropped the weapons in their hands under Sloth's overwhelming presence. The will to fight drained from their eyes. They couldn't even think of running — they simply sank to their knees.
Damn it.
Those with sharper senses felt Sloth's energy first, which meant the stronger they were, the faster they fell into despair. The closer Sloth came, the worse this would get.
"Sleepy…. So sleepy…. But it's cold…"
Sloth approached, repeating the words sleepy and cold.
Sleepy I can understand. But cold?
A Demon King feeling the cold didn't make sense.
Why is he saying he's cold?
Did This King not tell you at the start? That thing's epithet is The Accepter. Cold, heat, attacks — he accepts them all. That's both his strength and his weakness.
Cold, heat, and every attack — all of it is taken in.
The strength of the Monarch of Sloth. And his weakness.
It sounded like a lazy ability, but it clearly came with a significant advantage.
Can't he just go somewhere that isn't cold?
He's the Monarch of Sloth. Even thinking is too much of a bother for him. Don't expect common sense from that idiot.
He was insane in a different way from Wrath. Apparently you had to be unhinged to become a Demon King.
"Khhhk!"
"A m-monster! It's a monster!"
"This is insane. What are we supposed to do about that…"
Now even ordinary knights and swordsmen felt Sloth's energy. Every last one of them lost their fighting spirit and pressed their heads to the ground.
"Huuuh…"
Raon gasped, dropping into a lower stance. The pressure bearing down on him was climbing exponentially. It was enough to make his mind swim.
You have two choices.
Two?
Hand your body over to This King and stop that thing, or stand here and be slaughtered.
Wrath's eyes shimmered with a vivid light. He was certain of victory.
Aside from those two methods, there is no way for you or those humans to survive. This King guarantees it.
……
Raon clenched his fist. Wrath was right — the situation was as bad as it could get. He couldn't see a way through.
From that mountain to the front of these walls, it's as good as a barrier.
A barrier? I haven't sensed anything like that.
It's a Bloody Barrier that formed naturally over hundreds of years, steeped in the blood and grudges of humans and monsters.
And that means?
The moment Sloth tears down these walls and takes even a single step inside the castle, those mediator lizards and the old men of yours who've left their borders will come flooding in.
Wrath pointed at the castle walls, which were splitting apart with a crackling sound.
If a great war breaks out, ordinary humans won't even leave behind a scrap of bone.
If a fight like that happens, Sloth won't be able to sleep either.
This King already told you. That thing doesn't think about what comes after. Unless someone of This King's caliber is standing in front of this castle right now, he cannot be stopped.
Wrath smiled, saying it would be best to hand over his body before it was too late.
Is there any guarantee those people will live if I give you my body?
This King will do his utmost. There will be an unavoidable rampage at first, but after that, This King can control it.
A rampage?
A great deal of time has passed with This King's soul bound to yours, without a body. The gap between This King and a physical form has grown vast, so a rampage at the start is inevitable.
Insane.
The curse came out on its own. If a rampaging Wrath collided with a Sloth irritated from being unable to sleep, the entire castle would be blown away. He couldn't do something that crazy.
I have to do this myself.
He had to resolve this on his own, no matter what.
"Aaaagh!"
"Gyaaaaah!"
"Th-there! What is that thing!"
"A monster…"
Now even the soldiers felt Sloth's presence. That bone-chilling power made them faint on the spot, or collapse foaming at the mouth.
"Raon."
Milland, still holding the front, called his name. His voice trembled, but the core of his spirit did not waver.
"Come here."
"…Yes, sir."
Raon forced his back straight and approached Milland, who stood directly above the castle gate.
"Thank you."
"Sir?"
"Thanks to your early warning, we were able to evacuate all the civilians. You're the greatest stroke of fortune that's ever come to Habun Castle."
A faint smile. Even now, he showed no intention of retreating.
"Take the others and withdraw. I'll remain here and hold the line."
Milland raised his lowered sword. The Ganggi pouring from the blade became a blue torch, beginning to push back the darkness. It was a sword-light that burned the soul.
"Commander…"
"I've lived long enough, and I've accomplished a great deal. You and the others are too precious to die here. Your era hasn't come yet."
This man, smiling even knowing it was the end. This stubborn commander who had spent his entire life looking toward a single purpose. Raon didn't want to let him go like this.
"You can't do this alone."
Raon raised his sword, standing at Milland's side. He resonated the Ring of Fire and invoked the Cultivation of Ten Thousand Flames. Blossoms bloomed across the silver blade, unfurling into a dawn-light that burned the darkness.
Blossoms unfurl upon the silver blade. Dawn-light burns the dark.
The light that surged from both blades like a blazing inferno began to split the darkness apart.
"This is…"
"C-Commander! Raon!"
"The two of them are pushing back the darkness!"
Those who had collapsed, clutching their chests, rose to their feet as they received that auspicious heat.
"Everyone, get out of the castle! That's the Commander's order!"
Raon roared Milland's command, pouring out even stronger light.
"What… what do you mean…"
"W-we can't leave!"
"We'll stay until the end…"
"You can't even stand, and you think you have a place here? Get out of here, now!"
Milland bellowed at the space in front of him, a ragged breath spilling from his lips. Only Raon, standing right beside him, could see it. The vitality was draining from his face.
"W-we…"
"We're withdrawing! Everyone get up and get off the walls! Open the south gate!"
Terian bit his lip until it bled and descended the castle wall. It would be harder for him than anyone, but he understood Milland's heart better than anyone.
"Y-Young Master!"
For the first time since arriving here, Dorian cried out Young Master.
"Dorian. Go on ahead. I'll be right behind you. Go first!"
"You really will come, right?"
"Do I look like the type to die here?"
"U-understood! You have to come! If you don't, I'll kill you!"
The boy raised a clenched fist, then helped the scouts down from the wall first. He was always whining about dying, but in moments like this, he was reliable.
Even told to leave, the soldiers couldn't bring themselves to go easily. They kept looking back at Raon and Milland's backs.
"You go too. This is more than we can handle!"
Milland's blue-tinged lips trembled as he shoved Raon's shoulder.
"I'll hold a little longer!"
Raon clenched his convulsing fingers and shook his head. His senses screamed that he should leave now, but he didn't want to go.
It's already too late.
At Wrath's blunt voice, the pressure crushing his entire body intensified.
"Cold and sleepy…. Because of you…. I had to come all this way…."
The tremendous presence Sloth unleashed as he drew near the walls nearly snapped the thread of Raon's consciousness. The aura-torch he'd barely managed to create wavered like a candle in the wind.
Under the steadily mounting pressure, the flames of the Cultivation of Ten Thousand Flames went out first.
"Khnnngh…"
Raon's knees hit the ground as if his legs had broken. He couldn't even lift his head. The pressure was enough to tear his organs apart.
"Kraaaaah!"
Milland wouldn't last much longer either. His legs shook like aspen leaves.
"Haaah!"
"Uwaaah!"
"A-again!"
As the two men's auras faltered, the retreating soldiers began collapsing to the ground once more.
This King told you. You have only two choices. Decide now. Will you die, or will you hand your body to This King?
Two…
Raon looked at Milland, still holding on to the very end, and shook his head. He couldn't fall for Wrath's temptation. The worse the situation, the more calmly he had to think.
He had a lot of information.
The stench of death was thick, but unlike his previous life, it didn't feel like every path to survival was sealed.
If he combined the information he'd gotten from Wrath well enough, he might be able to save them. He wanted to save these comrades who had believed in him for the first time.
Cold. Sleepy. A comparable powerhouse. Time. Laziness. Simplicity.
Raon rapidly assembled the information he'd heard from Wrath in his mind. In this moment, his mind was moving more keenly than it ever had.
The words spinning like beads in a bowl clicked together organically, yielding a single answer.
If it's this…
It was a gamble, but he could save everyone and even come out ahead. He just needed help for this gamble.
Wrath.
Have you decided? In the end, you'll offer your body…
Let's make a deal.
What? A deal?
I'll take your wrath. In exchange, make it so I can stand in front of that brainless Demon King.
Raon looked at Wrath with eyes full of conviction.
And what do you intend to accomplish with such a pointless act?
You said it yourself, didn't you? That I only had two ways to survive. This is a method different from those.
What nonsense! Even if you can stand before Sloth, what difference does that make!
It makes a difference. So are you in or not?
There's nothing in it for This King. Your body will end up in This King's hands regardless.
No, it won't.
He shook his head firmly.
Even if I die, I will not hand my body over to you.
Bullshit!
You've watched me this long — you should know. Just as you don't lie, I don't bluff.
Raon Zieghart…
Wrath ground his teeth as if crushing bone.
Even if I give you my body, these people will die. In that case, I'll die here with them.
Raon let go of the sword hilt he'd been gripping to the last. With a metallic clang, the blade hit the floor.
Y-you little…!
Wrath's eyes wavered for the first time. Proof that he was flustered.
If my method doesn't work, I'll hand my body over to you immediately. I promise.
The contractor shall receive Wrath, and be granted the strength to stand before the Monarch of Sloth.
Should the contractor's method fail, his body shall be surrendered at once.
Should the contractor die, the body shall not pass to This King.
Khnnngh!
The creature ground his teeth, looking back and forth between Sloth, who had nearly reached the walls, and Raon.
"Khnnngh!"
Before Wrath could decide, Milland collapsed first. In that brief span, his face looked as if he'd aged twenty years. He hit the ground, gasping for breath. Even as he fainted, he still gripped his sword. A man worthy of respect.
The moment he fell, a pressure like the sky itself collapsing crushed Raon's entire body. His shoulder blades felt like they were snapping. His organs felt like they were bursting.
Wrath!
Damn it! The price for this will be steep!
Vitality floods a body drained of all strength.
The price seeps into the depths of the soul — Wrath
Vitality began flooding into a body that had been drained of all strength. It was the energy Wrath was transferring. And with it, the wrath he'd received as payment seeped into the depths of his soul.
"Huuuh…"
But Wrath didn't give him much. Only enough power that he'd barely hold on if he used everything he had.
Stingy bastard.
Raon ground his teeth, resonating the Ring of Fire, circulating the Cultivation of Ten Thousand Flames, and unleashing Glacia. He even called upon the rank of his previous life as he forced himself to his feet.
Bone and muscle screamed. His heart and lungs crumpled. He clenched his teeth hard enough to break them.
Khnnnngh!
Enduring the terror that crushed his soul and the pressure that shattered his body, he stood on two legs atop the castle wall.
At last, he locked eyes with Sloth, who had arrived at the walls. A faint gleam sparked in the Demon God's eyes, which had been filled with nothing but irritation.
Got him.
That look just now confirmed it. This situation could be used.
Raon twisted his bloodied lips into a smile.
V-vessel of Wrath? Why would you be the vessel of Wrath! What are you trying to do!
What do you think.
I'm crushing you, you cocky bastard — and catching my second sucker.