Chapter 46
Chapter 46
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: uly
Chapter: 46
Chapter Title: New Era
-----------------------------------------------------------------
While the Emperor's coronation ceremony was unfolding, in the deepest reaches of Gehenna-at the highest throne of the Great Demon King in Tehom-Iven sat at the edge of that dark abyss. And approaching him came the kings of each race who served Neshef, the very horns of the Great Demon King.
"Gr-, Great Demon King, do you remember my name?"
Bang!
In an instant, chunks of Iven's flesh burst forth like a whip, engulfing the Night Goblin Queen Gilumin Jai. She spewed blood and crashed into the distant wall.
"Aldamadda. Haa."
Iven pressed his other hand to his forehead and groaned in agony.
"Is this the rage you carried, Lucifer? I want to tear this world apart right now. Jealousy lingers longer than warm moments with friends, making me crave to slaughter everything in sight. I want to devour this twisted world."
"Steady yourself."
Hyeon approached Iven as he spoke. After seizing the Great Demon King's possessions, Iven had inherited his emotions, thoughts, and every memory. Even his speech and gaze had changed.
"Hyeon... what am I? What am I anymore? Nothing left for me to be myself. Not my body, not my thoughts, not my feelings! Did you know it would end like this?"
"There's so much I need to tell you. I've missed you so much. It'll be fun catching up after all this time, Great Demon King. Now, you must think as a demon and advance our next plans as the king of demons."
"Next plans. As a demon. With this... absurd rage?"
"That rage will be the fuel to kill Mifplas. For now, have the princes arrived?"
"We're here."
At Hyeon's words, two princes of the Red Blood Savages stepped forward. The one with the axe was the elder brother, Gihuk; the one with the bow was the younger, Chanhuk. Both were descendants of Bezhak Gurimson.
"The Great Demon King's wisdom flows through the horns, unifying the languages of each race and strengthening our power. And now, this turbulent state of mind spreads to us as well. The Great Demon King's will is our collective will."
At that moment, Gilumin Jai approached again, still vomiting blood, and spoke.
"Great Demon King, please withdraw your anger toward me. I fear my kin will be swept up in that holy wrath due to my failings."
Of course, what fault could she possibly have? Iven lifted his head and said,
"I... right, the old me wouldn't have done this. My apologies. I won't judge you for past deeds again."
"Thank you!"
Then Hyeon, seeing all the Demon Kings assembled, advised the Great Demon King once more.
"Great Demon King, our losses in this campaign were not light. The king of the Blue Moon Wolfkin and the king of the Mountain Giants have fallen. Those two races won't heed your will until new horns are raised. First, reestablish the horns of each race."
"Then, we must raise the horns first."
"Once the horns are set, we can'try reviving Or's corpse-something the previous Great Demon King couldn't achieve with his authority. That place is the heart of the heavens, linked to the heart of the great ocean-a world even I haven't seen."
Iven nodded. Having glimpsed the Hero's future, he knew that to slay the Saintess, they needed to uncover the truth of all myths and gather strength anew.
"If we have Or's corpse-no, even just the celestial tribe's corpses-it would bolster our forces immensely. Ah, is this thought mine? Is this feeling my own will?!"
Suddenly, Iven stared blankly at his two hands of differing shapes before standing.
"Hear me, horns..."
The kings of each race, and even Iveldra, knelt before him.
"I am no one from before- the one who saw through the world's distortions, born by slaying all. Thus, I call myself 'we' as well. We settled this barren land, persecuted by that filthy Mifplas, that worm of a woman, and have struggled daily just to survive."
Black flames rose from Iven's horn.
"We were children of dawn, but we raised our horns through vengeance. From now on, I will personally raise new horns and seize the Holy Brazier of our oppressors."
"We obey your will. Use us, Great Demon King."
The Red Blood Savage princes declared, and Iven descended slowly to proclaim to all.
"First, we will prosper Tehom. In that process, we will raise the horns. Once all preparations are complete, we will seek Or and the celestial corpses."
Iven's deep purple-black flames spread through every horn.
"The era of wretched demons ends now. Feel the rage of a new era. We will open an age not dictated by gods, but by those who are not gods. Kings of each race, who will end the myths-follow me."
His thoughts, his will, even his grief...
"Inherit the horns. Yerutsa Horn."
"Yerutsa Horn."
Thus, on this day, the human king, the great Great Demon King Iven, declared the end of the mythic age. In Tehom of Gehenna, the founding tale of Great Demon King Iven began.
***
"What are you doing here?"
"Ah, Saintess, did the coronation go well?"
"Thankfully, yes. Why didn't you come? This is..."
Bulki had stripped off his armor and, in plain clothes, was sculpting a statue of Riu. He had also restored the statue in the market that had been there originally but shattered in the invasion.
"I don't remember Hero Sonain and his companions clearly, so it might differ a bit from reality."
Sonain held his sword aloft majestically, with the primordial Saintess beside him. Behind them stood the current Sun Fairy Queen, the former dwarf king, and the turtle beastkin. And even an unnamed man at the rear.
"I've always wondered-who's this one?"
"The Hero is our guiding star, so he represents all of us who follow."
"What a fine meaning."
Only then did Bulki pause his sculpting and step down before the princess.
"You've been crying."
"Even smiling, the tears won't stop."
He had been weeping since refusing to attend the coronation. Furious at himself for failing to protect or lead, and missing his fellow knights, the people, and Riu, he claimed he was unworthy. Even without tears now, he wept in his heart.
"I have no right."
"Don't say that. I'm right here with you."
As the princess spoke with pity, Bulki was truly grateful.
"Without your faith, Princess, I would have crumbled long ago. Thank you for holding back the invasion to the end and emerging safe."
"And now you'll leave Sonain-and me-behind again."
Tears flowed from him once more. He had no right to stand by the princess's side. For he was the Demon King's friend.
"Because Iven's alive. And he returned as the Demon King, so I can't stop either."
"What will you do, then?"
"I'll stop my friend. For that, I need the power my future self wielded. Like the giant dwarf king said, I'll seek the Mir of the Vast Sea. It'll help me wield the Mir's power and eradicate the demons themselves."
"You're setting off on a knight's pilgrimage?"
Bulki's resolve was firm. Having spent the past week in tears, the wretched Hero intended to embark once more to save the world and his friend.
"When I return, will you visit the library with me this time?"
The Hero knelt before the princess, taking her hand as he spoke.
Unlike now, his future self had harbored hostility toward her. No doubt because his sword had failed her. Thus, he had to ensure the current Hero stayed truly by her side. Feeling his sincerity through his hand, the princess paused her filthy scheming in her mind.
"Yes."
At the princess's reply, Bulki rose and whispered softly.
"I'll return having broken this war's chains. Wait here just a little longer until a new era dawns, my princess."
Thus, on this day, the princess's king, the wretched Hero Bulki, whispered the end of the age of war. The Hero's adventure, that great tale, began.
***
The newly born witch sang of these events thus:
「אוֹר כֹּהֵן (Or Cohen)
Or's King
נֶשֶׁף מַשְטֵמָה (Neshef Mashtema)
Dawn's Shackles
רֵאשִׁית יָאַשׁ (Reshit Ya'ash)
First Despair
הָלַךְ יָם יָבַל (Halakh Yam Yaval)
Go, Lead the Vast Sea
יְרֻשָּׁה עֶלְיוֹן חֵטְא (Yerutsa Elyon Chet)
Inherit the Great Sin
שָׂרָה קֵץ שֵׂבֶר (Sarah Ketz Sever)
Princess's Final Hope
תְּהוֹם מָצָא (Tehom Matza)
Approach the Abyss
שוֹא נָעִים (Soa Na'im)
O Sonain
רֵאשִׁית אוֹר סָגָן (Reshit Or Sagan)
Primordial Or's Viceroy
מָצָא (Matza)
Draw Near
הָלַךְ (Halakh)
Live
כֹּל יָבַל (Kol Yaval)
Lead Them All
תְּהוֹם (Tehom)
Deep Waters
תְּהוֹם (Tehom)
Vast Sea
הוּא עוֹלָם קֵץ שֵׂבֶר (Hu Olam Ketz Sever)
It Is My Final Hope
נֶפֶשׁ שַׂר מיר (Nefesh Sar Mir)
Mir, Ruler of Life
אוֹר גְּוִיָה (Or Gviya)
Or's Corpse
עֶלְיוֹן נֶפֶשׁ (Elyon Nefesh)
Highest Beings
מַלְאָךְ דָּמָה נֶפֶשׁ (Mal'akh Dama Nefesh)
Angel-Like Souls
כֹּהֵן קוּם (Cohen Kum)
The King Rises
עוֹלָם יֹשֶׁר יָדַע כֹּהֵן (Olam Yosher Yada Cohen)
The One Who Knows the World's Truth
קוּם (Kum)
Advance
קָדַשׁ נְקֵבָה מוּת (Kadesh Neqevah Mut)
Saintess, Die
תְּהוֹם חֹזֶה נְבוּאָה (Tehom Chozeh Nevu'ah)
Prophecy of Tehom's Seers
זֶה אוֹר גְּוִיָה עַל קוּם (Zeh Or Gviya Al Kum)
Now Standing Upon Or's Corpse
חוּט בָּנָה (Chut Bana)
Dividing the Good
כֹּהֵן תְּהוֹם הָלַךְ (Cohen Tehom Halakh)
The King Goes to the Vast Sea
כֹּהֵן כֹּל יָבַל הָלַךְ (Cohen Kol Yaval Halakh)
Leading All, He Goes
יְרֻשָּׁה לַהַב (Yerutsa Lahav)
Inherit the Sword
רֵאשִׁית אֵל (Reshit El)
Primordial Will
אַתָּה מָשִׁיחַ (Ata Mashiach)
Your Messiah
עֶלְיוֹן חֵטְא חָיָה סָבַב (Elyon Chet Chayah Savav)
Revive the Great Sin」
She sang it weeping sadly.
"I'll always be by your side."
And vanished into the forest.
***
A new era dawned once more.
"Let's go."
The Hero turned to his newly added companion and said.