Chapter 679: Ancient Artifact
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 679: Ancient Artifact
"Counterattack! Counterattack! Fight back, now!"
The captain of the Third Squad of the gate guard bellowed orders to his men, slowly pushing the front line outward.
The struggle for the city gate was reaching its climax.
Though the internal agents blowing open the gate had indeed caught the guards off guard, the chaos was quickly quelled under the command and presence of Mr. Verner.
The Empire's elite soldiers were no pushovers. While they might lack the raw physical power of the Demons honed in the harsh environment of the Abyss, they far surpassed those low-class creatures—whose intelligence was no better than wild beasts—in terms of equipment quality and tactical coordination.
Under the steady pressure of the military formation, the demons who had swarmed in with reckless abandon were gradually being driven back out through the breach, though not without significant sacrifice.
Everything seemed to be moving in the right direction.
But...
"It shouldn't be this simple, right?"
Someone whispered.
At that exact moment, as if in answer to those words, a thunderous roar erupted. Intense light and heat burst forth from the breach once again.
"Damn it! Who jinxed us?! Take cover! Form up!"
In truth, no command was needed. These Imperial soldiers instinctively dove behind their sturdy shields, skillfully using their formation to weather the shockwave of the explosion. Aside from the few men at the very front who were caught in the blast, their losses were minimal.
In contrast, the Low Demons were torn apart by the sudden explosion; countless fragments of demon flesh rained down like a grisly shower.
Blood and stench became the keynote of this land.
No one cared, for such things were far too common on this battlefield.
Every eye was fixed on the newly reopened breach.
Even the battle-hardened squad captain couldn't help but swallow hard.
"What a bunch of useless trash..."
Someone stepped over the remains of flesh and bone, slowly walking inside.
It was a figure that seemed small compared to the average Low Demon, yet atop his head, massive antlers branched out in thick segments, resembling those of a bull elk.
But no elk's antlers possessed such a ghoulish beauty.
A crimson glimmer flickered amidst the dust. It was only a single figure, yet the pressure he exerted was more terrifying than an entire army of demons.
A High-Class Demon!
"They couldn't even hold a single breach. These lowly dregs really are unreliable."
He seemed entirely indifferent to the fact that the flesh beneath his feet belonged to his own kind. His steps were steady and casual, as if he were taking a leisurely stroll through a blooming garden after dinner.
Yet, faced with this strolling demon, the soldiers standing in formation found themselves involuntarily recoiling.
"Good afternoon, human trash. My name is Chihe Nilo, a Demon General under the Grand Duke of the Dark Abyss. I have come, by the Grand Duke's order, to put a period at the end of your pathetic, ant-like lives."
The High-Class Demon stepped out of the smoke, a mocking smile curling his lips. He performed a graceful bow with a hand over his chest, much like a human noble.
"Everyone, shields up!"
No one cheered for his elegant manners.
The squad captain roared, snapping the soldiers out of the paralysis caused by their instinctive fear. Sturdy greatshields were slammed down in unison, constructing a makeshift wall.
"Ready crossbows!"
Clack-clack.
Bowstrings locked into their mechanisms.
Powerful Magic Repeating Crossbows were slotted into the V-shaped gaps between the shields. Sharp bolts were aimed directly at Demon General Chihe Nilo. Despite their fear, the hands holding the crossbows did not tremble in the slightest.
These Imperial soldiers were clearly well-trained; they knew exactly how to face an enemy of the Demon General rank. They immediately abandoned the close-quarters tactics they had used against the Low Demons.
Magic arrows were a scarce resource for the Imperial army at this stage, but everyone knew that when facing a Demon General, there was no room for holding back.
"Ready—"
The commanding captain raised his hand, his face expressionless.
"Oh dear, oh dear."
Seeing this, Chihe Nilo smiled with feigned distress. "Isn't it a rule among you humans to let someone finish speaking when they're greeting you?"
"Fire!"
Twang—!
Arrows inscribed with powerful magic erupted into blinding streaks of light.
These were bolts of destruction. If they hit their mark, even a fearsome Demon General would pay a heavy price.
However...
"Too slow."
Chihe Nilo sighed softly. He reached a pale hand out from his robe and gave a forceful swipe.
Even though these magic arrows, crafted by the Empire's finest smiths, traveled with a speed that nearly pierced through space... the ones pulling the triggers were still just ordinary humans.
Screech—!
It sounded like ordinary sheets of paper being shredded by a sharp letter opener.
The shields, sturdy enough to withstand explosions, were torn asunder by Chihe Nilo's casual strike. The violent vibration from the shattering shields threw the crossbows off balance; the streaks of destruction didn't even graze the hem of Chihe Nilo's clothes.
Immediately after, Chihe Nilo took another step forward. He raised his hand and pressed down toward the stumbling soldiers...
Though it was a casual blow, it should be enough to crush these humans into bloody pulp, making the earth a bit more vibrantly red.
I like red, Chihe Nilo thought silently.
...But then.
Before the expected crimson could spray, a faint vibrating sound suddenly rang out.
Hum.
It was like a low roll of thunder echoing under a clear sky—a sound that should never have appeared in the Abyss.
A dazzling blade-light and the sound of thunder appeared almost simultaneously, severing everything along the line where Chihe Nilo's hand was falling.
Chihe Nilo jerked his hand back.
But the blade-light was relentless, following his sleeve upward and carving out a stream of blood.
Chihe Nilo retreated several steps, finally evading the sharp blade energy. He casually flicked the blood from his hand and looked up. His crimson eyes reflected a brilliant gold that almost completely overwhelmed the surrounding gore.
That shade of gold was utterly unpleasant.
...
"Are you all right?"
Muen glanced back at the squad captain.
"Ca... Young Master Campbell!"
A few days had been enough for Muen's appearance to become known throughout the fortress, especially after the speech he had given.
Many soldiers had already come to view Muen as the Duke's successor. Thus, the usually steady squad captain couldn't hide his excitement upon realizing he had been saved by Muen.
"No... we're fine."
"Good. Fall back for now."
"Fall back... but..."
"Do as you're told."
"Yes, sir!"
Even though Muen wasn't issuing a formal military order and his tone wasn't harsh, the squad captain instinctively straightened his chest and responded.
...
"What a fast retreat."
After clearing away the ordinary soldiers who couldn't handle the opponent before them, Muen twirled his blade, looking with regret at the Demon General-level foe he was seeing in person for the first time.
"Chihe Nilo, was it? I thought I could take your head off right then and there."
"Yellow Hair..."
Chihe Nilo's crimson pupils brightened. He ignored the retreating ants, his lips curling into an excited grin. "You are Muen Campbell?"
"...Could we not use hair color as such a lazy way to identify people?"
Muen returned the smile. "For instance, you could identify me by my handsomeness, my poise, or my damn irresistible charm. Don't just call me 'Yellow Hair.' There are plenty of blondes in this world, but not every blonde is like me."
"You certainly are charming. Even as a demon, I have to admit that."
Chihe Nilo nodded in genuine agreement, then suddenly said:
"And because of that, I like you."
"Huh?"
Muen, who had been trying to overwhelm the Demon General with his aura, froze. He thought he had misheard, or perhaps he had fallen under someone's illusion.
Otherwise, in broad daylight, in the middle of a battlefield where people were literally getting their brains beaten out, how the hell could he hear something so absurd?
"What did you say?"
"I said, I love you."
Chihe Nilo's gaze grew increasingly fervent. "I can say it as many times as you want. I like you, I love you, I truly and deeply love you, Muen Campbell."
"..."
Muen's cheek twitched violently as his gaze drifted downward.
While there were indeed slight physiological differences between demons and humans, they weren't so vast as to cause reproductive isolation or extreme mutation—especially for these High-Class Demons who closely resembled humans. Thus, with one look... Muen could tell this guy was one hundred percent a man.
Is he another filthy queer?
Muen, who had been harassed by dozens of such types in the past, naturally had this horrifying thought pop into his head.
But this guy is a demon! This is way more ridiculous than those bald macho men from before.
And besides...
"This is... our first time meeting, right?"
"Yes, but what does that matter?" Chihe Nilo's expression became as heated as his eyes. "I love you, Muen Campbell."
"..."
"So, your answer?"
"Motherfucker..."
Seeing Chihe Nilo take another step forward, looking for all the world like he was desperate for an answer to this beyond-forbidden romance, Muen finally couldn't stomach the disgust. His face darkened as he snarled:
"Get lost, you filthy queer!"
"Your answer?"
"I refuse, goddammit!"
"Excellent."
"Huh?"
"You refused. That is excellent."
Chihe Nilo suddenly produced a cube-shaped crystal, exquisitely polished.
In the center of the crystal floated a vibrant red heart.
In the moment Muen was left bewildered... as if triggered by his words of rejection, the red heart suddenly shattered.
【You actually... actually rejected me...】
In a daze, Muen seemed to hear a low growl filled with resentment.
Before he could react, the light around him suddenly dimmed.
The entire world seemed to be filtered through a lens; everything he saw became distorted and blurred.
"No..."
The problem wasn't the world.
It was himself.
Muen snapped awake, only to find that at some point, he had been encased within a giant, scaled-up version of the cubic crystal. He was completely unable to move.
"What... is this?" Muen asked.
"An Ancient Artifact."
Outside the massive crystal cube, Chihe Nilo held the small, delicate crystal in his palm. His gaze remained fervent as he answered:
"It is an Ancient Artifact called the 【True Love's Heart】. Its rule—or rather, its activation condition—is very simple. As you can see, once you reject the confession of its master... you are imprisoned by it."