The Goblin King, The Demigod Duergsini (5)

This world is a false world.

The very existence of yokai, and humans wielding Taoism and martial arts, is strong evidence that this world is flawed.

When the cycle turns, yokai and goblins instantly vanish.

Without yokai and goblins, there is no need for Taoism and martial arts.

A world without

yokai,

goblins,

Taoism,

and martial arts.

This is the world after the cycle turns.

Duergsini is the guardian of order, and Duergsini’s sole purpose is to turn the cycle – nothing more, nothing less.

Then,

who is the guardian of chaos obstructing the turning of the cycle?

Is it Miho?

Or…

---

Can one call an existence without divine might a deity?

Can one call an existence that can no longer predict the future a deity?

Duergsini

is no longer a demigod, but

just a ‘powerful goblin’.

Kwaaaaaang!

“Uwaaaaaah, I’m dying! Mi, Miho, heal me!”

“Damn it… fox wench, heal my broken arm.”

…Of course, that ‘powerful’ was an incredible understatement.

While the spiritual power of my eight tails was more than I could handle, it was not infinite.

Duergsini’s attacks were fierce enough to easily sever limbs, and to keep Yi Haneul and Ho-jun from dying, I had to expend spiritual power recklessly.

At this rate, it was certain my spiritual power would eventually run out.

More dire was the current state of my body.

Duergsini had certainly lost his divine might, and

the divine spears had vanished, yet

the wounds from the divine spears did not seem to heal no matter how much spiritual power I expended.

In other words,

there were still over six holes in my body.

Duergsini no longer targeted me,

perhaps because he realized his next attack would kill me.

Ah,

I want to rest.

If I close my eyes, it feels like I could fall into eternal slumber.

However, if I close my eyes, Yi Haneul, Ho-jun, and Dapoh too would follow me into eternal rest.

Groaning in pain, I focused on supporting Yi Haneul and Ho-jun.

Fortunately, Heukho had also managed to reattach her severed lower body and quickly rejoined the battle, but

the power of the ‘King of All Goblins’

was such that even the strongest martial artist Yi Haneul,

the strongest Taoist Ho-jun,

and the strongest yokai Heukho could only endure his attacks.

And that was only possible because I was recklessly expending spiritual power to heal them.

…It is a bit strange, though.

Even in this situation where representatives of each race have gathered,

shouldn’t the ‘King of All Goblins’ be far more powerful than this?

I’m not sure.

The excruciating pain radiating from my entire body is not letting my mind function properly.

What kept my fading consciousness anchored was Dapoh.

“Click click. Miho, did you see? Did you see my lightning?”

“…Yeah, I saw it. It was amazing.”

“See, I told you. Click click. I’m stronger than the six-tailed Miho!”

It was a casual conversation, yet Dapoh’s tone seemed precarious, as if it could crumble at any moment.

Perhaps

Dapoh too was forcing out words to hold my mind together.

Still, it’s alright.

We have

Lord Beast.

Now that Duergsini has lost his demigod power,

if Lord Beast joins us, it is entirely possible for our combined strength to kill Duergsini’s true form.

No,

we can definitely kill him.

Even without Lord Beast, we can withstand Duergsini’s true form, so if Lord Beast joins us, we will be overwhelmingly advantaged.

Lord Beast’s power

is greater than me,

Ho-jun,

Yi Haneul,

and Heukho combined.

…If there is one concerning point,

it is that Duergsini too will be well aware of Lord Beast’s power.

Thinking about it,

with Lord Beast’s abilities, he should have already arrived in this pseudo-other world long ago.

Why

has Lord Beast not arrived yet?

My unease became reality.

Shhhhhhhh.

Dalgi’s form rises from the darkness.

The observer,

Geusondae.

Geusondae said to me:

“Lord Beast will not come. His feet are bound.”

“…Why? The goblins and ascension-qualified yokai should have all been exterminated…”

Continuing, Geusondae said:

“He is currently fighting Duergsini’s avatar.”

I realized why we could withstand the ‘King of Goblins’.

Damn it.

The Duergsini we are facing

was already a weakened, divided half.

Duergsini is an existence capable of creating avatars.

It is not strange for him to have made an avatar.

Apparently,

we cannot expect Lord Beast to join us.

The same goes for other martial artists and Taoists.

If they could have joined, they would have done so already.

In the end,

we must suppress Duergsini’s true form with only those present here.

Geusondae spoke:

“My apologies, Ahehya… I am merely an observer. There is no way I can aid you.”

“What are you apologizing for?”

Hup.

I bit down hard enough to draw blood and rose from my spot.

Having realized Lord Beast will not arrive,

my mind is oddly at ease instead.

I change my goal,

not to stop Duergsini, but

to kill Duergsini.

---

There is an expression ‘one’s heels grow numb’.

A figurative way of saying that when faced with something terrifying, one’s knees buckle from fear, causing them to sink to the ground.

A tiger’s roar

is enough to make one’s heels grow numb.

Then what of the roar of Lord Beast, the ‘Guardian Beast’ and ‘Ruler of the Other World’?

Rrroooaar.

Lord Beast roared.

It was not a mere tiger’s roar.

Lord Beast’s roar carried the ‘kill’ that purifies evil,

something even Duergsini could not brazenly ignore.

Lord Beast moved.

A massive mountain moved.

Physical force,

Spiritual power,

The amalgamation of all power struck Duergsini – or more precisely, Duergsini’s avatar.

Squishcrunchcrunch.

The grotesque sound of bones and flesh being pulverized.

Lord Beast’s power was immense enough to destroy nature itself, yet strangely, the trees around Lord Beast were unscathed.

Proof that Lord Beast’s spiritual power was not merely great in magnitude, but

could be focused solely on a single target.

Despite being Duergsini’s avatar, its power was not weak.

To simply compare, Duergsini’s avatar possessed strength easily surpassing even those ‘yaksha’.

However,

it was no match for Lord Beast.

Lord Beast,

A Guardian Beast hundreds… no, perhaps thousands of years old.

The leader of the other world, and

The tiger beast who saved the world alongside the King of Yuldo Kingdom in the past.

Lord Beast easily tore Duergsini’s avatar apart,

as lightly as a human crushing an ant.

Duergsini’s body was completely demolished.

However, what obstructed Lord Beast’s path was not Duergsini’s true form, but his avatar.

The body could be regenerated as many times as needed.

Of course, each regeneration was a significant burden for Duergsini, but

it was a worthwhile investment if it bound Lord Beast’s feet.

“You”

“Will never reach my true form.”

“All you can do”

“Is watch here”

“As the cycle turns.”

“The cycle”

“Will turn.”

“It is”

“Inevitable.”

Undeterred by Duergsini’s provocation, Lord Beast continued crushing Duergsini’s avatar as he responded:

[Half-baked deity Duergsini,]

[You have lost your divine might.]

[Did you predict this future?]

“No, I could not predict it.”

“However,”

“Even if I lose my divine might,”

“The future does not change.”

Kwajik!

Kwajik!

Kwajik, kwajik!

Duergsini continuously regenerated his body to obstruct Lord Beast’s path, while Lord Beast relentlessly shattered those bodies as he spoke:

[The future]

[Has already changed.]

[King of Goblins, Duergsini,]

[You underestimate.]

“No.

“I do not underestimate.”

“The multi-tailed fox’s ability to change the future far exceeded my expectations, and”

“I am genuinely feeling a sense of crisis right now.”

“However,”

“Still,”

“The predetermined future does not change.”

If Miho manifests her ninth tail, the cycle will definitely turn.

If she does not manifest her ninth tail, Duergsini’s true form cannot be stopped.

With Lord Beast’s feet bound now,

even if all the world’s martial artists and Taoists arrive in the pseudo-other world,

Duergsini cannot be stopped.

As Miho’s spiritual power is depleted, Duergsini will begin killing the yokai.

So,

as Duergsini said, the future is already predetermined.

Squishcrunchcrunch.

Lord Beast stomped on Duergsini’s avatar as he spoke:

[I have]

[No intention of heading to the other world.]

[Even if I could ignore you and head to the other world,]

[I will not go.]

[My role]

[Is here, obstructing you]

[And depleting your strength as much as possible.]

“Without you,”

“They cannot kill me.”

[No.]

[They can stop you.]

[I will repeat,]

[You underestimate.]

“I did not”

“underestimate.”

[I do not speak of Miho.]

“…”

Lord Beast recalled the distant past.

In the past, the one who saved the world

was not a Guardian Beast like Lord Beast,

but a human.

[You underestimate the existence called humans.]