Chapter 198

&R;еa‍&d;& ;o​ṅ ​Kα​tŔ​ｅａdin‍ｇCa​fｅ​

The captains who received the request for support from the 3rd Division immediately headed to District 17.

On the way, Kallad and Karma encountered Astaroth and changed their priorities, but the other captains did not. 

They moved swiftly to the family branch overseen by Isabella and Angelica. 

The first to arrive was the 7th Division Captain, Kaen. Following her was Johan, the commander of the Sacred Knights, who had been acting alongside her.

Though they didn’t exchange words, the two communicated everything they needed to with just a glance. 

Though she was now the 7th Division Captain, Kaen had once been the vice-captain of the 1st Division. And the 1st Division often collaborated with the Sacred Knights of the Church.

Johan went to assist the 3rd Division, who were dealing with Murmur.

Kaen moved to support Eugene, who was fighting Belial alone.

The explosive shockwave sent Kaen’s bob-cut hair into disarray.

Her outstretched fist creaked in protest, crying out in pain.

Kaen’s turquoise eyes gleamed as she focused on the scene before her.

The girl, with a massive hole in her abdomen, scattering blood and pieces of internal organs.

Her body looked so gruesome it seemed her upper and lower halves might split apart at any moment.

But Kaen saw it. The wounds were rapidly regenerating.

“Hmph, a regeneration ability?”

She had faced monsters with such abilities before, though they were rare. 

There were even dragons that grew two heads when one was cut off. 

A regeneration ability wasn’t anything new. Usually, such monsters could be defeated by destroying their core. 

The problem was whether this girl, presumed to be a devil, was the same…

“Huh?”

Someone rushed past Kaen, who had been preparing to press the attack without giving Belial a chance to regenerate. 

It was Eugene, covered in blood. Using Acceleration at full power, Eugene reached Belial before Kaen could. 

He swung his sword at Belial, who was barely standing.

While the support was welcomed, there was no time to explain Lucia’s situation. 

To Kaen, who knew nothing, Belial was simply an enemy. Eugene intended to finish the fight before the captains could intervene. 

The heart. 

His sword aimed straight for Belial’s heart. The golden opportunity created by Kaen’s sneak attack. If he missed this chance, he would regret it for the rest of his life.

“Ah, ah…”

But Eugene’s strike didn’t pierce Belial’s heart.

Belial vomited blood and let out a faint moan. Roots and vines coiled around the sword. 

This time, they didn’t come from the ground. From the hole in Belial’s abdomen, from her chest, a torrent of life surged forth.

Eugene gritted his teeth, trying to hold his ground against the force.

But Hardening made his body tough, not heavy.

The torrent of life was the quietest explosion in the world.

Eugene was flung away helplessly by the immense physical force.

He hit the ground and bounced several times.

After rolling dozens of times, someone’s hand caught him.

“Are you alright?”

Kaen, who had grabbed Eugene, asked with a worried expression. The force had even broken through Hardening. 

Eugene, already covered in blood, now had even more wounds. But Eugene didn’t pay it any mind and nodded. 

Injuries like this weren’t new to him, and Super Regeneration had already healed his wounds. 

He was fine. He had to be.

“Ah, ugh, haa…”

Belial muttered incoherent moans. The overwhelming pain had flooded her mind all at once, leaving her unable to process it. 

Her brain felt like it was burning. Lucia’s body converted the pain into pleasure. 

The pain (pleasure) shot up her spine, paralyzing her reason and leaving only instinct to scream.

The devil god’s power ran wild. 

Life boiled over. The true power she had been suppressing to enjoy the fight now revealed itself. 

Life bloomed around her. Monsters were born from the spilled blood. Vegetation grew, overturning the ground. 

Unrestrained creation mass-produced life. Though Belial had no clear will, the created life instinctively moved to protect its creator.

Eugene frowned as he burned all the approaching life with flames.

It had been the perfect opportunity.

If only he had been a little faster…

No, dwelling on the past wouldn’t solve anything. Eugene turned to Kaen to ask for help. 

At least now, there was a little time to explain the situation. 

Naturally, given the urgency, he summarized only the most critical points.

“That devil is my friend.”

“Huh? What? What do you mean?”

“The devil has taken over my friend’s body.”

“Eh? Possession? Is that what’s happening?”

As Kaen asked in confusion, Eugene sighed.

“We need to target the heart. Can you help?”

“…Hmm, I think I understand.”

Kaen had only been the 7th Division Captain for a year.

Though she lacked experience compared to the other captains, that was only because the comparison was with the other captains.

As her position proved, Kaen was also a hero who had overcome countless battles.

Understanding the implications of Eugene’s words wasn’t particularly difficult.

“I’ll clear the way.”

She pulled off her torn white glove.

Kaen cracked her fingers and spoke.

【Revolver】

A supernatural ability that stores energy in the form of cores within the body.

The maximum number of cores is six.

She had used one in the earlier sneak attack.

Usually, one full-power sneak attack was enough to resolve everything.

But like with Astaroth last time, and now with this girl, devils couldn’t be defeated by Kaen’s maximum output sneak attack.

Honestly, it hurt her pride a bit. Her technique of using cores as bullets was her pride and joy. 

Even her master had praised it as a sure-kill technique.

But to take it head-on and still stand? 

At least Astaroth had defended herself, but this girl had taken the hit directly. And yet, she wasn’t incapacitated, only injured. 

Kaen let out a deep sigh. Well, with super regeneration, there wasn’t much she could do. Kaen half-closed her turquoise eyes and took her stance.

The military cap she had been wearing flew off, unable to withstand the wind pressure. 

The Celestial Corps uniform fluttered. Golden light gathered in Kaen’s right fist. 

Taking a step forward into the surging torrent of life, Kaen unleashed her fist with all her might.

A simple telephone punch, devoid of any special technique.

A massive hole was torn through the raging sea of trees.

The shockwave swept in all directions, shattering roots and scattering leaves.

Why was she called the strongest in terms of firepower?

The reason was vividly demonstrated here and now.

The overwhelming destruction, far surpassing Eugene’s Sun Sword, pierced through the torrent of life.

◈

What kind of person is Lucia to me?

Alice sometimes asked herself that question.

The first person to reach out to me.

The first friend I made.

The first person, other than Frey, with whom I could open up my heart.

The first person I wanted to protect.

The first, and yet again, the first.

To Alice, Lucia had given her many ‘firsts’.

A precious person. Someone like family. 

No matter how much Alice acted spoiled, Lucia always smiled and accepted her, embracing her gently at any time. 

Alice loved Lucia. She truly did. 

That’s why she wanted to protect her. She didn’t want her to get hurt. Because Lucia always put others before herself. 

If something dangerous happened again, she wouldn’t hesitate to sacrifice herself.

To protect Lucia, Alice wanted to become stronger and change her weak self.

Change isn’t easy.

It doesn’t happen overnight.

Still, Alice gradually changed.

Little by little, slowly, she grew.

Of course, it wasn’t easy. It was hard. But because Lucia was by her side, Alice could smile and keep trying.

Perhaps that’s why.

Seeing Lucia, who was no longer Lucia.

Seeing the devil acting as Lucia in Lucia’s body.

It was enough to make her lose her mind with rage.

Maybe it was only natural.

“Should I call it tenacity, or recklessness?”

But—

“Maybe it’s both.”

—Rage alone couldn’t solve anything.

No matter how much she swallowed her hatred and fury, she couldn’t overcome the insurmountable wall.

If she charged recklessly, it wasn’t the wall that would break, but herself.

“Keugh, ugh…”

Alice (Frey) couldn’t even breathe properly.

The hand gripping her slender neck tightened gradually.

Her airway was blocked, causing severe breathing problems.

No matter how superhuman a supernatural might be, at their core, they were still human.

Without the ability to breathe, they could only grow weaker.

“L-Lu, c-ia, I, I’ll…”

Frey struggled to grab Ere’s wrist, which was choking her.

Even with Hardening protecting her neck, it felt like it would snap at any moment.

Frey knew that if Ere wanted to, she could easily crush it.

The surging death energy, like a fog.

The bitter wounds rapidly worsened.

The wounds from the demonic sword turned a deep crimson.

“You should know the difference between courage and recklessness. Acting rashly will only shorten your lifespan.”

While Eugene and Belial clashed, Frey also charged into the blooming forest. But unlike Eugene, who had incompletely awakened as the Chosen One, Frey was merely a ‘god-like being.’ 

She was swept away before she could even attempt to break through, and before she could try again, she was caught by the death knight.

The fight didn’t last long. It couldn’t. Even when fighting alongside Eugene, the odds weren’t high. 

Fighting alone, the outcome was inevitable. Frey was overpowered and brought to the brink of strangulation. 

Her vision blurred. Her head felt hot, and her chest pounded. As oxygen grew scarce, her heartbeat skyrocketed.

“Alice!”

Angelica shouted urgently.

She rushed to save Alice, but the distorted space stopped her actions.

The space she collided with shattered like a broken window, scattering fragments everywhere.

“You’re really annoying, you know.”

Murmur spoke in a disinterested tone, contrary to her words.

“Do you have the luxury to worry about something else while facing me? Nice, yeah, you were like this earlier too.”

“Move!”

“Make me. Hurry up. That kid’s going to die if you keep this up.”

The homeroom teacher of Class A and the 3rd Division Captain were already struggling to deal with Murmur. 

Though the fight was somewhat evenly matched, the balance was slowly tipping to one side. 

Two captain-level supernaturals couldn’t defeat a devil. 

Three. At least three were needed. To subdue a human possessed by a devil god, three of humanity’s strongest were required.

Earth, ice, and space clashed chaotically.

The supernatural abilities of humans collided with the authority of a devil god.

The devil god’s authority suppressed the abilities manifested by humans.

The tide of battle slowly began to turn.

If Ere joined in now, the fight would end in an instant.

“Wh-what did you do… to Lu, cia…?”

Realizing this instinctively,

Frey used every trick she could to hold onto Ere.

She couldn’t win with strength.

In a fight, she couldn’t last even a few seconds.

She couldn’t win. There was no chance. That’s why she asked. 

To divert Ere’s attention, even if just a little. At the same time, she was genuinely curious. Frey glared at Ere with her blazing red eyes. 

The red fox mask, covered in ashes, stared straight back at her.

“I’ve already answered that question.”

“…”

Yes, Ere had already told her.

Honestly, without exaggeration, just as it was.

Alice had denied it, saying it was a lie, but ignoring it didn’t change reality.

“Lucia was brought here from the start to be a sacrifice. The quality of the sacrifice was lacking, so some refinement was necessary.”

“S-so, you did… to Lucia…”

“It wasn’t exactly to my liking, but it was a necessary process.”

To complete the vessel that could accept the devil god.

Ere swallowed the rest of her words. 

But sometimes, even without hearing them, you could understand. 

Frey gritted her teeth. She flailed, reaching out to grab Ere by the collar. 

But her arms were too short, and even if she had managed, it wouldn’t have been much use. 

Instead, Frey kicked Ere in the solar plexus and shoulder. 

Thud. Thud. 

Dull sounds echoed in succession.

“Such a cute tantrum.”

Ere chuckled. Then she tightened her grip. The color drained from Frey’s pale face. 

Ere had no interest in tormenting the weak. She intended to knock Frey out. She briefly considered killing her and turning her into a revenant with death energy, but she quickly shook her head. 

She was her master’s prey. It wouldn’t do to overstep and take her for herself. A shame, really.

And it would be tasteless to render Lucia’s sacrifice meaningless.

Since the girl had wished for her friends’ survival, Ere decided to grant her last request.

“Give… Lucia… back…”

Alice sobbed as she spoke.

Her voice was hoarse from being choked.

Ere looked indifferently at the tears streaming down the girl’s face.

“I don’t want to give you false hope, so I’ll be clear.”

Her index and middle fingers dug into Alice’s neck.

As they did, Alice’s (Frey’s) consciousness gradually faded.

“Lucia is no more.”

There is only one.

Only the devil god Belial remains.

“Ah…”

The kicks Frey had been landing on Ere grew weaker. Her hands, which had been trying to claw at Ere’s wrist, slowed. 

The focus in Alice’s eyes disappeared. Her shoulders slumped weakly. Confirming that Alice’s consciousness was almost gone, Ere loosened her grip. 

Any tighter, and it wouldn’t just be a knockout.

And so, one fight ended.

Ere reached for the demonic sword she had planted in the ground.

With the nuisance dealt with, it was time to assist the devil god Murmur.

“Huh?!”

If another nuisance hadn’t interfered, that’s exactly what would have happened.

 

A golden torrent poured down on Ere. Like a downpour. Like a heavy rain. Like a sunshower. A golden flash descended without warning. 

Ere immediately swung her sword to block it, but in doing so, she lost her grip on Alice. As if that had been the goal all along, the intruder snatched Alice and pulled back.

“…No wonder I smelled the stench of rotting corpses.”

Holding Alice in his arms, the young man frowned slightly.

In one hand, he held a golden sword radiating a brilliant light.

A sacred sword, as if forged from starlight.

The complete opposite of Ere’s demonic sword, which seemed to condense death.

“Whew, would it kill you to use some air freshener?”

The Celestial Corps uniform, different from the standard one, was white with hints of blue.

With a red coat draped over his shoulders like a cape, the young man spoke sarcastically.

“Living corpse lady.”

The direct combat force of the Church.

The commander of the Sacred Knights.

Johan.

The knight of light descended with a radiant glow.

Author Note

A/N (Author’s note):
Belial, who barely came to her senses, lost consciousness again after being punched in the stomach.

The one who entered Lucia’s body.

Abandon all hope.

Translator Note

T/N (Translator’s note):
Belial should be glad that he didn’t read the memories beforehand, heh.