episode_0023

Aaaargh!

The magic circle glowed. The sorcery was being cast.

With this many people sacrificed, what kind of demon would emerge?

An emperor-class? Perhaps even a judgment-class demon might appear.

Four years ago, a demon of the same rank as Anubis, who had stolen Adella from us.

If a judgment-class demon were to emerge, could I win alone?

It wasn’t impossible. No, I was rather confident.

At that time, it was a demon so powerful that I couldn’t handle it alone… but I haven’t been idle for four years either.

I’ve fought tirelessly every day without fail, and I’ve even subdued an apocalypse-class demon, which is more formidable than a judgment-class.

I’ve even defeated a semi-mythical-class demon, a demon that can be counted on one hand in all of history.

“Although in that battle, I did have to retreat in the end.”

Anyway, what I want to say is this. The me now is at least tens of times stronger than the me from four years ago.

“Whatever you are, come at me.”

I’ll make you regret crawling into this world.

* * *

“The injured are over here! Come this way!”

“The shelter is over there! The guardians will guide you!”

As missing individuals rushed out of the gate and supers moved urgently to evacuate them,

Park Cheol clenched his teeth and stared at the gate.

“The number of people coming out is far too few compared to the number that went missing.”

From an optimistic perspective, there might still be people coming out…

Realistically, apart from those coming out now, it was reasonable to assume that everyone else had died.

“This is happening nationwide?”

This was a disaster similar to or perhaps even more brutal than the outbreak of war.

There may be someone like Ha Ye-rin here, but other areas might not have such luck.

Undoubtedly, an enormous number of people must be dying.

When you consider the nationwide damage… how many casualties will be tallied? Just thinking about it made his head spin.

Moreover, in Park Cheol’s view, the situation here had not yet concluded.

Ha Ye-rin and the soldier who followed her had not yet come out from inside.

There was something left inside. It might not be that they hadn’t come out, but rather that they couldn’t come out.

If that was the case, as the guardian of this place, he had a duty to stay and watch over it, even if he died. Therefore, after hugging his younger sister, Park Da-seul, once and sending her to a shelter, he stood here.

…Honestly, he was angry.

Would it have been different if he had the skills? Would it have been different if he were an S-class superhuman?

Could he have gone in there and directly rescued people? Could he have reduced the number of casualties? Could he have stood side by side with that woman, who was so strong as to be distant and so bright that her eyes seemed blindening, and fought?

“She saved people.”

But Park Cheol, the guardian, could do nothing but stand here as his best effort.

He wanted to become stronger. He wanted to become stronger so that he could stop any disaster or any calamity that appeared.

As Park Cheol brooded over this, a change occurred in front of him.

Crack!

“…?”

Craaack!

The gate began to sway like crazy, and wind started to blow out from inside.

It was a gale that even superhumans below C-class couldn’t withstand.

In fact, Park Cheol himself momentarily staggered in confusion.

“…What on earth is happening inside?”

What are Ha Ye-rin and that soldier fighting against?

* * *

Thud!

The space trembles.

The blood forming the magic circle gathered together and began to take on a human form.

“What is this….”

I was wrong. My guess that it was a summoning circle for a demon was wrong.

This was not a magical art for summoning creatures like demons.

It was the forbidden art of forbidden arts. The magical art of resurrecting the dead, “Sa-ja-so-saeng” (死者蘇生).

The remnants of the empire were trying to bring back the dead at the cost of countless lives.

“…You.”

The gathering blood began to form the graceful curves of a woman’s body. Long, white hair that reached down to the ground. Despite being nothing more than blood, an overwhelming appearance that seemed to captivate the very soul of a human, with a well-defined chest, firm straight abs, and wide hips.

Above all, this place was filled with the unmistakable stench of death.

“Finally…”

He is someone I can’t forget even if I try.

“Tasting this air once again, huh?”

In the context of martial arts novels, he would be a celestial demon.

In the context of fantasy novels, a demon king.

The creator of curses, a fallen demon who lost his divine status.

The true ruler of magic and demons in this world.

“It’s been a while, my child.”

The last queen and tyrant of the Noktis Empire, Astoria Regina Diabolos.

Blood congealed to form flesh, revealing porcelain-white skin.

Even so, the remaining blood rose into the air, covering parts of her pelvis and torso like clothing.

Astoria beckoned me gently.

“Come here, my child. I want to see your face.”

Her voice was so pleasant it sent shivers down my spine. Paradoxically, that made it even more dangerous. Listening to that gentle voice, I felt my tension ease, as if I might involuntarily approach her.

Paaah!

Suddenly, flames from the side engulfed Astoria. She reached out to stop it, but the flames transformed into a spear, piercing her arm.

“You crazy girl.”

Turning around, I saw Elena, who had somehow torn out the harpy’s throat, reaching out towards her.

“Why is our sister after you?”

“The one who was already dead swallowed up your third child and came back to life, so isn’t it only right for me to consider you mine?”

“What are you saying? Have you lost your mind?”

Clang! Elena’s arm began emitting smoke and started to glow again. Injecting mana into her arm, she attempted to launch an attack similar to the one just now.

“You seem to be mistaken. You’re the one who will die here again, aren’t you?”

“What?”

The scattered blood began to coalesce, transforming into the shape of an arm in an instant. It had regenerated the arm that had disappeared in a flash.

“Do you think I have fully resurrected by sacrificing merely two hundred harpies?”

“….”

“Such phenomena must be happening all over this country. There are probably around 400 of me by now. Even if I were to kill this me, when the remaining mes gather and merge together…”

“No way…”

“That will be the moment of my resurrection.”

“…Crazy bastard.”

Astoria places her hand on my chest. Then she looks at Elena with a truly pitiful expression.

“Don’t use such strong words.”

“What?”

“Don’t you seem weak? Like a cowardly barking dog.”

“Wow. You really are insane.”

“After all, my resurrection is a predetermined fate. I recommend not wasting your strength unnecessarily.”

“Sorry, but I’m not one to believe in fate.”

“Just because a mere insect denies it doesn’t make something nonexistent.”

There was no reason to listen any further.

Kiiing─!

The runic characters engraved in the mukya begin to glow brightly, and soon, white flames of annihilation engulf the darkness.

Astoria quietly exclaimed as she witnessed it.

“So, it’s the sword that pierced your heart. Mukya, a silent night. It truly suits you well.”

“Please don’t talk to me.”

“Hmm? Going through puberty? If that’s the extent of your rebellion, I can find it cute.”

“I’m sorry, but I have a mother already.”

I couldn’t forgive even the sarcasm. I would sue for realistic defamation.

Certainly, I was abandoned in this life, but in my previous life, I had perfectly good parents.

If I continued the conversation, it would only drain my focus, so without arguing, I decided to just charge ahead. Elena, too, keenly followed right behind.

…Come to think of it, I decided to say just one thing out of anger.

“Don’t worry too much.”

“Hmm?”

Because I’ll kill you again soon after you’ve come back to life.”

At my words, Astoria laughed as if finding it amusing.

“Hahaha! That’s funny! Try it once.”

“I’ll do it without saying.”

“Yeah, that’s how it’ll be. Then, I’ll wait eagerly for that time.”

Astoria’s hand controlling the blood manipulates reaches out to me. It seems she has no intention of just letting the clone die.

Her determination to annoy me as much as possible was clearly evident.

“[People who annoy others are not my type.]”

“Oops! Unni! I’m not your type?!”

…Why are you answering?

Still, Elena seemed to be aware that she was being annoying.

“I wasn’t talking to you.”

“Phew!”

Leaving her relieved behind, I swung the sword with all my might.