Ch.136Demon Realm (2)

# Demon Realm (2)

After clinging to Lug for a while, Lilith finally managed to break free from his embrace.

It wasn’t because she had calmed down.

“Ahem, ahem…”

It was because she felt that being in his arms would only make it harder to calm down.

The longer it went on, the more awkward it would become, and her embarrassment would only multiply.

Lilith knew it was better to take the hit early.

“Here’s the item I promised.”

Lilith quickly moved on to the next topic before he could say anything while looking at her face.

Lug nodded resignedly at this action, which could be considered an essential skill for politicians.

His face showed a look of satisfaction.

“The traitor, Despair Undertaker’s life vessel.”

“I did ask for it, but are you sure you can give this to me?”

“He was always looking for an opportunity to betray us, so cutting him off when we can is beneficial for our side as well.”

Despair Undertaker had openly revealed his sinister intentions.

In private settings, he would introduce himself by his real name rather than the name bestowed upon him by Belphegor.

Other demons didn’t introduce themselves that way because they liked their names. They displayed names expressed as numbers out of respect for Belphegor’s power and authority.

“Demons tend to be indifferent to relationships with others.”

But Lilith, at least, was not.

There was nothing good about leaving someone who was so openly planting their forces in the army and expanding their sphere of influence.

She had been contemplating how to deal with Despair Undertaker anyway.

That’s why she responded to Lug’s request for the life vessel even before his betrayal was confirmed.

“But, Lug. As you probably know, while this is his weakness, we must not forget that he’s equally well-prepared for this possibility.”

Despair Undertaker’s life vessel was in his military camp.

In a location accessible to anyone and easy to steal.

And he left his heart out like that because he was confident.

As soon as someone approaches the life vessel, he receives a signal.

Befitting an immortal archmage, Despair Undertaker knew teleportation magic and had prepared ways to return at any time.

Magic engraved into space itself. Spaces that automatically connect because of it.

With just that, Despair Undertaker was confident enough to leave his heart unattended.

Additionally, the vessel was surrounded by all kinds of protective magic and hidden mine-like attack spells.

Breaking it would essentially be no different from summoning Despair Undertaker.

Of course, the situation is different now.

Despair Undertaker is dead.

With his heart here, it means he could revive at any time.

“Although Despair Undertaker has lost his physical body and fallen for now, the moment this is touched, he will immediately regain consciousness and revive.”

“But he won’t be able to show the same strength as before, right?”

“That’s… true. But his accumulated techniques won’t disappear, will they?”

Despair Undertaker was weakened. The mana that once flowed like an inexhaustible spring would now be limited to what was stored in the life vessel.

Even if he revived, prolonged fighting would be impossible. Still, they would be fighting Despair Undertaker with reduced output.

It’s quite dangerous.

It might be better for Lug’s purpose to leave it as is.

It would take considerable time for Despair Undertaker to recover his strength and awaken.

Why deliberately wake him up and provoke him?

It would be better to finish everything and fight Despair Undertaker fully prepared.

“No, it will be fine.”

But Lug felt the need to take that risk.

“It’s because I dislike necromancers.”

“Pardon?”

Lug had learned black magic. It was somewhat puzzling that someone like him would dislike necromancers.

Of course, that’s a thought Lilith could have only because she didn’t know Lug’s true identity.

“There’s nothing good about escaping the cycle of reincarnation this way.”

Lug took the box containing Despair Undertaker’s life vessel from Lilith and immediately opened it to remove its contents.

A jar emanating dense death energy. A life vessel containing life and soul.

The moment it left the safety of the box, the surroundings began to vibrate.

“And it’s not good to hold back a practitioner who seeks enlightenment and tries to move forward.”

He had originally planned to return a soul that had escaped the cycle of reincarnation on this occasion, but now he had more reasons.

The reverence everyone in the fortress city showed to Fellheim Senova.

The pride she displayed even while throwing away the honor she had built over a lifetime.

He couldn’t leave that tarnished.

“Well, I don’t think it will lead to a battle anyway.”

Whoosh!

With a calm face, as if he had some kind of certainty, Lug quietly exercised the divine power of a celestial deity.

Instantly, the surroundings were engulfed in blue flames, and the dense death energy flowing from the jar lost its momentum.

“…Who are you?”

Eventually, Despair Undertaker’s awakened soul looked up at Lug with awe-filled eyes.

Despite being in a dangerous situation with death imminent, he was captivated by the phenomenon unfolding before him.

An incomprehensible phenomenon.

Flames that couldn’t be understood at all.

The divine power of a celestial deity unfolding beyond the human limits that he and other tower masters had sought.

He is not a person seeking gods.

He is a mage who believes only in truth and moves forward.

But in this moment, the mage felt the presence of a god.

“I am someone who wishes to guide you to the right path.”

“Ah…! Is what I desire there?”

“Well, that depends on you.”

Whoosh!

The blue flames began to burn the life vessel.

With that, the soul taking the form of Despair Undertaker also began to disappear, as if burning in the fire.

“Let go of what you have and move towards the next. Everything depends on you, so I hope you return to the right path.”

Bang!

The moment Despair Undertaker’s soul was purified and disappeared in the blue flames, all the souls he had been holding captive burst out like an explosion.

Those souls melted into the surrounding flames and attained enlightenment.

And the one remaining soul.

The one-eyed old warrior who still maintained her form.

“This… Now I see I made a big mistake. Not recognizing such a noble person. Haha!”

Fellheim Senova.

She muttered as she witnessed the miracle unfolding before her eyes.

Isn’t it amusing? The person she had thought was nothing and tried to discard turned out to be such an extraordinary being.

Blue flames that cleanse the impurities from souls and return them to the original cycle of reincarnation at once.

Just from that, Fellheim Senova seemed to know who Lug was.

“I understand why the Saintess threatened me with my family. Indeed, if she thought it was blasphemy, it’s not strange that she would do so.”

Eirene, who was a complete bitch, received mysterious defense here.

“But… do you have something to say to this old woman?”

Fellheim Senova couldn’t understand why she was deliberately left behind.

At first, she thought he might be venting his anger, but looking into his eyes, she could tell he wasn’t that kind of person.

“I just wanted to tell you that you’ve done well.”

“…”

“Well done, Lady Fellheim Senova. I assure you, the path you’ve walked was right. So there will surely be a reward for it.”

She had accumulated karma befitting that.

She will certainly receive the consequences and rewards for that karma.

“Well…”

Realizing the meaning, Fellheim Senova smiled bitterly and touched the corner of her eye.

It’s quite vexing. They say you become more tearful as you age, but perhaps it becomes uncontrollable when you die.

“You’re giving me too much.”

“All of it is what you’ve achieved, so there’s no need to think you’ve received it. Well, it’s about time.”

“Yes, I should go meet my family now. Do you think I’ll be able to meet them?”

“All souls are destined to return to the cycle of reincarnation, but there will be enough time to exchange farewell words.”

“That’s reassuring.”

Fellheim Senova smiled.

The always rigid and stern-faced soldier could smile as gently as a kind grandmother.

And so she disappeared with the blue flames.

***

The hero’s party successfully captured Lug and Extra who had escaped.

They claimed they had gone to the fortress city for a brief errand, but that was far from the truth.

“After discussion, we realized we’ve been neglectful towards Lug.”

“I fear what might happen to me if you’re neglectful a second time.”

Lug felt a chill down his spine.

Recalling his past experiences, he couldn’t even begin to guess what their standard for “neglectful” was.

Fortunately, our hero, Esmeralda, kindly explained what it meant.

“So we’ve decided to use this so we don’t forget about Lug anymore.”

“Hero, this is a leash, isn’t it?”

“You got it right away.”

“…”

“We’ll take turns walking you, so don’t worry.”

The celestial deity who had saved humanity’s hero from an evil lich and granted him peace received five leashes that day.

However, among those leashes prepared to match each person’s taste, not a single one matched Lug’s preferences.