Ch.138Chapter 138. The Demon of Rage

Elixir’s body began to crumble, transforming into paint.

As the viscous liquid dripped down, Elixir couldn’t hide his dejection.

“Right. If you won’t forgive me, there’s only one way to break the chains. Clever. By destroying me—a being both integrated with and separate from Lin—you’re simply removing the seal.”

BOOM!

Along with Elixir, the chains surrounding Lin’s heart were losing their binding power, forcibly corroding.

The rust-red chains fell one by one.

Even the X-mark on Elixir’s face melted away, revealing his face full of disappointment.

“I clearly told you that I’m also a part of Lin. A shell contaminated by anger and pain. The emotions I showed you were just a fraction of my true feelings. My role was to seal away my own true heart. Once I disappear and the true heart is liberated, you absolutely won’t be able to handle it.”

CLANK-CLANK-CLANK!

The chains of the seal poured down like a waterfall, emitting sharp metallic sounds.

That chilling noise filled everyone with anxiety.

No one wanted to imagine what would happen if all those chains were released, as Elixir had warned.

Yet nobody could do anything about it.

They just stared at the endlessly falling chains.

Surprisingly, after all the chains had been released, the inside of the sphere was a white background.

Lucy saw someone curled up inside.

“Lin…!”

It was Lin’s true heart.

Seeing Lin staring at the ground with lifeless eyes, Lucy felt another heavy pain in her chest.

“What will you do with this anger that has nowhere to go?” Elixir lamented loudly.

The collapse of his body was accelerating.

The X-mark disappeared from Elixir, whose form was barely recognizable as human now.

Simultaneously, like a bubble bursting, Elixir exploded with a pop.

Paint began to fill the mental world.

A wave of paint from the explosion washed over everyone.

“Damn it, I’ll never forgive you all.”

Elixir’s voice echoed through the air.

“I’ll let you escape safely from my true heart. But only here.”

Everyone was engulfed by the paint, but strangely, they could still breathe.

The sensation of floating in the viscous substance even brought a sense of comfort.

This was natural, as the paint was Elixir himself—the essence of the goddess’s healing power.

But Lucy, who had been flailing around, suddenly made eye contact.

Lin’s true heart, which had been curled up, had risen and was now standing straight, glaring at her.

His distorted expression and flashing eyes made it clear to anyone that he was furious.

“I’m tired.”

“Lin!”

“And I’m REALLY ANGRY!!!!”

Black energy exploded outward from Lin.

The dark energy swept away all the paint, and people were sucked toward a single point as if a bathtub plug had been pulled.

Lucy, Arsil, Tigria, Naidrian, and Ravin all called out to him desperately, but they were helplessly pushed out.

WHOOSH!

Right out of the mental world.

Every single one of them was expelled from his heart.

—

“Puha, kugh!”

Lucy, emerging into the outside world along with Elixir’s slime, coughed for a long time.

Opening her eyes and looking around, she saw that everyone except her had collapsed unconscious.

However, an even worse catastrophe was unfolding.

Recognizing the figure before her, Lucy jumped to her feet and reached for the Abyss.

“Rainfold!”

The plaza was completely devastated.

Shattered buildings and roughly gouged ground everywhere showed how fierce the battle between the Dragon Knights and the Shield Knight had been.

The platform had already collapsed, but the imperial palace was relatively intact.

Probably because the Shield Knight had fought with his back to the palace.

Rainfold, who loved to show off, wouldn’t have been pleased to see the palace destroyed, so he deliberately stood his ground, blocking attacks flying toward the palace rather than dodging them.

Rainfold was breathing heavily, but apart from Lucy, he was the only one still standing properly.

Salamei was kneeling on one knee, leaning against a broken spear shaft.

Judging by the blood flowing from her forehead and the way she clutched her abdomen, she was seriously injured.

The illusionist Adora was embedded in a building wall.

Her bandages were soaked red, and she showed no movement, making Lucy think she was dead.

“Kuhek…!”

If she hadn’t just coughed up a handful of blood, she would have looked like a corpse.

Even now, she was barely alive.

Denaruah, who claimed to be the strongest Dragon Knight, was the only one not lying on the ground.

However, she was dangling in the air, her neck gripped by the Shield Knight.

She too was dripping blood onto the ground, forming a puddle.

‘Was Rainfold always this strong?’

Lucy sensed something ominous from the shield the knight was holding rather than from the knight himself.

The crimson-glowing shield was absorbing the same-colored magical energy from Denaruah.

That shield was clearly lending him power.

“Rainfold!”

People who had safely escaped from Elixir’s slime began to regain consciousness one by one.

As soon as Airan saw the Shield Knight who had defeated the Dragon Knights, he drew his sword.

“Rowellina! Defensive formation!”

“Defensive formation!”

At Airan’s command, Garin, Rowellina, and the elite soldiers moved in unison to form a formation.

Shield bearers at the front, spearmen behind, and archers at the rear.

It was a typical but well-organized formation, but Rainfold openly mocked them.

“Even the Dragon Knights couldn’t do anything against me. Instead, they only ended up offering their power to me.”

When he tightened his grip on Denaruah’s neck, she let out a painful groan.

The amount of blood dripping to the floor increased.

“Dena… ruah…”

The spear wielder tried to stand up to help her, but the spear shaft slipped, and she fell forward.

Only her twitching fingers showed how frustrated Salamei felt.

“These ones kept calling for Lin so desperately. Even I, who was fighting them, almost fell in love with him. No, let me be honest. If that porter Lin had been a woman, I would have fallen for her completely. I would have made her mine by any means necessary. Not like these filthy Karrun women or that hero who can’t tell front from back—I would have made her my complete partner.”

Tigria shuddered at those words.

Even though it hadn’t actually happened, she felt a disgusting sensation as if Lin had been violated by Rainfold.

“Demon-kind and demon god’s minions fighting each other—is this internal strife?”

“Since I was never on the side of demon-kind to begin with, it’s not internal strife. Tools and internal strife—that’s not a relationship that can exist.”

“Then whose side are you on?”

Rainfold smiled brightly at Tigria’s sharp question.

He had been waiting for someone to ask.

“I am neither on humanity’s side nor demon-kind’s side. I am merely a guardian maintaining balance between them.”

Then, proudly lifting Denaruah higher, he began a speech.

“The Demon King was too powerful and threatened the balance, so he needed to be eliminated. But after killing the Demon King, I thought the hero, with his great power but lack of wisdom, would be the next threat to the balance, so I tried to remove him. Although I didn’t know about the Dragon Knights’ existence, and I didn’t expect the porter Lin to be so active—creating many variables… they were very pleasant variables for me. In the end, me…”

“No time for chitchat!”

Airan cut off the Shield Knight’s words, noticing he was stalling for time.

Just looking at how he was absorbing magical energy from the dual swordsman, it was clear he was buying time to recover his strength.

“I don’t know what you’re aiming for, but one side will definitely die here. Rowellina!”

“Yes!”

“Prepare yourself for death from now on!”

“Hahahahaha! How nice to see. Well-trained soldiers indeed. But before overwhelming power, you’re just toys for my amusement.”

“Would you like to taste how amusing we can be?”

“Unfortunately, you won’t need to face my hand. It’s surprising you survived Lin’s mental world, but that’s your limit. Thanks to you, it’s ripened just right.”

“What…?”

BOOM!

“Aaaaargh!!”

With a thunderous sound, soldiers at the back were sent flying.

“What’s happening?!”

Airan and Garin turned around in confusion to face the attacker.

They barely blocked the attack aimed at their necks, but both were knocked back, unable to withstand the force.

No one saw the attack coming.

Not only was it incredibly fast, but the attacker’s body was shrouded in pitch-black darkness from head to toe.

“Perhaps he didn’t awaken in the mental world. Then witness it properly from now on.”

The Shield Knight chuckled to himself, clearly amused.

“This is the ultimate demon that you humans have created!”

The dark mist surrounding the figure gradually dispersed.

After the mist completely cleared, everyone in the hero’s party except Naidrian let out silent screams at the sight of him.

Screams of anguish that couldn’t even escape their lips.

Lucy couldn’t stop her arms from trembling.

And for good reason—the person glaring at her was Lin, his entire body stained black.

“Now! Go!”

Rainfold’s shield began to emit an even more brilliant crimson light.

“By the authority delegated by the Demon God, I command you, Rage! Remove from this world those who have hurt you!”

At the Shield Knight’s command, Lin clutched his head.

He shook his head in pain, but soon let out a roar toward the sky, his eyes glowing red.

“UOOOOOOOOO-!!!!!!”

“AAAAAAAAAAH!!!!!”

Lucy collapsed and screamed.

This must be a dream. This is a dream. This can’t be happening.

Lin… my Lin… my only ally…!

Her whole body trembled.

Her breathing quickened.

“I promised I would protect you…”

It had become an empty promise.

Right before her eyes, he had fallen into demonhood.

“This can’t be happening!!!!! This can’t be happening!!!!!”

“Lucy, calm down! Lin is in a berserk state. We need to stop him!”

“How are we supposed to stop him?! By hurting Lin again?! By hitting him?! I can’t do that anymore! You do it, you witch!”

“Lucy!!”

Lucy couldn’t even draw the Abyss, just reaching out her hand toward Lin.

“My only ally…”

Please take my hand.

“My best comrade…”

I’d rather have my limbs cut off again than hurt you.

“My Lin…”

Please…

“UOOOOOOOOO-!!!”

But Lin roared and charged at the hero.

“Haha…”

I’ve started crying again.

But this will be the last time.

Lucy prepared herself to accept it.

This is for the best.

If I’m going to die by someone’s hand, if it’s Lin’s, then I…

The wind blows.

Before this wind ends, Lucy will be dead.

Because Lin was charging toward her.

However,

CRASH!!

“You…?!”

Lin passed right by Lucy.

Moving at the speed of light, Lin bypassed Lucy and threw a punch at Rainfold behind her.

Panicking, Rainfold dropped Denaruah and raised his shield in defense, but there was a crushing sound from the item created by the Demon God himself.

“What are you doing, mere demon?! How dare you attack me…! Huk!”

Another fist came flying.

As it struck the shield, Rainfold was pushed back.

Next came a kick.

He was pushed back even further.

Finally, Lin clasped both hands together and brought them down.

CRACK!

The shield visibly cracked.

“Huh? Huh?! Wait! Wait!”

The Shield Knight, pale-faced at the ominous momentum, cried out pitifully, but,

“UOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!”

His pleas were drowned out by Lin’s scream-like roar.