Ch.160Pursuit (5)

# Pursuit (5)

Lug’s goal in the hero’s party had been to escape.

This was because he believed it would be difficult to achieve his goal of meeting the Demon Lord while in the hero’s party.

At that time, the hero was far too weak, and the opponent she sought to defeat was impossibly strong.

It was all because of himself.

Because he had foolishly trusted someone, been deceived, and had his power stolen.

That’s why Lug had planned to return to the Demon Lord’s army. He thought the hero was insufficient for the task.

But Esmeralda never gave up. Even amid the relentless waves of adversity, she preserved the spark and climbed upward.

She endured despite the goal of battling the Demon Lord and the unreasonable burden that came with it.

She had overcome death countless times.

That must have been why.

‘You will be able to reach the final goal. That’s what I’ve come to believe.’

Hero Esmeralda could reach Demon Lord Belphegor.

It might take time, and humanity might perish with only her and the hero’s party remaining, but eventually, she would definitely reach him.

She had already proven herself countless times and continued to do so.

‘But that isn’t right. I couldn’t transfer the sin born from my mistake to someone else.’

That’s why he had wanted to escape.

At that time, it might have seemed like he was merely desperate to survive.

But no matter how diminished his intelligence or how honest his desires became, the one belief he held deep inside never disappeared.

That belief unconsciously restricted his actions and created a path.

As a result, Lug regained some of his original power and memories by taking on others’ burdens.

Thus, he isolated and concealed himself while journeying with the hero’s party.

Even then, thoughts of escape filled his mind, but he also saw some potential in the hero’s party.

“Lug?! Wait! Let me clear these spider webs right now…!”

“No, Hero. Please don’t.”

That’s why he abandoned his escape plan.

He decided to make it appear that way. And he actually acted accordingly.

Despite countless opportunities to flee, he chose to stay, successfully deceiving the hero.

That’s why, at this crucial moment…

“If you touch the spider webs, Eight, the Legion Commander we’ve managed to deceive, might notice our presence.”

“But…!”

“I’ll be fine. You know about the blue flames I control. I naturally have resistance to fire, so I’ll be alright.”

He deceives Hero Esmeralda’s eyes with the structure of spider webs.

Physically blocking her ability to read surface thoughts.

He had long since tested and confirmed that Esmeralda’s ability wasn’t constantly active.

The moments when she reads thoughts.

When someone acts impulsively or when she needs to know someone’s true intentions.

Combat, negotiations, verification.

He regulated his thoughts by observing her reactions in all those moments.

Of course, Lug couldn’t completely manipulate surface thoughts like Eirene. However, knowing when she would read thoughts, he could adjust his thoughts accordingly.

‘The three poisons and the five desires and seven emotions are toxic enough on their own.’

Yes, he controlled his state.

He regulated his body to think thoughts she would dislike reading at moments when Esmeralda might read his mind.

“So I’ll find another way! Please move quickly! I’ll join you later!”

Thus, he escapes from the hero’s party.

Making it so Hero Esmeralda doesn’t even realize he has escaped.

“…Ugh! Alright.”

The extreme environment.

The trust built over time.

The clear time limit.

All these factors dulled the hero party’s judgment.

“Yes, then let’s make sure we meet again.”

Lug stood before the spider webs and spoke.

As if savoring the last memories with the hero’s party, he closed his eyes and listened to their concerned voices.

“Well then.”

After reminiscing about his journey with the hero’s party for a while, Lug moved forward.

Though he had planned his escape, this wasn’t solely his creation.

In that sense, Esmeralda’s biggest mistake was none other than…

“I’ve been waiting, Lug.”

“Yes, Lilith.”

…failing to realize that Lug was still in communication with Lilith.

***

Legion Commander Second understood.

Why his intuition had told him to drop Third.

“Haah…”

He is strong. The other Legion Commanders can also be called formidable warriors.

No matter how much he looked down on those weaker than himself, how could he not know such objective facts?

He knows well that they are sufficient forces. Considering that First is also present, it’s hard to even think about defeat.

And because of that…

“Did Ten get killed?”

With First tied up by Siva, they were now being pushed back.

Legion Commander Ten, captivated by First’s overwhelming presence, had shouted and rampaged as if he were the same kind of being, only to have his heart pierced.

True to the vampire race’s vitality, he quickly rose again, but isolated in enemy territory, Ten couldn’t possibly hold out.

“Damn it…”

Legion Commanders and the Twelve Thousand.

In terms of power difference, the Legion Commanders are undoubtedly superior.

Unlike the dragon race who waste their long lives, the demon race always had to fight with survival in mind.

The demon race is facing extinction.

No one can predict what kind of monsters will emerge from those who become ruthless in such circumstances.

It’s a world where even children, proof that the world continues, are sacrificed to greedy adults.

They were in the midst of a harsh winter where such things were considered normal.

Family bonds disappeared, and with each new generation, the demon race grew stronger.

In fact, it was natural.

Children who survived among adults who would use, deceive, and try to kill even children could only become strong.

But wasn’t there a decisive side effect because of that?

“Now that we’re outnumbered even by the dragon race, we’ve ended up like this.”

First was the being who could make up for all of that. But now that First’s movements are restricted, all those preconditions have been shattered.

Even the Legion Commanders, once considered so strong, now have less than half their numbers left.

They died because they couldn’t unite due to their individual greed.

The remaining Legion Commanders? Eight and Seven retreated to the rear, Ten got killed, and he sent Third away himself.

Twelve, Eleven, and Force, who should have joined long ago, have lost contact.

And the one paying the price is none other than Second.

Because he sent Third away on his own in such a precarious situation. Belphegor gave Second the appropriate punishment, just as he had said.

“Don’t just stare blankly, come at me, you lizard bastards.”

Second provoked the Twelve Thousand looking down at him by wiggling his finger.

No allies around, and six enemies still floating in the sky.

In a 1:6 situation, how long could he hold out?

First being held up longer than expected, and Ten dying suddenly after showing off.

Every situation was driving him toward death.

‘Ah, I see. The anxiety I felt was pointing to the current situation.’

He hated the thought of Lacrima dying.

But this wasn’t the first time he had felt anxiety.

He felt it when Belphegor frowned at Lacrima’s excessive pranks, and when she went to the human realm on her own whim.

Yes, each time, Lacrima faced a life-threatening crisis.

But this time was different. Even if she were in mortal danger, he had intended to protect her even at the cost of his own life, but…

‘What I tried to protect by excluding you this time.’

Second raised his head.

Just looking at how only one of the Twelve Thousand was assigned to First, he could tell.

“You were targeting me from the beginning, weren’t you?”

That their primary objective was none other than eliminating Second.

Yes, the anxiety he felt was…

‘I hated the situation where you would die because of me the most.’

He feared the situation where Lacrima would die because of him.

***

The primary objective of the “Eye of Truth” is, of course, to stop Demon Lord Belphegor.

That’s what La•Pa desires.

But since La•Pa decided to handle Belphegor directly, the main forces the Twelve Thousand needed to focus on were two:

The transcendent First and Second who had reached the extreme.

First is an anomaly just by existing. Being in the position of First means he’s a monster beyond comprehension.

If Belphegor didn’t exist, First would have been the Demon Lord.

One could even say he would have been the strongest Demon Lord since La•Pa.

But…

‘The one we should be most wary of is Second.’

They unanimously prioritized Second over First.

First is already a completed being.

But Second is a being who ‘could’ be completed.

Facing an already completed being is unavoidable, but leaving a being who could be completed unchecked would be a fatal mistake.

Second has already reached the extreme.

Unlike Siva, who barely reached it after dedicating his entire life to training, Second was able to reach the extreme naturally during his growth process.

That sharp intuition.

The ability to find the correct answer.

Who could dare assert that such sharp intuition wouldn’t lead to the path of godhood?

Even La•Pa couldn’t assert such a thing.

Wasn’t it because of that intuition that she took in Tina and implanted Tanha’s heart in her?

That’s why most of the Twelve Thousand were deployed to target Second.

But…

“Hehehe… hahahahaha!”

They couldn’t help but doubt if that was truly the right decision.

Intuition, an intangible ability.

They had thought of it vaguely.

But now, with six of the Twelve Thousand combining their strength to attack Second, they couldn’t help but realize.

“Is that all you’ve got?”

The battle situation is overwhelmingly favorable.

Second is already in tatters, while the Twelve Thousand, thanks to their coordination, don’t even have a scratch, let alone any casualties.

But the anxiety grew.

“Do you think you can kill me with just that?”

Sharp intuition. Yes, it was as if all of the Twelve Thousand were indirectly experiencing Second’s ability.

The chilling anxiety…

“With just that level!!”

…indicated that his transformation had begun.

“Do you think you can take him from me?!”