Ch.168Atonement (3)

The twilight world appeared once again.

A hill filled with corpses unfolded before Durin.

“This is…”

“My goodness.”

Ludmila and Yursael had the strongest reactions. The warriors showed little emotion as they thought only of battle, but these two were intellectuals who studied scripture daily.

“The power of a god. Truly, the power of a god has come to us…”

The sorceress displayed emotions she couldn’t express through her excitement. Her staggering body swayed back and forth in wonder.

“We truly had a Mother all along.”

It felt like compensation for all the years they had forgotten. Ludmila knelt and offered a prayer. Though awkward as it was the first worship she had offered in her life, she did her best.

“Ludmila.”

Durin called to the sorceress.

“You can develop the rituals gradually with Yursael.”

He pulled Ludmila out of the whirlpool she had fallen into.

“For now, focus on dealing with the traitor.”

As Durin finished speaking, the world shook violently. The goddess’s wrist was engraved on the black gauntlet.

The first power.

The ability to guide death.

As he slowly moved his fingertips, Lucretia’s soul, which had been sealed in Durin’s heart, emerged.

The soul was still red. Anger that couldn’t accept defeat oozed thickly.

“Ludmila. Do you have the scripture?”

The High Sorceress, who had been quietly observing the scene, looked at Durin in surprise. She had once again lost herself before the wondrous sight.

“I wish to recite the charges against the sinner in proper form. I would appreciate your help.”

It was a familiar request, but the weight was different. Ludmila couldn’t answer playfully as before and hurriedly opened the scripture from her bosom.

“This is usually the role of the Chief Justice… I can’t guarantee I’ll do it well.”

“Shouldn’t the Chief Justice assist the king? You, who were known as the wisdom of the Demon King’s Castle in the human realm, are the most suitable person.”

“Sigh. I know. I know too well, which is why I’m complaining a bit.”

Ludmila opened the scripture. The pages she carefully turned led to the section on punishments.

“So… punishment for traitors. This should be it, right?”

Where the sorceress’s hand stopped, there was an illustration of a demon with a terrifying appearance screaming.

It was bound in iron chains, unable to resist. It was a punishment where one had to watch with wide eyes as their entire body burned away.

“It seems a fitting end for a traitor who threw the demon realm into chaos.”

“Then carry it out.”

“Very well.”

The sorceress’s eyes gleamed. Red demonic energy gathered at her fingertips. The world responded to this.

The Night Goddess showed her will, accommodating her beloved child.

[Restraint.]

A short, simple word.

Though muttered softly, it struck the world as if resonating from the depths.

Clank-clank-clank!

Simultaneously, dozens of iron chains rained down from the sky. Their sharp ends were aimed precisely at the red soul.

Crack!

Lucretia’s remaining self-awareness resisted. The goddess showed no mercy.

The chains pierced through dozens of places, fixing the soul so it couldn’t move.

Click!

Clank!

The feeble struggle was all it could manage. Durin approached the now powerless soul.

“Traitor Lucretia. I give you a chance for repentance. Beg the Mother for mercy.”

The red soul quivered. The Regent, who had absorbed the goddess’s power, could see it. The traitor’s fate, screaming in desperation, not wanting to embrace death.

“This is your last chance, Lucretia.”

It was a pitiful gesture that couldn’t escape.

“Speak now.”

The outcome was predetermined. How could one bound in soul form possibly speak? Durin gave no time and immediately signaled.

“Next.”

[Ignition]

Whoosh!

Black flames engulfed the soul. It was a procedure to erase the last remaining self-awareness so it couldn’t interfere with reality.

Indescribable pain would turn Lucretia pure white.

“Emotions and self-awareness are luxuries. From now on, you will be reborn as a nameless warrior.”

Durin stretched out his arm. The flames touched the tips of his rough fingers.

[Erasure]

In an instant, the heat disappeared. As Ludmila chanted in rhythm with the flow, a pure soul floated up. It was the pristine white color handled by the Creator God. All the red energy flowed toward the Regent.

-Durin.

A single voice echoed through the twilight world.

-My cherished warrior, Durin.

It wasn’t Lucretia. The demon facing those red eyes was from the far side of an old memory.

-I’m sorry I couldn’t accomplish our great task.

The goddess’s ankle had brought him to a scene recorded by death.

-I guess I was too weak a demon to muster strength.

The familiar balcony of the Demon King’s Castle. When night fell, a peaceful silence settled, making it a good place for conversation.

-It must be hard for you? With challenges coming from everywhere.

The red-horned Demon King looked at Durin with sad eyes. She couldn’t hide her concern as she saw the scars engraved on him.

-I’ll try to be stronger. A demon without the magic of dominance needs strength to protect the throne.

-If only you weren’t of the primordial bloodline, you might have lived a different, more pleasant life than being king.

-I might have been a scholar. Living my life studying scripture, having long, enjoyable conversations with Ludmila.

Regret permeated her words. The red-horned Demon King looked down at her feet. She quickly shook off the emotion.

Because she cherished this time talking with Durin, she turned her gaze to meet his red eyes.

-It seems I’ll be burdening you.

A Demon King from long ago gave a bitter smile.

-If… if I don’t return alive from the war…

-Please don’t say such things. I will protect Your Majesty.

-No. At this point, with the Black Army that was supposed to block the celestial invasion fallen, I have no choice but to sacrifice myself. You know that well.

Tap, tap.

The master of the Demon King’s Castle took two steps closer. And then, she whispered softly to Durin, who was still maintaining proper etiquette.

-Please take care of Lucretia. Guide her to become a good Demon King.

The voice faded away. It dissipated in the wind.

The memory shattered into pieces. Durin, standing in the center, raised his head to the sky.

“Durin?”

He returned to reality. The twilight world came into view. Ludmila’s voice had awakened him.

“Shall we move on to the next procedure?”

There was no time to indulge in the nostalgia that death had briefly shown him. Durin had to fulfill his final duty as Regent.

He steeled his heart and focused forward again.

“I will prepare the armor.”

Durin released his demonic energy. The reddish-black viscosity gathered together, beginning to form a single shape. It wasn’t armor forged in the Demon King’s Castle, but something tempered by death.

Above all, it was also a sacred object strongly connected to Durin, who had been granted divine power.

[Fusion]

The moment the massive black armor revealed itself to the world, Ludmila executed the final procedure. A strong light burst forth. While everyone gathered on the hill couldn’t open their eyes, the pure white soul was drawn into the armor.

There was no resistance. It quietly accepted its fate.

-Durin.

Once again, a voice was heard.

A trace of the Demon King he would never hear again. Durin unconsciously turned his head.

Beyond where his subordinate demons were gathered, he could see an ethereal figure walking gently over the horizon.

-Thank you for embracing my daughter.

The powerless Demon King who had perished in the war, the former master Durin had sought to protect, smiled.

Whoosh—

The soul stabilized. The chains quietly retreated. Only a kneeling suit of armor remained on the hill.

“Lucretia.”

Durin called the name of the warrior who had lost her self-awareness.

Clank!

The heavy body moved. The Durahan with its massive frame answered Durin’s call.

“Command me.”

“Serve the demon realm. Forever.”

Until all her original sins were washed away, Durahan would not be released.

The betrayal was so deep that its roots could not be traced, and thus she was given an eternity of time.

“I will do as commanded.”

The emotionless voice paid its respects. It pledged loyalty instead of questioning.

Durin looked at her for a moment before turning around. As he slowly descended the hill, Ludmila approached.

“Looks like you’ll use her as an adjutant.”

“Berdia is my adjutant. She’ll be the assault captain, to be precise.”

“That does match her old personality.”

Durin passed by Ludmila. He intended to return to the gathered commanders behind her.

“Durin.”

Ludmila stopped him.

“You seemed to see fragments of old memories… right?”

She was cautious. Being closest to him, she could glimpse the emotions Durin harbored.

“Do you have something to say?”

“The reason you supported Serphin. You insisted on giving power to a powerless king.”

“She has the magic of dominance, so it doesn’t matter.”

“Could it be… you saw her overlapping with Lucretia’s mother, Ingrid?”

A name kept in his heart came out into the world. Durin fell into deep thought for a moment.

A considerable amount of time passed, enough to make Ludmila tense. Just as she was about to carefully broach the subject, wondering if she had touched a sore spot…

“You’ll all find out eventually anyway.”

Durin revealed everything.

“On the day we meet Mother again. I’ll have to tell Her Majesty everything.”

“Is there… a connection between them?”

“From that point on, Her Majesty will have to stand on her own.”

At those words, Ludmila’s face hardened.

“If we truly confront the celestial realm, all my influence in the demon realm will disappear. I’ll invest everything in the war.”

“…”

“Just as Demon King Ingrid did.”

Durin started walking again.

“Your role will be important then, Ludmila.”

“Durin…”

“Reflect on why I transferred the regency.”

“Are you really okay with losing everything?”

Ludmila asked one last time.

“Are you really willing to dedicate your life just for the reason of opposing fate?”

The most important desire for demons was absent in him. The fighting spirit was for survival.

“To fight against the world, that much investment is necessary.”

But Durin chose the fight itself.

The Regent still showed no fear.