Ch.175Blood Memory (1)

The golden Milky Way illuminates a different memory.

A scene unfolds before Serphin’s retina.

“Escape! We must get out before the angels arrive!”

Immediately after the defeat in the Celestial War.

He felt the urgency of that moment when they attempted a mass exodus to the Wasteland of Death, the dimension later known as the Demon Realm.

“The legion must hold position. We must endure until the end to save as many as possible.”

“War Commander! It’s impossible with our current numbers. If the Celestial Knights charge in, we won’t last long before being swept away.”

“Damn it.”

The Primordial Demon King, who held the position of War Commander at the time, a red-horned leader, spat out a curse.

Due to the surprise attack, they couldn’t engage in a proper battle.

God was dead, and countless comrades had fallen on the battlefield. In a situation where they could barely survive by gathering their brothers and sisters in one place to resist, only chaos intensified.

“If there’s no other way, the entire leadership will have to sacrifice themselves.”

“War Commander, then who will lead us?”

“We’ll have to entrust it to the sorcerers. Their wisdom will preserve the next generation.”

The Demon King made his decision.

He would fight without retreat. Even if it cost him his life, he believed it would be worth it if he could protect others.

“Tell the royal guard to prepare for the final battle. We will fight until the end—”

“That won’t be necessary.”

The dire situation suddenly reversed.

Beyond the legion establishing their position, a demon approached. Another leader with the same red horns.

“Gregory.”

“Brother, calm yourself. This isn’t a situation that can be resolved by risking your life.”

He was rational. With a cold voice, he calmed the resolute Demon King.

“Mother hasn’t been destroyed yet.”

“What are you saying? The God of Light clearly…”

“They sent armies to destroy the temple, but she didn’t surrender at the very end.”

“How on earth…”

The Demon King was startled mid-sentence.

Not surrendering at the end meant she wasn’t killed.

God wouldn’t have committed suicide. The shockwave would affect her descendants. Many demons would have collapsed as the painful wave reached them.

“Mother entrusted her final moments to me.”

Gregory spoke the truth. His expression was calm.

In contrast, the Demon King’s face was filled with shock.

“Brother, can you bear it? To have witnessed God’s death.”

“Mother endured the pain. In exchange, the duty became mine.”

“It’s not yours alone. Having laid hands on the Absolute One, the effects will last for generations. Death will cling to the killer, cursing them terribly for generations!”

The Demon King grabbed Gregory’s shoulders. His expression was earnest.

“You must leave now. You need to evacuate.”

“No. I am the warrior who must remain. Cursed by God and destined to be consumed by death, what’s the point in living?”

Gregory shook off his hand. He was the one resolved to face the end.

“I’ll take the descendants to the human realm. I’ll take responsibility for the pieces of Mother’s flesh that couldn’t be hidden. I have one important request for you.”

The warrior prepared for death couldn’t protect all traces of Mother, but he wouldn’t surrender the core. He conveyed his last wishes to the Demon King.

“If we can protect the body, we can resurrect Mother. Even if we lose the rest.”

“Gregory…”

The Demon King couldn’t hide his sorrow. He knew better than anyone that they couldn’t protect everything. In fact, he had been prepared to sacrifice himself.

“Don’t be sad. You should bless a warrior facing a great battle.”

“One can only bless with joy. How can I smile while losing a brother? My only blood relative…”

“It’s a bloodline you must now continue.”

Gregory handed over a sword. The crude blade was placed in the Demon King’s hand.

“I entrust you with the legitimate line of the Red Horns. Carry on my will.”

“Gregory.”

The Demon King bit his lip hard. His hand trembled, but he tried not to show it on his face. His red eyes were more determined than ever before.

“I will remember.”

The last Red Horn embraced the sword.

…

Consciousness rose to the surface.

“Haaah!”

Serphin gasped for breath. Having been immersed in memories for so long, his body felt strange. He staggered, unable to steady himself.

“Whoooo.”

Only after taking a deep breath could he regain his senses.

Serphin stood up.

“I need to return to the tower.”

He needed to continue Azmosa’s memories. He wanted to quickly meet Durin, who had gone to meet the noble.

“…”

But there was no need.

Everything before him was golden.

“What is this?”

A confused Serphin lowered his gaze.

He wasn’t wearing the 600-year-old style that Azmosa had worn. He was dressed in ceremonial robes that only the Demon King could wear.

He had returned as Demon King Serphin Del Istria.

“Is this… the end?”

Serphin asked cautiously. The flowing golden Milky Way remained silent.

It was waiting, just as it had been during their first meeting.

“Azmosa.”

So he called her name. Though he hadn’t yet grasped her other intentions, one thing was certain: her identity.

“I could understand Durin’s origins and the hardships he must bear.”

A descendant of demons who remained in the human realm to resist.

A warrior who lost all power for killing God and had to rise from the bottom.

A demon who, despite having Red Horns, gave up the throne and sought to resurrect God for his ancestors.

“Is Mother watching this scene too?”

-She is enduring trials alongside her descendant.

“I can feel the hardships he’s experienced by looking at the ups and downs of Durin’s life.”

-Until the moment her body was torn apart and she lost consciousness, Mother constantly worried about the child who was destined to be cursed.

He had thought the resurrection ritual would be something grand.

He expected that awakening a god would manifest with appropriate holiness and wonder, but it wasn’t like that at all.

The Mother of Night wanted resonance.

She wanted to care for the child she hadn’t seen and hear his story.

“I understand. Even I feel drawn to Durin after examining his memories together, so how curious must Mother have been?”

The moment he looked into the story hidden behind the strength, various thoughts came to mind. At the same time, curiosity bloomed. He felt a strong interest in the ritual he had entered out of mere duty.

I want to be with him.

Serphin’s soul said so.

When he placed his hand on his chest, excitement and anticipation pounded through his heart.

It seemed as if Azmosa’s past emotions still lingered, but he didn’t mind. He intended to use this opportunity to understand the demon called Durin.

“Azmosa.”

-Speak, dear King. Serphin.

“Show me the memories.”

As the king who would become the master, he wanted to share his burden.

-It seems you’re ready to accept.

“I’ve always been ready.”

-Such confidence.

Azmosa’s laughter could be heard.

-Then let’s move on.

The golden Milky Way surged.

The first memory sank, swept away by the massive flow.

What emerged next was another world.

A world where only sounds could be heard.

Screams and the clash of metal intermingled.

The familiar scent of war.

-The beginning of Istria was good. The first Demon King, Belial, took the lead and stood against Heaven.

Azmosa’s voice continued as fragmented scenes passed by.

-The legion serving the Red Horns accepted other horns for victory, and the united Demon Realm drove away the angels.

“But it wasn’t perfect.”

-After achieving a great victory against the angels, they fought over rewards based on merit. As they began to compete to elevate their honor and wealth, the rift of resentment deepened uncontrollably.

Warriors who had fought together now shouted at each other.

The northern nomads, being the core cavalry of the legion, demanded high positions, while the west claimed autonomy over the swamplands. The north and east, which had formed a deep alliance, only increased conflicts by discriminating against the southern barbarians rather than mediating.

-Eventually, an era of civil war began, and the Green Horns continued the decline of the Red Horns. Voices for self-purification rose within the Demon King’s castle, but to no avail. Demons blinded by battle no longer cared about the original purpose.

The demonic instinct for struggle had deep side effects.

They couldn’t stop. They rejoiced in killing others. With no angels to fight, they began killing their own kind.

-Durin grew explosively during this period. He was able to prove his abilities as a high-ranking demon by crushing the numerous challengers who came to the castle.

Durin the Skull Crusher.

The origin of the vulgar nickname that spread throughout the Demon King’s castle.

-Now, this is the memory you’ll delve into.

The Milky Way expanded.

The explanation was over.

It was time to approach Durin, who would be traveling with his mother.

-The Demon Realm fell into chaos after the first Demon King, Belial, died in battle. Please watch over this period when Durin was busy protecting the castle.

“You were alive during this time, I see.”

-If I weren’t, I couldn’t fulfill the role of the golden Milky Way.

Joy tinged her voice.

Azmosa was enjoying this moment of conversation.

-So please watch. My memories that I’ve kept for hundreds of years.

His vision scattered. A familiar stirring sensation was felt.

-Caldra, whom you remember, also appears during this time.

A period when the declining Istria experienced another renaissance.

If he had seen Durin’s origins in the past memory, now it was time to discover the duty he had tried to protect.

Serphin closed his eyes.

It was the beginning of another world.