Ch.188The Demon King. (4)
by fnovelpia
CLANG!
A collision of forces.
Asmodeus and Kiel vanish from their spots, creating dozens of sparks.
Thud-thud-thud-thud-thud!
‘…I won’t be able to hold out much longer.’
Kiel’s eyes narrowed as he blocked Asmodeus’s attack. The Demon Lord’s demonic energy was on a completely different level from other demons. Just standing nearby gave the illusion that one’s body was burning up.
If his body felt this way, what about his sword that was directly clashing with Asmodeus?
Despite concentrating his aura to its maximum, it was literally melting away.
Kiel made a quick decision.
The moment Asmodeus teleported right in front of him.
Without hesitation, Kiel threw his greatsword. Asmodeus tilted his head to avoid Kiel’s attack.
“…?”
A swordsman throwing away his sword? As confusion filled Asmodeus’s eyes, Kiel’s hand emerged from behind his back. Before his hand was fully drawn, Asmodeus spotted the weapon in Kiel’s grip.
It was a type of sword he had never seen before. A blade emitting brilliant light. Not simply aura pulled out and shaped into a sword form. It radiated a power incomparably greater than such crude creations.
“Oh?”
Asmodeus couldn’t help but exclaim. At first, he thought Kiel was just a human who didn’t know his place, but now it seemed otherwise.
He’s strong. Neither Baphomet, who ranked 4th, nor even Agares, who ranked 3rd, would be a match for this human.
‘If I hadn’t become a Demon Lord, this would have been troublesome.’
Whoosh! Asmodeus’s body was engulfed in crimson flames. The flames created from the Demon Lord’s energy formed into an elongated sword. Asmodeus gripped the newly manifested weapon.
“How did you know I prefer close combat?”
“…”
Kiel narrowed his eyes at Asmodeus’s appearance.
While demons are known for their lies, Kiel realized the truth the moment he saw Asmodeus’s stance.
That wasn’t the stance of someone who had only held a sword for a day or two.
The moment Asmodeus held the sword, his aura began to change. If before it was like a relentless storm, now it was…
‘Much sharper.’
Does he prioritize speed over power?
“You’re thinking too much?”
Whoosh!
While Kiel was making his assessment, Asmodeus dove in instantly and smiled.
“Like this, your openings are exposed.”
Kiel let out a shocked cry at the speed that far exceeded his expectations, but his body reacted mechanically.
Clang…!
Blade met blade.
Asmodeus’s other hand swung toward Kiel’s chest.
An attack perfectly aimed at the vulnerability, considering the greatsword was a two-handed weapon.
But Olivia wasn’t just watching from behind.
Using Blink in succession, she grabbed Kiel by the nape and pushed him back, then surrounded her body with electricity to deflect Asmodeus’s attack.
Olivia immediately distanced herself from Asmodeus. Anticipating this, Asmodeus quickly approached Olivia.
The distance closed in an instant.
Olivia’s intuition derived the best answer in this extreme situation. If she kept dodging like this, she would soon be caught. So even at the risk, she dove in instead.
She couldn’t focus solely on the sword. Asmodeus was a demon who could switch attack methods at any time. It wouldn’t be strange if he suddenly changed his weapon to his fists.
Crackle…!
Lightning energy rotated around Olivia. There was no need to extend her hand.
The surrounding magical energy was under Olivia’s control. All magic was her sword and shield.
Lightning swirled and condensed around her.
[Kuooo…!]
[Screech, screech…!]
The sight of demons writhing and screaming in pain as their flesh was crushed by the mere concentration of mana.
At close range where she could hear her opponent’s breath, Olivia used Blink repeatedly to flip her body’s direction, moved behind Asmodeus, and grabbed his head.
Thud.
“Shall we make a bet?”
Crackle…!
The lightning energy she had been concentrating fiercely writhed around Olivia’s hand.
“Whether my magic runs out first, or your regeneration stops first.”
“…!!!”
Just as Asmodeus’s eyes widened.
CRASH!
Countless lightning bolts poured from the sky, striking Asmodeus’s body and creating shockwaves.
The overwhelming impact drove Asmodeus’s form straight into the ground.
BOOM!
Lightning should normally dissipate upon touching the ground, but the magic imbued with Olivia’s will easily ignored such laws.
‘This isn’t enough.’
Olivia frowned as she detected demonic energy stirring deep underground.
‘Why the hell did that bastard suddenly become a Demon Lord?’
According to the original plan, she should have already eliminated the Demon Lord and been reorganizing the army, but because Asmodeus had ascended to Demon Lord, all plans were thrown into disarray.
Originally, Demon Lords possessed regenerative abilities that made them nearly immortal, but Asmodeus had gone a step further to become truly immortal.
Just one character difference, but the gap was enormous.
Asmodeus, the embodiment of immortality, would revive endlessly as long as he desired.
“…”
The lightning that had been furiously penetrating the ground suddenly stopped advancing. Then at some point.
Crackle…!
It overflowed.
Lightning corrupted by darkness surged in the opposite direction, trying to devour Olivia.
Demonic energy so terrible it could now corrupt an opponent’s magic, beyond simply eroding objects.
Roar…!
But instead of dodging the lightning Asmodeus had shot, Olivia summoned the Ancient Staff and froze the lightning itself.
Crackle!
A massive ice pillar appeared in the middle of the battlefield. The black lightning sealed inside writhed like a living creature.
But only for a moment.
CRASH!
The ice pillar, unable to withstand even for an instant, shattered, and Asmodeus emerged from beneath.
But rather than being surprised, Olivia twisted cold energy like a pretzel.
Sharply processed ice essences shot forward.
Splash!
Blood gushed as Asmodeus’s forehead was pierced, but that was all.
Instead, Asmodeus deliberately stuck his finger into the hole and smiled broadly.
“Do you think you can win the bet?”
Crack!
Instead of answering, Olivia once again pierced Asmodeus’s head with ice essence.
“Hmm… I don’t like women who play hard to get.”
She brushed back her hair as if nothing had happened and slowly approached.
“Give up. It’s absolutely impossible for you to win anyway.”
“Why do you think that?”
“Just as you have the Goddess of Light, we demons also have a god.”
Asmodeus’s lips curled into a sneer.
“The Demon God will soon descend upon this world.”
As if in ecstasy, she grabbed her own shoulders with both arms.
“When He descends, you’ll realize I was the better option. Humans will be crushed like insects, and non-believers will suffer eternally without even being granted death.”
“That doesn’t seem much different from what you’re doing now.”
“Hehe… you think so?”
“But one thing is clear.”
Olivia’s gaze at Asmodeus was filled with mockery. A sneer filled with certainty that the other knew nothing.
“At least… I know more about the Demon God than you do.”
“Really? On what grounds…?”
“For starters, you’ve never even met the Demon God. Despite living as a Greater Demon for thousands of years.”
“…”
Having hit the mark, Asmodeus’s eyes wavered slightly. Olivia didn’t give Asmodeus a chance to speak.
“But I have met Him.”
“…”
“You know it. From the moment you offered me as a sacrifice to summon the Demon God, it was inevitable that the Demon God and I would meet.”
Olivia said this with a smile.
“Here’s a question. Why… did I wake up instead of the Demon God?”
A long silence followed.
Asmodeus, as always, lifted the corners of her mouth.
However.
Her eyes were not smiling.
“From that point on, you should be careful with your words.”
“Why? What difference would it make?”
A sharp sneer spread across Olivia’s lips.
It wasn’t as if they had been holding back until now. Once they had both decided to kill each other, sparing a few words wouldn’t change anything.
And above all.
“You don’t even truly worship the Demon God.”
“…”
In the silence, Asmodeus’s body shook violently.
Not from anger.
Rather, it was closer to having been hit right on the mark.
“Heh, ahah, uhahahahah!”
Even amid the lightning storm, Asmodeus’s laughter echoed in the sky.
“Haah…”
After laughing for a while, Asmodeus stared intently at Olivia.
“You… you keep breaking my expectations. How did you know?”
Olivia also smiled as she spoke.
“Curious?”
Asmodeus nodded.
“Then defeat us.”
Us? As confusion filled Asmodeus’s eyes at that moment.
Slash…!
With a cutting sound, her vision flipped.
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