Ch.197Chapter 197 – The Demon Lord and the Dragon Warrior (1)

Something clad in black armor appeared, breaking through the gate.

[But earlier, the gate should have been destroyed…]

Lumen muttered in disbelief at the being before him.

Clearly flustered, he ignored Somnus whom he had been fighting until now and raised his hand to point at the black armor.

[How… from the gate…]

“Determination.”

[What?]

“I simply forced my way through with sheer determination.”

The surroundings fell silent for a moment at such a nonchalant answer.

[You forcibly passed through a collapsing gate? Doing something like that…]

“I could have died? Is that the trivial thing you were going to say?”

The black armor interrupted Lumen.

“Who do you think I am?”

The black armor stepped forward.

“I am the Demon King.”

Blue light flashed from the gaps in the pitch-black helmet.

And in the next moment, the Demon King suddenly vanished from sight and then thrust his hand toward me.

I reflexively crossed my arms in a defensive stance.

“Ugh!”

A heavy impact struck my arms, and my body flew straight toward the wall.

I quickly twisted my body in mid-air to land on the wall with my feet, but my arms still stung a bit.

And I wasn’t the only one who suffered from that attack.

“Huh? Kyaaah!”

[Damn it!]

I saw Phobia and her dolls all being thrown against the wall after taking the same attack I did.

Somnus and Lumen seemed to have been prepared, using some kind of barrier to protect themselves, but they couldn’t prevent being thrown and ultimately flew toward the wall as well.

And in the next moment, the ceiling collapsed.

“…Huh? Where’s the succubus?”

I heard Phobia’s voice, sounding surprisingly calm despite being embedded in the wall.

I quickly looked toward where the gate had been opened earlier and saw that the succubus was gone.

Then I looked up at the ceiling and saw the black armor with large wings spread out against the dawn sky.

‘Was that an attempt to rescue the succubus?’

Looking at the Demon King tenderly embracing the succubus, I realized the attack had simply been a rescue operation.

A moment later, the Demon King glanced down at the ground.

An aura that seemed ready to explode emanated from the Demon King.

Just as a sense of danger flashed through my mind,

the Demon King began a rapid descent, accompanied by the screams of elves.

‘This is bad!’

Sera and Pine were directly above us.

A bit further away, Eve, Chris, and Beatrice were fighting against the demon army commanders.

Since I was looking through the collapsed ceiling, I couldn’t tell exactly where the Demon King had gone, but it wouldn’t be strange if anyone got attacked by him.

“Damn it!!”

I quickly flapped my wings and shot up into the sky.

At the same time, I felt something binding my body.

“Where do you think you’re going, my doll candidate!”

Phobia clung to me with a bright smile.

I tried to shake her off as I ascended, but the threads from her fingertips had firmly bound us together.

“Let go, you damn woman!”

“No way! I’ve already decided you’re mine!”

As I mentally cursed at Phobia’s response, suddenly an arrow flew from the sky.

The arrow precisely cut the threads binding me and Phobia.

“Kay, hurry and go!”

“Pine!”

Pine was shouting from beyond the collapsed ceiling, aiming her bow at Phobia.

Somehow she had noticed what was happening.

“Leave this woman to me, hurry!”

“…I’m counting on you!”

I flew past Pine, and behind me I heard something flying and something being cut.

“Move aside, elf! That one is mine!”

“Puppeteer, I’ll be your opponent!”

Glancing back briefly, I saw Phobia and Pine facing off against each other, despite the earlier attack. Phobia had somehow managed to climb up.

At the same time, I heard a loud cutting sound.

“…Sera’s golem!”

Sera’s golem, which had been fiercely battling Gigas until just now, was crumbling.

And in the Demon King’s arms, alongside the succubus from earlier, was Gigas in the form of a small child, apparently rescued directly from the golem.

With the two demons in his arms, the Demon King was staring at someone on the ground.

“…Stand aside! Woman!”

“Uwah?!!”

I saw Sera, who had been secretly trying to move Baphomet elsewhere, fall over in surprise.

The Demon King was rapidly flying toward her.

At this rate, I wouldn’t make it in time.

‘Faster…!’

I put all my strength into my wings and with one powerful flap, I was able to fly faster than before.

I managed to squeeze between them just in time.

-Clang!

“You’re not getting through, you bastard!”

I shouted as I blocked the Demon King’s sword with my halberd.

We immediately entered a power struggle, and just as I was about to try to deflect his sword upward—

“I see through it all!”

The Demon King quickly withdrew his sword, thwarting my attempt to deflect it upward, and threw a punch at me.

I blocked it with my dragon armor, but couldn’t overcome the impact, and ultimately fell from the air toward the ground.

-Boom!

“Cough!”

As I coughed slightly and tried to regain my stance, the Demon King had already landed in front of Sera.

Just as I was about to fly up again, the Demon King raised his hand in front of Sera.

“Step aside for a moment.”

“Kyaaah!”

The Demon King sent Sera flying with what seemed like a shockwave, just like before.

I quickly flew to catch her.

“Are you alright?”

“Ah, yes!”

Fortunately, Sera didn’t seem to be seriously injured.

While I was setting her down with slight relief, the Demon King cut the ropes binding Baphomet with his sword.

With a clean sound, the restraints binding Baphomet were severed, and I saw the Demon King, who had been holding the two demons with one hand all this time, hand them over to Baphomet.

“My lord!”

Baphomet approached the Demon King with a brightened expression, carrying the two demons.

The Demon King, without even looking at Baphomet, raised his sword.

“To all forces of the Demon King’s army!”

His words, infused with magical power, spread across the battlefield.

The remaining demon army troops momentarily stopped their movements and looked at the Demon King.

“All forces, retreat!! I shall personally cover the rear!”

As soon as the Demon King finished speaking, all the demons began to withdraw at once.

Baphomet approached the Demon King.

“My lord, I…!”

“You withdraw as well. I will personally hold off the enemy.”

“My lord!”

“I will not hear any objections.”

With those final words, the Demon King took flight again.

And I saw him trying to dive into the midst of the elves.

-Clang!

“Move aside!”

“You shall not pass!”

I blocked the Demon King’s sword with all my might.

“If you insist on blocking me, I’ll cut you down!”

The Demon King raised his sword and tried to slash me at high speed.

Having anticipated this, I jumped back slightly to evade the attack, and the Demon King lowered his stance and charged at me.

-Clang! Clash!

I kept blocking the Demon King’s sword by switching between weapons, and when I saw a momentary opening, I slashed at him with my halberd.

Of course, the Demon King evaded my attack by jumping backward, just as I had done.

And before I could continue my attack, the Demon King’s assault began again.

‘So fast…!’

His sword was too quick.

If I thought it was half a breath faster, two attacks were already coming at me, and if I barely blocked those, three more attacks were on their way.

It was difficult to properly respond to the Demon King’s speed.

I tried to parry each strike and keep up, but soon reached my limit and had to change tactics—only deflecting fatal attacks and taking the rest on my body.

‘If it weren’t for the dragon’s power, I would have been cut down long ago.’

The Demon King’s sword left scratches and cracks in my armor, but fortunately nothing more.

Fast, but attacks at a level that could be withstood with dragon armor.

As long as I didn’t allow any fatal hits, I wouldn’t be incapacitated.

I continued to face the Demon King through several exchanges of offense and defense.

I tenaciously fought against him even as my armor was being cut.

“…Persistent!”

I smiled slightly at the Demon King’s voice as he continued to face me.

If I stick to him like this, the Demon King won’t be able to ignore me and go elsewhere.

Assuming he has no way to destroy my armor, that is.

‘It’s strange that he hasn’t tried to break my armor despite all this back and forth.’

The Demon King was just swinging his sword quickly, showing no signs of launching an attack with greater power.

‘Come to think of it, earlier he only sent out shockwaves.’

Even though he could cause multiple casualties if he used powerful magic.

There’s a minuscule chance the Demon King might be a pacifist, but there’s no need to make things difficult by leaving the possibility for the opponent to attack again.

‘…Is he unable to launch a major attack?’

Perhaps the Demon King can display that flashy swordsmanship, but is struggling to do anything beyond that.

‘Did he injure himself somewhere while forcibly crossing through the gate?’

“Cough!”

As if confirming my thoughts, the Demon King suddenly coughed and retreated.

At the same time, blood flowed from the gap in his helmet, and he seemed uncomfortable, clutching his waist with one hand.

“You’re injured, forcing yourself to fight while enduring it?”

“…Think what you will.”

The Demon King shook his head slightly as if unwilling to admit defeat.

“…In this state, I still have no problem facing you.”

The Demon King approached me again, swinging his sword, and I too changed my weapon to a sword to block his attack.

-Clang!

Once more, the Demon King began his sword dance, and I followed it, deflecting, blocking, and receiving his attacks.

Despite his injured state, the Demon King’s sword was sharp and fast.

‘If this is him at less than full strength…’

If he had come out at full capacity, I would have been dead long ago.

“…I wonder if I’ll lose.”

I muttered quietly while blocking the Demon King’s sword.

I fought tenaciously, matching his sword dance, following it, and taking hits.

“Cough!”

The Demon King retreated once more, coughing up blood.

And as if to fill that gap, he swung his sword widely, and I too swung my sword in response.

-Screech

The holy relic made a friction sound as it received the Demon King’s sword.

Thus began a test of strength, a battle of pushing and pulling swords.

“…To be held back this much by a swordsman who hasn’t reached ‘the realm,’ I didn’t expect this.”

“I’m not a swordsman though.”

I said as I stepped back slightly, letting his sword slide off, then changed my weapon to a spear and threw it.

The Demon King deflected the spear with his sword, and I charged forward, swinging my fist at him.

While the Demon King caught my fist, the holy relic returned to my hand, and I changed it to an axe and swung it, which the Demon King blocked with his armor.

As the Demon King tried to counterattack, I dodged by stepping back slightly, and immediately changed my weapon to a sword and swung it, causing the Demon King to jump back again.

And I heard the Demon King laugh.

“Indeed. With so many weapons at your disposal, I can’t simply call you a swordsman.”

Though his voice was a bit weak from coughing up blood earlier, there was a sense that he was enjoying this.

“What a shame. Truly a shame.”

The Demon King said as he stepped back.

“Your speed in keeping up with my sword dance, it’s a pity.”

“What are you trying to say?”

“I’m saying it would be a waste to cut you down here.”

The Demon King pointed his sword at me.

“State your name, warrior of the dragon.”

With blue eyes glowing fiercely through the gaps in his helmet, the Demon King asked for my name.

“Kay.”

“Not your real name, I presume.”

How did he know?

The Demon King nodded while saying so.

But he didn’t seem to mind much as he continued while pointing his sword.

“Before we fight in earnest, let me ask you, dragon warrior Kay.”

After a brief pause, the Demon King continued.

“Would you perhaps consider working under me?”

“…You’re asking me to join the Demon King’s army in this situation?”

“If not now, I don’t think I’ll have another chance to offer it to you.”

The Demon King’s confident words echoed.

I should respond firmly.

“I don’t do double contracts.”

It was a contract I couldn’t accept in the first place.

Despite my firm rejection, the Demon King asked in a gentle voice, as if he had anticipated it.

“Won’t you reconsider just this once? I’ll provide whatever you desire.”

“Not interested.”

At my answer, the Demon King’s wings drooped slightly, as if a bit deflated.

“What a shame.”

There was a hint of sadness in his words.

But that was only momentary; the Demon King straightened his posture and said:

“Since you’ve rejected my offer, I have no reason to go easy on you anymore.”

Thinking there was no more room for negotiation, the Demon King abandoned his offer.

Instead, he quietly raised his sword and said:

“I am the Demon King.”

A cold, sharp voice flowed from within the armor.

“Demon King is a title given to the strongest in the demon realm.”

The Demon King pointed at me while lightly swinging his sword.

“Defeating me means being the strongest in the demon realm. If you defeat me…”

“You talk too much.”

I said quietly while aiming my weapon.

“Come at me, Demon King.”

At my words, the Demon King seemed frozen for a moment.

But a sound like laughter was heard from the gaps in his armor.

“I stand corrected.”

The Demon King pointed his sword at me.

“Here I come.”

A very brief statement.

As soon as those words ended, the Demon King and I swung our weapons at each other.