Ch.207207. The Original

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Death has been a constant companion, a crisis I’ve overcome countless times.

Considering that, I should be able to brush this off like it’s nothing.

“…”

Ah.

It fucking hurts.

I look down at my body while gasping for breath.

My entire body has been sliced and diced, practically minced. This is the result of trying to hold out alone after ‘sending’ Elia ahead.

[I wonder if you really need to be this stubborn.]

“…”

I just sigh without answering.

No, I have no choice.

Neither Elia nor I have the specs to defeat that thing, and it’s more likely to succeed if I send him ahead first and then negotiate myself.

In that sense, while Elia negotiates with Faynol up ahead, I need to buy as much time as possible…

“…Calivan.”

[What.]

“How many minutes have passed?”

[2 minutes.]

“…”

That’s all?

It feels like we’ve been fighting for quite a while, but only a moment has passed.

I knew beforehand, but Hell Guard is an incredibly powerful opponent.

Even within Pandemonium, he’s nearly unmatched in close combat.

-!

Another exchange of blows.

I gave the Holy Sword to Elia, so all I have left is a spare sword and the Infinity Gauntlet I brought from the Tribal Union.

-!!!!

The Hell Guard’s sword slides across the surface of the gauntlet I’m wearing.

It’s a piece of equipment with near-perfect performance and all sorts of special effects attached to it, but it’s not very effective against this opponent.

Hell Guard’s strength can be summarized in one way.

It’s an incredibly simple advantage, but one that can directly counter all the means I have.

Transcendent specs.

Fast, strong, and solid.

Even with my EX-level Desperate Situation buff active, I can barely keep up.

-!

-!!

My body flies back from a single blow and rolls across the ground again. Usually, it’s the opponent who collides with Desperate Situation that ends up like this, but against this guy, nothing works.

Despite learning magic and raising my stats significantly compared to before, I’m no match for him. It’s like hitting a rock with an egg.

Most of the guys who got destroyed by me with a single blow probably felt like this. Is this what it means to walk in someone else’s shoes?

Even facing him in perfect condition, I couldn’t manage victory or even survival properly. In this state, continuing the fight is pure torture.

“…Haah.”

I sigh and try to recompose myself.

“…”

It hurts.

It really hurts.

I’ve experienced pain countless times, but I’ve been abusing one of this world’s top holy artifacts through what amounts to a loophole. The burden can’t be light.

In that condition, facing such an enemy and fighting for so long, my body can’t possibly be intact.

Still, not yet.

It’s not over yet.

Because I still have things to do.

[…I agree you have things left to do.]

From within the Soul Linker, those words suddenly flew at me.

[But can you continue in this state? It doesn’t seem like you can do it alone.]

“…”

But I have to do it alone.

I can’t ask others for help.

[Is there really no one who can help you?]

Well, who?

The Demonic Vessels?

I can’t expect help from them.

If I put them at risk around here, who knows what unexpected variables might occur. I need to handle everything myself so that—

[Call them by their names.]

“…What?”

[You, at some point, started referring to them only as ‘Demonic Vessels’.]

“…”

[The Tristan Duchess, the Tribal Chief’s daughter, the Holy Empire’s assassin, the socially awkward homunculus… they’re all human beings with their own personalities. They’re not just ‘subjects’ you need to protect.]

“…”

[If you forget their essence because you’re so focused on protecting them, that’s putting the cart before the horse. You know?]

I stare blankly at the Soul Linker.

[Do you know what was the hardest thing when I rose to the position of commanding all the Guardians?]

“…What?”

Hearing this sudden question, I blankly ask back, and Calivan continues with a slight smile.

[When you select people with clear minds and talents who fight for the grand goal of justice, they often make a common mistake.]

“What are you suddenly talking about…”

[They perceive everyone around them as someone they must protect.]

Calivan said with a smirk.

[But that’s actually incredibly arrogant. It’s looking down on everyone around you as if they’re beneath you.]

“…”

I don’t understand what he’s saying.

I stare blankly at the Soul Linker with that thought.

[Don’t try to do everything alone, idiot. People aren’t fools dancing in the palm of your hand.]

“…”

[Just as much as you want to protect them, they surely cherish you too.]

And just as Calivan says that.

“…You.”

Before my eyes.

A familiar ‘energy’ rises.

“You’re doing this alone again.”

It was definitely a voice I never expected to hear here.

●

Few in Pandemonium know its true name.

That’s because it was previously just a creature existing at the very bottom of Pandemonium.

Filth and

Yet that tiny

“Admiration” for the lords.

The seven lords who rule Pandemonium. The celestial realm behind the veil, the mirror world where spirits dwell, the material world overflowing with abundant life. The absolute rulers of all dimensions that none dare approach.

During the “eclipse” that visits Pandemonium once every cycle, the colors of all those lords spread throughout Pandemonium.

Even in that colorless world of survival of the fittest, everyone loses themselves watching that sight on that day.

And among them.

There are bound to be lower demons who, having their hearts and souls completely stolen by that sight, vow to reach near them.

Of course, most end with just a vow. Blocked by the wall of reality, they return to nameless ashes and disappear from history.

But, occasionally.

Breaking through that thread-thin probability.

There are bound to be individuals who become abnormally strong.

Through a thorough history of predation.

Surviving tenaciously, devouring, growing stronger, pushing themselves to the limit to grow.

With such miraculous possibilities overlapping, the final evolutionary stage that the most lowly creature of Pandemonium can reach is the being now called Hell Guard.

That hell’s “guard,” breathing sulfurous breath, sheathed his sword.

Before him was a man, mangled by his sword, taking shallow breaths.

-…

In truth, it would be fair to say he was quite annoyed.

How dare.

How dare such a fragile human possess the aura of lords who should be worshipped.

A door to the material world suddenly opened, and that

This man would never know what hardships he had endured to reach such energy.

-…

I’ll kill you.

I’ll devour you and erase your very existence from this world.

That’s what he was thinking.

Until someone blocked his path.

“You’re doing this alone again.”

And as soon as he saw who was blocking his path.

Hell Guard was left speechless.

-…!

Gray.

The strongest of all lords.

A woman carrying the aura of such a being was blocking his path as he was about to lunge at the fallen man.

The small woman quietly glaring at him beside her also emanated the aura of a lord.

The White Lord.

And that’s not all.

There were other humans rushing in behind them.

“Hey, you! Are you okay? You’re completely beaten up…!”

“Senior! My goodness, this needs immediate treatment…!”

Blue, Violet.

Two more lord auras.

As the human carrying the Blue Lord’s energy glared at the human carrying the Violet energy, Hell Guard staggered in shock.

“…Hey. Animal girl. What’s with the ‘senior’ thing? Are you deliberately acting cute?”

“I call him that because he’s a second-year cadet. Got a problem with that? Or are you just a pitiful woman with zero confidence in romantic relationships, so you’re overly sensitive about everything related to senior—”

He couldn’t grasp all the context precisely.

But he could clearly tell that the two lords there were ‘worried’ about the fallen men, and ‘checking’ each other.

As if both of them were competing to ‘monopolize’ that man.

As if they harbored very deep affection.

-…

And as soon as he saw that sight.

Hell Guard’s anger whitened his mind.

He.

He, in order to receive even a single glance from them. Just to stand near them. To serve them faithfully.

He had endlessly killed, devoured, walked a path stained with terrible battles and blood in that hell, and finally became this strong.

And that damned guy, what the hell did he do to monopolize their favor as easily as breathing…!

-…!

As he trembled with a rage he had never experienced in his life, someone else stepped forward.

“Are you the one who did this to Darwood?”

The Gray Lord.

The master of Pandemonium’s pantheon.

The woman carrying such an aura spoke in a measured voice and drew her sword.

Beside her, the woman carrying the White Lord’s aura was quietly doing the same.

“What? Are you two trying to have all the fun?”

“…As expected of someone with barbarian origins, whenever there’s a chance to beat someone up—”

“Shut up, beast girl.”

Following them, Violet and Blue joined in.

They all clearly intended to deal with him for injuring that man.

-…

Hell Guard.

The guard of the hell lords. One of the most powerful beings in Pandemonium.

A being who had devoted himself to reaching them for what felt like an eternity.

He was now.

About to be directly lynched by the beings he served, all because he messed with the wrong man.

-…

Perhaps, if he could speak human language.

He would have muttered harsh curses in despair.

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