Ch.22674. To You, Because I Can Make a Request (3)

“I’m not in a good mood.”

In a distant past.

Once, he was also called a god of war.

Now, he was a god of war in the true sense, and also the only legion commander of the demon realm.

For him, who had stolen the status and prestige of a god and was on the verge of reaching the pinnacle of demonkind, even falling into such trivial worries brought waves of festering boredom.

“It doesn’t matter.”

In the past, he would have gone on a rampage immediately.

But now? He wondered if there was any point.

When situations change, and circumstances shift.

Everything changes accordingly.

“Hmm.”

Perhaps that’s why.

He newly formed a throne composed of blackened skulls and settled himself there.

Carefully examining the members of the demon realm pouring through the dimensional gate, he commanded them.

Whether they rampage, die, or struggle.

Do as you please.

“A collection of insignificant beings.”

He was merely an uninvited guest here anyway.

No matter how hard he tried, some form of restraint would act upon him.

Great power always comes with proportionate unreasonableness.

He had walked the earth his entire life with such absurd shackles binding his ankles.

“Look at that.”

Just as that thought crossed his mind, gray dust accumulated from the void, spreading and expanding until it formed an army of hundreds of immortal soldiers.

From skeletal figures to those with intact flesh and skin.

Various beings donned their armor and weapons, clashing with the members of the demon realm as soon as they descended.

“Einherjar. Yes. This is why the world is never boring. Look at how even the forgotten things emerge. What a spectacle they’re making.”

Even a mere plant will struggle to survive when its branches are broken and leaves are torn.

Not to mention insects and beasts.

“The world has always been like this.”

To it, territories turning to ashes and thousands of lives being destroyed.

Such things mean nothing.

But when there’s an intuition that the world itself will perish.

It will struggle in whatever way it can.

So this place where we stand, this world, is ultimately like a living, breathing organism.

Those narrow-minded followers of the Irenis faith who prattle on about stones having no souls and insects and beasts having no souls are truly idiots and fools.

They make reckless judgments with arrogance and stubbornness without knowing anything.

“But is that really important?”

Over there sits a being who was once a demon king but is now something even more bizarre.

So the World Tree ultimately chose to adopt that pathetic woman after seeing that.

“One must be at least that level… to burn the Great Tree? How fascinating. And also contemptible.”

Kuh! I’m neither a poet nor a stage actor, yet I’m talking to myself. I must be in quite a state.

“……”

Try your best.

After all, all of this is merely part of the plan and design.

====

“Who are they?”

The Queen, tracking the beings gradually forming from beyond her field of vision, opened her eyes wide.

As if to confront the surging demon forces.

No, let me correct that. The situation was completely opposite.

They were unilaterally crushing, destroying everything that emerged from the demon realm.

“Undead?”

While an elven archer muttered vaguely.

“……”

Alesia was catching her breath, overwhelmed.

Among those still intact within the contaminated area, there were only the barbarian warriors created from the sword.

Thanks to them forming a barrier with their bodies, they could breathe a little easier.

“We may have caught a breather, but… that’s not what’s important.”

Diares then nodded toward the rear.

Over there.

The dimensional gate from which demons were pouring out was problematic enough.

But that being who suddenly descended before the World Tree… was truly something from another dimension.

The elves sensitive to divinity and the spirits summoned from them.

The saint Alesia and the Elven Queen.

And Diares, the Southern Guardian, were almost suffocating from the burden and pressure that made them feel like they were plummeting endlessly due to that presence.

Even though that pitch-black being sitting on that dreadful throne far away was also something of a different caliber.

The presence from the rear made that being seem like a mere firefly in comparison.

“But with our current forces, to assist Kariel…”

Just stepping outside the barrier formed by Alesia would mean that neither Diares nor the Queen could exert even half of their abilities and skills.

And it’s not like Alesia could move around with the barrier intact.

The most serious issue was…

…that all subsequent reinforcements and support would be rendered useless.

In fact, not just this area, but even the outside had become dangerous.

“Your Majesty. How is the situation developing? You didn’t give any indication that the situation would be this serious.”

“……”

What could the Queen say?

She could only hold onto the thread of reason as much as possible to avoid wavering.

That’s when it happened.

Caw!

A crow broke through the barrier and made its way inside.

After circling around a few times, it flapped its wings and settled on Alesia’s shoulder.

“……”

The crow seemed to say something, and shortly after, it flew to the vicinity of the Queen.

[At Kariel’s request, I will briefly convey the situation outside.]

Whether she should be impressed by this or anxious about another concern.

The Queen, with her eyes half-open, fell into brief contemplation.

====

“Captain.”

When Delica turned her head, Cain was already standing behind her.

“What… is happening here?”

Though it had become difficult to read his complexion since becoming a demon.

Cain was clearly unable to hide his bewilderment now.

“Were you… forcibly sent back after being defeated?”

“No. I couldn’t even be sent back… I was finished.”

Because one ridiculous elf had ended him in an instant.

“Then…”

Is it the same as herself?

Raising her head to look up, there…

“I’ve been wanting to ask, is that an… angel? But why does our lord look like that?”

“……”

She didn’t know.

She could only vaguely guess that her suicide had somehow provided a catalyst that led directly to this situation.

“And look over there.”

As she turned to where Cain was pointing, though not clearly visible, the sight of an area being contaminated and the entire surroundings being demonized naturally caught her eye.

“In this state, perhaps… the situation has already been resolved…”

“……”

It wasn’t easy to continue speaking.

The tide had turned in an instant.

Truly like a miracle.

“……”

Amidst all this, as she casually turned her gaze.

There, he stood.

The one who had driven Lutesia into a corner.

‘Kariel.’

Delica had an intuition.

Moreover, she had directly overheard part of their conversation.

Meanwhile, he was holding up a long spear from somewhere.

At that moment.

Boom!

Boom!

Women with pure white wings, clad in silvery armor, descended from the sky near him.

“……”

As if he had been waiting, he handed the spear to one of them.

On the flag was the image of a bird composed of curved lines, as if entering something like a sun.

That peculiar flag with golden patterns drawn on a dark green leather surface.

Even on parts of the spear that seemed to be overlaid with bronze, there were unknown languages engraved.

The women who reverently received it flew again, streaking through the void.

“Valkyrja?”

Cain, or more precisely, the ram’s head that seemed to be inside Cain’s shadow, rattled and made a fuss.

Angels and reapers who collect warriors.

“Are you talking about Valkyries?”

Delica roughly understood and responded to the ram’s head’s words.

But then her gaze suddenly shifted elsewhere.

“When did…?”

Warriors of invincible might, who had emerged from somewhere, began to drive back the forces originating from the demon realm.

“Huh.”

Cain let out a hollow laugh with a pale face, as if dumbfounded.

“That side… truly, it’s impossible to even guess the extent of their resources.”

And even that wasn’t the end.

Suddenly, a wooden statue rose up next to Kariel.

Simultaneously.

Part of the surrounding area that had been demonized due to contamination transformed into another realm, as if being washed away.

“…What is this?”

“……”

Divine power? Divine arts? Barrier?

It was something completely different.

The fact that Cain was fine indicated that it had nothing to do with divine power.

“What’s happening here?”

For Cain, who had just awakened, this rapidly unfolding development was bound to be confusing.

Moreover.

“Kyaaah! No! I don’t want to come out here! It’s the realm of the ancient god! The detestable guardian deity of the old gods!”

The demons hiding in Cain’s shadow were greatly agitated.

‘Guardian deity?’

The only change was the appearance of that wooden statue.

Observing it carefully, it resembled a square pillar obelisk, though small in size.

From the bottom to the middle part, a long snake seemed to wrap around the four-sided obelisk as if gripping it.

…At the top of the tower, a delicate statue resembling a goddess of the old era was seated, lightly holding a spear and shield.

One of the struggling demons shouted in a scream-like voice.

“I remember! That’s the Palladium! Athena’s realm guardian statue!”

“……”

Athena? Palladium?

She had no idea.

“…You must mean Athena.”

Unlike Cain, Delica seemed to recall something and barely uttered the name.

“Then what about the Palladium?”

“I don’t know that far.”

Regardless, there must be a connection.

Judging by how the demons were having seizures, it must be something that repels or drives away demonic entities.

But why did it emerge here and now?

Then, with a sudden thought, Delica turned her head.

“If that’s the case…”

Just then, the Valkyrie who had received the spear from him suddenly fell to the ground and thrust the spear deep into the surface.

This caused another change in that area.

A deep green hue began to blend over the red contaminated zone.

It wasn’t an illusion.

As the realm expanded, the demons became subdued, while the momentum and movements of the emerging warriors grew even more vigorous and fierce.

“Yes. Now I’m starting to understand.”

Both Cain and Delica roughly comprehended.

The difference between the demon realm and the middle realm is ultimately a matter of which power holds sovereignty and dominance.

If the demon realm is dominated by demonic power, the middle realm is dominated by what is called mana.

However, now, those have been altered.

The essence of mana is certainly the same.

But its attributes, qualities, and nature have partially changed.

For instance, this area where the obelisk statue called the Palladium has risen…

‘Aither, wasn’t it?’

In the Krik era, they didn’t call it mana, and there were various expressions for it.

She had heard that they expressed its power and origin with that term, modeled after the sky god.

Later called ether, it was a term used before mana or as an alternative to mana in some regions.

Some familiar old expressions probably originated from there.

And over there.

Where the Valkyrie thrust the spear and declared a new realm…

“It’s similar.”

A realm infinitely similar to the middle realm, yet different.

Those belonging to the middle realm probably wouldn’t feel any discomfort.

In fact, the elven groups who had been maintaining divine barriers were now removing them.

‘Yes. For elves and those races… yes. There shouldn’t be any issues. It should be effective.’

However, for members of the demon realm, it would mean the opposite realm.

The fundamental reason why the demon realm and the middle realm couldn’t merge was that the air was different, the atmosphere was different.

And the primary power they wielded was completely opposite.

The greatest enemy to the Demon King’s army’s failed invasion wasn’t the hero, the vast land, or the intricate terrain.

It was simply the world itself.

“……”

Even so, there’s no need to be anxious.

Even with that, the tide hasn’t completely turned yet.

Although they’ve deployed countermeasures to transform the realm, it’s still just a part of the whole.

Lutesia.

Her presence still governed the entire world visible to the eye.

‘In terms of war…’

This is merely a step where they’ve reorganized their formation, regained their momentum, and sorted out their camp.

But just by reorganizing a confused army.

The situation has been flipped 180 degrees.

From a fate of being mercilessly trampled and killed.

They’ve gained another opportunity to at least counterattack.

“……”

All because of that man.

The dark and black one.

Kariel approached gradually, leaning on a familiar wooden staff in his left hand.

I see. Lævateinn… has gone into his hands.

As he approached, dragging his pitch-black cloak, he alternately gazed at Delica’s group and Lutesia.

And to his side.

“…Is this really okay?”

Mines, she joined him.

“Leave it to him.”

Kariel briefly dismissed Mines’ concern.

“At least now, the situation is different from before.”

GRRRRRR-!!!

With a roar more dramatic than thunder.

The pure white giant, now transformed into a pitch-black giant, violently tore off the body of the wooden monster.

It was definitely different from before.

As it was ripped from the World Tree, its massive body flew through the air like a hollow log.

Boom!

The impact sound that shattered the ground with its mass alone was neither a signal, a warning, a urging, nor a call, but.

It spread a tiny ripple across the rapidly advancing battlefield.

Also.

-…

Lutesia, who had been blankly staring into the void.

She came to look down upon the world with her eyes fully open.

And in those eyes of hers.

…The pitch-black, ominous, great and ruthless tyrant and.

The youth, dark and shadowy, yet brilliant with a pair of golden flashes.

Both were deeply engraved in her radiant red and golden, blood-colored eyes.