Ch.232231. Too Late

# 231. Too Late

Michael.

A name I knew.

Of course, even if it wasn’t me specifically, anyone with intelligence would likely know that name.

He was one of the angels who led human society to prosperity and is now even worshipped as a god.

Yet for some reason, that name had just spilled from Bael’s lips.

Along with words of contempt, calling him “foolish.”

Normally, not just those who worship Michael as a god, but even ordinary people like me would have rebuked such a statement.

But this time, everyone remained silent, and even I couldn’t bring myself to say anything.

“Where did that clever mouth of yours go? Can’t say a word now?”

“…”

“Well, I suppose you can’t help it.”

Truly… I really couldn’t utter a single word.

Instead of unnecessary talk, I quickly assessed him.

‘Where should I aim…?’

His spear was neither too long nor too short, allowing it to cover almost any range.

Moreover, its basic qualities as a weapon—hardness and sharpness—far surpassed my sword.

The only fortunate thing was Bael’s Abyss, the identity of that golden energy that briefly appeared when he swung his spear earlier.

That Abyss seemed shallower than mine.

While I had spent my entire life exploring others’ Abysses without rest, Bael didn’t give off that impression.

‘I don’t know exactly, but…’

Perhaps he was similar to me until he became Emperor, but afterward, he seemed to have diverged significantly.

And demons rarely have reason to explore others’ Abysses.

Unless it’s a situation like today, it’s fair to say they almost never do.

‘But… that’s the only advantage I have.’

Just that one thing.

In every other aspect, I was at a disadvantage.

“Certainly, it’s natural to feel that way given the circumstances. Don’t blame yourself too much.”

Bael spoke those words as his footsteps remained infinitely calm.

As he gradually approached, I immediately changed my sword’s form to a dagger.

Seeing this, Bael gave a faint smile.

“Are you planning to run away?”

“…”

If I didn’t, I really felt like I would die.

Even if I could withstand one attack, anything beyond that would be truly dangerous.

Moreover, I didn’t have much strength left.

Yet even in that situation, I couldn’t move my feet to flee.

Instead of running away, I quickly positioned myself in front of her.

“Really… that’s playing dirty, isn’t it?”

“That’s rich coming from you, don’t you think?”

As soon as I prepared to escape, Bael changed his target.

While it was certainly what he had to do, from my perspective, it was incredibly unfair.

“By the way, immediately changing your stance and standing in front of this one… she must be quite important to you, hm?”

“So what if she is?”

“Be careful, because if you make a mistake, that woman behind you might end up dead.”

Bael shouted as he lightly swung his spear.

“This one doesn’t know how to control his power yet!!”

***

-Whoosh! BOOM BOOM BOOM!!!-

A brilliant light appeared with a powerful shockwave that shook heaven and earth.

That light engulfed everyone on the battlefield.

“Ugh..!”

From the magical shockwave earlier to the light just now…

Everyone on the battlefield couldn’t help but focus their attention on these phenomena.

“What… what was that?!”

Ellin blurted out the question, looking at Luna in front of her.

However, Luna was just as bewildered as Ellin.

“I… I don’t know? What could it be?”

“Shouldn’t we go check it out…?!”

But unlike the two of them, there was one person maintaining a calm demeanor.

Riel, who still had her gun aimed at the enemy despite what had happened, spoke to them through the radio.

“Focus. The front line is collapsing.”

“But… shouldn’t we go see…”

“Even if we went, we’d just be in the way. Stop talking nonsense and focus on the mission.”

Riel’s blunt words.

They were harsh, but entirely correct.

And Albert had said something similar before they dispersed.

-No matter what happens, hold your position. If one area falls, the others will start falling one by one.-

Recalling those words, Riel prevented them from acting independently.

“Whether you go or not, if he’s going to die, he’ll die. If not, he won’t.”

“But still…”

“He wouldn’t want you coming anyway. Just hold onto that feeling.”

With this continued certainty, Ellin seemed to accept it.

“Okay… I understand.”

At that moment, Riel thought:

‘Does she think she’s the only one worried…?’

Of course it was concerning.

They had never felt a shockwave of that magnitude before.

Even Riel, who had spoken so firmly to Ellin, was worried.

‘Is the young lady okay? I hope he’s not pushing himself too hard again. Is Solomon holding up well? With the Emperor absent… do we have enough strength?’

Many such worries swirled in her mind.

Yet all she could do was kill one more enemy soldier. That was it.

This fact gave her an overwhelming sense of powerlessness.

‘Is this all…?’

After all that training for this moment, this was the result.

But as time passed, her thinking changed.

‘Isn’t it better to have this much at least…? No, isn’t it fortunate that it’s only this much?’

And then…

‘What if it’s just this much? I still have to do what I can.’

That thought filled her mind.

In reality, it wasn’t something to be dismissed as “just this much.”

A single sniper killing hundreds of soldiers was an incredible national asset.

“Just do what needs to be done. That’s the right thing.”

So Riel once again aimed her gun at an enemy’s head.

And the moment her aim was complete, she quickly pulled the trigger.

-Bang!!-

***

In a lodging located in Leicester, where fierce battles were raging…

And one person, lonely… guarding that lodging.

“Tch…!”

He struck the desk with all his might, where a phone displaying real-time footage of the battlefield sat.

-CRASH!!-

Then he looked at his left hand, which had become somewhat movable.

And as he looked at that hand and the battlefield scene, he recalled what that boy had told him.

“A king who abandoned his country… truly… shameful.”

The wording was a bit harsh, but it was true.

He was an irresponsible king who had abandoned his country and left it to his citizens.

He looked through the wide-open window toward that place.

“Is he… still alive…?”

Just as he uttered that modest wish…

-Whoooosh!-

An enormous magical shockwave spread throughout Leicester.

He anxiously gazed in the direction where the shockwave had originated, where Bael was located.

And for good reason… if this was the impact at such a distance, how threatening would the attack be if one took it head-on?

Moreover, this magical shockwave also meant that Bael had begun to fight in earnest.

“…”

The moment he realized this, he recalled what Albert had said.

-If you’re fine with even your daughter dying, then continue being stubborn… In a world without you, Ellie wouldn’t exist either.-

Those words were filled with certainty and sincerity.

It wasn’t just a prediction of the future, but felt like the future itself.

Even though it couldn’t be, that’s how it felt.

“Really… as if he knows everything…”

Knowing everything, or pretending to know everything.

Which of the two was true didn’t particularly matter.

What mattered now was that those words had moved him.

That was the important fact.

“Wait…!”

He finally left the lodging and began to move forward.

In the end, Albert had broken his stubbornness.

The Emperor joined the battlefield at the fastest speed he could muster.

To protect his daughter, his son-in-law, and his country.

“It’s quite far…!”

He ran straight toward where an enormous energy—far greater than his own—and three smaller energies were showing intense movement.

But considering the current situation where every second counted, it seemed he would arrive far too late.

“With this much time… please…”

As seconds gathered into minutes, minutes into tens of minutes, and tens of minutes into an hour, his anxiety increased exponentially.

And for good reason—Bael was someone who could end everything within that time.

“Please… at least until I arrive…”

Until now, that strange fellow Albert had managed well.

But this time, the circumstances were different.

Bael was a figure that Albert could not possibly handle.

So the Emperor hurried.

He rushed to avoid being any later.

Just as he was about to exceed two hours since leaving the lodging, he finally arrived at the battlefield.

By his standards, he had hurried quite a bit.

He was drenched in sweat despite not having done much.

However…

“I’m too late…”

The result was not good. In the end, he had arrived too late.

The Emperor, blaming himself for his delayed arrival, took in the horrific scene before his eyes.

And he regretted the stubbornness he had maintained until now.

‘I should have come a little earlier…’