Ch.287287. Lust (7)

The otherworld, like a fantasy overlaid on reality, the world that had been distorted by the mixing of two mental images, slowly collapses and crumbles.

If one were to make a comparison, it was like ice cream melting in the summer heat. Or perhaps like a sand castle collapsing after being hit by a ball at the beach.

Like a house of cards falling apart, the buildings of the otherworld that had been precariously built on the foundation of the material world soon shattered into pieces, unable to withstand the rising homeostasis of the surrounding world….

And at the moment I returned to the interior of the cave eroded by the flesh walls, through connections that had been temporarily severed by the influence of the otherworld, Sophia’s urgent voice came through.

[Gregory! The connection was cut off for a moment! What happened!?]

‘Yeah, it was the otherworld! ….Did something happen on your end too?’

The urgency in her voice was different from the kind that arises from being at a disadvantage in battle.

And from the moment I returned from the otherworld to reality, the replicated-souls of the Velcro creatures began to be transmitted to me.

‘Did succubi appear on your side too?’

[Yes! They’re pouring in endlessly! I have to protect the villagers, so I can’t help you! But at least no one has died yet!]

‘….I understand’

While responding to Sophia’s words, which sounded like she had little strength or leeway left, I felt the traces of my transformation being undone due to the dissolution of the otherworld that had been backing me up…. and looked at the enemy that was still alive.

[Huff, huff, huff….]

The Demon Legion Commander, Succubus Queen Drakilia, whose entire skeletal structure had been crushed and whose beheaded corpse had been reassembled.

I could be certain of one thing. I had definitely crushed the entire body of that giant demon in gladiator form, then grabbed its head, tore it off, and smashed it, destroying the form of its body.

That much was an undeniable fact.

But despite my violent destruction that had torn and crushed its body, the reason why the thing panting before me was still breathing intact….

‘….Is it because it’s a demon?’

I suspect it’s because this being is not an ordinary entity made of cloth and matter, but its body itself is composed of abstract concepts and energy.

Since demons originate from concepts and are not greatly bound by material common sense, even though they may have some characteristics of living beings, they are essentially just masses of energy.

Of course, that doesn’t mean Drakilia could be considered in a completely intact state.

Compared to when it first appeared, its vitality had dropped to less than half, and measuring the remaining magical power, it was between 30% and 40% of its normal amount.

Additionally, the concept that constituted its body had become generally unstable, with pink powder-like substances falling from its body, and its body staggering, unable to maintain composure.

The creature, which in many ways could no longer be called in perfect condition, soon chanted a spell and launched an attack at me.

[■■■…. ■■!!]

What flew with the incantation was an energy bullet made of black hellfire sulfur. Of course, since its power or speed was not particularly outstanding or special, avoiding it didn’t require much effort….

-….Crack, crunch!

What entered my eyes after avoiding the attack was the sight of Drakilia, who had transformed one arm into the maw of a hideous monster, devouring demons that were sprawled on the floor…. wounded but alive.

Originally, demons, because their essence…. what should be called their souls, exist in the demon realm beyond this reality, even if they meet death in the material world, they never truly die under normal circumstances.

The form of a demon summoned to reality is, so to speak, close to a shadow reflected in reality through some medium, so destroying it is ultimately nothing more than killing the shadow of the subject.

However, if a higher species (demon) whose essence also exists in another dimension deliberately uses them as sacrifices to gain power, the story changes.

Demons sacrificed in such a way suffer considerable damage to their essence that exists in the demon realm, while the demon that devours… consumes its own kind can absorb compatible magical power and recover its strength.

‘….I need to finish this quickly.’

In short, if left alone, it could recover its fighting power in an instant, so I extended my power without hesitation.

No matter how depleted both sides were from the battle so far, its situation and mine were different.

While the demon thing was barely maintaining a fighting power that was less than a quarter compared to its normal state, I, although somewhat depleted, was still maintaining a relatively full fighting capacity.

I had consumed about half of my magical power, but I still had about three times my normal capacity stored in various magical tools.

Although something of my mental capacity was somewhat consumed through soul resonance, it wasn’t to the extent that I couldn’t continue fighting immediately.

Therefore, what followed was a magical battle so tedious it was boring. We repeatedly cast spells at each other and defended, and this standoff, which seemed like it would last forever, eventually broke….

‘….It’s over, bitch.’

As this tedious battle was coming to an end, I finally succeeded in capturing this demon legion commander in a tattered state.

※ ※ ※

And so, the situation has reached the present.

[─Kuh, KYAAAAAAAA!!]

I drove stakes into the body of this Succubus Queen who kept screaming, and into the gateway that caused all of this.

Stakes about 30cm in size. These holy stakes, engraved with the seal of the Inquisition directly under the Pantheon, are none other than “devil fixing nails” that I received from Lady Dorothea, the holy knight with whom I conducted guerrilla activities.

A sacred magical tool completed by engraving sacred letters and symbols densely on stakes made of consecrated silver, infusing them with holy power and blessings, and finishing with a devout blessing procedure using holy water.

Using these, which as their name suggests, bind demons to reality and prevent them from returning to the demon realm, I was keeping this demon legion commander Drakilia bound to reality.

[Kuh, kuhuk. So you’re a man after all?]

“….What do you mean?”

[Haha, stop pretending! Obviously you want to desire this beautiful body of mine─]

-─Thwack!

“Watch your nonsense, demon. Do I, who can see your true essence, look like I would fall for such crude seduction?”

Of course, my purpose was not, as it suggested, for this beast’s base and disgusting body.

The reason I kept this demon thing in this reality to the end was none other than to completely eliminate it.

As I mentioned earlier, demons, whose essence or what should be called their soul exists in the demon realm, do not perish even if killed here.

While the true body or what should be called the soul or essence is stored in the demon realm, what directly appears here is in fact nothing more than a fantasy projected into reality.

Therefore, there are almost no methods to kill the essence or soul to completely annihilate a demon.

At best, one might use the power of transcendents that can crush even souls, or perhaps invade that dimension (the demon realm) and destroy the essence.

[Hahaha! Kill me if you can!]

That’s why this creature, knowing that there are almost no means to completely kill it, is showing such an attitude….

-….Swish.

[What?! T-that spear is….!!]

It might be very unfortunate news for the demon before me, but I had a means to directly destroy a demon’s essence.

The trident, symbol of the sea god Neptune. More precisely, a degraded replica of it.

This weapon is not only exceptional in its performance as a trident and as a staff for handling the power of the sea, but its essence is also a replica infinitely close to the original…. weapon wielded directly by a god.

In other words, this trident was a weapon sufficient to completely annihilate a demon.

[N-no….]

One who never thought even slightly that they would meet death in their lifetime.

The pride and confidence built on the foundation of not being able to meet a true end evaporated cleanly at the point where she could really die.

The face, beautiful in form, had long been dyed with deep and desperate fear. If she had freedom of action now, or if she had known that I originally possessed this spear, she would have unhesitatingly ended her own life with her own hands, but….

-Squelch!

Reality was simply cruel.

The death of the demon legion commander, whose chest and heart were pierced by the trident, was not much different from that of the mortals she so despised, scorned, and mocked.

She was stabbed with the trident, and that was the end.

All that remained was the corpse of a demon, gushing milky white blood from its heart where it had been pierced.