Ch.37Chapter 37. The Demon of Sloth

After the two who had charged in without reason were taken down, no one among the Demon Tribe dared to defy Hellcry anymore.

This was only natural.

No matter how aggressive and battle-hungry the Demon Tribe might be, they understood that to fulfill their desires, they needed to preserve their own lives.

If they lacked even the basic rationality to restrain their desires in the face of overwhelming power, they wouldn’t have gathered under the mighty Demon Lord in the first place.

So I was certain no one would dare provoke him anymore.

“Excuse me, boss, I have something to say…”

-BANG!!

The iron mace swung reflexively at the sound of the voice.

The attack landed squarely on the head, just like with the demons who had died earlier, but the part that was struck didn’t break—the body didn’t even lose its balance.

“…What is it, Sloth?”

He withstood it.

While two demons couldn’t even muster their strength, this one had withstood a single blow from a Demon Lord Army executive who had overwhelmed an entire army—without even putting up a guard.

“I was dozing off until just now, so I don’t know what’s going on…”

His drawling voice leaked out despite having an iron mace embedded in his head.

Yet his face showed not the slightest sign of pain.

“Looking at the situation, this seems like it’ll take a while. Would it be alright if I went to take a nap?”

Even if his tough, thick skin shattered from the impact.

As if he didn’t care about even that.

“Sloth…”

Hellcry soon called his name and spoke.

“Since I became the commander of your unit, I’ve repeatedly told you that rest comes after completing your mission. No matter how boring it gets, I cannot tolerate anyone dropping out in the middle.”

“Hmm, so if we finish quickly, can I go rest then?”

“…Are you volunteering?”

“To be frank, I don’t care about what you call honor, but…”

-Crumble.

As the iron mace fell from his head, fragments showered down.

Stroking the exposed flesh underneath, he soon turned his gaze toward me and continued.

“If I can rest sooner, I’ll do whatever it takes.”

His skin regenerated smoothly, and his gaze fixed steadily on me.

The moment I met that gaze, I immediately realized:

This rock-like monster, who could withstand a blow to the head that even a Hero couldn’t handle, was the enemy I would have to face with my life on the line.

“Human Hyoseong Woo. Your opponent has been decided.”

-Thud.

The iron mace was driven vertically into the ground as Hellcry turned to look at me.

When he stood quietly beside it and gave me a meaningful look, I understood his intention and began moving to an appropriate position.

To the front of the area where other adventurers like me had gathered, at the open space below the cliff.

“Listen, all of you! From now on, this place will be under my control!!”

By the time the demon called Sloth also stood in front of the silent Demon Lord Army, Hellcry shouted.

“Until outside interference arrives, neither escape nor intrusion will be permitted. Anyone who tries to flee during the duel or violates the rules by fighting each other will be executed by me.”

No one objected to his words.

Neither demons nor humans. Everyone had witnessed the power of the man before them, seeing those who had been pulverized by his iron mace.

The fact that overwhelming power backed by will can become the center of rules and order was something I could feel deep in my bones just from his presence…

“Sloth, and human Hyoseong Woo. Go ahead and fight to your heart’s content. Whatever your reasons, fight with all your might for what you seek here. The higher your desire rises, the more naturally honor will emerge in your battle.”

In that tense atmosphere, he soon sat down in front of his iron mace, folded his arms, and began watching the dueling ground.

With eyes carved so coldly.

As if showing his firm resolve not to take his eyes off the fight that was about to unfold for even a moment.

“Hey, are you really okay with this?”

The adventurers, realizing there was no turning back after seeing that gaze, began expressing their anxiety toward me.

If I died here, they would be finished too.

But even this was a hard-won opportunity—how could I back down now?

“…I’ll have to hope my weapon can somehow pull through.”

I glanced at them briefly, then forced a smile to shake off my inner anxiety as best I could, and turned my attention to the demon facing me.

Clutching only the mythril ego-weapon I had obtained by chance—my only hope in this situation.

“…Human.”

Of course, this weapon alone wouldn’t grant me absolute strength, but at least it would prevent this fight from being completely one-sided.

As I gripped my spear and steeled myself, the demon named Sloth stood there, looking down at me.

“I’m sorry we had to meet and face each other like this, but I have my circumstances.”

He was only about a head taller than me, but his build was incomparably more massive than mine.

Setting aside his ferocious face, the black, thick skin covering his body could rightfully be called armor in itself.

“Are those circumstances about defeating me and going to rest quickly?”

“It’s an important matter to me. Just as you persuaded the commander because you wanted to survive this place, I too simply want to be freed from this troublesome task quickly.”

As I tensed up recalling his specs, Sloth slightly raised his fist.

He clenched it straight—so straight it could be described as honest—and began taking a step toward me.

“So don’t move.”

His steps were sluggish.

Not a leap, not even what could be called a proper step—just mere walking.

“If you stay still, I’ll end it in one blow, without pain.”

Then, in an instant, his body began to leave afterimages as he closed the distance between us.

A surprise attack using a sudden change in stance.

But it wasn’t so fast that I couldn’t dodge if I stayed focused.

-THUD!

The moment his fist swung at my head, using the force of inertia from his stop—

I had already moved away from that spot and was aiming my spear at his side, putting strength into it.

Crack! The flesh was cut as I swung a horizontal slash.

When his tough skin peeled away like fruit peel, Sloth’s eyes flickered slightly as he noticed.

“…Hmm?”

Yes, he must be confident in his body’s durability.

But the weapon I’m using is made of mythril.

As a weapon made from the hardest metal in this world, it can break through defenses that rely solely on durability.

-Crack! Crack!!

His skin was heavily peeled away by the consecutive spear thrusts powered by the blade’s strength.

As fragments flew in all directions and the inner flesh was exposed, a smile gradually formed on my stiff lips.

Good, this weapon can damage him.

If I can inflict even 1 point of damage, my chances aren’t zero.

“I see, that weapon can pierce my armor skin.”

Sloth seemed to realize this only after a significant portion of his body had been carved away, but by then, my spear was already aimed at his chest.

Now that the surrounding armor skin had been broken and weakened, I could certainly aim to pierce his chest and kill him.

No, I should end this fight quickly since I don’t know what might come next.

With an unwavering stance. Precisely at the position I want.

-CRACK!!!

The sensation of the spear tip piercing through the skin of his chest and stabbing into the flesh and muscle beneath reached my fingertips.

Drawn by that sensation, I pushed harder, intending to pierce through to his heart.

And then—clamp!

At some point, the spear stopped advancing, as if nailed in place…

“W-what…?”

What the hell? Why won’t it go any further?

Could his heart be harder than his skin? No, this doesn’t feel like the spear tip is blocked by something.

This sensation, as if the spear is being gripped from all sides, blocked by pressure coming from all directions… Could it be?

“Impressive.”

I realized it. This is the spear blade being caught by muscle…

Before the spear blade embedded in his chest could reach his heart, it had been stopped by the reflexive contraction of his muscles.

“Until now, this armor skin has blocked all the troublesome things that have come my way, but you’ve pierced through it and made things annoying for me.”

But what’s even more absurd is that this brutish defense method wasn’t meant to deceive me at all.

The Demon Tribe is a race that grows and evolves according to their desires from birth.

His sluggish movements stem from his reluctance to even move, and likewise, his hardened skin is the result of an instinct to protect himself from being controlled by that laziness.

“…Fuck, I get that you’re lazy, but at least blink when you get stabbed.”

Yes, this guy is the Demon of Indolence.

An absurd monster born with the ability to protect his body regardless of his will, driven by the sole desire to be free from troublesome things.

“That’s an unreasonable request. Even feeling pain is troublesome.”

-Crack.

The monster advanced one step forward with the spear still embedded in him.

This drove the spear deeper, but he didn’t stop.

Even though the spear blade that had pierced his skin could potentially pierce his heart.

“Blinking is troublesome. Moving in a horde like this is troublesome. Having to beat humans to death is troublesome.”

As if even the fear of death was too troublesome, he was closing the distance between us, blocking fatal wounds with overwhelming strength and durability.

His eyes, fixed on me, were not just bloodshot but actually emitting a red light.

“So don’t move.”

Then—BOOM!

The ground cracked from the force in his legs, and the impact made my body stagger and my stance collapse.

“Don’t even clench your teeth.”

Seizing that opening, he pulled out the spear embedded in his chest.

With his fist clenched, he smiled and said:

“Dragging this fight out will only make things more troublesome for me and more painful for you.”

-BOOM!

With a thunderous sound, the world turned upside down.

And soon, everything I could see turned into afterimages.

****

Later, when the caravan that had escaped from the collapsed ravine stopped briefly.

The caravan leader, looking over the survivors and remaining supplies, began to express his deep despair.

“…Damn, is this all who survived?”

“Those damn Demon Lord Army bastards. Who knew they’d even throw boulders at us.”

“…It’s too late to go back now.”

“I’m sorry, forgive me for having to abandon you.”

Perhaps because they had chosen to go to the garrison area together, abandoning the safer path?

The adventurers, who had shown some camaraderie and resolve, were all expressing guilt toward those they had left behind.

Except for one person. The minstrel who was watching the scene with emotionless eyes.

“Are you alright?”

Perhaps they thought she was thinking about her comrades left behind? But…

“…Yes, I’m fine.”

The minstrel who responded with a blunt voice simply clutched the lute in her hand and averted her gaze.

“In the end, we just met by chance. I suppose this too is fate.”

Hearing that dry voice, the caravan leader was about to say something but then firmly closed his mouth.

Yes, the living must go on living.

Whether she truly didn’t care or was just not showing it, there would be time to mourn them and express guilt after reaching a safe place.

Just as they were about to continue leading the caravan toward the garrison area…

“Oh? There’s a light over there!”

“Is it the Demon Tribe?”

“No, it’s lanterns!”

As the lantern light approached, cutting through the dark forest…

The more they could see its source, the more their wariness faded, and eventually, those holding the lanterns also stopped when they encountered the caravan.

“W-who are you people?”

The approaching group was twice as large as their own, which had been reduced to 1/4 of its original size.

As the caravan leader faced them with bewilderment, one of the representatives of the group stepped forward and explained.

“We are an escort unit dispatched by imperial command to assist the Hero. Currently, we are preparing to return to the Empire under our Hero’s orders, leaving the garrison.”

“Return to the Empire…? We encountered the Demon Lord Army before coming here—isn’t the garrison currently engaged with the demons?”

“Yes, while full-scale war hasn’t broken out yet, they’ve begun surrounding the area, and there have been several small skirmishes.”

The soldier explained calmly to the leader’s words. But anyone hearing this would find it absurd.

The fact that the Demon Lord Army was releasing monsters around the area and building an encirclement meant that a large-scale battle was about to break out at the garrison.

In such a situation, was it even reasonable for the Hero to secretly leave the garrison?

“Yeah~ Fighting all the way out here is such a pain~”

But showing no hesitation about this, the woman who stepped forward while being attended to by them merely smiled playfully as she stood before the caravan.

“I originally came here feeling like I was on vacation, but when I offered to quickly deal with the approaching enemies, that officer in charge of the garrison kept nagging me not to act on my own~”

“I-I know it’s rude to ask, but is it really okay to leave like this?”

“Haha, why wouldn’t it be? The great Emperor himself said I could do whatever I want.”

Giggling, the Hero pushed aside the caravan leader’s shoulder and briefly surveyed the remaining survivors.

The adventurers tensed up, worried she might harm them, but her eyes were actually filling with boredom as she looked over the group.

“Geez, no cute girls… There’s no point in joining up here… Hmm?”

Just as she was about to dismiss them with disinterest…

Soon, she noticed the minstrel in the middle of the group who was looking back at the scene they had left behind, and her eyes began to show a different light.

“Wow~ Just my type of lady right here~♥”

Yes, they were eyes burning with desire.

Though a performer should rightfully welcome such attention…

For some reason, it didn’t feel welcome right now…