Ch.408EP.83 – The Knight’s Compass Has No Needle (7)

That roar evoked the resonance of a temple bell.

Wooong-.

If a lion’s roar overwhelms opponents with fierce spirit and fighting will, then the temple bell’s resonance was profound and majestic.

Not merely overwhelming in volume, but subduing opponents with the energy imbued in the voice.

The phoenix’s cry.

Just as plum blossoms transform into lotus flowers through the power of prajna, the lion’s spirited roar transformed into the extraordinary and majestic resonance of a phoenix-.

And so the ghostly wail of the serpent—a mythical beast that had successfully evolved into a demon lord—was neutralized by the phoenix’s cry.

Not suppression, but neutralization.

It was a mysterious power befitting the name of the phoenix.

However.

[Not bad?]

[He’s strong, that one.]

[Keheheh, at least better than those puppets of the gods.]

[Who said otherwise?]

[Kuhahahahaha!]

[We’ve gathered enough nutrients. Let’s revive the remaining heads!]

Kuguugugung!

The creature rises.

At first it had only one, but now it boasts six massive serpent heads.

No, that serpent could no longer be described as a mere snake….

‘Is it molting in real-time?’

The serpent, which initially only had some fire burning near its crown, had now begun to [molt] and transform.

Kududdeudeudeuk!

The original head turned black and transformed into something resembling a cobra.

Black King Cobra.

The other heads each took different forms resembling an anaconda, black mamba, viper, and taipan.

It grows heads through molting and changes its form.

Its size alone was threatening enough, but now it was taking things a step further.

Additionally….

Tuduk.

The creature wasn’t simply shedding its skin.

Hududududuk!

[Saaaak!]

The moment the shed skin touched the ground, it began transforming into snakes.

Hundreds of snakes were born, and naturally, they weren’t ordinary snakes but magical beasts.

With extreme venom, no less.

“…That’s worse than before.”

Inanna.

The most threatening demon he had fought recently.

Yet this creature was displaying a presence that overwhelmed even Inanna.

But unlike Inanna, it wasn’t the type to act recklessly based on mystical powers alone.

How did he know?

[[[—I’ve found a warrior worth fighting after 4,000 years!]]]

The eyes—its eyes showed no sign of carelessness.

Despite being a demon that could easily underestimate and be careless around humans, the serpent was glaring at him with fierce eyes full of solemnity.

As if it would give its all.

‘It’s not even comparable to that fool (Inanna).’

Ihan sighed.

He had hoped things might go as easily as the day before….

‘Well, that’s just my luck.’

Giving up makes things easier.

Ihan smiled wryly and stomped the ground hard.

Kwajik!

The instantaneous divine arrow step left a clear footprint on the ground.

Hwuuuk!

Like an arrow being shot, Ihan’s body flew toward the Hydra.

* * *

[Saaaak!]

It was like a wave.

Except it wasn’t water, but a wave made of snakes—endlessly creepy.

And yet.

Kwadeudeuk!

Even the creepy wave of snakes couldn’t stop his charge.

Wiiiiing!

– [Rebounding Energy Technique].

His body had long since transformed into a weapon itself.

It was his first time mixing the divine arrow step with the rebounding energy technique, but Ihan decided to push himself.

Without pushing himself, he wouldn’t be able to break through these snakes.

Thus, he quickly reached the Hydra’s face, but.

Hwuk!

“!?”

[Did you think I fight only with brute size?]

One of the Hydra’s six heads pierced through Ihan’s body like a spear tip.

Like a bullet…!

“…Kuhek!”

Ihan coughed up blood.

His insides were shaken, and he wondered how long it had been since he felt such pain.

Chwaaak!

[Keheheh, you use interesting techniques, don’t you?]

“You… snake bastard, using techniques at that size is cheating…”

Though the snake’s head was wounded by the rebounding energy technique, the wound quickly regenerated.

It was strange.

The rebounding energy technique was imbued with Ihan’s will.

Even with regenerative abilities, the recovery speed should have been slower, but the snake’s recovery defied logic.

But what was even more astonishing was the movement of its heads.

[Where do you think you’re going!]

Hwuk!

He had urgently tried to prepare his Plum Blossom Sword, but the snake noticed and immediately moved its head.

Again, it wasn’t simply moving its head.

This creature…

Hwuk!

—Despite being a snake, it was using techniques.

Earlier it had used its head like a spear, and now it was…

Paaaang!

Wielding it like a whip, and proving it wasn’t just mindlessly using its head as a whip, it showed unpredictable, vast movements.

This snake, this demon, had mastered ‘martial arts.’

And not just at a superficial level…

Kwaaang!

It had mastered them at an expert level, which was shocking.

And what was even more absurd was that-

Hwuuung!!

[All the heads] were using martial arts.

Kwaaaang!

“…!”

Kudeudeudeuk-.

Another snake head moved in a strange pattern before precisely striking his back.

“Kuhek!”

Aren’t snakes’ bodies entirely made of muscle?

It created movements impossible for humans and delivered dynamic strikes that even his senses couldn’t follow. Ihan nearly lost consciousness for a moment.

Without his Indestructible Body, or rather Golden Body, he would have lost consciousness and had his spine crushed.

[You withstood that?]

The Hydra was impressed.

The other heads were too.

[I worked hard to learn that.]

[Indeed, a warrior worth fighting after so long.]

[…This is enjoyable.]

The Hydra was in a good mood.

It was impressive enough that he blocked its attack, but what was even more impressive was…

Chwaaak!

…the axe that had managed to leave ‘scratches’ on the necks of two heads in an instant.

He had landed a hit while receiving indiscriminate attacks.

—Excellent!

[Your fighting spirit remains unbroken!]

The Hydra didn’t hold back its admiration and praise.

“…You talk too much.”

Kudududuk!

Ihan gritted his teeth, finding the heads’ constant talking more irritating than their indiscriminate attacks.

And so…

Let’s see if you can withstand this!

How long could he be toyed with by a mere snake!

As his fighting spirit intensified in anger, the technique he had perfected in the snowstorm the day before was recreated in this moment.

Wuuuung-!

– [Tiger Spirit Hardened Energy]!

The sphere of destruction that had pierced even the dragon’s ascent manifested.

*

*

*

Kwajajik…!

The modest building began to collapse with an ominous sound.

The city had been half-destroyed for some time, and everyone should have evacuated, but one person still remained.

Florentia’s only church.

It was a modest structure that also served as a temple for the fallen Light of Radiance, and even in a situation where the building could collapse at any moment, one man didn’t stop his prayer.

“-Fairies, mysteries, forgive sinful humans. Guardians of the netherworld, master of the netherworld. Turn your eyes away from the foolishness of humans trying to distort providence. Even if just for a fleeting moment, please allow the Light of Radiance to remain in this world…”

It wasn’t so much a prayer as a plea.

But the plea that Diogenes was reciting was the most important part of the holy magic he was about to use.

Permission-

The act of getting permission for this holy magic to be used in the world.

But he couldn’t guarantee whether permission would be granted.

After all, this holy magic itself…

Hwaak!

“It, it worked?!”

Diogenes was both delighted and surprised.

Wait, this actually works?

‘Was getting permission this easy?’

It was perplexing that fairies and netherworld beings had granted permission.

He remembered that the Grand Temple had received permission only after more than 300 days of prayer and massive offerings.

…And even then, the problem was that they had failed to execute the holy magic.

But this alone was remarkable enough.

“Is it because a demon has appeared? They’re granting permission quickly!”

Diogenes thought it was fortune amid crisis.

Perhaps there was someone beloved by fairies in this city.

Anyway!

“Please, please…!”

Diogenes prayed again.

Now he just had to wait for the holy magic to activate.

……………Piik…

“Damn it!”

It did activate.

But the problem was that the gate that appeared was only the size of a millet seed.

According to the principles, a massive gate should have formed, but what could enter through this tiny gate?

Not even an ant could pass through!

It was frustratingly small, and as Diogenes was contemplating how to enlarge it…

-Kwaaaang!!

“Kyaaaak!”

His body was flipped over.

Another earthquake had occurred in the city, and Diogenes’s body flipped and rolled repeatedly.

Jjeojeojeojeojeok!

Finally, the temple collapsed, and as Diogenes urgently extended his arms and crawled out like a worm…

“…Is this the end?”

Hwarlrlrlrlruk!

He saw the city burning.

Kwarlrlung!

The sky was filled with dark clouds, and lightning struck.

Despite the raindrops pouring down, the flames weren’t contained at all.

Instead, they only blazed more fiercely.

In that situation…

Kwaang!!

…something crashed into a building.

It was a violent noise like a shell had fallen, and the building that was hit crumbled to pieces.

And from that building…

“-That snake bastard is no joke…”

Hududuk.

A large man emerged from the collapsing building.

It was surprising that what had fallen into the building wasn’t a shell but actually a human, and recognizing his face, Diogenes called out to him softly.

“You…”

“?”

“Wh-what are you doing there?”

“…What about you, old man? Why aren’t you evacuating?”

The knight who had introduced himself as Ihan was there.

As he appeared, dusting off the dirt, the building he had crashed into collapsed and…

Shwaaaa!

A water vein burst.

Absurdly, the stream of water from the burst vein precisely soaked the knight’s head, washing away the dirt.

It was a situation that could make one angry, but.

“…Rarely lucky.”

Hwuuuk…

Dense steam rose from his body.

One could only wonder how much heat his body was generating to produce such steam, and he continued to drink the water.

At that moment.

Juruk…

“Y-you!”

“…Do you happen to have any potions? I’ve used all of mine.”

“…”

The knight who had seemed like an iron man was bleeding.

Not that he looked weak because of it.

As evident from his still brightly shining eyes, the knight’s fighting spirit hadn’t wavered at all.

And…

Degururu.

As if to support his fight, a potion rolled out from the collapsed church and circled near the knight’s feet.

“May I drink it?”

“…By all means.”

He drank the reddish potion.

As if to replenish his lost blood and strength.

At that moment.

[[[Where are you, where are you, warrior! The battle is not over yet!!!]]]

A roar louder than the thunder shaking the sky made the ground tremble.

It was the angry and exhilarated roar of the snake with ‘one of its six heads missing.’

Hearing this, Diogenes flinched.

It was a terrifying presence that made even his soul tremble.

“…This guy talks a lot for someone who threw me away.”

The knight smiled wryly.

He cooled his heat with water, replenished his fluids, and restored his strength.

A rest of less than a minute, like a boxing match, the knight muttered.

And then.

Tuwuk.

He silently moved forward again.

“Escape quickly. I’m trying to hold it back, but that thing is, well, very strong. There’s a limit to how much I can stand against it.”

“…Of course, how could the Serpent King, a being called a Demon Lord, be easy to deal with?”

“Ah, so that thing is a Demon Lord? No wonder…”

It was disgustingly strong…

“…”

Despite hearing the name “Demon Lord,” he showed no fear.

He seemed merely satisfied to know exactly what kind of creature he was facing.

Looking at his back, which showed no sign of trembling, Diogenes couldn’t help but ask.

“Can you win?”

…He asked about the outcome.

Despite knowing it was a foolish question.

Can you win against a Demon Lord?

There couldn’t be a more foolish question.

Even ancient heroes barely managed to defeat the Serpent King with countless aids such as ‘the gods’ blessings,’ ‘the wisdom goddess’s advice,’ ‘the blacksmith god’s weapons,’ and the ‘assistance’ of other heroes.

And the terrifying part was that when the serpent was defeated in those times, it hadn’t yet attained the rank of Demon Lord.

“The Serpent King possesses immortality. It has infinite regenerative power and the ability to divide. Its venom is said to threaten even gods. And if such a monster has also attained the rank of Demon Lord, what kind of evolution it might have undergone…”

“It’s similar to the Demon King, I guess.”

“…”

“Immortality isn’t that rare. Most of the creatures I’ve fought recently had it as a basic feature.”

“…”

“I’ll win. Don’t worry.”

The knight cut off Diogenes’s concerns and turned around, smiling.

Resolutely, as if he had never considered losing from the start.

Kugugugugung!

The sound grew closer.

It was the rumble of the Serpent King, Hydra, charging forward, and hearing this, the knight said:

“Take care of the children. And run away. I’ll somehow finish this thing off.”

“…Don’t die.”

“…”

Chuk.

Instead of answering, he gave a thumbs up and ran again.

As if he didn’t know how to retreat.

With no hesitation and a refreshingly clear stride, the knight leaped up.

Against a snake demon lord hundreds of times larger than himself, like someone who had never learned the words fear or impossible.

Watching his back, Diogenes said:

“…A knight like a turtle.”

Kkuuk, his fist clenched involuntarily.

Even a turtle that can’t retreat wouldn’t be like this, yet the knight doesn’t know how to retreat.

As if he had never learned anything but to move forward…!

“…Huu!”

Diogenes nodded while looking at the knight’s back as he ran.

He must help him.

He couldn’t let that foolish, turtle-like young knight die.

So…!

Seoguk!

Diogenes cut a wound into the cross on his wrist.

Blood gushed out, but Diogenes didn’t mind.

“Let’s see if this works.”

Kleukleuk!

He smiled refreshingly.

Yes, as the knight said, no one fights assuming defeat.

So he too…

…decided not to look back.