Ch.9392. Proof (2)

# 92. Proof (2)

“We don’t have time for this.”

As Rachel said, every minute and second was too precious to waste bickering like this, and we needed to chase after that guy who could disappear at any moment.

“I’m going ahead. Finish that quickly and catch up.”

Rachel ran faster than anyone else there in the direction Albert had gone, and everyone immediately followed behind her.

Among them, Raicle, who was wondering where they were heading, asked Rachel who was leading the group.

“But do you actually know where he went?”

“I know where I’m going, so shut up and follow me.”

Hearing that command, Raicle pointed at Reina beside him and said:

“Where is it? Just tell us, we can get there fastest from here, so we’ll go ahead.”

Hearing this, Rachel told them without a moment’s hesitation where she thought he had headed.

“I can sense a massive magical power from the clock tower area… Probably… No, he definitely went that way.”

“Got it. You guys hurry up too.”

After finishing their conversation, Raicle and Reina dashed toward the scene at a much faster pace than those following behind.

Though they seemed ordinary compared to the insurmountable presence usually beside them, Raicle and Reina’s agility stats were high enough to place them in the top 1% of the academy.

“The clock tower is quite far…”

“It’ll take about 25 minutes even at this pace.”

“I know.”

They continued using [Haste] while running to arrive as quickly as possible, gradually reducing that 25-minute timeframe.

Still, they couldn’t help feeling increasingly anxious as time passed.

‘Why did he do something like that….’

Reina was worried sick, unable to imagine what that troublemaker might be doing by now.

He was truly someone who seemed to toy with people in so many ways.

‘Still… he should be okay for now…’

Even as she thought this, Reina grew increasingly anxious due to the sounds of battle gradually becoming audible in the distance.

‘Please… just be alive..’

***

At that moment.

At the clock tower, the party’s destination, a brutal battle was ongoing, and Albert, the protagonist of this fight, continued to battle despite being covered in wounds.

“Hey… shouldn’t you be going easy on me at a time like this?”

“I’m not going easy on you—I’m doing this for my pride. You should be grateful.”

Fenex had been keeping his subordinates standing quietly behind him while engaging me in one-on-one combat.

It was truly a matter of wounded pride, but the fact that Fenex was the type to care about his pride was incredibly fortunate for me.

‘Otherwise, I’d be dead already… or if he were just a little stronger…’

The reason I was still intact was partly because he insisted on one-on-one combat, but the decisive factor was his skill level.

He was strong, that was true.

He was incomparably stronger than those subordinates watching our battle from behind, but he wasn’t strong enough to subdue me in an instant either.

“Speed seems to be your only strength, but what can you do? I appear to be faster.”

“Yeah, I’m just really unlucky…”

Fenex approached me at a terrifying speed, even faster than me with my [Blade of the Distant Abyss] summoned in dagger form, and swung his sword.

-Clang!! Slash! Thud!-

I couldn’t block his incredibly fast swordsmanship and took several effective hits.

Ignoring the blood droplets falling to the ground, I used [Haste] to escape his attack range and minimize damage.

Of course, he didn’t just stand by watching me do this—he persistently followed me.

‘This speed is truly absurd…’

I couldn’t help but admire his god-like footwork, as if his legs had motors attached to them, and I could somewhat sympathize with the complaints our party members usually made.

It was certainly difficult to counter or deal with an opponent this fast.

The stat difference between us seemed even greater than the one between me and my party members.

‘Even with [Mortal’s End] active, this difference is… how are his stats distributed…’

Even with the stat boost from [Mortal’s End] and my dagger pushing my agility into the late 100s, it was woefully inadequate.

Fenex boasted a speed of at least 200, possibly up to 250.

“By the way, where did that red-haired one go? Are humans, lowly creatures blessed with magical power just like us, using it for such trivial matters?”

“What if they are? You really like that ‘blessing of magic’ talk. Magic like that would be much better off disappearing.”

Fenex’s expression hardened dramatically at those words, and his gaze toward me was filled with resentment, contempt, and disdain.

Then, while channeling magical power into his sword with all his might, Fenex opened his mouth.

“What… did you just say?”

“I said that unfair and barbaric things like the ‘blessing of magic’ would be better off disappearing for the good of this world.”

Of course, I didn’t mean what I just said.

I didn’t believe that magic was the cause of the major external conflicts changing this era, nor did I hate magic or magical power.

I simply had complaints about the gods who made the world this way, and I was helping those who were trying to change this unfair and barbaric world.

‘Fortunately, I’ve achieved my goal…’

And from the beginning, my purpose was precisely this situation.

To make Fenex lose his composure and become enraged.

That was my only goal from the start.

“Certainly, lowly creatures like you might think that way.”

“What? You’re being so understanding?”

“That’s why humans like you should remain beneath us, and I will make it so.”

The demons watching cheered at Fenex’s crazed appearance, and amidst that atmosphere, he slowly continued speaking.

“Consider it an honor, as your name will be recorded on the first page of the great epic I’m about to create.”

The demons who heard this declaration shouted in excitement, chanting his name.

-Wooaaah!! Fenex! Fenex! Fenex!-

The scene reminded me of a cult leader and his followers.

Fenex wore a faint smile.

His expression, already half-crazed, combined with that smile sent chills down my spine.

“How do you like these cheers? Don’t you feel a thrill throughout your body just hearing them?”

“It gives me the creeps, actually.”

“As expected, humans like you cannot understand this moving scene.”

Looking at Fenex’s expression, his earlier anger seemed to have disappeared.

Since that state wasn’t welcome, I provoked him again.

“You really like being moved, don’t you? Just a puppet acting high and mighty.”

“Puppet…?”

His expression, which had been bright just a moment ago, darkened instantly.

Fenex’s face was gradually returning to its previous state.

“What do you know to talk like that?”

“I talk like this because I don’t know anything, but I’m right, aren’t I? A puppet with absolutely no will of your own, existing solely for that person.”

Even as I said those words, I felt strangely stung.

It felt as if those words were describing my past self.

‘A puppet with absolutely no will of your own, existing solely for that person..’

While those words described my past self, they simultaneously described the current Fenex.

Long ago, after the great war ended and an era of peace between demons and humans began.

I had visited the Babylon Kingdom with Lilith, who had become the Empress, and there, I heard Fenex’s story from an acquaintance of his who had already passed away.

It was truly a sad story, but at that time, it didn’t really register with me.

“Now that I have a bit of breathing room, I can reflect on that story.”

“Shut up! What would humans like you… humans who grew up in rich and comfortable environments know to talk like that!?”

His words angered me as well.

“Then what do you know to assume I grew up comfortably? If anything, you seem to have lived more comfortably, born into a wealthy family with overwhelming power.”

He seemed unable to maintain his composure any longer and once again filled his sword with magical power.

The sword, filled to capacity with magic, could hold no more, and Fenex’s excess magical power began to overflow and spread throughout the battlefield.

“Shut up…”

Hearing this, Fenex made a distorted expression that evoked fear, pointing his sword—filled with magical power—at me as he charged forward with a horrifying scream.

“SHUT UP!!”

As planned, Fenex, having lost his reason, approached me with nothing on his mind except killing me.

And his sword was aimed precisely at my heart.

Looking at his pitiful figure filled with madness, I activated [Mortal’s End].

-Woong!-

Then, with all my might, I released the strongest intimidation I could muster toward the front.