episode_0073

In a situation unfolding like a great disaster, the Emperor of the Sephiroth Empire could only let out a deep sigh.

There were several reasons for that sigh.

Firstly, the primary reason was the demon race itself.

The unpleasant yet familiar demonic energy prickling the Emperor’s skin undoubtedly belonged to a demon from Azuld.

The power of a lawless race he’d clashed with countless times during his prime as a youth, and thus naturally came to despise…

And to think that being, possessing such impudent and arrogant power, dared to extend a black hand towards Delphy, home of Leone, the cradle of the imperial family, made his anger flare.

“How dare you… thrust that arrogant body into the city where the imperial family’s cradle lies?”

His quiet voice contained a power as deep as the ocean.

Though contained, its depths unfathomable, it was a vast, formidable power that could not be completely hidden due to its immense strength.

Haimon scrutinized his opponent with a highly tense expression.

“Hah… well, I thought the empire, the emperor… they were just arrogant bastards.”

Both Ras and the Emperor who appeared afterward were beings who had reached a distant, profound level.

If he were to face them head-on, even Haimon, who had absorbed Antikrea, could never win.

‘Damn it… unlucky. At least that boy seemed to have some backlash from the power he used, destroying himself… but that man, the Emperor, doesn’t seem to have anything of the sort.’

Daring to estimate based only on the fragments of power he felt, the Emperor’s power didn’t reach Kardmos’s level, but it certainly wasn’t something a mere Haimon could contend with.

Moreover, Rosalie, who had been in battle posture with a resolute expression just moments ago, was not merely a pretty woman or a healer.

Of course, if only the Emperor weren’t here, he was confident he could somehow knock Rosalie unconscious and drag her away, but…

‘In that case… I need to at least get my body out of here. It would be better to supplement the power I took from Antikrea and target that woman again… Then, first, I need to pay attention to my surroundings…’

Haimon’s furtive gaze fell upon the other humans who seemed to have collapsed long ago, completely useless.

Putting together the information that came from Ras’s mouth just now, it was clear there were even children of the Emperor among them.

As a side note, it was a secret that their pathetic, helpless forms, collapsed in front of their father the Emperor, were the cause of the Emperor’s second sigh.

‘Good… then… a hostage… or at least a distraction for a moment… If his own child starts bleeding from seven orifices, even an Emperor will check on them first…’

Haimon was about to subtly control his demonic energy to the fullest and target the fallen ones, but…

“Caw-! Look at that guy! A killing intent detection, secretly generated! You can fool a crow, but you can’t fool Pisces!”

Pisces suddenly, with a cute caw, began to shriek like a blaring alarm.

Before Haimon could even properly draw out his power, the fastest chatter burst forth, faster than mana itself!!!

‘Crazy, a lowly mongrel like that caught this…?’

This was something a speciesist like Haimon could never comprehend, a true victory of the half-human, half-demon genes.

Originally, pure-blood demons are the ancient bullies of half-demons.

Therefore, over long centuries, a keen sense for avoiding their terrifying bullies developed in the hybrids’ genetic makeup.

And Pisces was an expert at tightrope walking, even among the half-breeds, with an especially sharpened intuition.

She was particularly sensitive to demons’ killing intent or power, and her sensitivity increased even more the stronger the target’s power was.

This was a type of superpower that transcended the realm of mere senses, which meant even if a powerful demon contained their power, they couldn’t deceive Pisces…

Anyway, as soon as Rosalie heard Pisces’s admirable cry, she concentrated her divine power on the fallen, especially towards Leon and Skada, who were most likely to be targeted in the current situation.

Having also gained much experience on the battlefield over many years, she knew well who needed priority protection among the key figures in each situation.

‘Ugh..! Leon and Skada… But I want to take care of Ras first!’

Of course, inwardly, she whined a little because she wanted to take care of her ‘lover.’

‘Damn it all… Their power deployment is fast. Because of that trashy half-breed bitch..!’

Haimon cursed, but he couldn’t maintain it for long.

This was because the Emperor, who no longer had a reason to act reserved and engage in a reconnaissance battle, rushed towards Haimon without question or hesitation.

Since the Emperor had essentially traveled to Delphy in disguise and quite secretly, he had not brought his unique personal armament.

However, a warrior who has reached the profound realm of Shim-sang-ji-gyeong is not greatly constrained by weapons.

Even with just a suitably longsword, the Emperor’s martial prowess was not significantly diminished.

Thus, the aged lion of the Sephiroth Empire, tempered over long periods on the battlefield, exuded an aura and sharp swordsmanship that effortlessly overwhelmed Haimon.

The sword wind scattered from the blade instantly sharpened into sword energy, and just as the sword energy gracefully grazed Haimon, leaving minor cuts, it instantly transformed into a massive, solid sword light and deeply sliced into Haimon.

“Gasp..!”

Leone-style Swordsmanship, Heavy Sword – Linked Strike of Annihilation

Instead of materializing a massive inner world to overwhelm his opponent like Ras, the Emperor was pushing forward with the swordsmanship he had honed for a long time on the northern battlefields.

Like a novice swordsman relentlessly training himself.

However, Haimon, his opponent, was being completely overwhelmed to the point where he couldn’t even properly breathe.

‘Just cuts, thrusts, footwork… It’s just a sequence of such things…’

Each sword strike was incredibly heavy, and the sword blade, brought down with immense mana, brought with it a sword pressure that felt like it would tear and crush him.

Severing, hacking, piercing. Just like the name of the swordsmanship technique that annihilates life, Haimon’s life was rapidly being taken away.

Leone-style Swordsmanship, Light Break – Bone Extraction

“Graaahhh..!!!!”

The Emperor’s sword instantly transformed from a heavy greatsword into a light and swift speed sword that separated bone and flesh, grinding Haimon to dust.

“Rosalie, finish him.”

Rosalie seamlessly enveloped Haimon, who was trying to regenerate somehow, with brilliant divine power.

“Since you tried to kill Ras, I hope you don’t die peacefully.”

Her beautiful eyes, as she spoke with a biting tone, shone with a rare murderous intent.

With an immense flash of light, Haimon completely melted away, losing his form.

Death.

He had appeared like a great hero, but his end was truly fleeting.

“Woahhh… Master-nim, we definitely took care of that, right?!”

Meanwhile, Pisces, who had neither battle experience nor common sense, made an ominous remark, and was immediately punished by her master.

Thwack-! With a knuckle-rap that made a sound.

“You rascal! Don’t recite revival spells!”

“Ugh..!!! Why’d you hit me..! Master-nim is meanie…!!!”

Pisces, who received a firm knuckle-rap for the first time in a while, whimpered pitifully, and at that cute sight, both Ras and Rosalie smiled with relief.

Fortunately, since the finish was so decisively rendered, Haimon did not revive after hearing a revival spell.

In truth, even if he did revive, it was obvious he’d just die again without being able to lift a finger, so it didn’t really matter.

Thus, the brief invasion by the high-ranking demons concluded without significant damage.

While joyfully chattering, a small struggle ensued between Rosalie and Pisces, who were both trying to hug and support Ras in their arms…

Ras chuckled with a pleased smile befitting the heartwarming sight….

Somehow completely sidelined amid the young people’s romance, the awkward Emperor walked among the fallen group of humans.

The first thing that caught his eye was his good-for-nothing biological children.

Thus, the Emperor looked at Leon, who had fallen unconscious, and Skada, who was barely holding onto consciousness and panting.

“Sigh. When I was your age… Never mind. Let’s not talk about it.”

At their pathetic display, the Emperor thought the sigh that naturally escaped him felt particularly bitter today.

*

“Hmm… All three of them died. Not that I had high expectations.”

A handsome man with dark red hair murmured with a slightly deflated tone.

It was Kardmos, who had just concluded a factional conflict in Azuld with a victory.

“Oh dear… They truly are pathetic fellows who can’t even earn their keep…”

Seneca, Kardmos’s strategist and most loyal retainer, hearing his master’s disappointed voice, shook his head and replied.

From his perspective as a loyal retainer, anyone who even slightly displeased the king was worthless trash.

“Well… We’re also short on numbers, so it was hard to send overly capable individuals. But that doesn’t mean they were completely useless, does it?”

Kardmos chuckled lightly and rolled up his sleeve.

On an inscription similar to the magic inscription he had carved on Haimon, bright red demonic energy was welling up.

“After all, the lives of my subordinates are all mine. Their lives, and the power they’ve taken… all belong to me.”

‘Mark of Reclamation’

Kardmos always bestows power upon his dependents.

Through contracts with him, his dependents receive excellent demonic energy from a high-ranking demon, allowing them to quickly increase their strength.

Antikrea’s strong blossoming of her Spirit Mage talent was also because she grew while receiving the power of a high-ranking demon.

However, nothing in this world is free.

A subordinate who made a contract would, upon death, have all the power and soul they diligently accumulated reclaimed by their master, becoming eternally subservient to him.

Both Antikrea and Haimon thus had their very existences completely bound to their master.

“You are magnificent, Your Majesty. Someday… if this old man becomes useless, I wish to end my life by becoming sustenance for Your Majesty.”

Even witnessing this cruel act, Seneca simply clapped quietly and revealed only his loyalty to his master.

“No. If you’re not here, I’ll have too much practical work to handle. You must survive and work as long as possible….”

Kardmos was startled by Seneca’s serious words and brushed them off with a light jest.

Of course, if Seneca were to die, he had no intention of refusing that power whatsoever.

“Well… A conflict with the Empire will soon be unavoidable anyway, so I should quickly wrap things up here and move on. As expected, they’re quite formidable, more than I thought… You were quite something even back then…”

A small gift, or rather, a small declaration of war to the Empire.

Since Kardmos was still unaware of the intervention of those who had reached the Shim-sang-ji-gyeong, he merely smiled gently, recalling Rosalie’s beautiful face.

His lifelong rival, had indeed been strong even since that time… he thought.

Thus, with a hint of complacency, an afternoon in Azuld was passing by.