Lucifer, Who Guides Evil – 1

“There’s nothing here.”

“Indeed, that is so.”

There was nothing inside the castle. Normally, we would have had to struggle to defeat the demons, who would attack even more ferociously than usual to protect their king, as we advanced. But not today.

Unlike me, who was just walking with the Wingless Nightmare in hand due to the empty surroundings, Kaikilia was smashing every demon statue adorning both sides of the corridor as soon as she saw them.

The intricately carved demon statues, made of an unknown material, crumbled with a crash. Piles of fragments and dust, once statues, accumulated thickly behind the path we had taken.

‘……That guy’s statues aren’t here.’

Just in case, I checked the statues one step ahead of Kaikilia before she broke them, but there wasn’t a single statue depicting the World-Eater, like the one found inside the Gladiator Demon’s castle.

That made it even stranger.

If that guy’s statues were erected here and there, I might have thought that the demons had started worshipping him instead of Lucifer, but so far, only one had been found, and that was in the castle’s basement.

“This is truly a place that makes one feel utterly disgusted.”

Squish, Kaikilia’s leather boots stepped onto a path made of dark crimson blood. It was a path that had continued straight from the castle gate until now.

The path of blood stretched far down the corridor, as if guiding us. No matter how long it continued, there was no sign of it ending, even though we had walked quite a distance.

No, it was the exact same route to the final boss from my memories, so it must have been guiding us. I just didn’t understand why they were doing this.

“Delta. Was such a thing present in your knowledge?”

“……No, Your Majesty.”

“I had expected as much. If this were a sight that existed in your knowledge, you would not have worn such a troubled expression, would you? There is only one thing you must answer to me. Whether this is the correct path or not.”

“Yes. It is certain that following this will lead to that guy’s dwelling.”

“That is sufficient. If this is the correct path, then that is enough. Did you not say you had a question for it? Meeting it sooner means we can kill it earlier, which is nothing but a good thing.”

The path of blood continued for a long time. After repeatedly going up and down stairs and turning several corners, we finally found a door leading into the inner castle.

And the trail of blood also ended precisely at the door leading into the inner castle. I didn’t know the reason for leaving the blood trail, but the intention was clear.

“Did you say there was still more path to traverse?”

“Because we’ve just left the outer castle. The inner castle where the Demon King resides is separate.”

“To think it would build such an unfitting structure, presumptuously claiming to be a king. It is utterly disgusting.”

“The inner castle isn’t as large as this one, so we should arrive quickly.”

After passing through a garden-like space beyond the door and walking a little further, we could immediately enter the inner castle where the DLC final boss was located.

Having received confirmation, Kaikilia had no hesitation. The sword, emitting a bright light, split the door in half.

As soon as we stepped through the broken door, a metallic, pungent smell of blood assailed our noses. It was such a terrible smell of blood that I involuntarily frowned. The light emanating from the holy sword grew even stronger.

“This is……”

Kaikilia’s questioning murmur was heard.

The place that should have been an open clearing for a mid-boss battle was filled with the corpses of fallen demons everywhere, leaving only a path barely wide enough for one person to walk.

Without exaggeration, the demon corpses were piled as high as a castle wall.

‘……What in the world happened here?’

The demons who should have protected their king were dead, their corpses piled like mountains in the clearing meant for a mid-boss battle, and their blood flowed, forming a path to guide us.

It made no sense at all.

While I desperately racked my brain to understand the situation, Kaikilia, with an unperturbed expression, approached one of the mountains of corpses and poked it with her holy sword.

The demon corpse near the holy sword began to purify and burn away with a sacred light. The mountain of corpses swayed for a moment but then easily regained its position due to its overwhelming mass.

“These are indeed their corpses. They do not seem to be illusions or phantoms.”

“I understand that, but I don’t know why they would do such a thing.”

Even if the power difference was so great that all the demons in the castle combined were weaker than a single final boss, it would still be far more advantageous to use them as meat shields rather than commit such a meaningless slaughter.

They could drain our stamina, and if done well, even inflict some damage.

“Why speculate on the thoughts of creatures no different from beasts? Pay it no mind. We merely need to do our duty.”

Kaikilia stepped onto the ground without hesitation.

The leather boot, bearing the weight of a person, sank into the ground as if stepping into mud. This was because the sand had turned into mud due to the blood.

Noticing that half of the lower part of her boot was submerged, Kaikilia irritably pulled her foot out. Perhaps due to the holy sword’s effect, her leather boots were still perfectly clean, without a speck of dirt.

“However, our movement will be hindered like this.”

After speaking, Kaikilia raised her right hand above her head. Sunlight gathered at the tip of her sword. As its owner swung her arm downwards, the sunlight gathered on the holy sword cleaved the garden.

In the wake of the cleaving light, a massive and sharp curtain of light soared upwards. It was a sight like a curtain descending from the sky to the ground.

The golden curtain of light remained still for a moment, then slowly expanded left and right. All the blood and flesh in the path of the curtain were purified, burning away and disappearing.

Her leather boots stepped onto the parched, dusty ground. This time, they didn’t sink. Kaikilia glanced back, then gestured with her eyes for me to follow.

I obediently followed behind her. Even at the moment we stepped into this place, the curtain of light continued to purify the corpses, expanding towards the edges.

Soon, the mountain of corpses completely vanished without leaving a trace. The pungent smell of blood that had assailed our noses was gone as well.

As the corpses disappeared, the entrance to the inner castle, which had been hidden by blood and flesh, was revealed. The door was already wide open. I pointed at it with my finger.

“That’s the place.”

“Finally, I shall see that contemptible face. This is truly fortunate.”

The inside was quite clean. The outside had been covered in blood and corpses, but here, nothing of the sort could be found. Not even what should have originally been there.

In my memory, the entrance to Lucifer’s boss room was a place lined with various demon statues on both sides. But now, none of them were visible.

A few pillars supporting the ceiling. That was all that met the eye.

ㅡKkigigigik!

As soon as we stepped a few more paces inside, the door closed with a loud creak.

Kaikilia paid no mind to that fact and strode forward. Her eyes had long since been fixed on the Demon King. The holy sword in her hand blazed more intensely than ever.

ㅡWelcome, human.

A loud voice echoed throughout the entire inner castle.

The demon, who was quite small for someone nicknamed ‘Lucifer, Who Guides Evil’-about my height, it seemed-was sitting arrogantly on a throne at the top of the stairs, looking down.

Its entire body was covered in strange red tree roots, so only its right eye was visible. All other body parts, except for the right eye, were completely covered in red tree roots.

“How dare you act so arrogantly before the Emperor? I know not where you learned such manners, but you shall pay for that sin with your life.”

Kaikilia aimed her holy sword. Even though the holy sword, which was like a deadly poison to the demon race, was aimed at it, the demon showed no sign of agitation.

ㅡYou, who are protected by a false god. I have been waiting for you.

To be precise, it had no interest in the holy sword at all.

Lucifer, completely ignoring Kaikilia, looked at me with its one visible eye.

Kaikilia, ignored by the demon right before her eyes, looked as if her eyes were about to pop out and tried to swing her holy sword, but she abruptly stopped when I held her back with my hand.

Despite it being an extremely disrespectful act considering their respective statuses, Kaikilia obediently followed my words and lowered the tip of her sword. But her eyes were still filled with rage.

“……Protected by a false god? What does that even mean? And what’s this about waiting for me?”

It didn’t seem like it was going to attack me right away, so I planned to try to talk to it as much as possible. Those words were simply too much to ignore.

ㅡIt means exactly what it says.

Having finished its piece, it stood up from its seat. Just that alone caused the surrounding space to slowly begin to distort. It was a sight I had seen in cutscenes.

I thought we could have a conversation, but it just said what it wanted and that was it. There was no time. I quickly whispered to Kaikilia.

“Your Majesty, this is the situation I told you about.”

“I know. If that thing takes me, we fight together, and if not, then you or I, one of us, must fight alone, did you not say?”

“Yes. Judging by its appearance…… it seems I will be the one dragged away.”

The distortion of space gradually grew larger. Now, it was on the verge of swallowing both of us, or more precisely, just me. Kaikilia’s surroundings remained perfectly normal, without any distortion.

“This is truly regrettable. I had been eagerly awaiting the day I could tear that thing to shreds.”

Kaikilia wore a genuinely regretful expression.

I wondered if I should have let her attack when she just drew her holy sword, but at the time, I had no idea that guy would just finish its piece and then attack, so it was an unavoidable choice.

“I will repay your share, Your Majesty. If you wish, I will even tell you everything it said when it died.”

Kaikilia, understanding my hidden meaning, let out a small laugh.

“Already thinking of what happens after victory? You are truly an impertinent subject. Go forth.”

The moment those words barely finished, a red light swallowed me. I was instantly transported to a place that perfectly suited the description of hell, a place far more horrific than the outside.

It was a space where a boiling river of blood flowed nearby, and two blood-red, spherical objects floated in the sky. For some reason, the air itself felt humid and stifling.

As expected, Kaikilia wasn’t there. I had hoped, but it was just as I thought.

ㅡI showed you sincerity.

I aimed the Wingless Nightmare in the direction the voice came from. Sacred light flowed from the blade, which was half gold and half silver.

Lucifer, looking at me with its one exposed eye, was slowly moving its steps.

“Sincerity?”

ㅡI cleared the path for you to come to me.

“……Was that really your doing?”

ㅡThat is my sincerity.

It was impossible to reason with it. I sighed inwardly.

In the game, the player would be attacked as soon as they transferred to this space, but this guy seemed to have no intention of doing so, spreading its arms wide and pontificating as if giving a sermon.

So I thought it wanted to talk, but it was just unilaterally spouting its own words. It was a hopeless fellow.

ㅡSince I have shown sincerity, it is your turn to show faith.

Its eyes widened.

ㅡFalse history. False faith. False god. There is nothing true. I have opened my eyes. You, too, shall now serve the true god.

“…….”

Floretta was quietly offering prayers inside the Grand Cathedral of the Sun. Praying for the Honored Guest-nim’s safety, and hoping that God would forgive Floretta for failing to protect the Honored Guest-nim.

The prayers continued endlessly. She didn’t drink a single sip of water, nor did she sleep once. She had also told the Inquisitor not to approach the Grand Cathedral of the Sun for the time being.

Because if she didn’t do this, she felt she wouldn’t be able to suppress her sorrow.

“Your Holiness the Solar Pope. May I have a moment?”

The Inquisitor’s voice pierced Floretta’s ears. It was a voice that shouldn’t have been there.

“Did I not command that no one should be allowed into the Grand Cathedral of the Sun, and no one should enter, for the time being, Inquisitor?”

“I know. But, I felt His Holiness the Pope absolutely needed to know this.”

“……What is it?”

Her clear green eyes opened slightly. It was clear that if the Inquisitor spoke like that, it must be a very important matter.

“A woman claiming to have been a Paladin 400 years ago has appeared, and she says she knows how to get to the Honored Guest-nim.”