episode_0102

I wanted to reach the sun.

When I realized the sun was below me.

I was deeply frustrated.

*****

The blonde girl, who had just fought a short and intense battle, squatted down on the floor of her cell. I was cold, hungry, and cold. To the point where I can’t even remember the last time I had a conversation with someone.

Although they come before hundreds of transcendental beings several times a day, they do not see themselves as initiates. I just see it as a fun toy.

That fact wasn’t sad. Because I had prepared for everything from the beginning. However, it was just too much to bear.

Truly.

Someone’s steps reached the bars of the prison where the girl was imprisoned. The girl turned her head with blank eyes, wondering if Kronos, the ‘god of time’, had come to take her to the arena again.

The girl’s golden eyes were shaken violently.

“Ma, Maria… !”

“Good luck, warrior.”

“Yes, how did you come here…? Could it be that the devil… ?”

“Looking at your appearance, it looks like you are not very healthy.”

Two black and white beings were contained within the golden eyes. Completely contrasting beings. Behind the white girl, a black figure stood like a shadow.

“Demon King! What is this! This is different from the promise!”

The blonde girl, the hero Frey, suddenly began to get angry at the Demon King Kanos.

“Why did Maria… ! Why are you doing something unplanned? If this happens, our plan… !”

The Demon King looked at Frey with grim eyes and raised his hand. Soon, Frey’s exhausted body floated into the air and was strangled by an intangible force.

“Don’t be rash, warrior.”

“Keck… Okay, black… !”

“I am not your friend. No matter what I do, I have no right to criticize you.”

Slurp-!

“Cough! Cough!”

“The reason I summoned the saint was because I judged that it would be more helpful to our ‘goal’ if she knew your plan. Because the saintess will be at close range with the ‘Joker’ in the future.”

Spewing harsh words at Frey, who was coughing from the pressure, Kanos pushed Maria’s back. Maria, who was pushed out, resisted the power because she had not yet received Frey’s permission to come in, but the power of the Demon King was not something she could dare resist.

Cheolpudeok-!

“Don’t treat Maria poorly!”

When Maria fell before his eyes, Frey reacted angrily. Maria felt a strange sense of discomfort from that sight.

‘why… ? The hero is worried about me… ?’

“Hero… There is one thing I would like to ask.”

“Maria, no. There’s nothing I can tell you right now… .”

“Warrior, don’t refuse. I can explain it with my own mouth, but I brought you to me because your explanation can buy more trust.”

“… Damn it.”

Frey bit his tongue as Kanos ignored his words. It looked just like a cornered rat.

“To some extent, I expected it.”

“Huh? Maria, what?”

“The person involved in Joker’s return… I thought it wasn’t just the devil. There will most likely be a helper next to him.”

Maria calmly suppressed her embarrassment and spoke calmly.

“When I was put on the guillotine, I heard from Joker that there was no devil. Thanks to that, I thought that the devil was the reason for the return.”

“That’s accurate, right. As expected, Maria is smart.”

“You weren’t there at that time, right?”

“… .”

“I had no eyes at the time and could not see in all directions. I didn’t know whether the warrior came to the execution ceremony or not. However, that was the feeling. The warrior with the sun energy can feel the burning energy just by being near him.”

Maria’s straight, pure white gaze met Frey’s trembling eyes. Frey hesitated for a moment, then reluctantly nodded.

“… That’s right, I wasn’t there at the time. I was with the devil.”

“The person behind Joker’s return is also… Are you a warrior?”

“It’s not wrong because I was the one who brought him back. The Demon King also contributed. Did you tell Joker that guess?”

“No, if the hero was really behind it, I hid it because I thought there must have been a reason for the hero to hide it. Was it a good choice?”

“Phew, good job. I’m so glad. Joker shouldn’t know… I acted so stupid. Looking down on Maria.”

Frey sighed deeply. Maria did not know whether it was due to physical fatigue caused by the hardships she had endured, or whether it was because of her sudden appearance.

“Hero, please let me know. I need to know.”

“Ha… .”

“Why did the hero join hands with the Demon King, plan Joker’s return, betray the continent, and stand on the side of the Demon King’s army? and… .”

Mary asked an old question that had been lying around for about five hundred years.

“Please tell me why indomitability became obsequious.”

*****

A while back, the war between the continent and the demon world was intensifying. The Devil’s Seat, the center of the Devil’s Castle.

A girl was sitting on it in a pessimistic posture. With hair as black as the bottomless pit and eyes as red as blood. The girl’s eyes were, as always, trapped in the black window.

‘dark… .’

If your vision is dark, you can take off the sunglasses you are wearing, but Demon King Kanos did not do that.

Only Kanos himself knew whether the darkness simply meant the scenery of the Demon King’s Castle, or whether it represented the hope his heart saw.

‘What a fleeting world… .’

Kanos’ gaze, which seemed to capture the depths of the sea, scanned the interior of the Demon King’s Castle. It was a very gloomy place.

‘I’m tired of waiting. Dreaming of excessive dreams that are not in line with nature… ‘It’s time to give up.’

It was then. The door to the Demon King’s Castle opened, and a shadow with his entire body covered in black rags came inside. The Demon King shook his head.

“There are no eyes to see here. Because I swallowed it all.”

Even though he sensed an intruder, the Demon King did not blink and moved his lips. It was a reaction that seemed to have been made aware of the intruder’s presence right away.

“So, you can take off those crude rags and disguises. Warrior.”

“… Meet the devil.”

After the intruder walked to the front of the constellation, he took off his rags and mask, revealing bright blonde hair and a white, delicate face. An appearance that would not be reminiscent of the Demon King’s army, but the intruder was actually far from the Devil’s army.

The hope of the continent.

The devil’s opponent.

The indomitable warrior, Fray de Siegfried.

“A hero who should be training to die on the continent by now, why is he here?”

“There is something I want to tell you. Is the time okay?”

“There is a court martial scheduled for a while… If it’s important, you can cancel it. What brought you here?”

“Devil.”

Frey’s attitude was polite. She knelt down on one knee in front of the Demon King in a respectful manner and opened her mouth like a foreign envoy to an audience with the emperor.

“The destruction of the continent, can’t we just let it go?”

Kanos gave a dry answer.

“It is the warrior’s responsibility. I am the devil.”

“There is nothing absolute in this world. Why does the most powerful person under heaven want to be bound by rules?”

“If you came here to treacherously play with your tongue, I will pull that tongue out and dip it in salted fish right now. Do you want everyone in the demon world to enjoy a feast made with you?”

“… !”

“The role of the hero is to kill the devil. The role of the Demon King is to destroy the world. Don’t play with your foolish tongue. You will be complete only by killing me.”

Frey bit his lower lip painfully. Kanos lifted his chin and looked down at the hero with a somewhat arrogant gaze.

“… Wait a minute, may I be rude? There is something I want to show you.”

Frey’s calloused hand touched the handle of the huge sword hanging on his back.

“As you wish.”

Clap!

As soon as Kanos’ permission was given, the sword was pulled from its scabbard. Holy sword Excalibur. The legendary sword, which no warrior in history except the first warrior could pull out, but was pulled out by ‘Fray de Siegfried’ this time, emits light in the darkness.

Light seeped through the darkness and took over the space. The golden sword energy covered Excalibur’s blade. Frey stood up from his seat with a gale-like force and jumped high into the sky.

Excalibur created a golden vertical semicircle. The sword raised above Frey’s head fell like a thunderbolt. A huge heat like the sun blazed towards Kanos.

To prevent such dazzling attacks from Frey.

Kanos raised a finger. Even the ring finger. Without containing any magic energy.

bang-!

Kwazijijijik-!

“Ugh!”

“… What are we going to do, hero?”

The one that bounced was the holy sword Excalibur. The sword, which was said to be sharp enough to cut through steel like tofu, was thrown away without being able to cut even a single ring finger.

On the other hand, Kanos’ eyes remained calm, as if he was not even the slightest bit shocked. Frey spat out words, coughing up blood due to the shock of his energy flowing back.

“Cough… What I just did was the best blow I can deliver right now.”

“… .”

“The warrior’s power gradually weakens with each generation. On the other hand, the Demon King is called the strongest Demon King of all time. I know. That the Demon King wants a life-or-death opponent to fight with at the risk of his life. But as you just saw, even though I’ve finished growing up, I can’t stand against you… Ugh!”

Kanos tightened his hand, forming a lasso-like hand. Frey got down on both knees and grabbed his neck. An intangible force oppressed Frey’s breathing.

“Kek! Haha! Ugh… !”

“ Truly, truly a pathetic warrior. To be a warrior, you must have an indomitable pride that will not give in to evil and not lose your shine, but to predict defeat before you even fight properly. You don’t even have the qualifications to be a hero. Die like this.”

“Well, that’s not it… ! The reason I came to the Demon King today is… !”

“Disappear. A hero who cannot stand against the Demon King has no need to be alive. A weak person who cannot even handle his own fate is a hero. A miracle is something that comes unexpectedly when you put in all your desperate and desperate efforts!”

Frey’s complexion turned blue, as if he was about to pass out at any moment. Of course, that did not lead to a future in which the pressure from the Devil would be reduced.

A critical situation where the lifeline is shaking. Frey flailed his arms and desperately twitched his tongue.

Red eyes coated in black caught Frey’s vision. A gaze full of contempt and contempt. As it was a look I had already received countless times, my pride was not particularly hurt.

“Maybe… ! Because it may make your wish come true… !”

Stand tall.

With that one word, the pressure on Kanos stopped as if it were dead.

“… Do you know what my wish is when you say that?”

“Cluck, cough! You’re looking for your rival!”

“Yes, but I know now. That it is an impossible dream. I am confident that I will win even if I combine all continents and dimensions, so where can I find my match? I had some hope in you, but in the end, you too… .”

“Why does the Demon King only think about finding a match?”

Frey asked a curious question.

A ripple appeared around Kanos’ eyes.

“What does that mean?”

“If there is no rival, just create one is enough. Isn’t your power infinite?”

“God cannot create another god like himself.”

“Shin… Even if they are not necessarily gods, there are people who are compared to gods, such as Taeseus, the God Slayer. If you want to find your match, you can raise it.”

“Nonsense. In order to raise you, the hero who is the last hope of the continent, I have been sending the Demon King’s army step by step, giving you the opportunity to grow. But even you, who have grown up, couldn’t even surpass my ring finger.”

“I am not the strongest besides you! Why do you think I’m the only one who can be your opponent?”

Frey gained momentum and continued speaking.

“This world is full of strong people. There are people who are stronger than me, although there aren’t that many, but they definitely exist.”

“That would be by your standards. In my opinion, there is no difference between you and the others. archangel? Oh my god? Great sage? To me, they are all just average.”

“Yes, I know that much. But isn’t there just one person worth pinning hope on?”

“Who are you talking about?”

A harsh retort from Kanos, who has not yet succumbed to the hero’s coaxing. After taking a moment to catch his breath, Frey mentioned the existence he had been thinking about in a calm voice.

“The second-in-command of the Demon King’s army, the second-in-command of the demon world, and the second-in-command of this world.”

“Under one person, above all people. Joker.”

“He is a miracle magician who turns the impossible into the possible. You never know. The dream you thought was impossible will come true through none other than the Joker.”