[Ciel.]
The voice did not echo in the ears like a clamor but was etched directly into the mind. Ciel had been retrieving Javel from the throat of a member of the Black Mist when the voice echoed in her mind. She was startled and looked up into the sky.
At the center of the gloomy sky hung the castle of the Demon King of Incarceration, Babel. To Ciel, this voice was nothing less than a revelation. Because this voice belonged to Eugene who had ventured into Babel, and her god was delivering a prophecy to her. It was clear what this revelation called for. Without hesitation, Ciel immediately stepped back.
"Is it Eugene?" Cyan asked while quickly approaching her.
Ciel nodded and closed her eyes. Cyan wiped the blood smears from his cheek with the back of his hand while standing guard near Ciel. It wasn’t just Cyan who had made a move. Others moved similarly. Gilead and the Knights of the White Lion formed a protective circle around Ciel.
Crackle.
A black current flowed around her left eye. After taking a few deep breaths, Ciel opened her eyes again.
Fwoosh!
A dark sphere appeared in the sky where her gaze lay. A rough and large hand emerged from inside the sphere before stirring the air several times. Soon, arms as thick as tree trunks and shoulders as solid as rocks followed, and then—
A man with a bushy, unkempt beard and wild hair appeared. It was the Brave Molon arriving straight from the mountains of Lehainjar. His face showed no hint of surprise or tension as he surveyed the surroundings.He didn’t need to scrutinize. He could feel the reverberations in the air through the tips of his outstretched hands and the cacophony of war, screams, and shouts that filled the surroundings. Molon’s beard quivered. After emerging from the dark portal, Molon stood tall on the battlefield.
Ciel could feel her eye throbbing as she caught her breath. There was never a chance she would fail, since she had tested it several times. Nevertheless, she felt relief at the fact that she had summoned Molon precisely at the moment of revelation. She could feel her body being replenished with mana as she approached Molon.
"Mo…." She tried to call his name but couldn't.
The moment she entered Molon's presence, the air changed. Ciel felt her breath catch, and she stumbled back without realizing it.
His hair and beard were fluttering, and it was hard to discern Molon's face. But Ciel could sense that his expression wasn't as hearty as it had been in the past.
"Is that so?" A deep voice was heard from within the trembling beard.
This was a real battlefield, a place where life clashed with life. Molon looked up at the center of the murky sky. The demon castle Babel, which he had failed to conquer three hundred years ago, loomed before him. The moment Babel came into his sight, Molon's body shuddered. His upper body shook violently as he leaned backward.
"Aaaaaaaah—!"
His thunderous roar shook the battlefield. Taken aback by his outburst, Ciel and Cyan fell to the ground. Then, the entire battlefield came to a pause. Both the Divine Army and the demonic army turned to look at Molon.
"I am,” he started.
Thump!
He stomped the ground once with his massive foot. The tremor transformed into an earthquake and shook the battlefield. Molon looked around the battlefield again. He could see descendants of the Bayar tribe fighting against the giants, heroes of the current generation from the Knight March spread out in the field, and many others standing tall against the demonic forces.
"…Molon Ruhr,” he declared.
His powerful voice resonated through the space, spreading a hint of fear across the faces of the demons who had survived the era of war. They remembered Molon not just as someone who represented the Brave but as the Terror incarnate. They remembered how that name had instilled fear into the hearts of the demons in the past.
"Wh-what are we supposed to do?" Voices spread within the demon army.
The ambitious young demons were aiming for total dominance in this era, and they did not tremble with fear. To them, Molon Ruhr was nothing more than a hermit who had hidden away for centuries. Unlike Sienna or Eugene, he had not shown his prowess recently. Although his voice was loud, the demons didn’t think he was anything special.
However, even if regarded as a relic of a bygone era, Molon Ruhr's head held high value. Molon could feel the murderous aura of the demons before they charged at him. In response, Molon grasped his axe.
Crunch, crunch...!
The space around his hand distorted. He struck with his axe, and with a swoosh, the axe vanished into thin air. But the murderous intent remained. The heads of the hundreds of demons who had harbored an intent to kill Molon simultaneously flew into the air.
"I appreciate you summoning me," Molon said.
Despite being in the middle of the battlefield, he turned around without any sign of caution to look at Ciel.
Being addressed like this by Molon had Ciel standing around awkwardly.
Molon continued, "I'd like to rampage here as well, but this is not my battlefield. I can hear the call."
Even at that moment, Molon was receiving updates about the situation in Babel. Thus, he could no longer smile. Molon recalled his first encounter with Vermouth. Vermouth had been standing with a sword in front of the liberated prisoners, and he was more a wolf than a lion in those days.
Nothing changed. Regardless of who Vermouth truly was, to Molon, Vermouth was simply Vermouth. Molon silently withdrew his gaze and looked up at the sky, at the demon castle Babel. Today, Molon had no thoughts of retreating with his life intact. He was committed only to victory.
"Hamel is calling me,” he said.
Crack, crack...!
Molon slowly bent his knees. Ciel and those around her instinctively stepped back, sensing what was to come. Their actions were justified only a moment later. With a tremendous roar, the ground sank, and Molon's massive form leaped towards Babel.
Ciel and her protectors stared at this sight in shock, their mouths agape.
Boom!
Molon broke through the walls of Babel and entered the castle. Only then could Ciel finally close her gaping mouth. The battlefield, which had paused momentarily, resumed right after Molon's leap. Ciel started to swing Javel once more.
She did not hear any more revelations from Eugene. It was inevitable, she thought. Since Molon had been summoned here, it meant that the battle with the Demon King of Incarceration had begun in earnest. The heroes of the past, excluding the Great Vermouth, were once again challenging the Demon King of Incarceration after their loss three centuries ago.
'Can we really win...?' Ciel inadvertently had this thought.
Though she didn't want to entertain such a thought, she couldn't help it. Like most members of the general staff, Ciel simply couldn't imagine the Demon King of Incarceration's defeat.
But neither could she imagine Eugene's defeat. It was unsettling, yet she had no choice but to trust in Eugene. Moreover, Eugene was not fighting alone. The Wise Sienna, the Faithful Anise, Kristina Rogeris, and now, the Brave Molon were all headed to Babel. And if it came to it, the members of the general staff of the Divine Army would also head to Babel, even if it meant putting their lives on the line.
So, it was fine. She needed to believe in victory, not defeat. She needed to focus on the battle in front of her. While the members of the general staff were overwhelming their counterparts, the demonic forces were deploying demonic creatures, black wizards, and the undead. The battlefield was at a deadlock.
Whoosh.
It all happened in an instant. The sky darkened to pitch black. Darkness enveloped Babel as it spread like ink. The sun Eugene had created was still intact, pouring strength upon the Divine Army. But now, the same happened with Babel. The dark power that the Demon King of Incarceration had harvested from his empire now endowed the demon army on the battlefield.
"Ah...!"
The demons shuddered with ecstasy after getting a taste of the endless power. The monsters seemed to evolve, their very bodies transforming. The black wizards pierced walls with nothing but their physical power, and the undead they raised were completed in a flash. Even humans and mercenaries who knew nothing of magic received the grace of the Demon King.
The magnitude of power he bestowed was different. The dark power of the Demon King of Incarceration could be distributed generously to millions in his demon army. The gap in the capabilities of the leaders was now merely a matter of physical strength.
"This can't be...!" Gilead exclaimed.
He looked up at the sky in dismay. Near the divine sun, he saw Raimira surrounded by Maise’s Signature, Battleship. Raimira, who had bombarded the battlefield with several Breaths and spells multiple times, was bringing miracles to the battlefield with the Graceful Radiance, the elite of the Luminous Covenant. However, she now staggered under the spreading dark power.
Rumble!
Babel started to shake with a great noise, and Raimira screamed in surprise. She barely managed to keep her altitude, and she and those on her back turned their gazes toward Babel.
Molon, who had just broken into Babel, now burst out again after breaking it a second time. Gilead’s eyes widened in confusion at the sight. Just as Molon jumped out of Babel, he was followed by chains shooting out through the broken walls. Molon flipped around in midair.
Crack!
His fist shattered a chain head-on. Although he had no foothold in the sky, Molon did not retreat. Instead, he grabbed the rebounding chain and pulled himself back into Babel.
"You fool!" Eugene yelled in exasperation from within Babel.
He had not expected Molon to fall in a single blow after such a brazen charge…!
"Why did you rush in so recklessly?" Sienna scolded him as she spread her robe wide.
She was preparing the Demoneye of Fantasy inside her robe.
"I am no fool,” said Molon.
He gripped the chain firmly in his hand. The blow he had received was strong enough to send him flying through the wall, but he was otherwise unscathed.
Crunch.
Thick veins bulged on Molon's hand and arm, and his muscles twitched. Molon glared at the Demon King of Incarceration, who stood midway up the stairs.
"Do you wish to drag me down?" the Demon King of Incarceration asked.
Although Molon was strong enough to physically crumple space itself, he found that he couldn’t make the Demon King of Incarceration budge even a single step.
Creak, creak.
The chain was pulled taut. Molon's eyebrows twitched.
Creeeak...!
Molon’s feet began to slide towards the Demon King of Incarceration. His face showed disbelief as he held on tightly to the chain.
Crack...!
Sparks started to fly from his fist.
Boom!
Molon's feet were embedded into the ground. His body, which had leaned forward, now snapped back, and his outstretched arm bent. The chain that had been pulling him was suddenly yanked towards him. At the same moment, the Demon King of Incarceration was flung up from the stairs. He spread his cape of chains like wings, falling towards the center of the court. Molon took aim with his axe as his enemy descended.
Then, he swung his axe, and it made contact, or so it seemed to the eye. But Molon felt nothing. There was no sound either. His axe had merely stopped in front of the chains that enshrouded the Demon King of Incarceration.
From amidst the chains, the Demon King of Incarceration raised a finger. He directed his long index finger towards Molon, and it flickered with a black light.
From this tiny flicker, chains sprung forth. Molon was struck by the chains and flung backward. His innards were shaken by the dizzying impact, yet he gritted his teeth and resisted. He attempted to stop himself from flying backward while raising his axe high. But the Demon King of Incarceration had not finished his attacks. The chains rushed towards him like spears, and Molon drove down his axe in response.
“Stop acting like a fool…!” Eugene murmured while crouching low.
Whoosh.
The divine fire born in the region of his heart enveloped his entire body. In the court filled with dark power, Eugene’s flames flickered brightly. The light resonated with the Saints, who spread their arms wide.
Whaack!
A radiant light was born in the midst of a room filled with dark power. Anise recited a prayer and Kristina gathered her spread arms to raise the prayer. The light that emerged formed countless rings and pushed away the dark power.
[The Light…!] Anise murmured in awe.
Three hundred years ago, she could only summon a faint light in this court. But now, she could summon the Light effortlessly. It was only natural since she had Eugene by her side. He was the embodiment of the divine.
The Demon King of Incarceration spoke as he quietly landed on the floor, “It’s bright.”
He raised his finger towards the Saints. Eugene immediately kicked off the ground and blocked his path.
But stepping in his path didn’t do anything. Dark power still permeated the space around them, and it spread like ink over the Saints. Just before the curtain of black washed over them, the flames of Prominence wrapped around them like a shield.
“Huh!”
The Saints became Light and resonated with Eugene. The Demon King of Incarceration admired the wings that unfolded with the bright light.
He had never witnessed how Eugene fought. He had not been able to observe the battle in Giabella City due to Noir’s interference, and the gatekeeper Balzac had died at Sienna’s hand. Moreover, even if Eugene had been the one to kill Balzac, he wouldn’t have needed to display his true power.
“It seems you’ve improved since your duel with Gavid Lindman,” the Demon King of Incarceration commented.
The distance between the two of them was closed in an instant. The Demon King of Incarceration had assumed Eugene would wield Levantein, but even as the gap closed, Eugene’s hands remained empty.
But soon, a smile crept up on the face of the Demon King. He had realized that Levantein, now a catalyst connected to the Light, was not taking the form of a sword but resided in Eugene’s heart.
“Excellent,” he complimented.
As if responding to the dry appraisal, Eugene raised his hand. The flames wrapped around his hand became a sword. Though he didn’t expect the first strike to connect, Eugene nevertheless swung the sword in his hand as intended.
Crackle!
To his surprise, the flame dispersed in front of his eyes. It was the Demon King of Incarceration’s fist that shattered the divine fire. The Demon King of Incarceration’s foot slid forward, and Eugene momentarily lost sight of him.
But his instinct prompted a response. Eugene allowed his intuition to guide his hand as he swung. The scattered embers became countless blades tearing through space. But the Demon King of Incarceration neither retreated nor created a barrier for defense. He slowly extended his hand and gently brushed past Eugene’s blades.
That alone altered the trajectory of the blades. Despite the divine power and the dark power coming into contact with each other, there was no reaction. The Demon King of Incarceration’s technique was so fluid that it felt as though they had touched yet hadn’t. The twisted trajectory of the blades opened an empty space between Eugene and the Demon King of Incarceration.
"Unexpected, is it?" the Demon King of Incarceration asked.
Instead of responding verbally, Eugene responded by throwing a punch. At the same time, Molon attacked the Demon King of Incarceration from behind.
It appeared as though the Demon King of Incarceration reacted too late, but his hand met Eugene’s fist head-on. At first, it seemed as if he planned on blocking Eugene’s blows from the front, but instead, his hand enveloped Eugene’s fist and coiled up his forearm like a snake. Molon’s axe came from behind, but the Demon King didn’t use his chains. Rather, he caught the axe with his other hand.
Eugene had thought the Demon King of Incarceration’s tactics would resemble those of a wizard. He had been certain that the Demon King would avoid close combat. Or perhaps he would employ a strategy based on overwhelming firepower, like most demons and Demon Kings. Sienna, Anise, and Molon, who had fought the Demon King of Incarceration three hundred years ago, had said as much.
But it was different from Eugene’s expectation. As the Demon King of Incarceration himself had said, this was utterly unexpected.
The Demon King of Incarceration was engaging in weaponless close-quarters combat. He wasn’t fighting with an overwhelming force based on infinite dark power but instead utilizing a martial technique that either made use of the opponent’s strength or nullified it entirely.
"It has been a long time since I moved like this," the Demon King revealed.
Molon’s knees buckled as the Demon King of Incarceration returned his strike. Eugene tried to extricate his entangled arm immediately, but before he could do so, the Demon King of Incarceration’s hand reached Eugene's chest.
Thump.
He tapped Eugene’s chest with an open palm, and Eugene was slammed against the wall.
Openbookworm & DantheMan's Thoughts
Momo: I am actually excited to see the Demon King fight.