The Demon King of Incarceration tried to stand up but couldn’t get to his feet. His legs lost their strength mid-attempt, causing him to collapse back onto the ground. His vision kept shaking from side to side, and even his sense of balance seemed off.
Was his brain damaged? Or perhaps it was a different organ? He seemed to have retained his rationality, but….
‘It’s difficult,’ the Demon King sighed.
He couldn’t even voice the thoughts going through his head. The Demon King of Incarceration decided to just lie down on the ground for a few more moments to catch his breath.
But why wasn’t he able to catch his breath? Although that was what Incarceration was trying to do, he simply couldn’t get his wild panting under control. Every time the Demon King attempted to take a deep breath, his chest hurt so badly it felt like his ribcage was about to be ripped apart. Instead of air, it was only black blood and shattered pieces of internal organs that dripped down from his parted lips.
‘It truly is difficult,’ the Demon King grimaced.
Was there a hole in his chest? Could it be that his shattered ribs had torn apart his lungs? Was his heart still in good condition? There were too many concerns to address regarding the current state of his injuries, and most of the results that came back from his self-examination were negative.
‘At this point, I’m barely clinging to life,’ the Demon King admitted to himself.
As long as the first chain that the Demon King of Incarceration had ever created was still connected, his body wouldn’t be able to die even if he wanted to. And his chain that was connected to Destruction… hadn’t been broken yet. So, as long as it remained intact, the Demon King of Incarceration would never be able to die.
But in his current situation, that wasn’t all that helpful. In a state where it wouldn’t have been strange for anyone else to have died long ago, the chain was just barely keeping him alive.Was it finally enough?
This thought suddenly occurred to the Demon King. There was no way for the Demon King of Incarceration to die in this battle. No matter how much Eugene and his comrades might cry out for his death, there was no practical means for them to kill the Demon King of Incarceration. So, in their fight, the only ones whose defeat would end with their deaths were Eugene and the rest of his party.
For the Demon King of Incarceration to be defeated… they would need to change his mind.
Eugene and his companions would win when the Demon King of Incarceration finally decided that there wasn’t any further need to test them. They would win when the Demon King of Incarceration was no longer obsessed with ensuring the next era. They would win when the Demon King of Incarceration stopped thinking about whether or not their mission was even possible and just placed all of his hopes on the current era.
“Hahaha.” Eventually, the Demon King of Incarceration couldn’t help but let out a laugh.
While letting out a low chuckle, the Demon King of Incarceration pressed his hands against the ground.
In this test of their strength... Eugene and his comrades had sufficiently proven themselves. They had used every means at their disposal to push the Demon King of Incarceration to his breaking point. So much so that the Demon King could no longer be pushed any further. Even if their success was due to variables that the Demon King of Incarceration couldn’t have foreseen, such as the betrayal of Balzac Ludbeth… and how they had obtained the help of Noir Giabella’s remnant soul.
But the Demon King of Incarceration loved unexpected variables. Especially variables that had not existed within all of the countless eons he had experienced. He loved how these variables could shake the course of fate, which was constantly converging on a path to Destruction. The more deadly a threat those variables could pose to the Demon King of Incarceration, the more effectively they would be able to resist fate.
That was why he found the current era to be such an amazing and beautiful one. Its heroes were overflowing with the will to rise up against the Demon Kings and save their world. Not a single one of them had given into despair, and even in the face of overwhelming power that should have stripped them of their will to resist, they had still continued to move forward bravely.
Incarceration had tested them several times. He had tried to force them into despair by showing them such power that they must have felt that it was impossible to defeat him. He had told them to give up, that they would be able to move on to the next era together, where they would be able to enjoy the glory and happiness they deserved.
However, none of them had accepted his offer. Not one of them had hesitated out of a fear of death, nor had any of them betrayed their comrades.
So, Incarceration wasn’t able to drive them into despair as he had hoped. He had confirmed their strength. They had also refused to give up on their desire to save Vermouth, no matter the cost.
In that case, wouldn’t it be fine just to end things like this?
“Your Majesty!” some demonfolk cried out as they approached the prone Demon King of Incarceration.
This group of demonfolk were the last members of the Demon King’s Army stationed within Pandemonium. At the sound of their voices and approaching footsteps, the Demon King of Incarceration slowly lifted his head. Only then did the Demon King of Incarceration realize where exactly he had fallen.
He was in the capital of Helmuth, Pandemonium. The city that had been completely remodeled into a battle fortress with the ability to indiscriminately bombard the rest of the continent following the demonfolk’s victory in this war had now completely lost its function. The attack that had brought down the Demon King of Destruction had also cut down vast swathes of Pandemonium, but even before that, Pandemonium had already been reduced to ruins. This was all thanks to Melkith, who had followed Eugene’s orders and had invaded Pandemonium all on her own before running wild through the city.
The demonfolk stammered, “A-are you all right…?”
The demonfolk approaching Incarceration didn’t appear to be heavily wounded. The Demon King of Incarceration could easily infer the reason for this.
These demonfolk hadn’t put up any resistance to Melkith’s invasion. The demonfolk who would have had the strength to do so were already on the battlefield outside the city. These demonfolk, who had remained within Pandemonium, were all lowlifes whose only thoughts were of how they could invade the continent and sate their desires once the Demon King had emerged victorious. Because of that, these members of the rearguard hadn’t dared to confront Melkith and had instead remained hidden. While hiding, they had just watched as Melkith’s Omega Force destroyed all of the missile batteries and the other weapons that the Demon King of Incarceration had prepared.
The Demon King of Incarceration stared at these demonfolk without saying anything.
Incarceration could read the anxiety and fear in their eyes. He could also see another desire that was slowly spreading its way through them.
These demonfolk had thought that this war would naturally end in Helmuth’s victory. They hadn’t had any doubts about the Demon King’s eventual triumph. However, in front of them was the Demon King, who they had once thought to be so undefeatable but had now fallen into such a miserable state that it wouldn’t be strange if he were to die at any moment.
Their anxiety and fear of defeat began to give way to a desire to take the Demon King of Incarceration’s head for themselves.
Such a dirty desire came from multiple factors. Some of the demonfolk wanted to take the Demon King’s head and offer it up to humans. If they did, they might be able to acquire the glory they desired, even if it meant their defeat. Still others coveted the Demon King’s throne. Without even taking into account that killing Incarceration would mean Helmuth’s defeat, they only cared about becoming the Demon King and then fleeing to ensure their own safety.
“Haha,” the Demon King of Incarceration laughed, not feeling even the slightest disappointment when faced with such selfish greed.
Instead, he would have found it funny if, in this current situation, any of these demonfolk had been willing to sacrifice their lives for Helmuth’s glory and their Demon King.
The Demon King of Incarceration didn’t have a single drop of affection for the empire that he had founded. The reason he had founded the Helmuth Empire was to pursue optimal efficiency for his preparations during the three hundred years he had granted as a grace period.
Then what about his efforts in developing Helmuth and actively accepting human immigrants? This might just be stating the obvious, but the Demon King of Incarceration had never regretted his actions in starting the war or considered his actions to be in the wrong. His human-friendly policy was only for the sake of obtaining human souls without waging a war.
Such a simple trick had worked out impressively. As a result of this policy, countless humans had immigrated to Helmuth before dying there. The souls they had mortgaged with contracts for posthumous labor had become assets to be used in preparation for the next era as their souls were circulated within Helmuth.
His recent preparation of weapons that transcended the current era’s level of civilization was also done in the same context. After bombing the capitals of all the nations on the continent, the Demon King’s goal was to leave the people with no choice but to surrender to him, making it easier for him to send them into the grindstone and use them as assets for his next era.
After his first few times creating a new era, the Demon King had established a standard set of practices. When the time came for him to finally say goodbye to the current era, any compassion would only serve to wear him down. As such, the Demon King of Incarceration had always kept his entanglements to a minimum. His eyes had only ever been focused on the next era, never taking a moment to look down at those crushed beneath his feet or even lend them a hand.
All the minimal entanglements he had been forced to make in this era were now dead. To the Demon King of Incarceration, the Demon King’s Army that he had mobilized to fight in this war held no value, either as his subjects or as subordinates. That was why he didn’t feel any disappointment at the treasonous intentions currently directed at him by these demonfolk.
“Get lost,” the moment the Demon King uttered these words, the bodies of the gathered demonfolk turned into ash and collapsed.
The dark power he had granted them had instantly been transformed into flames that had annihilated them from the inside out. The Demon King let out a dry laugh as he staggered up to his feet.
That’s right. He still had such a method available to him.
The Demon King chuckled as he rested his hands on his knees and said, “I can still draw upon what I granted to all of you.”
He had already withdrawn all of the dark power that had previously been spread throughout Helmuth. However, he had yet to withdraw the dark power he had granted to the soldiers of the Demon King’s Army currently fighting on the battlefield.
Though the dark power that he had granted them wasn’t all that large in proportion compared to the total amount of dark power that the Demon King of Incarceration could hold, he now felt that every last bit of it was needed. Without that small amount of dark power, he wouldn’t be able to fight any longer. In other words, the Demon King of Incarceration had come to a conclusion.
He still wanted to keep fighting.
This wasn’t because the Demon King of Incarceration hadn’t given up. He had already resigned himself to his defeat long ago. His reason to keep fighting also wasn’t because he thought that he hadn’t tested them enough. After having undergone such a decline in his fighting strength, any further testing was meaningless.
Yet even so, the Demon King wanted to keep fighting, even if it meant resorting to such shameless means to recover his dark power.
“Why is that?” the Demon King of Incarceration asked himself as he looked up at the sky. “It should be enough that they have already forced me to give up. I’ve also had to admit to their strength.”
In a sky that was no longer covered in darkness, Eugene was standing, looking down at the Demon King. He didn’t seem to be in great shape either. His eruption of divine power that had been unleashed with Ignition was slowly reaching its end. The pain that wouldn’t go away even after his body was healed was also making it hard for Eugene to move his perfectly healthy body the way he wanted it to.
Yet even so, Eugene’s status was much better than that of the Demon King of Incarceration. He was still holding the giant Divine Sword of Light in his hands. Tempest, still covered in light, was also glowing in an eye-catching manner behind Eugene. Molon was barely clinging to life and was being supported by Sienna. The Demon King of Incarceration was also able to spot the figures of the Saints. The two Saints, who were now exhausted beyond all measure, were clinging to Eugene's back instead of relying on each other for support.
“I’m not sure if it’s partly because I am jealous of you, who are so different from me,” the Demon King admitted.
He knew the real reason.
“But it’s mainly because I am very much enjoying our fight,” the Demon King of Incarceration said with a smile.
Even if this ended with Eugene kneeling in front of the Demon King of Incarceration, unable to fight any longer, the current Demon King definitely wouldn’t be able to kill Eugene. Setting aside whether or not the Demon King of Incarceration still had any intention of killing Eugene, everyone who had accompanied Eugene up to this point would make sure to block the Demon King from carrying out such an action.
If things were to come to that point, the Saints would rush forward to sacrifice their lives for Eugene, and Molon would do what he had always done up until now, stepping forward to use his body as a shield for Eugene. Sienna would also desperately use all of the magic at her disposal to prevent the Demon King of Incarceration from realizing his hostile intentions.
Even if he were to kill them all, the Demon King of Incarceration still wouldn’t be able to kill Eugene.
The Divine Army who had followed Eugene here would never betray Eugene. Not one of them held any desire to usurp Eugene’s divine throne. The daughter of the Demon-Dragon, who was currently flying in the sky above, wouldn’t hesitate to die for Eugene, the man who had killed her father. All of the believers who had followed Eugene here from Yuras would instantly become fanatics willing to martyr themselves to save Eugene.
Even the heroes who had gathered from all across the continent were willing to die for him, giving up all the glory they had accumulated throughout their careers and the fame they would be able to enjoy far into the future. Even the descendants of Vermouth Lionheart, the one who had betrayed the Demon King oh so long ago, would sacrifice their lives for Eugene instead of repeating the mistake of their ancestor.
“So that’s how it is,” the Demon King nodded with a calm smile.
In the end, the Demon King was only ever meant to play the role of a villain in this battle. The Hero and all of the heroes accompanying him would give it all they had as they stood together against the Demon King. It might not have worked out that way in the distant past, but that was how it was now.
The fate of this world was different from the fate that the Demon King of Incarceration had envisioned for it.
No, it wasn’t just this world. Even the fates of the previous world and all the worlds that had come before it were never meant to rest in the Demon King’s hands. Whenever the Demon King of Incarceration had launched his invasions, the beings who had stood up to fight against their inevitable destruction had done so with the determination to create their own fate, without succumbing to despair, without allowing their hope to be snuffed out. Instead of the next era that the Demon King of Incarceration had always insisted on… they had fought to continue the future of their worlds.
“Show me then,” the Demon King softly said as he raised his hand.
Roooooar!
The battlefield outside Pandemonium shook. The demonfolk, who had already stopped fighting, screamed as they were drained. The Black Fog were the first to fall to their knees as they writhed in pain, and the demonic beasts all collapsed as lumps of dead flesh.
“Show me your radiant light that erases despair,” Incarceration said, challenging Eugene.
The dark power Incarceration had just stolen from his victims wasn’t able to fly through the sky towards him. Like a shadow attempting to spread beneath a light that was far too bright for it, the dark power slithered across the ground as it flowed toward the Demon King of Incarceration.
The Demon King chuckled as he clenched his fist and said, “Show me a defeat that will close the door to the next era.”
The Divine Sword was raised aloft. A pillar of light rose above the world.
As he shuddered at this sight, the Demon King of Incarceration whispered, “Show me the victory that will open a path for the future.”
Dragging the towering pillar down with him, Eugene descended to the earth. Unable to hold it in, the Demon King of Incarceration burst into laughter. He grew so focused that even the clanking sound of his chains wasn’t able to enter his ears. The Demon King of Incarceration ran to meet Eugene as the Hero fell from the sky.
Boooom!
Darkness and light collided. But it was the darkness that shattered into pieces and was scattered. The countless chains trailing behind the Demon King of Incarceration were also broken along with the darkness. The Demon King of Incarceration staggered backward as if he was about to be sent flying, but he barely managed to keep his feet under him. He clenched his fist once more as blood and laughter spewed from his lips.
The next swing of his fist managed to stop the light in its tracks. However, that light was far too bright for the current Demon King of Incarceration to block completely.
Behind Eugene, Tempest also raised his fist. A storm rose once more. Infused with light, the wind erupted forth in a flash. The Demon King of Incarceration used his remaining chains to try and hold himself in place, but the storm of light engulfed the darkness in its entirety and shattered the chains.
The remaining force of the blow washed over Pandemonium and eradicated what remained of the city’s walls. As he was sent flying by the storm, the Demon King of Incarceration watched as the Divine Army marched over the fallen walls. Instead of ending the lives of the Demon King’s Army as the demonfolk just lay there, having lost all of their strength, the Divine Army had instead advanced on Pandemonium.
They were chanting the name of Eugene Lionheart as they marched. Everyone on the battlefield could sense that the defeat of Helmuth, the demonfolk, and the Demon King of Incarceration was drawing near. The victory of Eugene Lionheart and the Divine Army was close at hand.
‘Victory,’ Eugene also had a flash of intuition.
Eugene no longer had any remaining doubts about his divine domain.
He listened to the prayers of his believers as well as how his name was resounding throughout the battlefield.
Right now, what was it that everyone so fervently desired? What were they certain they had found? What was necessary to finally bring an end to this battle? What exactly was needed to close the door to the next era and open the door to the future?
The Demon King of Incarceration had already said what this was.
And Eugene was also sure of the answer to these questions.
“Agaroth,” the Light whispered from its cave beneath that distant sea.
The Divine Sword of Light Eugene held in his hands shone with a radiant light.
“Hamel,” his comrades’ voices called out.
“Eugene Lionheart,” everyone else called the name that he was currently known by.
All of the different names that belonged to Eugene were combined into one.
Fwooosh.
Levantein, which had fused with Eugene’s heart, possessed an all-encompassing divinity. As Eugene held the Divine Sword with both hands, the sword burst into flames.
The light of the sword had been converted into a fiery blaze. The roaring flames tore apart what remained of the Demon King of Incarceration’s clouds of darkness. The Demon King of Incarceration held up his hands to try and push back these flames, but his darkness was no longer able to cast any shadows, and his chains could not bind these flames.
In the midst of the flames, the Demon King of Incarceration silently lowered his fists.
After lifting his head to look up at the sky one last time, he shook his head with a long sigh.
“To think that you would be the God of Victory,” the Demon King of Incarceration muttered with a chuckle. “It truly suits you.”
Openbookworm & DantheMan's Thoughts
OBW: This is definitely my favorite fight throughout the entire story.
Momo: God of Victory. It was foreshadowed long back, But nice to see Eugene form his domain. But having the DKI say it for the first time was much more impactful than I imagined.