Chapter 118: Steel Savior [1]
"It’s been a long time since I’ve felt the air of the middle realm."
What is this?
"How refreshing."
Is this a dream?
"But there are worms disturbing my enjoyment."
Why at this very moment?
"Nevertheless, I’m in a good mood today, so I’ll show mercy to these worms. Savor the last 5 minutes of your lives."
Has Andromalius really been summoned?
’What should I do?’
What should I do? What should I do? What should I do? What should I do? What should I do?
His mind went blank.
To think that a demon would be summoned while setting traps. He had never anticipated this possibility.
Can we win?
’But Aint isn’t here?’
The core of all of Gerhard’s plans was Aint Armian.
The natural enemy of demons, the direct descendant of the Armian family.
The hero of the prophecy book who had absorbed all the arrangements left by the first Emperor.
But he wasn’t here.
Moreover, Andromalius’s pressure far exceeded Gerhard’s imagination.
’Was the prophecy book just a fragment...?’
This Andromalius was different from the one he had seen through the prophecy book.
More chilling, more viscous, and more frightening.
His body trembled uncontrollably.
It seemed like no plan, no defense would be of any use.
"...What are you?"
At that moment, the one who broke the silence was neither Andromalius, nor Gerhard, nor Ariadne.
It was Luina Berchef.
She, who dreamed of becoming the most noble and strongest knight, stepped forward even when facing a demon.
"Are you addressing me?"
"Who else would I be talking to?"
It wasn’t that she had no fear. Her pupils and sword were trembling.
Nevertheless, their focus was clearly directed at Andromalius.
"...Yes, I suppose so."
Pfft. Andromalius snickered.
Pffft ha ha ha. The snicker soon turned into raucous laughter. Though it was merely laughter, the air resonated loudly.
"Kugh...!"
"Kyaaa...!"
Gerhard and Ariadne clutched their ears. Luina frowned but didn’t break her stance.
"Ah, forgive me. It’s been so long since I received a question from an insignificant creature that it feels fresh."
But you know.
"I have never permitted a creature to question me."
The smile on Andromalius’s face disappeared.
"You insignificant creature don’t know your place."
—!
"Kugh...!"
It was just a lightly flicked finger. It was just a single strand of demonic energy.
Nevertheless, Luina, who had blocked it, stepped back a couple of paces. Her aura cracked, and her sword trembled violently.
"Luina!"
"Senior!"
Seeing her struggle, Gerhard became aware of his own wretchedness.
’Damn it...!’
To think he was trembling and not doing anything. It was the height of shame and disgrace.
’I’m more afraid of losing money than facing a demon. I’m more afraid of dying without spending the money I’ve earned. I’m more terrified of my assets disappearing!’
What was a mere demon anyway?
Hadn’t he gone to such lengths to stop it?
He should be cautious, but there was no need to be excessively afraid.
"Ariadne, prepare for battle."
"...Yes. I can’t just sit here and wait to die. I showed you a pathetic sight."
Gerhard and Ariadne struggled to overcome their fear and raised their staffs.
As if they were of no concern to him, Andromalius muttered while clenching and opening his hands.
"Hmm, is this all? Tsk, indeed, even if I had pushed myself a bit due to being ahead of schedule. Well, still, it’s more than enough to kill these bugs."
Let’s see.
"Did they say I could run wild as I please after killing all the humans within the barrier?"
Andromalius’s gaze swept over everyone.
Two humans and one elf.
And.
"It’s you."
Not far away. One human who had been approaching, irritating his senses, and another trivial one.
"Armian."
Andromalius stretched out his blackened hand. A beam of light far thicker than what Luina had blocked was discharged in a straight line.
————!
Pure white light and black darkness collided. The shockwave spread in all directions.
The earth shook, trees broke, and dust that had been something scattered.
"...It’s Aint."
And at that sight, Gerhard’s eyes came alive.
His assumption that the demon summoning wouldn’t occur until Aint arrived hadn’t been wrong.
Then there was hope.
Then they could defeat the demon.
Because that was the original history.
Even if something had changed, they had prepared more thoroughly than in the original history.
"Luina!"
"Yes!"
"Go, go and help Aint. Andromalius’s top priority is Aint. If Aint dies, we all die!"
"But then you..."
"Quickly!"
"Understood!"
Luina sprinted.
"Ariadne, you too."
"What about you, Senior?"
"I have something to do."
"Something to do?"
"Yes. I didn’t expect to use it so soon, but..."
If you’ve set traps, you have to activate them.
***
<This is absurd...!>
Summoning demons from hell to the middle realm was by no means an easy task.
To pierce the dimensional barrier required a corresponding price. Massive mana, or life force.
And gathering those would naturally leave traces. But there were no signs anywhere that might indicate a demon summoning.
Or maybe they just didn’t know.
<How was something so important managed in a way that it became a medium for demon summoning!>
<There must have been signs!>
Regardless of Gardner’s outrage, the situation was unfolding.
"Wait, wait... Aint...!"
The moment he saw the demon, Aint advanced, suppressing his fear and terror.
It was instinct. The demon aversion possessed by the natural enemy of demons.
The light energy possessed by Armian extremely cursed and raged against the demonic energy.
Led by that, Aint swung his sword.
————!
A collision with the flashing demonic energy.
Aint rolled on the ground once from the massive rebound. The shock penetrating beyond the sword made his entire body creak.
It was stronger than any enemy he had met and fought so far.
The demonic species he had fought just a short while ago was incomparable.
"Cursed bloodline."
Despite the considerable distance, his eyes met the demon’s. He got chills from those abyssal pupils. His skin trembled.
"How insignificant."
The low voice distinctly struck his eardrums.
’Can I win? Really? This is incomparable to that demonic creature?’
The difference in power, realized from just one collision, made him face reality.
His entire body trembled like an aspen tree.
<Stay calm, Aint!>
At that moment, Aint’s sword began to emit light.
<Though this is completely unexpected, that doesn’t mean you must lose!>
The light pushed back the darkness, slowly erasing the pressure exerted on Aint.
<You are an Armian. A being feared by demons.>
<It is not you who should be trembling in fear, but that creature!>
A warm energy enveloped Aint. His ragged breathing stabilized.
"...Can I win this?"
<It’s not a question of whether you can win or not.>
<You must win.>