Chapter 150: Meaningless Struggle

The air felt as if it solidly swelled.

Because Decarsen’s energy rapidly inflated, I was startled.

‘It’s dangerous—!’

Decarsen’s eyes turned entirely blood-red, and his whole body trembled.

There wasn’t much time left.

I didn’t even have a moment to cast a defensive spell.

Kugugugugu……

The air that had begun to churn let out a violent noise.

“……There is no next time for you. Khuk!”

Crunch! Crack-crack-crack!

Decarsen’s arms and legs twisted in eerie directions with a skin-crawling sound.

Soon it looked as if his waist folded backward, then it stopped.

“…….”

The silence lasted only a moment.

The heavy, sinking air suddenly surged.

At the same time, Decarsen’s body expanded, and his entire form turned pitch-black. A horn sprouted from his forehead, and massive wings burst out from his back.

“Krraaaaah! To think you forced me to reveal my true form. From here on, only despair awaits you.”

His once smooth voice had darkened into something murky.

Sensing something ominous, I checked Decarsen’s information.

[Target Information]

Name: Decarsen Falkahn

Age: 2,121 years

Race: Demon (Awakened)

Occupation: Demon Realm Count

Life: 9,999 / 9,999

Stamina: 31,310 / 42,900

Mana: 35,120 / 51,230

The numbers had nearly doubled from earlier.

Even judging by his transformed body, I could tell he had become stronger.

However……

“Even so, it doesn’t seem like much has changed from before.”

Fwoooong! Shuaaaak!

White lightning surged upward from the half-broken sword I held, drawing a sweeping arc.

It crashed into Decarsen, slicing from his waist up to his shoulder.

“Krraaaagh!”

I already knew that the White Flash was his weakness.

The holy energy that was lethal to demons—

The strike carried that very energy.

“High Priest and Holy Knights, do not release your aura under any circumstance!”

The ground still trembled from Decarsen’s overflowing power.

Although he was weak to the holy attribute, the shockwaves alone could overturn the earth and sweep everything away.

“How dare you……!”

Enraged, Decarsen unleashed a terrifying aura from his entire body.

The wound burned by the white lightning began to bubble as it rapidly regenerated.

“Krgh!”

“If you’re out of options, then this is where it ends.”

“You think I’ll be taken down like this?!”

Shaaak!

His massive wings spread wide as Decarsen tried to soar upward.

But I had already anticipated this. I formed a ‘Wind Shield’ in midair, kicked off it, and leaped upward.

Shuaaaak! Kwa-kak!

Decarsen urgently lifted his arm to block. The white aura dug halfway into his thick arm like a blade of light.

His face twisted grotesquely as he swung his other arm.

“You’re cutting off your own arm?”

“Krraaaagh!”

The severed arm no longer concerned him.

Sensing the danger, Decarsen beat his wings harder and shot upward.

He ascended to a height where I should not have been able to follow.

Fwoooosh!

Decarsen flapped his wings wide.

In that instant, I seemed about to lose my posture—and then kicked off the air again.

True Martial Art—Absolute Step, Shrinking Step.

Along with my hands, my entire body held the aura of the White Flash.

And then, the technique I had learned manifested, allowing me to step on the air itself.

Pak! Papak! Papapak!

Decarsen, who was rapidly shooting upward, let out a sigh of relief.

“To think you forced this body into such a state…… but now it is more important to inform Him of the existence of that Blessed One.”

Holy energy—opposing force to demons.

Of course, the Middle Realm was formed under the blessing of a goddess, so such a power existing was natural.

But beings who were not believers of the Goddess Zigasis, deity of the sun and blessing—he had never heard of that before.

Piercing through the clouds, Decarsen applied pressure to his severed arm, stopping the bleeding, and looked for the correct direction.

“I will find you and…….”

“Find what? I’m ending it here.”

The voice came from above him.

Decarsen’s head snapped upward as his wings flapped.

There I was—already above him—releasing massive aura from my broken sword.

“H-h-how did you…….”

“That doesn’t matter. What’s important now is cutting off your head.”

“Don’t you dare!”

Should I call it the moment of greatest despair in Decarsen’s entire demon life?

He was a high-ranking demon who had risen to the title of Count.

Lesser demons couldn’t even raise their heads in his presence.

He never imagined someone could push him this far.

My aura flew straight toward Decarsen’s neck.

Shuaaaak!

Was it because I still hadn’t mastered walking in the air?

Sensing danger, Decarsen jerked his head sideways, and my strike missed.

‘Damn……!’

I had never imagined I’d be able to perform a technique like that using the True Martial Art’s Absolute Step.

Of course, it was useful.

But when it mattered most, I failed to apply it properly.

Because my strike missed, I lost my balance and began falling.

“Somehow……! I have to get back up!”

I gathered my aura, focusing it into my legs to step on the air again.

Then, as before, I tried stepping on the air to unfold Jeolbo (Absolute Step) and Chukji (Shrinking Earth) with the same sensation.

Pak! Papak!

At the same time, my body shot not upward, but sideways.

I spun around as I fell, missing the timing.

I tried to correct my direction, but it was already too late.

Decarsen, who had barely escaped with his life, beat his wings and quickly flew away.

‘I shouldn’t have let him go.’

I descended to the ground by casting a Wind spell.

At the same time, those who had stepped back earlier hurried toward me.

“What happened? Did you defeat him?”

It was Marianne’s question.

None of them could see what had taken place above the clouds.

I shook my head at their overly expectant gazes.

“I lost him.”

A demon, one of those called the ancient beings.

Even among them, the power of Decarsen Falkahn, who called himself a count, was astounding.

Of course, I had managed to find his weakness.

But without me or the priests, it would have been impossible to face him.

“Whew…”

Clang―.

I dropped the sword that was left with only its hilt.

The blade that had snapped after channeling an excessive amount of aura was slowly disintegrating away.

Just like that sword, the others’ appearances were not much better.

Because of Decarsen’s energy and the aftermath of his techniques, few of them were unscathed.

“Let’s tend to the wounded first.”

A few holy knights in the back were bleeding.

They had been injured blocking Decarsen’s attacks to protect the priests.

“Of course. Are you unharmed, sir?”

Only my armor and clothes had been torn or dented here and there by the demonic energy’s attacks.

None of the wounds were serious enough to draw blood.

“I’m fine.”

“That’s a relief. But that being we just saw…”

A being that carried an ominous and unidentifiable aura.

Marianne recalled the creature that had shocked her, even through her divine power of prayer.

“I believe it was one of the demons described only in ancient texts.”

Of course, I already knew that.

But since I couldn’t speak of what I knew from the information, I only nodded.

Perhaps still shaken by the demonic energy, Marianne’s fingertips trembled faintly.

“Do you know much about demons?”

“As I said earlier, I’ve only read about them in old manuscripts.”

“Is there nothing more detailed?”

At that moment, Marianne recalled the prophecy once recorded through the Holy Pontiff.

[Beings with skin black as pitch who feast upon the blood and flesh of men… The land upon which they descend shall be drenched in the stench of foul blood…]

A chilling oracle.

If that were true, then the appearance of a demon could never be taken lightly.

Marianne made up her mind and looked toward Larsen Heights.

“Sir Larsen, it seems we must return after completing the mission of the Messengers of Grace.”

“I’ll make preparations immediately.”

The campsite had been devastated by the recent battle.

There was nothing worth salvaging.

They needed to make separate preparations for the return to the Bachenan Holy Kingdom.

“Return safely.”

“Thank you for your help. May I ask who you are?”

Not only had I fought on par with a demon, but even forced it to flee.

Even Larsen, the kingdom’s greatest holy knight, had been unable to match such a foe.

For the sake of the future, Marianne had to know my identity.

“I’m merely a passerby.”

“Could you not tell me? Even if it’s difficult, we may need your help again.”

“Hmm… that’s…”

I knew what Marianne intended, but I had no desire to reveal my identity so easily.

Then it happened.

A rumble rose from beyond the ridge toward the Mineta Royal Capital.

A large number of soldiers slowly appeared from the distance.

“So they finally crawl out now?”

The soldiers’ armor and shields bore the silver double-headed eagle, the emblem of the Mineta Kingdom.

The double-headed eagle symbolized martial valor.

Those bearing that mark advanced closer and soon surrounded us.

“You are under arrest for instigating the crisis of the Mineta Kingdom!”

The middle-aged man at the front was Ruteo Candir, the commander of the Mineta Royal Knights.

He had surrounded us under the orders of King Harlan Mineta.

Naturally, everyone watching was taken aback.

So was I.

Then Ruteo Candir’s gaze fixed on the woman standing beside Patrick.

“Y-you…! Seize that woman at once!”

He shouted upon seeing Princess Deborah Mineta, who had fled from Mineta.

The soldiers surged toward her.

They tried to rush in, but were halted by the blue aura blooming from her sword.

A Sword Master—a level few knights could ever reach.

Anyone who stood at the front might have their neck severed first.

As tension filled the air, Marianne stepped forward.

“What is the meaning of this! These people just defended the Mineta Kingdom against the monster horde!”

She deliberately concealed the fact of the demon’s appearance.

Yet even at her indignant cry, Commander Ruteo Candir merely furrowed his brow.

“Judging from your attire, you seem to be a priest of the Bachenan Holy Kingdom.”

“I am Marianne, High Priestess of the Holy Kingdom.”

The position of High Priestess held authority equal to that of a marquis in a kingdom.

Until now, Marianne had never flaunted her status.

She simply wished to protect me and my companions, who were now being cornered.

“High Priestess, this matter does not concern you. Step aside.”

“It does concern me. And what do you mean, instigators? How could you blame them for the monster invasion?”

An endless horde of monsters had poured in.

During that time, the soldiers of Mineta’s Royal Capital hadn’t even opened the gates.

And now, only after everything had ended, they appeared to accuse people.

“Such a phenomenon has never occurred throughout the kingdom’s history. Those who survived it are naturally suspicious! Moreover, that woman is a wanted criminal charged with murdering the former king!”

Ruteo Candir pointed his finger at Deborah.

Naturally, Deborah was filled with indignation.

The former king was her father.

She was being accused of killing her own blood.

Of course, it was all a scheme by the current king—her uncle, Harlan Mineta.

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