Chapter 284: Karma (III)

Bang!

The Dwarf Emperor slammed his fist down once more, his thick voice booming through the chamber.

“Bah! Enough talkin’! We should strike the Demons now! Crush their bones! Shatter their halls! Obliterate the whole blasted kingdom before they breathe another foul breath!”

This time, no one argued.

Heads nodded around the table, Christina’s nodding, the Beast King’s rumbling growl, even the human lords murmuring in unison.

The Demon Kingdom was a thorn in all their sides, an enemy they could all rally against.

For everyone but me.

I had no reason to see them as enemies. After all, the only demons that caused me trouble were demon beasts, not actual demons.

…Maybe except the Demon Generals, but whatever, Lilith’s been serving me very well these days.

Still, Isabella’s cold voice cut through the tension.

“Then it is settled. We send the best of our students into the Demon Kingdom. They will gather intelligence while acting like simple students, while our armies prepare. Who agrees?”

Her suggestion froze the air. Silence lingered… and then, as if grabbed by the same thought, several gazes slid toward me.

One lord even dared to mutter, but loud enough for all to hear:

“…Why don’t we simply send Aestrea to destroy the kingdom?”

The words echoed through the chamber.

My eyebrow rose slightly at his audacity.

The Beast King wasted no time. His lips curled into a grin, fangs flashing as he leaned forward.

“He’s right. Aestrea could crush the Demon King with one hand. Why waste time with spies and students when we have a weapon sharp enough to end this war in a single swing?”

Murmurs rose again, stronger this time.

“Aye!” the Dwarf Emperor barked, his accent thick as stone.

“Why risk our kin when the lad can cleave the bastards in two?! Let ’im march with tha fire of tha gods and end this charade once an’ fer all!”

The Beast King slammed his palm flat against the table, rattling goblets.

“So? What will it be?” He turned sharply toward Isabella. “Will you let him sit idle when the realm itself burns?”

All eyes turned on her.

And that was when I scoffed.

It was a low sound, but enough to slice through every voice in the hall.

Isabella glanced at me, her expression softening faintly. Without a word, she rose from her throne and stepped aside.

My footfalls echoed as I crossed the chamber.

Bam!

I dropped into her chair, sprawling lazily as if I’d always belonged there. My foot kicked up, resting heavy on the polished table.

Their outrage died instantly.

I scanned the room with half-lidded eyes, the corners of my lips curving just enough to mock them all.

“Did you all forget your position?”

My words weren’t loud as they didn’t need to be.

The air shifted instantly.

An oppressive weight rolled off me, seeping into the marble walls, pressing into their chests. Sweat broke across brows, fists clenched under the pressure.

Even the most arrogant of them looked down, teeth grinding but lips sealed.

One by one, heads lowered.

“…Hahh…” I let out a deep sigh.

Isabella moved at once, standing behind me, her soft hands massaging my shoulders like a devoted wife calming her husband.

“I only came here because Isabella asked for me, and all of you…” My voice trailed off as the pressure in the air increased several times.

“Dare to think of using me as some kind of weapon?” I leaned my cheek on my fist, as I gazed down on them, letting out a brief amount of my killing intent.

Thud, thud!

Several lords collapsed instantly, falling to their knees. Others bit into their own arms to stay awake, blood dripping between their teeth.

“I wonder,” I said coldly, “what gives you the audacity…?”

The silence was suffocating, until…

“…I—”

A frail voice broke through.

Christina.

Somehow, she stood, even if her knees shook under the weight. Her golden eyes softened, shimmering faintly as they met mine.

“…I-if you d-don’t act… th-there’s a chance the Demon King will… ascend into a g-god!” she managed to whisper.

Her plea didn’t move me.

SLAM!

She gasped as her body was crushed against the table, her hands digging into the wood as my pressure focused solely on her.

“Isn’t that the Hero’s Jobs?” I asked flatly, “For someone born from a world of prophecies… don’t you know the tale? The Hero defeats the Demon King. That’s how the story goes.”

Even under my weight, Christina still forced her eyes upward to meet mine.

“The Hero, L-Lucas… he’s fighting two Demon Generals alone right now!” she shouted through gritted teeth, causing my pressure to halt temporarily.

“…And why don’t you interfere?” I asked casually.

The other lords seemed to know the reason, but I actually wanted to hear from her lips.

“…The Hero needs to pass through multiple difficulties to be able to increase their determination…” Her lips quivered as she spoke.

I scoffed slighly.

Even Elohim used the same damn excuse.

Thinking of that bastard, I clenched my fist under the table.

Yeah… I really need to get stronger. Strong enough to smash his face into dust.

“Mhm…”

Thinking of Lucas, I waved my hand, and suddenly, a black screen appeared on top of the table.

There, Lucas, holding Excalibur, his body filled with scars and injuries where blood seeped out, stood with two demonic figures, their monstrous auras bleeding into the battlefield..

“Envy and Wrath?” Isabella exclaimed behind me. “If I’m not mistaken… they’re both peak SS-rank.”

I gave a faint nod, then corrected her flatly.

“SSS. Both of them. Lucas himself is at peak SS.”

Her eyes widened in worry.

“T-this… then isn’t it impossible for him to win?”

I shook my head.

“If Lucas unleashes his full power, he can end them in a single strike.”

“In one move?!” Isabella gasped in complete disbelief.

I simply nodded again.

After all, that [Limit Break] ability is a damn cheat skill, and if he can use Elohim’s blessing… he can probably reach the peak of the SSS-rank in combat power.

Or more…

I don’t know what kind of power Elohim’s blessing grants.

But as I studied the screen further, my expression hardened.

“…Fucking hell…”

I suddenly stood up, and everyone’s gaze turned towards me.

“I’ll be back in a minute or so,” I said to Isabella. She… confusely nodded at my words, and then, I vanished from there, arriving at the place where Lucas was.

BAAM!

In that instant, Lucas’s body came hurling towards me. I simply glanced at him, and he instantly stopped in the air before getting settled on the ground.

“A-Aestrea?” he turned towards me in surprise.

I completely ignored him, as I wanted to finish this early.

“Come out.”

I simply said and then waited.

The two Demon Generals looked at me strangely before sneering slighly.

“And who the hell are you supposed to be?” Wrath said coldly, his killing intent filling the air.

Weak.

“Another fool comes to die?” Envy’s tongue slithered across his lips.

It made me want to pull it off.

“…Aestrea?” Lucas stared at me with clear confusion in his eyes.

I didn’t answer.

Instead, I raised my hand and began to count.

“…Three, two…”

CRACK!

The air split apart, reality warping like glass under strain. A figure stepped through, a tall, dark-skinned man with golden hair, a smile curling on his lips.

His presence instantly dwarfed the Demon Generals.

“Who are you?”

At my words, he spread his arms wide, smile deepening.

“I’m your fath—”

BAAM!

My foot drove him into the earth before he could finish, the impact sending a quake rippling for miles.

Dust exploded into the air.

“Ugh… that was… something,” he muttered, voice muffled under my heel.

[Rank: Peak Middle God]

I frowned slightly at his rank.

How come Gods can visit this planet? Is his situation like mine… no, his rank is clearly at the Peak Middle realm.

“Hey, hey—calm down!” he coughed, raising one hand defensively. “I’m not your enemy! I’m only here as Lucas’s protector!”

The Demon Generals gawked, fear appearing across their twisted faces. Even Lucas stood frozen, caught between awe and confusion.

“…Are you Elohim’s minion?”

I asked flatly.

“…You could say that.” The man smirked faintly as if proud of that fact.

“How did you step foot on this planet?” I said without hesitation.

He raised his hands casually, but his eyes flickered.

“The Divine Gate. It works both ways,letting someone ascend… or letting another descend. But it can only be forced open by the gods who ascend. And only gods beneath the True God level can cross down.”

His explanation came quickly, too smoothly rehearsed.

I gave a slow nod, my gaze sharpening.

“How many came with you?”

The faint curve of his lips twitched, and his shoulders stiffened. For the first time, hesitation flashed across his face.

“…Maybe… twelve?” he said, tilting his head as if trying to make it sound small.

SPLURT!

My fist slammed across his face, bone shattering as blood sprayed outward in a violent arc.

Gurgle…

His head twisted unnaturally before bursting apart, yet within seconds, flesh and bone knitted themselves back together.

His blonde hair shimmered as he lifted his chin once more, annoyance replacing his earlier composure.

“What the hell was that for, dude?!”

He touched his jaw, as if offended that I hadn’t simply accepted his words.

“…Shut it.”

It seems that I’ll need to go God-Hunting for now.

So, let’s not waste any time, shall we?

I raised my hand, and slowly… the whole world turned dark, as bloody words appeared written in the sky.

“What in the nine hells?”

The blonde guy muttered as he looked at me in full surprise, and then his eyes completely widened as he saw the words written on there.

[To all the Gods that descended, meet me at the Grand Canyon, or I’ll obliterate all of you from existence.]

[— Aestrea Moon.]

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