Chapter 308: Karma (XXVI)

’A father’s love for his daughter… It’s the one thing that even power cannot twist. No matter how high a throne he sits on, or how many worlds he rules, before his child, he is only a man.’

The words slipped into my head the moment I saw him bow, forehead pressed to the floor, his pride practically shattered into dust.

I let out a quiet breath, my eyes drifting back to the chained woman, her body trembling under the seal of endless sigils.

“…Even the Demon King,” I muttered softly, “is still a father.”

The hall was silent except for the low hum of sealing magic.

The King’s shoulders shook faintly, but he didn’t raise his head. His voice came out raw, almost hoarse.

“For a thousand years, I’ve borne the title of King. I’ve slaughtered armies, crushed rebellions, and stood unshaken even before gods. But here… before her… I am powerless.”

He dug his hands into the floor, claws scraping against the black marble.

“That is why I need you, Lord Aestrea. No one else can break these chains.”

Lilith’s eyes glittered beside me, her usual slyness replaced by a rare flicker of awe.

And me? I just stared down at him, the Demon King kneeling like a broken man.

It was strange. Almost laughable.

Yet… it made him feel human.

“…However,” I said flatly, my gaze not leaving the chained woman, “does saving her give me any benefit?”

Of course, I wouldn’t simply save someone for free, much less with those countless sealing magic circles around her.

I wasn’t that heroic anymore.

The words dropped coldly into the chamber. Lilith’s tail twitched with delight at my ruthlessness, while the Demon King remained silent.

As if he had expected it.

Slowly, he rose from the ground.

His towering figure regained some of its weight, though the desperation in his eyes did not fade.

Thrum!

With a wave of his hand, the air rippled, and a spatial storage opened before him.

From within, he drew something out.

A strange, pulsing core. No… not quite. The shape, the texture, the faint threads of light swirling inside…

An eye.

My eyes narrowed.

“This…”

The King’s voice was steady, though I could feel the strain beneath it.

“This is Odin’s Eye. For thousands of years, it has been passed down from King to King as an inheritance. An artifact said to carry the sight of gods themselves. A god-level treasure.”

He held it out before me, the air around it trembling faintly as if space itself bent away from its presence.

“I offer it to you, Lord Aestrea, as the price for my humble request.”

Lilith sucked in a sharp breath beside me, her purple eyes locked on the artifact like it was a forbidden fruit.

I raised my hand slightly.

『 Scan 』

A panel instantly popped out.

[Name: Odin’s Eye]

[Rank: God-Level]

[Effects:

– Perfectly copy any skill or technique, and replicate it flawlessly, as long as sufficient mana is supplied.

– Grants true sight: the ability to see through illusions, charms, concealment arts, and spiritual techniques.

– Can shatter and dispel illusions or bindings as long as sufficient mana is supplied.]

[Details: A legendary artifact passed down through Demon Kings for thousands of years. Said to contain the vision of the gods, Odin’s Eye perceives truth beyond all veils. It can replicate the greatest powers of mortals and gods alike, limited only by the user’s mana reserves.]

“…A true god-level artifact,” I muttered, sucking a cold breath.

I lowered my gaze to the Demon King.

“If you used this Eye yourself, you should’ve been able to shatter your daughter’s curse already.”

His expression tightened, and he shook his head slowly.

“I tried… but it rejected me. Odin’s Eye does not respond to demons. It seems it can only fuse with a human host.”

I let out a quiet hum, nodding slightly.

That explained it.

“Very well,” I said at last.

“Let me try breaking your daughter’s curse first. If I succeed… then I’ll accept Odin’s Eye as payment.”

The Demon King’s ember-like eyes widened, and before I could say more, he dropped to his knees again, his forehead striking the marble floor.

“Thank you, Lord Aestrea!” His voice thundered with desperation and relief.

“I will never forget this grace!”

Ignoring his trembling gratitude, I turned back to the chained woman.

I activated my 『 Scan 』 again, this time focusing on her body and the countless rippling sigils that wrapped her in chains.

[Curse Analysis Panel—

[Target: Naamah, Princess of the Demon Kingdom, Daughter of the Current of the #912 Demon King]

[Status: Alive, soul bound, heavily restrained]

Curse Type:Divine-Class Sealing Curse

Origin: Unknown God Signature (Heavenly Authority Detected)

Primary Effects:

– [Soul Lock]: Prevents the target’s soul from leaving her body; resists external attempts at extraction.

– [Chain of Ten Thousand Oaths]: Tens of thousands of divine chains inscribed with layered oaths. Breaking one causes the others to reinforce.

– [Life Drain]: Slowly consumes the target’s vitality, preventing natural recovery.

– [Will Suppression]: Constant suppression of consciousness, leaving the target in a state of half-sleep.

Weak Points Detected:

– Multiple flaws at the junction of the runic chains (extremely small).

– Curse is heavily resistant to demonic energy, but shows vulnerability to human-origin mana.

Danger Level: Catastrophic.

Attempting to break the curse may trigger divine backlash.]

The glow of the panel reflected in my eyes as I exhaled slowly.

“…A curse from the gods themselves,” I muttered.

The Demon King clenched his fists as soon as he heard my words.

Then, without turning away from his daughter, I asked,

“How did she get this curse?”

The question hit like a blade. The Demon King’s jaw tightened, his teeth grinding audibly before he finally spoke.

“…It was because of me.” His voice was low, rough, heavy with guilt.

He clenched his fists so hard the veins swelled in his arms.

“Long ago, I made a pact with the God of Darkness. He promised me his blessing, the strength to surpass all enemies, in exchange for a single price: my loyalty.”

His ember-like eyes burned with anger as he continued.

“For centuries, I carried out his commands. Wars, slaughter, even sacrifices. I gave him everything… everything but one task. He demanded that I offer him a ’vessel.’ Someone of royal blood, bound by darkness, to serve as a key for his descent into this world.”

He looked at the chained woman, his daughter, his voice cracking for the first time.

“But I refused. She was my only child. My pride. My… hope. I would give the God of Darkness anything else, but not her.”

The hall trembled faintly, reacting to the hatred in his words.

“He called it betrayal. His wrath fell upon me, but instead of striking me, he cursed her. Shackled her with this divine seal, locking her soul as a vessel regardless of my will. I have spent centuries fighting against it… But the curse is divine. I cannot undo it.”

The King’s shoulders shook as he bowed his head, fists still trembling.

“I am the cause of her suffering. My arrogance… my defiance. That is why I beg you, Lord Aestrea. Only you can sever the chains of a god.”

I nodded slighly at his words.

But now, I was in deep thinking…

Sure, the Odin’s Eye was an extremely powerful artifact that would be really damn useful to me, but… angering the God of Darkness… that damn bastard this early…?

…That would be a big fucking problem.

“Agh, fuck it.”

I cursed, clicking my tongue.

Thrum!

“T-this…”

The Demon King’s eyes brightened at my actions.

Slowly, the Chaotic Energy started enveloping my body in a whirlwind, causing the air around us to shatter, cracking open multiple space cracks.

Then, I slowly brought out [Midnight], gripping its handle tightly.

“Haah…”

A cold breath escaped my lips, smoke fuming in the air.

I slowly raised my sword, a faint scarlet smoke seeping out of my eyes, as I stared directly at the weak point of the chains.

“Moonlit Ice Lotus Sword Art…”

The words escaped my lips as my chaotic energy suddenly dissipated.

The Demon King’s face tilted in pure confusion, noticing how my aura seemed weaker than that of a mere human…

My body quivered as I uttered the next words…

『 Seventh Move! (✯ Absolute Zero Eclipse ✯) 』

Swing!

The world went still.

And nothing happened…

“Agh…”

I groaned slighly, clutching my chest.

“W-what… did you do?”

The Demon King looked at me with the same confusion on his face.

“Ugh… just wait a second, will you…”

I slowly staggered up before letting out a deep breath.

“Shatter.”

CRACK!

In a flash, the tens of thousands of chains circling Naamah shattered into wisps of metal, and then, a completely dark cloud escaped his daughter’s body.

A smile appeared on my face as I saw the dark cloud.

I had successfully broken the connection between the God of Darkness and Naamah; this way, he wouldn’t know about my identity.

And that brings the question…

What exactly does the last move of my Sword Art?

Well… it was a move I created on a whim when I was simply a C-level awakener, but even with that…

I was able to crack space open using my last sword move.

And the true meaning of that move was…

Cutting through anything that contained light within.

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