NOVEL NEXT Chapter 60
Chapter 60
The four women under Belial, the Four Fires.
They possessed a strength that could not be associated with the subordinates of the 67th Demon King, having shown unwavering loyalty to their lord, Belial, for a long time.
In immediate comparison to the five stars of Dekarabia, it was almost disrespectful to even make a comparison, except for the first star, Valtazar.
They were women of considerable military might, strategy, and experience. However, among them, Florence and Eltria were currently facing a once-in-a-lifetime crisis.
Clang!!
The sound of swords clashing echoed as they pushed against each other. Although dozens of exchanges were made, no resolution was in sight. Yet, only one combatant was consistently pushed back. Among the Four Fires, Florence, the Fireworks, was dripping blood from her cheek.
Wiping her blood with one hand, she murmured, “…It’s not for nothing that they call it Seir’s cursed sword.”
Her opponent was Lin El Lazine, an impressive female swordsman with striking cat ears peeking from beneath her unhelmed head. No matter how equal the Four Fires were to mid-tier Demon King executives, facing a swordsman heralded as Seir’s cursed sword changed the narrative.
Lin El Lazine was one of the four strongest generals under the rank 2 Demon King. Although Florence managed to hold on longer than expected, throughout their combat, Lin maintained an overwhelming dominance.
“Stop your meaningless resistance, General Florence.”
“Oh my… How honored I am to have my name remembered by you.”
Despite her words, Florence steadied her stance.
“But telling me to stop resisting means you want me to surrender to the girl, doesn’t it?”
Florence’s gaze turned serious. Magic power enveloped her sword, igniting it in flames. The sight resembled petals fluttering in the wind.
“Absolutely not.”
“…I commend your bravery.”
With a furious growl, Bicon unleashed a fierce breath. Florence could only smirk wryly at the sight of such a sizeable creature.
Lin held her sword, and Florence brandished hers in kind. In contrast to Florence, unleashing flames as her specialty, Lin wielded her sword without any adornment.
“You better not underestimate me, girl!!”
“Underestimate? You think too poorly of me.”
As Florence charged forward on her horse, Lin slightly closed her eyes before opening them again. And, as serious as she had been at the beginning of the battle, her eyes remained focused on Florence.
“I’ve been sincere from the start, General.”
Rustle─────.
Florence’s horse had rushed past Lin while Bicon had barely moved two steps. Given the distance they charged, it was naturally true that Florence’s strikes would have more force.
However, the result came out completely opposite.
“Ah….”
Blood erupted from Florence’s throat. The flames enveloping her sword extinguished, and Florence dropped her weapon to the ground. She tried to staunch the flow of blood gushing forth like a fountain with both hands, but to no avail.
Even as her hands turned crimson, the blood continued to pour out.
“Cough… Keh…”
“I did not underestimate you, General; rather, you were simply better than I anticipated.”
Lin was not without her own injuries. Her armor was partially torn, and blood flowed from her forearm. However, the wounds were nowhere near comparable to Florence’s.
Lin shook the blood from her blade and offered a brief judgement.
“It’s unfortunate. You could have been a great ally had you been on our side.”
“…Cough…!”
Her life was slipping away.
Florence was dying.
With bloodshot eyes, she glanced back. And….
“Cough…, Rucke…, Gal…ssu… Cough…”
“…I won’t allow you to die comfortably.”
Lin turned her horse’s head. Finally, with a whoosh, a woman’s head soared into the sky before plummeting to the ground. Lin gazed momentarily at the severed head before addressing a nearby soldier.
“Take care of that.”
“Yes, Commander.”
Meanwhile, Eltria was not faring much better. Although she was not facing a monster like Lin El Lazine, revered as Seir’s cursed sword, her opponent was clearly superior.
Recognizing him, Eltria wore an expression of grave concern.
“Y-You… Why are you still alive…?”
“It’s not something you need to know.”
General Belkarus. The only loyal servant who had survived among those who served her long ago during her time as a formidable Demon King, now in a different identity, serving Citri.
He swung his axe, fueled by strength emanating from his robust physique, crashing against Eltria’s sword. Barely managing to deflect his blow, Eltria quickly turned her mount and bit her lip.
“The Dragon-man Elias…!”
As the name she had long discarded escaped her lips, Belkarus narrowed his gaze.
“It’s surprising that you recognized me, considering how different I must be now.”
This was due to Eltria possessing the Magic Eye, which allowed her to discern the true essence of her opponent. Recognizing this, Belkarus cast a glance into her eyes and spoke.
“I see. The Magic Eye. Quite unusual for one not of our race to possess such a trait.”
“Did Citri deceive the council then?”
“…Deceived?”
Belkarus’s expression changed. His mundane skin transformed into hard, scaly armor resembling rock, and his pupils became slit-like. A massive fin appeared on his back, and his already sizable frame increased in stature.
“I would appreciate it if you would choose your words more carefully.”
Basilisk race. Known as a rare subset of the Demon Race, their entire kind possessed the powerful petrifying Magic Eye. That was the true nature of Belkarus.
Revealing his enormous fangs, he addressed Eltria.
“The first to deceive was not us, but the council. Do you have any idea how much injury and humiliation my lord had to endure due to that ludicrous claim?”
Belkarus’s eyes gleamed with fervor. At that moment, Eltria’s steed came to a halt and gradually turned to stone. Though Eltria dismounted with agility, Belkarus was already much faster.
“I will reclaim it. And I will uncover the truth.”
“When…!”
Crash─!!!
Belkarus’s axe came crashing down. Eltria swiftly conjured her signature azure flames to defend against the blow.
However, Eltria’s calculations were fundamentally flawed. Belkarus fully revealed the power of the Basilisk race, which far exceeded expectations.
“To return the power and glory of that time to my lord.”
The axe swept through the flames. Though the blue fire enveloped Belkarus, he didn’t flinch and continued to focus on his intended target.
Slam!!!
The axe struck down. Brain matter and blood spilled from Eltria’s blue hair and soaked the ground. Belkarus withdrew his axe, severing the enemy’s head as he shouted.
“I have decapitated the enemy commander! All units, defeat Belial’s forces!!”
—
Boom────!!!
The fiery giant, Surtr, swung down at the young Demon King. A tremendous sound erupted in the battlefield, spreading flames with such intensity that both main forces at a distance could feel it.
Nahun, who was commanding the army, was momentarily taken aback and leapt from his seat.
“……”
After briefly surveying the battlefield where the two Demon Kings clashed, Nahun sighed and resumed his position. Observing him, Citri asked.
“…Nahun, is everything alright?”
“…Yes, fortunately.”
“Alright…?”
Citri understood well what the fiery giant created by Belial signified. Surtr, the Greater Magic that Andromalius had boasted about, was a type of magic notoriously difficult to dispel, much like the Hydra.
If it wasn’t dealt with directly, it could incinerate everything. Soldiers, civilians, even entire classes. Yet, confronting it directly meant endangering oneself as well. The only method was to destroy the giant before it engulfed the wielder in flames.
Nahun was not unaware of this. As one who handled ancient magic, there was no way he wouldn’t know Belial’s signature magic. But perplexingly, after his initial shock, Nahun was now stating that everything was alright.
Though he had been startled just moments ago, Nahun bore a smile.
“It seems you understood what I taught properly.”
“What?”
“Unfortunately, I didn’t have time to teach you in detail, but it’s fortunate.”
Citri’s eyes widened in surprise. What Nahun was saying meant…
“You taught her how to dispel Surtr?”
Such thoughts flooded Citri’s mind. The answer was not from Nahun, but the distant battlefield.
Seere was unharmed. Though her magic had entirely vanished, it was not just her power that had disappeared.
Standing confidently with her sword in hand, Seere bore a relaxed expression. Both Citri and even Belial were astonished.
“……What trickery is this?”
Belial felt unsettled. For the first time, an emotion of confusion crept into his eyes, which had never lost confidence even for a moment. That emotion lingered, stubborn like frost on a window.
It was entirely understandable. The sword of Surtr, which had appeared whole moments before, was now gone.
“Trickery? What nonsense. I’d be disappointed to hear that.”
Not only Surtr’s sword had vanished. The cracks that began from the missing sword started to spread, causing the giant’s arms to crumble. Belial’s Greater Magic, Surtr itself, was gradually fading away.
“It’s magic.”
This was what Nahun had taught Seere. If the ‘magic’ had a lower power amount than the user’s available magic, regardless of the type, it would lead to the destruction of that magic’s existence.
While the two requirements of fully expending the user’s available magic and gaining supremacy in magic power were somewhat tricky, fortunately, Belial’s Greater Magic, Surtr, had utilized less power than Seere’s total available magic.
That was possible because Surtr was not a final strike spell wherein Belial focused all his magic. It was indeed one of the most useful and powerful spells he had, but Belial had become one with Surtr to unleash his potent fire-attribute magic during battle.
Thus, Surtr essentially became a spell that enhanced Belial’s magic. Even after invoking Surtr, to continue using his spells, it was only natural that Belial would have to reserve sufficient power.
And that situation had led to this outcome. Had Belial’s Surtr required more power to be channeled, Seere might have been too insufficient in magic to succeed.
Belial could hardly believe that his Greater Magic had fallen due to the very magic used against it.
“Magic!? This is preposterous…!”
“Believe it or not, that’s your choice…”
The blood-red sword shifted. Holding the blade diagonally, Seere slammed it into the ground.
“Now we must fight without magic.”
As if moving faster than anyone could fathom, Seere closed the distance. In a hurry, Belial moved his arms. However, his body, infused with Surtr, was no longer free. It was only Surtr’s ruined arm that could be commanded.
“Damn it!!”
As the darkened sword approached his face, Belial ultimately had to relinquish his magic. Forcing his body to separate from the bond with Surtr, he drew his sword.
Having detached himself from the bond that had merged with his magic, Belial’s body circuits were entirely ruined. The agony was enough to make even this strong Demon King scream.
“Grrr!! You brat!!”
Clang─!!
Despite the pain rendering him unfit for action, Belial’s strength and swordsmanship remained commendable. Sensing a slight loss of ground in their struggle, Seere displayed graceful maneuvering.
“Hmph.”
Pushing Belial’s sword aside with her foot, she spun and evaded. Lightly landing on the ground, Seere regained her stance and faced her opponent.
While Seere appeared light and agile, Belial, whose circuits were damaged and body disheveled, staggered down to the ground. The once-fused fiery giant faded, revealing the pitiful state of a Demon King who couldn’t even utilize basic magic.
“…Yes, it seems you too have exhausted all your magic.”
Nevertheless, Belial was still keen on the possibility of victory. Although he had relinquished all his magic to break away from Surtr, the same applied to his opponent.
“I sense no more available magic from you either! So, in the end, you and I… are in the same state…!”
Belial clenched his sword tightly. Oozing an overwhelming killing intent, he aimed the blade toward Seere.
“Now let me teach you what a sword is, you little one.”
“…How amusing. Who do you think you’re teaching swordplay to?”
Seere responded with a sharp smile.
“Have you forgotten I’m a Devata? You seem to be losing your mind.”
“This… insolence…!”
Unable to contain his anger any longer, Belial charged forward after kicking the ground. With physical abilities far exceeding that of an ordinary demon, the Demon King was an unparalleled force. The sheer power of even the lowest-ranked Demon King, Andromalius, once threatened Lin, who stood as a high official.
Among the Demon Kings, Belial was a strong warrior possessing above-average personal might. Closing the distance was a trivial matter.
Clang, clang, clang─!!!
The clash of swords began between Belial and Seere. Despite his damaged state, Belial unleashed intimidating and heavy attacks that were hard to dismiss. His blows were heavy yet swift enough to make Seere aware that a moment of carelessness could mean her end.
Seere remained calm, diligently blocking his attacks and counterattacking, while Belial, determined not to falter, poured all his energy into his strikes.
Every impact of their swords sent ripples through the surrounding soldiers. When Belial pushed forward, the soldiers of the 67th floor rallied and engaged, but conversely, when Seere seized the chance for a counterattack, her soldiers’ morale surged.
“Dispatch the enemy!!”
“Ensure they cannot break through!!”
While Seere clashed swords, she sneaked glances at Belial’s condition. Breaths, expressions, eye movements, arm gestures, trembling fingers—she observed every detail closely, allowing her thoughts to translate into action.
Thunk!!
“Ugh…!”
After landing a punch to his jaw, Seere swiftly retreated. Belial, seeing the distance between them widen, growled in annoyance.
“Running away like a mouse…!”
Running away? No, this was a calculated retreat. She was preparing for that one decisive strike to finish the battle.
Seere positioned the blood-red sword right before her, exactly at her physical center. And rather than using one hand as she had before, she gripped the hilt with both.
It felt as if the world had fallen silent. Arrows flew, swords clashed, shields shattered, and the anguished screams of pain echoed, but to Seere, none of it penetrated her focus.
“…I have to admit.”
“What did you say?”
“I tried to conserve as much as possible while thinking of the future, but you’re not worthy of such consideration.”
Seere’s strands of red hair lost their hue, transforming into an almost translucent white. And….
“What on earth…?”
Magic congregated to the blood-red sword. The gathering of energy resembled a cluster of stars scattered across the black night sky. Seere summoned to mind the pinnacle of swordsmanship she witnessed in her ignorance.
The ultimate embodiment.
Among Seir’s cursed swords, the most brilliant one, a genius who had once defeated a high-ranking Demon King as a demon rather than a Demon King. The ‘Divine Sword,’ Althair. She attempted, albeit weakly, to replicate his technique.
Belial could not hide his panic as he shouted.
“How can you gather magic when your available power has run out!!”
This wasn’t the time for hesitation. If he couldn’t halt that sword, even Belial himself would surely meet his end.
With all the speed he could muster, Belial dashed, propelled by the earth.
Yet, time was against him. Though his body was not slow, his judgment lagged. Perhaps if his reaction had been a tiny bit quicker, he could have succeeded in stopping her. However, there would be no reversing the time that had passed.
Before Belial could obstruct her blade, Seere narrowed her eyes. With her sword raised high, she recited a simple incantation.
“Shatter.”
『dīrúptĭo』
Seere brought the sword down.
Boom─────!!!
The shockwave along the sword path swept ahead. The main forces present in the battlefield, not to mention the units battling Lin and Belkarus, witnessed the devastation.
Lin, upon witnessing the spectacle, instinctively shouted.
“The Demon King has fallen! All troops, crush the enemy!”
And indeed, the outcome of the battle between the Demon Kings was as Lin predicted. The battlefield was empty except for Seere’s white hair fluttering in the air. The blood-red sword in her hand wept tears of blood—not from its user, but through the life of the enemy.
Belial’s body was half severed beginning from his chest. The resilient life force of the Demon King held on to Belial as he began to fade.
“It can’t be… How could you…?”
“You likely didn’t know, but this battle was determined from the beginning.”
“What…?”
“I knew the optimal way to face you.”
If Belial invoked his magic Surtr, that was her cue to prevent him from using any magical power. That was the method she referred to.
“If you hadn’t invoked Surtr, I would have indeed been at a disadvantage… but there was no way you wouldn’t have.”
“……”
Belial coughed, blood spilling forth. Even while losing blood from his already severed body, it seemed he still had more to shed.
“Well then… your cleverness… has indeed outstripped mine….”
The fire that had once blazed in his crimson eyes extinguished. As his weakened breaths faded into silence, the Fire Demon King ultimately bowed his head in defeat before this young Demon King.
Seere addressed the now silenced Belial.
“I can’t say for certain about that last statement. This wasn’t my cleverness.”
Drawing the sword to her waist, Seere turned to look at the place where her most precious person awaited.
“It was taught to me by a truly remarkable teacher, one you lack.”