『𝐃𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐧 𝐁𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐊𝐢𝐧𝐠』
“Raaaaaah!”
“Wooooah!”
ㅤ
Around the time when Allan and Ruberto were battling with their beliefs against the formidable Four Heavenly Kings of Fezard,
Here too, the conflict between the peak powers of humanity and the demon race was intensifying.
However, unlike Allan’s foes, the enemy here had neither principles nor beliefs, but was simply a beast driven by desire.
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“Die! 『Beast Claw』!”
ㅤ
However, even without principles, this man is strong.
The former Holy Warrior turned 『Demon Beast King』 Volf, now strengthened by demon blood, unleashed attacks with the sharp claws characteristic of beastmen.
His attacks soared through the air, just like the sword slashes that the warriors with divine protection would commonly emit, aiming for his opponents.
ㅤ
“Don’t underestimate me! 『Stoneflow Sword』!”
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Blade, the adversary, deflects it head-on.
Withstanding the force through rock-solid footing, he deflects the overpowering attack with his swordsmanship.
It was Blade’s sword technique, fully customized to suit himself, having learned the skills of the strong from Stella.
ㅤ
Thus, Blade was going head-to-head with the more powerful Demon Beast King.
Gone are the days when, as Rest had once told him, he was a swordsman incapable of doing anything against a superior opponent.
After being trained by the Hero and the Sword Demon, and surviving the battlefield against the Four Heavenly Kings, the current Blade is undoubtedly one of the most formidable Holy Warriors.
ㅤ
“Annoying! You muscle-bound oaf!”
“Better than being a beast, you jerk!”
ㅤ
The duel between the two, hurling insults at each other, was in a stalemate.
In terms of raw power, the Demon Beast King, who added demonic strength to his original might as one of the strongest Holy Warriors, was superior.
In fact, Blade was entirely on the defensive, unable to land a single blow on the Demon Beast King.
However, the Demon Beast King was also unable to penetrate the all-out defense of Blade.
ㅤ
If this had continued, Blade, lacking offensive moves, would have been the first to crumble, leading to the Demon Beast King’s victory.
However, that’s if they were fighting one-on-one.
Blade is not alone.
Even if he lacks offensive capabilities, his companions make up for it!
ㅤ
“『Sacred Chain』!”
“『Electric Cannon』!”
“Tsk!”
ㅤ
A magical chain cast by Lin to bind the demon wraps around the Demon Beast King’s legs,
causing him to slightly lose balance while dodging the unexpectedly fast chain, right when Ernesta’s lightning magic comes flying.
ㅤ
The Demon Beast King dodges it too with the agility of beastmen, renowned for their physical prowess,
but that interruption allows Blade to go on the offensive.
ㅤ
“『Destructive Sword』!”
ㅤ
Dodging the chain disrupted his posture, and a fast lightning spell further unbalances him.
A sword slash is hammered in at the moment a slight but significant opening appears in the Demon Beast King’s movements.
It was almost perfectly timed coordinated attack.
ㅤ
Even missing two key members, their coordination as a party, honed through the battle with Asgard, was still in top form.
Rather than fighting three people, the Demon Beast King felt as if he was fighting a single super warrior whose powers were the sum of the three.
ㅤ
If it had been one-on-one, the Demon Beast King could have beaten anyone present.
He was that strong, possessing both the strength of a Holy Warrior and the power of a demon.
But what filled the gap was the power of teamwork, something the Demon Beast Kinghad abandoned.
ㅤ
With a single blow that carried all of Blade’s weight behind it, both arms of the Demon Beast King, who had blocked it, were severed.
The foes in front of him were weaker than himself.
However, the Demon Beast King honestly admitted that if they ganged up, their fangs could reach even him, the strongest.
ㅤ
“But it’s useless!”
ㅤ
Nonetheless, the Demon Beast King fiercely laughed, not thinking for a second that he would lose.
His severed arms instantly regenerated.
For the current Demon Beast King, who has inherited the blood of vampires—particularly strong among demons—this level of damage is practically negligible.
Even if their fangs were to reach him, if the wounds they inflicted were far from lethal, there’s nothing to fear.
ㅤ
For his counterattack, the Demon Beast King gathered strength in his legs.
Drawing out the full potential of his muscles, which had swelled to bursting with the power of divine protection and demon abilities, he leapt using his supercharged leg strength.
ㅤ
His targets were Ernesta and Rin, the two rear-guards.
Though the woman-loving Demon Beast King didn’t intend to kill them, he found their long-range attacks annoying. Thus, he planned to incapacitate them by removing their limbs and consciousness.
ㅤ
However, there are no frontliners who easily allow attacks on the rearguard.
Blade, who focused on defense, would seize any opportunity to attack.
Naturally, always maintaining a position where they could become shields for the two rearguards, ready to intervene immediately.
ㅤ
“Take this!”
ㅤ
Blade unleashed a counterattack on the Demon Beast King, who tried to slip past him as if ignoring him.
Dodging would thwart his attack on the rear-guards.
Blocking would stop him in his tracks.
Striking to repel would create an opening that the rear-guards could exploit.
No matter the outcome, it would not be disadvantageous for Blade and his team.
Or so it should have been.
ㅤ
However, the Demon Beast King grinned and took an unexpected action.
ㅤ
“What?!”
ㅤ
The Demon Beast King slightly shifted his body, virtually taking Blade’s slash without any defense.
Blade aimed for the head.
The great sword, forged from a mythical strongest metal by the world’s best craftsman, easily destroyed the Demon Beast King’s head and further sliced through his right chest, destroying his right half.
ㅤ
Still, the Demon Beast King did not stop.
By being slashed without resistance, he effectively nullified most of the force and regenerated his body instantaneously, swinging his claws at the two rear-guards.
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Rin couldn’t react in time to this unexpected move.
However, the other rear-guard was different.
The most powerful wizard with hundreds of years of combat experience calmly chose the best response from his own experiences.
ㅤ
“『Ray』!”
ㅤ
She used a simple and quickly activated beginner-level light magic.
A thin beam of light shot towards the Demon Beast King.
He aimed for the left chest.
The location of the heart, the weak point of a vampire—the demon that the Demon Beast King had become.
ㅤ
Perhaps sensing the danger, the Demon Beast King used his raised left arm as a shield to block Ernesta’s magic.
Had he been like Vampneel, able to move his heart, he would have ignored it.
However, the Demon Beast King did not do so.
No, he couldn’t, as he was neither a true progenitor nor a recently-turned vampire.
ㅤ
Because of this, the Demon Beast King’s attack was delayed by a beat.
Still, it was just one beat.
The momentum of his charge hadn’t decreased, and he already had both of them in his attack range.
Mocking his own rare mistake internally, the Demon Beast King raised his regenerating right arm.
ㅤ
“Woahhhhh!!”
“Ah?! What the?!”
ㅤ
At that moment, the man who had been lying at their feet suddenly stood up and landed a full-force punch on the still-recovering Demon Beast King’s face.
Once again, the Demon Beast King’s head exploded as his body was sent flying.
Because he was hit with a blunt force rather than a slashing attack, he couldn’t slip through the impact like before.
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Ernesta hadn’t made any mistakes.
She had chosen that particular counter-attack because she knew that the man, after receiving minimum treatment, would be able to retaliate.
ㅤ
The Demon Beast King crashed into the wall of Demon Beast King’s Castle.
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“『Flying Sword』!”
“『Judgment of all Attributes』!”
“『Beast Claw』!”
ㅤ
Blade, Ernesta, and the man who had stood up relentlessly attacked the Demon Beast King, who was embedded in the wall, from a distance.
Again and again, as if to grind him down.
At the same time, Rin was using Healing Magic to mend the man’s wounds.
However, due to the intense movements of the injured party, she couldn’t completely heal him.
ㅤ
Finishing him off with this barrage of attacks would be ideal.
But, as expected, it wasn’t going to be that easy.
Breaking through the storm of long-range attacks, the battered Demon Beast King emerged.
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“Daaahhh! You’ve really done it now, Garm!”
ㅤ
Then, full of rage, he howled at the badly wounded man who had been slashing at him with all his might.
The man didn’t flinch and retorted.
ㅤ
“The fault lies with you, Brother, for letting your guard down thinking you had defeated me, even though you hadn’t landed the finishing blow!”
ㅤ
The man who referred to the Demon Beast King as his brother.
Despite his battered body, he stood up to contribute even a small effort in the battle against his erring relative who should have finished the job himself.
Garm・Ulfurus, the 『Wolf Sage』, was intently watching his brother who had fallen into an uncanny, regenerative form.
ㅤ
“Even with those wounds, you regenerate. You’ve even adapted your fighting style to rely on it. . . . . .
You’ve truly fallen, young Beast King.”
ㅤ
The damage of having one’s arm torn off, leg broken, and head shaved away gradually disappeared against the Demon Beast King.
Ernesta, surpassing anger and lamentation, directed a gaze of pity.
Perhaps displeased by that look, the Demon Beast King’s face twisted unpleasantly.
ㅤ
“Fallen, you say? Ha! There’s nothing more pathetic than listening to the nonsense of lesser beings!
I won’t die unless my heart is crushed! That’s the ultimate power, something even that damn woman doesn’t have!
If you call that falling, then even the Great Sage has gone senile!”
ㅤ
The Demon Beast King thought.
With this power, he was invincible.
Even stronger than that damn woman, Fezard.
ㅤ
In fact, he hadn’t died even when his head was severed as a form of discipline.
As long as he protected his heart, he wouldn’t die even if his body was slashed to pieces.
So, if it came to a war of attrition, he could even kill Fezard.
Furthermore, if he fully mastered this power, he could surpass even the Demon King.
The Demon Beast King truly believed this.
ㅤ
Ernesta’s eyes, watching the Demon Beast King, grew more and more filled with pity.
ㅤ
“It’s pitiful. So pitiful I can’t bear to look anymore.
Young Beast King, you should go to sleep now.
Before you disgrace yourself any further.”
“. . . . . .Disgrace? You call this disgrace?! Don’t get cheeky just because I’ve taken a liking to you, you hear?!”
ㅤ
In a fit of rage, the Demon Beast King goes on the offensive.
In response, Blade positions his greatsword like a shield.
Recognizing his own battered condition, Garm calmly decides that intervening would only hinder the situation and opts to support Blade.
ㅤ
Ernesta, just as before, snipes with magic from behind the vanguard.
However, Rin changes her approach from the last time.
ㅤ
“O Guardian Power, a fragment of divine might. O Holy Light, a fragment of divine might.”
Wrap us, who are exposed to the threat of the tyrannical Great Demon, in the palms of your great mercy and philanthropy, and protect us.
Illuminate us with the holy light of salvation. Repel calamity with that light.
The sacred light illuminates everything.
Grant peace to the innocent. Cut off the calamity of demons.
Gather as a wall of light. Become a sanctuary that brings peace to the people.”
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After completing the long incantation, Rin swings her staff.
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“『God King Barrier』!”
ㅤ
In that instant, a semi-transparent dome of light enveloped Rin and her three companions.
Even when cooperating with the Elves, this was a barrier far superior to the one easily shattered by a serious Dragburn.
It’s an absolute defense magic barrier that even the Four Heavenly Kings would struggle to break, something Rin could only use due to her growth throughout the journey.
While not as concentrated as the 『Divine Shield Barrier』 used in the Asgard battle, this would suffice against a pitiful beast.
ㅤ
“Tch! A barrier magic from the Saint, huh? What a pain!”
ㅤ
The Demon Beast King hurls attacks against the barrier.
He strikes it repeatedly with his claws, fists, and kicks.
ㅤ
Certainly, the barrier was chipped away.
However, the damage was minuscule.
If Rin were to repair the barrier, it would take quite some time for it to be breached.
But, prioritizing Garm’s treatment on Ernesta’s orders, Rin did not.
ㅤ
Seeing that, the Demon Beast King had only one thought.
He’s being underestimated.
ㅤ
“Damn ittttt! Don’t mess with me! You piece of crappppp!”
ㅤ
The Demon Beast King’s attacks became even more ruthless.
Despite attacks flying in from Blade and Ernesta from within a barrier that blocked the enemy’s attacks while letting allies’ attacks through.
He minimizes defense, protecting only his heart, leaving the rest to his regenerative abilities, dedicating all remaining resources to offense.
And then. . . . . .
ㅤ
“『King Beast Strike』!”
ㅤ
The final, full-power punch shattered Rin’s barrier.
With a body stained in the blue blood that signifies he’s a demon, the Demon Beast King laughed like a malevolent spirit.
Now he can finally tear everyone to pieces.
He had considered sparing the woman, but no longer.
They irritated him, so he won’t leave anyone alive.
It’s a massacre.
Next, he’ll kill without even taking the time to chant.
With that resolve, he took a step forward. . . . . .
ㅤ
“Huh?”
ㅤ
His leg was crushed with a gruesome sound.
His bones shattered, and his flesh tore, despite not having been attacked.
Furthermore, there was no sign of regeneration.
ㅤ
“What the?!”
ㅤ
With one leg broken, he instinctively shifted his weight to the other, but now that leg was also broken.
With both legs lost, he couldn’t even sit down as the destruction spread up to his waist.
To support his falling body, he extended his arm, but even that arm broke, and the Demon Beast King collapsed in a pool of blood, resembling a caterpillar.
ㅤ
“What’s happening to me. . . . . .Gah?! Cough?!”
ㅤ
And then he coughed violently, spitting up blood.
The impact of the coughing alone made his body scream in agony, and blood spurted out from various parts of his flesh.
He had no idea what was happening to his own body.
ㅤ
“It’s a backlash, young Beast King.”
ㅤ
As if to provide an answer to the bewildered Demon Beast King, the Great Sage began to speak.
ㅤ
“Backlash, you say. . . . . .?”
“Yes. It’s the backlash between the power of divine protection and the power of demons.
These two forces can never coexist; if you force them into one body, they’ll react and impose an extraordinary burden on the flesh.
Isn’t that right, Rin?”
“. . . . . .Yes, it was the same for those who were infused with vampire blood by Rest-kun.”
ㅤ
Rin, who had once treated individuals like the Demon Beast King who were infused with vampire blood and had divine protection, affirmed Ernesta’s words.
She knew all too well just how twisted and horrendous the current state of the Demon Beast King’s body was.
ㅤ
“The people I treated were indirectly given vampire blood through Rest-kun and only received enough power to barely regenerate limbs, yet their lifespans were shortened and their bodies were wrecked.
In your case, you received much more potent blood that allows you to instantly regenerate your head, and you’re a Holy Warrior with a stronger divine protection.
The backlash would naturally be more severe; it’s inevitable given how much you’ve used your regenerative abilities.”
“What, did you say?!”
ㅤ
Upon hearing Rin’s words, the Demon Beast King’s thoughts were overtaken by shock.
He could say nothing more.
Neither mentally nor physically could he muster a voice.
He had neither the strength to cough anymore, as his body just continued to deteriorate.
ㅤ
“Most likely, even if we hadn’t fought, you’d be in this state by the time this battle ended.”
“In other words, you’ve been used as a disposable pawn by the demons.
You’re meeting the same fate as the poor Rest-boy you killed. . . . . .It’s poetic justice.”
“Brother. . . . . .”
ㅤ
Pitying gazes pierced the Demon Beast King.
Even as Rest’s enemy, he was too pitiable to be joyfully despised at this moment.
ㅤ
(You’ve got to be kidding me! Disposable? Me, disposable?! That damn woman deceived me!
I won’t forgive this! I’ll never forgive this! I’ll rip her to shreds!
Move! Move, damn it, my body—!)
ㅤ
In his mind, the Demon Beast King continued to spew curses and obscenities.
It was all he could do.
He couldn’t even utter those curses aloud.
Unable even to breathe properly, only thin, wheezing breaths escaped his mouth.
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Approaching such a Demon Beast King was a single man.
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“Blade-sama. . . . . .”
ㅤ
Lin calls out the man’s name with a worried expression.
Having witnessed his brother being killed right in front of him, 『Sword Saint』 Blade・Valkyrias,
Even though he knew the Demon Beast King, who would surely die if left alone, still pointed his sword at him.
ㅤ
“Garm, may I deliver the final blow? I want to bring closure.”
“. . . . . .Go ahead. It’s unbearable to watch anymore.”
ㅤ
Serious and sincere.
Even Garm, who is such a virtuous person that he can never do anything dishonest, is now no longer called a brother, a pitiful creature.
Moreover, Blade struck the sword.
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“Heh, don’t mess with me. . . . . .I am the strongest.”
ㅤ
From the moment I was born, I’ve always known I was the best.
There was no one of my age who could match me, and by my teens, I had even pushed aside many older warriors, earning the title of the strongest beastfolk, the 『Beast King』.
There was no one I couldn’t defeat.
I was always the victor, the one who took from others.
Even if I lost to adults in training as a child, a little growth quickly reversed the balance of power.
ㅤ
That’s why I thought this time would be the same.
I lost to Fezard, but I believed that once I grew a little and mastered the power of the demons, the balance of power would quickly reverse, and I would be the strongest again.
And yet, this. . . . . .
ㅤ
With a single strike from Blade, the Demon Beast King’s heart is destroyed, and, true to a vampire, he crumbles into ashes.
He met the same end as the Rest・Valkyrias he once killed.
But unlike Rest, no one mourns for him.
No one regrets his passing.
Even his own brother merely makes a face of helplessness, shedding not a single tear.
ㅤ
The man once called the strongest Holy Warrior.
The man who, unlike Blade, could not correct his arrogance.
Met such a pathetic and lonely end.
ㅤ
“Blade-sama. . . . . .”
“Let’s go. Stella is waiting for us.”
“. . . . . .Yes, you’re right.”
“Indeed.”
ㅤ
The three members of the Hero’s Party, without looking back at the Demon Beast King even once, began running toward the final battlefield, adding Garm to their ranks.
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