Chapter 224: Because of You, I Was Born! (2)
As expected, if it had gone as planned, it would have been anticlimactic, but he wasn’t sitting on the throne. He was standing beneath it, basking in the sunlight pouring in from the front, as if sunbathing leisurely.
I approached him slowly without saying a word. His presence felt even stronger. I felt like if I went deeper, I would know everything about his depths.
My feet stopped exactly 10 meters away. This was the limit. His presence was seeping in too strongly for me to approach while maintaining my composure.
Is this what it feels like to face oneself directly?
A terrible sense of dissonance and hatred overwhelmed my mind.
“Artshever……”
“You’ve arrived. I’ve been waiting. How are you feeling? Even though I aim to be a good person, this is a bit hard to bear. But I have to do this to use all of my power. You understand my feelings, right?”
It’s not like I can see through him like the back of my hand, but it feels like reading a slightly small-printed book from a distance. Although there are many letters I can’t see, I can deduce the context quite detailedly.
Therefore, I could feel it. He came to this place with sincerity.
I pounded my chest once and suppressed the urge to run amok. Nausea-inducing dissonance and hatred churned inside me.
To get rid of that feeling, I blurted out anything.
“Where’s the Emperor? What about the people in the palace?”
“They’re in the underground prison. It’s where you have to go anyway, whether I win or you win.”
“Even if you win?”
“Yes. Even if I win, it’s off to prison. Should the charge be ‘idiot’ or ‘moron’? He’ll be designated as the person who put not only the Empire but the entire world in danger. Thus, his name will be cursed for generations to come, and every year on the anniversary of his execution, people will celebrate and shout, ‘Long live the dead Emperor!’”
Clap, clap, clap, clap, clap.
He clapped enthusiastically. It’s not funny at all, but the fact that he’s saying that with sincerity is even less funny.
He grinned as if he could see right through me.
“It seems you still don’t plan to like me.”
“That goes for you too, doesn’t it? You’re pretending to be calm, but you have the same thoughts as me, don’t you?”
“Yes, yes. That’s right. To be honest, you’re the person I want to kill, even now, as much as I loved you before.”
“Is that self-loathing or self-love?”
“I’d say it’s self-hatred. Really, human emotions are so contradictory. Self-hatred…… I want to beat the crap out of the person who made up such a rotten, strange word.”
“Your personality is changing.”
He shrugged as if to say, “So what?” Now I can even feel this. It seems like everything I heard before was right. If I stay like this, I’ll be assimilated by him.
Artshever stroked his chin and tilted his head.
“But…… your body hair color hasn’t changed. Why didn’t you change it back?”
“Because it’s a bother.”
How did he manage to change it with other magic when Brandione’s Shadow Stone didn’t work? He must have done it with his superpowers.
He thought for a moment and then opened his mouth.
“As expected, even if the overlay on the body is released, it seems it can’t be undone if it’s synchronized with the body. Even the Shadow Stone has its limits.”
“What?”
“Ah, well, it’s like this. You can always peel off the paint applied on wood, but if you dye the wood itself, you can’t remove it, right? It’s in that context. The difference between overlaying and integrating. Well, unlike hair dye, this fades quickly, so there’s no problem. ‘I shall be whole as myself!’ Yap!”
Snap!
With his words and a snap of his fingers, I felt my vision brighten momentarily. I tilted my head, feeling something strange, and at that moment, white hair swayed before my eyes.
“Uh……? Huh?”
I quickly looked at my reflection in the sword’s blade. There, I saw myself with white hair, looking back at me in surprise.
“Oh, my goodness……!”
“How is it? Do you like it? I’m thinking of becoming a hairdresser with this skill later. Hahaha!”
It might sound funny, but he meant it. Well, there must have been a time in his life when he wanted to be a hairdresser. What can’t he do?
But I don’t like this. I knew why Aila’s hair turned gray, but I didn’t want to imagine myself like this.
Ugh, I don’t like it.
When I glared at him, he grinned as if he could clearly sense my feelings. It really pissed me off.
Artshever grinned and raised his hand.
“Well then, let’s stop here! Like this!”
Clap, clap!
Two light claps.
With that, his face changed.
It’s a face that’s somehow familiar yet unfamiliar. It’s a face that I feel like I’ve seen many times, but I could never have seen it in this way.
That’s……! My face!
“Whew! I don’t know how many years it’s been since I’ve had my original face. How is it? Isn’t it amazing?”
I feel like I’m going to vomit. Why does it disgust me so much to see another version of myself, speaking with my face and my voice?
My insides feel like they’re twisting. I hate every single movement he makes, every word he utters.
If I could kill someone with murderous intent alone, I would have killed him a hundred times over.
“Really…… I don’t like you.”
“Everyone in the world feels that way. It’s hard to find someone who likes themselves. It’s also important that dissatisfaction with oneself and the world leads to the discovery of potential for growth.”
“So how much dissatisfaction do you have that you’re trying to destroy the world?”
“Hey, you know everything.”
He chuckled. I don’t want to look at that face, but it’s a face I can’t help but look at. So, I had to compose myself as I watched my face, which wasn’t mine, chuckle.
“But…… there’s still an unanswered question.”
“What is it?”
“I understand how much you want to die. The ultimate instinct to die, even if it means destroying the world. Then why not just destroy it quietly? Why did you create such a complicated situation and drag me, and so many others, into it?”
“Well…… why don’t you think about that yourself?”
So he doesn’t want to tell me. But I think I’ll find out while fighting him. His thoughts are my thoughts, after all.
Artshever’s green eyes sparkled as he lightly clapped his hands. He said,
“It seems we have a lot to talk about before we fight. Then, I’ll answer your questions from now on. Don’t you have anything you’re curious about? I’ll tell you anything as a special service. Ask me anything!”
Should I see this as a bargaining chip, or just his clownish nature? It’s not something I like, but there are a few things I need to address.
I asked,
“One. You borrowed the power of demons. How did you do that?”
“The scope of the question is a bit broad. Let’s talk about it first.”
***
Benamijan, the High Priestess of the God of Light, Lynin, nicknamed Namias, and Jounin Yuse, a Shrine Knight of Lynin, nicknamed Joey, have been partners for a long time.
Joey, with his massive 2.5-meter frame, is the vanguard attacker who confronts enemies head-on, while Namias is the rear support who provides near-perfect assistance from behind.
The battle taking place in the outer courtyard of the Imperial Palace is also a testament to their well-coordinated teamwork.
“Darkness cannot hide in the face of light!”
Namias, who becomes more talkative than usual only when constructing holy spells, held the sacred artifact bestowed upon her by her god, the Essential Light, and began constructing a spell.
As the short crystal rod was swung, all sorts of light emanated from it, and that light touched the red masses swirling around Joey.
At that moment, the demons swirling around Joey had to taste the humiliation of being forcibly materialized.
Forced materialization of demons by holy power. This is a completely different matter from when other humans summon demons through flawed magic or the dark god’s holy spells.
The demon realm, where demons reside, exists beneath the conceptual bottom of the material realm, which is manifested as a parallel dimension. When demons appear in the material realm, they always send forth not their true form but a pseudo-form closest to it. It’s like projecting an image onto a mirror.
However, Namias’ holy spell directly pulls out the demon’s main body and materializes it. If this materialized demon is destroyed, it is permanently eradicated.
That role belonged to Shrine Knight Joey.
“Uwaaaaah―!”
With a powerful shout, he swung the two-meter-long greatsword he was holding.
The anti-demon holy engravings densely carved into the wide blade emitted light, and the demons were cut down as easily as straws under his sword.
Kyaaah!
Kiiiiaaah!
Kirik! Kirik!
The demons screamed. They were communicating in their own language. Translated into human words, it would be like this:
“The sacred artifact! The sacred artifact has appeared!”
“Oh my god!”
“This is not what we agreed on! This isn’t right!”
They were the underlings of a higher demon in a contractual relationship with Artshever.
Their mission was to ascend to the material plane, prevent those who would interfere until the world’s destruction began, and then, when the moment of destruction arrived, to manifest in physical form and feast upon the suffering of humanity.
Therefore, they had been lending their power to the destruction magic invoked by Referndi, suppressing their physical manifestation and drifting as a crimson aura.
They had participated as if lending a hand at a picnic and expecting to share a delicious lunch, but with the sudden appearance of the God of Light’s earthly agent, they were rendered powerless.
Namias constructed holy spells, casting light in all directions. Each time, the true forms of lesser demons were revealed, resembling insects, animals, or nothing like any living creature at all.
Joey’s sword unfailingly struck them down.
The scene was literally a storm.
The giant Shrine Knight became a storm of light, sweeping through the midst of the demons.
The bodies of demons bisected by his sword turned to black ash and vanished. Eternal annihilation. Though they were merely lesser demons destined to be used as expendable pawns in the future decisive battle with the heavens, they were not beings that ordinary humans could contend with.
The darkness and guile they harbored within, along with their sweet rhetoric, would lure humans down the path of temptation and corruption. Even those with strong wills, once caught in a demon’s temptation, would find their souls tilting towards darkness and naturally tread the path of corruption.
Joey was obliterating several of these demons, whose mere presence could bring about such ruin, with every swing of his sword.
He was demonstrating with his entire being how God protected humanity, and how those protected by God could confront darkness.
The demons, realizing that over a hundred of their kin had already been eliminated in this short span of time, were gripped by panic. They shrieked and conversed amongst themselves.
“What do we do? What do we do?!”
“Let’s call him!”
“What?!”
“The strong one!”
Even as several more were cut down in this very moment, the demons realized they had few options left. They began to sing.
Kerak Harsh Narakras. (Judge of the Abyss.)
Domata Binol Kkalchue. (Sword Embraced by Despair.)
Hakas Sar Kum! (Interrogate the Heretic!)
Hakas Sar Kumas! (Thou Shalt Interrogate the Heretic!)
“Joey!”
Namias, sensing an ominous presence, called Joey back. Without a word, Joey swung his sword once more, cutting down the remaining materialized demons, and quickly positioned himself in front of Namias, as if to shield her.
The demons’ song gained momentum, spreading to envelop their surroundings.
The songs sung by demons inherently possessed magical power. This was why ordinary people who heard a demon’s song might suddenly go mad or be tormented by nightmares.
When such a song became a chorus like this, its power would coalesce, capable of manifesting feats impossible for humans.
The rising crimson aura gradually turned black. From scarlet to reddish-black, from dark red to complete blackness.
Namias’s pale face was etched with horror. She knew all too well the sensation emanating from that black aura.
The demons’ curse song (呪歌) was completed in an instant.
And thus, it revealed itself upon the earth.
In its left hand, it held two screaming, wailing heads, while its right hand grasped a colossal sword. Its entire body was clad in sturdy armor, and its back bore wings far more ferocious than those of a bat. Three horns protruded from its helmet.
Joey had seen a being remarkably similar to this before.
Late autumn of the year he had accompanied his sworn brother, Risel, to the Imperial Capital. While assisting with an incomprehensible incident, he and several others had to confront a demon.
Its name forced its way past his lips.
“Inquisitor……!”
The demon’s Inquisitor.
The one who beheaded angels.
Two eyes gleamed from within the black helmet.
***
“It’s the Inquisitor Lord (Inquisitor lord). The name of the Greater Demon I made a contract with. He’s two ranks below a Demon King, but commands sixty-five thousand, five hundred and thirty-six Inquisitors under him. And when the Second Celestial War breaks out, he’s been tasked with leading the charge and shattering the divine army. Like a leader of a shock troop, you could say. But lately, there haven’t been any conflicts to speak of, so he’s been quite bored, it seems. So I asked him to lend a hand as a way to pass the time.”
“The price?”
“Nothing much. I promised him this world. I told him I’d make it easy to take, so he could have it however he wanted. Well, to be honest, I didn’t borrow that much of his power. Playing with demons isn’t really my style. But it was necessary for my plan. Thanks to him, Referndi’s ritual of destruction finished quite early. Hahaha!”
He laughed cheerfully, but I wasn’t amused in the slightest. That meant Joey and Namias were currently facing the Inquisitor in the outer courtyard.
Leave a Reply