Whether you shove a demon into a soul or a body, there’s almost no way for a human split in half to come back to life.
“Still, the two-handed sword is the best, right?”
-If you’re going to fight this dumbly, I guess it’s fine.
Before exhaling three times, Fernandez, who had sliced through two demon followers, moved toward the altar. The man called the ‘Bishop’ at the altar trembled as he saw him but didn’t stop what he was doing.
“Wanna stop?”
-Ssssshhh
Fernandez pulled a dagger from his shoulder bag and threw it. At least, he prided himself on being quite precise with dagger throws. The dagger pierced exactly through the wrist of the guy holding the obsidian blade.
“Grrrrgh!”
The man clutched his wrist, blood gushing out, and stepped back. Meanwhile, Fernandez climbed onto the altar.
“Huh, this is the altar?”
It was a summoning altar woven with a very modern ritual. Severed limbs and corpses were tangled everywhere, drawing a reverse pentagram, and between them, blood refined with magic formed sinister runes.
“Let’s see. Sadarkelisa… Hmm… Sadarkelisa’s seventeenth warrior? Hey, why are you struggling to summon such a lowly demon? If you’re going to do it, why not summon Sadarkelisa herself?”
“D-do you know the runes of Hell…?”
“Hell runes? What kind of disappointing talk is that for someone of your stature, Bishop? Hey, these aren’t Hell runes, they’re Demidrakan Tongue. Completely different language lineage…”
Fernandez laughed as he approached the trembling Bishop. Some half-baked guy must have learned this poorly.
“Lies, lies! The runes of Hell are a language only our master can bestow… There’s no way a human could read them!”
“Why not? It’s a liberal arts course.”
This guy must have been seduced by some demon somewhere. Fernandez found his behavior amusing. Was this really the Bishop of Demdrizard?
“Are you really the Bishop?”
“E-eek! S-Sadarkelisa, grant me power!”
-Crackle!
The man trembled as he desperately intertwined his fingers. Fernandez quickly grabbed the Bishop’s wrist and twisted it. The obsidian dagger clattered to the ground.
“Your mantra is wrong. The angle between your index and thumb should be about 12.5 degrees narrower. Your wrist direction is also off. Where did you learn magic? Did some Wildcast (Wandering Mage) teach you this nonsense?”
“S-Sadarkelisa…!”
“And, you don’t even know the name of the demon whispering to you correctly.”
Fernandez kneed the man in the stomach. The man coughed, curled up, and collapsed to the ground. Fernandez slowly stepped on and crushed his pierced right wrist.
“Grrrrgh…”
Burying his face in the pool of blood, the man screamed, foaming at the mouth.
“It’s not Sadarkelisa. The demon you worship is…”
[Tetragalan.]
At that moment, a red light flashed in the underground cavern, accompanied by a threatening hissing sound. A sulfur-scented wind blew from somewhere, tousling Fernandez’s hair.
“Right. Tetragalan. Centurion Tetragalan. Sadarkelisa’s warrior. The right fang of the Lizard King Ksharax. Right?”
[Quite a wise mortal. It would have been less troublesome if you had been my subordinate.]
“You’re far beneath my level to command me.”
[How dare.]
-Whoosh.
Another strong wind blew. Fernandez’s robe flapped like a sail. The man crushed under his feet whimpered and trembled.
“S-Sadarkelisa, I offer my soul!”
“Where do you think you’re going!”
-Crack!
The man suddenly picked up the obsidian dagger that had fallen to the ground and stabbed it into his chest. After a few convulsions, he rolled his eyes and died. Bubbles rose from the pool of blood he was submerged in.
-You got careless.
“Careless enough. It’s fine.”
-Tetragalan is no lesser demon. He’s one of Hell’s generals.
“I know. Still just a general.”
-He’s coming. Get ready.
“Me?”
Fernandez stepped back from the summoning altar and gripped his greatsword. The heavy weight felt reassuring.
-Whoosh…
The wind howled madly through the underground cavern. Red snakes seeped from the shadows of the underground sewers, hissing and making strange noises.
The snakes’ sounds created a bizarre rhythm, a melody that shattered minds and invoked madness. They bowed their heads in reverence to their master.
-Crackle.
From the pool of blood and corpses on the summoning altar, vivid green sparks flew. And through the gap, a massive scaly hand appeared, almost the size of Fernandez’s head.
-Thud, thud. Thwack.
Soon, the hand was followed by an arm like a marble pillar, then a chest and face covered in scales and muscles. One, two, three… Four heads emerged from the shadows.
-Descendant of the Four-Headed Dragon… Tetragalan of the Blue Scales.
“Right. Long time no see.”
Fernandez’s words were somewhat ambiguous. It had been a while since he’d seen a real demon, and it had also been a while since he’d seen Tetragalan.
In other words, Tetragalan wasn’t a stranger. Ironically, he was one of the demons whose heart had been pierced by Kirhas in a past life.
The scream Tetragalan had let out back then still echoed vividly in his ears. He had witnessed that scene firsthand. And that meant…
“Ready?”
-I have nothing to prepare.
“Not you. You. This demon.”
Fernandez aimed his two-handed sword at Tetragalan’s massive body. Tetragalan hissed and laughed.
[How dare you speak to me like that. I am Tetragalan. Descendant of the great Four-Headed Dragon and warrior of the great mother Sadarkelisa! The right fang of Duke Ksharax…]
As Tetragalan spoke, Fernandez was lost in memories. It was the same repertoire he had spat out when facing Kirhas. The scene painted itself vividly in his mind.
“Long tongue for a snake.”
[You dare!]
-Sssss…
Fernandez’s pauldrons corroded and crumbled instantly. It was the [Corrosive Aura] that only a true Demidrako could use. Only his consecrated silver sword withstood the aura.
“I can’t mimic Kirhas’s skills.”
-True.
“But following Kirhas’s strategy is a piece of cake!”
Fernandez shouted as he dug into Tetragalan’s right flank. Tetragalan roared and swung his fist.
-Crash!
Tetragalan’s third head rolled on the ground. With a sizzling sound, the strong acid flowing from his mouth melted the altar.
[You! Youuuu!!! Tell me your name!!!]
-Splat!
Fernandez sliced through Tetragalan’s right thigh and rolled back. A massive tail swept over his head.
‘He’s slowed down.’
Fernandez blocked the tail with his sword and was pushed back. Tetragalan tried to regain his posture.
-Ssshhh!
[Grrrrgh!!!]
Fernandez skillfully threw a dagger, piercing Tetragalan’s left eye.
[This, this can’t be. This isn’t right! Reveal yourself! Are you a celestial from the Temple of the Gods?!]
“Pathetic. Demon. Is that all you have to say?”
Fernandez firmly gripped his creaking greatsword, filled with cracks, and charged forward.
Every joint in his body was in no better condition than his sword. Poison, acid, fatigue, and shock had worn him down to the brink of breaking.
