Chapter 155
After Nahun left, Seere stood still for a moment. Celestia, seeing her, asked.
“Your Majesty?”
“…It’s always like this.”
“What?”
“I want you to be by my side, but you’re too busy. So, I have no choice but to let you go.”
There was a slight bitterness in Seere’s voice. Even after just a few minutes of seeing her, Nahun had disappeared again to take care of necessary tasks. In truth, she thought it would be fine if Nahun did nothing and just stayed by her side.
She knew well that Nahun always stepped forward for her and for the Debata forces. However, in her honest desire, she just wished Nahun could be there, doing nothing at all.
This time, he had been away for several days, and just a short glimpse earlier was all she had. Nahun might not understand yet, but that’s just how it was.
Even a little absence felt lonely, and that void loomed large—this was a feeling anyone who truly loves someone would experience.
Seere still felt the residual echo of Nahun at her fingertips and earnestly wished that this war would end soon so they could return to their daily lives.
“…It’s cold.”
She wished fervently.
#
Originally, the Demon Army’s First Division had occupied a quarter of the Holy Kingdom’s territory. However, now, the battlefield of the First Division had retreated all the way back to Soter City, close to the Kingdom’s original borders.
Commander Basago von Diarti of the First Division frowned slightly. Although he was slowing down the Celestial Army’s advance with his excellent strategies, the fact remained that the front lines were still being pushed back.
“The vanguard has collapsed, and the front line keeps being pushed. How about allowing me to deploy?”
In such a situation, there was one person demanding to be deployed: a male Demon King with impressively short dark brown hair. He was the practical top power of the First Division and was renowned in the Demon World for his formidable abilities.
‘Amon.’
As the seventh-ranked high-ranking Demon King, he was considered the most powerful after Agreas, known as the martial arts faction.
Despite his demand to be deployed, Basago continued to refuse. Amon, unable to understand the reason for such stubbornness, furrowed his brow slightly.
“I don’t understand why you’re being so stubborn.”
In fact, there was a valid reason for such measures. Basago believed he needed to conserve Amon’s power, but the truth was that while Amon himself was strong, the forces he commanded did not measure up.
Known for his extremely strict nature towards his subordinates and lack of flexibility, Amon was notorious for having low loyalty among his followers. This was precisely why the powerful Amon couldn’t overpower his superior Malepare.
Thus, Basago was judging there was no chance of victory. Even if Amon were to join, those disloyal subordinates would hardly fight well. It was easy to envision how the elite Jepar and his legion had been annihilated, so it was likely that Amon’s forces would struggle even more.
As powerful as Amon was, the war was not a solitary affair. He feared that sending him out recklessly could lead to the easy loss of a huge power, and that was how he assessed the situation.
“The Celestial Army has now approached right up close. While Aini, Salenos, and others are holding out, it’s only a matter of time before they fall. If I don’t go, who will stop them?”
However, this was merely a reasonable justification for his stubbornness. As Amon pointed out, the front lines of the First Division had long collapsed. Even with Jepar’s death, brave martial arts Demon Kings, along with powerful subordinates like Eli Goru and Bashi, were holding their ground…
“Amon.”
“Yes.”
“Promise to follow my plan completely. Then I will allow your deployment.”
Amon looked somewhat puzzled. However, as a martial arts Demon King, and given that it had been a long time since he felt the itch to take action, he couldn’t resist when he heard he would be allowed to deploy.
“Fine. If it’s your plan, Basago, it must be a good one.”
With Basago’s ingenuity, it was reasonable to trust the strategies he set forth. Once Amon willingly nodded, Basago made a slightly unsatisfactory suggestion.
“Help the other Demon Kings and repel the Celestial Army. However, if you encounter the Spirit King, engage just enough and then retreat.”
“…Are you saying to flee?”
“You know well that your power is the most important in the First Division right now. Therefore, you must devise a strategy that guarantees a solid victory. I’m only asking you to avoid confrontation until that time comes.”
Amon narrowed his brow, but Basago seemed unwilling to retract his statement. After all, the commander was Basago, and Amon knew he had to be submissive.
“Fine, I understand.”
“Once again, do not fight the Spirit Kings to the end.”
“You need to specify which Spirit Kings you’re talking about. It can’t be all of them.”
“The Spirit King of Ice and Snow, Eia. And the Spirit King of Earth, Noah.”
“I got it.”
Hearing to avoid the most powerful Spirit Kings, Amon tasted regret, but he also understood Basago’s judgment rationally. Nodding, Amon stood and prepared to depart.
“I’m off.”
The First Division’s top power, Amon, was deployed.
He headed first to where Veris, the most unstable point of the front line, was located. While Basago’s order was to maintain the front line, it meant he could fight as long as the Spirit King didn’t appear.
With his not-so-loyal soldiers, Amon arrived at the front line. However, as soon as he got there, he couldn’t help but frown.
“…They just keep appearing without getting tired of it.”
With a thud, the body of Veris, held by a woman, dropped helplessly to the ground. Despite appearing to have no lethal external injuries, the way he looked suggested his insides had frozen over.
Amon narrowed his brow upon seeing this sight. It wasn’t hard to identify who that woman was upon witnessing the land around them freezing as well.
‘Looks like I’ll be forced to retreat from the very first deployment.’
He happened to meet the opponent Basago had suggested he engage only lightly and back off.
The Spirit King of Ice and Snow, Eia. Given how composed she looked, it seemed Veris had suffered before he could even put up a real struggle.
Eia looked at Amon quietly and then sighed deeply.
“Trash who prefer violence just keep popping up.”
“…Interesting statement. What’s wrong with preferring violence?”
“Are you truly asking out of ignorance?”
Eia spoke as if to toy with him.
“Violence is a sin. It is an unjustifyable crime. Do you know how many sins I have had to commit with my own hands because of people like you?”
“That’s a ridiculous argument. Violence is the greatest means of domination and negotiation, the clearest form of justice. Where else in this world do you find such a straightforward mechanism?”
Eia looked at Amon with disdain in her eyes. Feeling that gaze, Amon spoke to her.
“Isn’t it rather disgusting to proclaim that violence is an unjustifyable sin while wielding it yourself? That is nothing but hypocrisy, Spirit King.”
“…That’s a trashy thought.”
「Glacier spear」
Eia conjured a long ice spear in her hand. Seeing this, Amon smirked as if he couldn’t believe it.
“Are you unable to admit that you are a hypocrite? Anyway, everything related to the Heavens…”
Amon drew the long spear he had slung over his back. It was mere coincidence that he was also a spear wielder. He bared his murderous intent clearly and growled.
“That’s just disgusting.”
He had no intention of refusing Basago’s orders, but it was clear he had been told to ‘engage lightly and then retreat.’ So…
“I’ll give you a taste.”
This much was acceptable. Amon thought as he instructed his legion to simply block the incoming enemies and walked toward Eia.
“Don’t think that you will be similar to the Demon Kings you’ve defeated so far.”
Amon stated.
“I am different from those mixed-grade fools.”
Eia slightly narrowed her brow. Indeed, it felt like something completely different from the Demon Kings she had faced until now. She remembered that she hadn’t felt such pressure even when facing Jepar’s forces…
“…I can’t face this alone.”
Eia thought as she summoned her companions. Upon her call, the Spirit Kings who had been a step back revealed themselves.
“You look strong.”
A man with long red hair, the Spirit King of Fire, Phoenix.
“Such a terrifying aura.”
A woman with long blue hair, the Spirit King of Water, Naiad.
“This should be interesting.”
A woman with short black hair, the Spirit King of Darkness, Arkane.
“Don’t go out alone and get yourself beaten up.”
A man with short white hair, the Spirit King of Light, Ignis.
“Get ready. He’s a strong opponent.”
A man with blonde hair, the Spirit King of Lightning, Lione.
Among the eight Spirit Kings, all except two were present at that place. Amon looked at the Spirit Kings who had all revealed themselves and smiled.
“Basago told me to avoid only the Spirit King of Ice and Snow here.”
It was tacitly permitted to face the other Spirit Kings directly. Therefore, in this situation…
“I have no choice. I must keep fighting until I’ve dealt with the other Spirit Kings.”
Amon wore a smile on his lips. He had cleverly evaded Basago’s orders, and a situation had opened up where he could fight as he wished. Just as he was about to charge at the Spirit Kings with his spear…
“Spatial separation.”
『Sēpar Spátĭum』
A vast amount of magic power enveloped the space where Amon and the Spirit Kings stood.
“What is this…?”
In an unbelievable turn of events, the Spirit Kings no longer saw the Celestial Army they had brought with them. Additionally, Amon found that his own legion had vanished from sight.
It was as if they had entered another dimension. Both Amon and the Spirit Kings were bewildered, unable to comprehend this phenomenon when suddenly…
Boom──!!!
Something massive fell from the sky unexpectedly.
#
Both the Spirit Kings and Amon looked with astonished eyes at what had fallen between them… no, at that man.
“Tsk, I almost couldn’t get in.”
“…Who are you?”
The feeling of magic power was palpable. However, since they had never seen his face while gathering intel on the Demon Army, Eia and the Spirit Kings regarded him with puzzled eyes.
But Amon was different. He didn’t originally know, but he had started to notice him from the Demon World Assembly alongside Seere von Debata.
The royalty of the Debata forces, Nahun. Why had he appeared here? And what was the meaning of this strange space they found themselves in?
“You! Why are you here? You should be with the Third Division. And what is this trickery?”
“The answers to those questions are the same, so let me tell you simply.”
His golden eyes sparkled, like a predator who had found a great prey. From his golden eyepieces, a piercing magic power began to seep out.
“Spirit Kings, and Demon King Amon.”
At the same time, black mist began to ripple behind Nahun. Soon, from that black mist emerged enormous and ferocious end-of-times monstrosities.
“You all need to die here.”
