Chapter 249
The Twilight Blade.
An ultimate magic that Seere created on her own, which even Nahun did not know about. It is capable of containing all the external magic scattered in the surrounding atmosphere, as well as her own available magic.
In order to cut down Astharoth and the dragon in a single blow, Seere used more than two-thirds of the external magic stored in her hair, the external magic in the atmosphere, and even her available magic.
The destructive power was immense. There was nothing left in front of Seere after she struck with her blade. The aftermath swept away even the soldiers of Astharoth, who were forming a siege behind her.
And it wasn’t just the soldiers that were swept away.
“The plains…!”
The ground was deeply scarred, creating a vast valley. It looked as if the topography of the 23rd floor needed to be changed. The power to change the terrain was almost unimaginable for a single person.
The scene vividly illustrated why Seere von Debata was the most notable Demon King in the demon realm recently. Astharoth’s army was left in utter confusion at the shocking sight.
“Your Majesty…?”
“Surely not…!”
The morale of Astharoth’s army began to falter. Since Seere struck with her sword, neither Astharoth nor the dragon she summoned could be seen. It almost seemed as if Seere had truly defeated both Astharoth and Aji Zairita in one fell swoop.
However, the expression on Seere’s face as she wielded her sword was not one of satisfaction. With a stiff expression, she slowly looked up to the sky.
“How dangerous. Truly, what did your master teach you?”
Astharoth stood with her right hand trembling slightly in front of her. She gathered what little magic power remained. And the dragon she was riding, Aji Zairita, flapped its wings weakly a few times before collapsing to the ground, unable to maintain its flight.
Boom!!
The dragon fell to the ground. However, its master was only exhausted and managed to stand before Seere again in a fairly intact state.
Seere’s eyes narrowed. She mentioned Astharoth’s magic power, which felt weak now.
“You used both your magic and the dragon’s magic.”
“Yes, and yet… this is the result.”
It was not a magic that could simply be avoided by flying into the sky. It turned out that everything had been expended to endure that one strike. Since Astharoth could not store external magic like Seere, she had no time to draw on it and had to consume her magic to the point where her hands trembled uncontrollably against her will.
Only to withstand that blow.
Astharoth chuckled bitterly. Gripping her spear, which she still hadn’t lost, her hand shook as she squeezed it tightly, almost excessively so.
“Anyway, there’s little power left for both of us.”
As Astharoth said, Seere had also consumed a significant amount of both the external magic she had stored and her available magic. If she continued to use her magic any further, there was a real risk of injuring herself gravely.
‘I can’t let that happen.’
Even if she toppled Astharoth, it would not be over. Her army was still intact, and until she defeated Astharoth and all of them…
‘I cannot fall.’
She had to endure. Seere gripped her sword and readied herself. Observing Seere’s stance, Astharoth seemed pleased as she shouted loudly.
“Shall we see whose martial arts are superior?!”
“That’s what I hoped for.”
Fwoosh!!
As Astharoth leaped forward, Seere dashed ahead almost simultaneously, as if she were waiting for that moment.
The two Demon Kings, who had vanished momentarily, clashed right where they had stood, forming the center point of the confrontation.
Kaaang!!!
As the spear’s blade slid past the sword’s edge, Astharoth extended her legs to block Seere’s advance while simultaneously repositioning her spear.
With a swift movement, the spear turned around, now aiming for the back of Seere’s neck. However, Seere didn’t simply stand idle.
Bam!!
She raised her empty left hand, deflecting the spear handle with her palm, and in that fleeting moment, she suddenly thrust her freed sword forward. In that short moment, Astharoth managed to regain her balance from the spear’s tilt and kicked her foot out in a wide sweep.
Crash!!!
“…You’re quite flexible.”
Astharoth kicked Seere’s blade from below, causing the angle of her sword to twist. As Seere genuinely admired Astharoth’s skill, Astharoth responded with a smile.
“Is that something you should be saying?”
In the heat of life-and-death combat, short compliments felt out of place, but it was brief. With no opportunity for one to speak first, the two Demon Kings found their openings and moved.
Astharoth targeted the empty space on her right, but Seere responded instantly as if she had allowed it on purpose. She received Astharoth’s punch with her magically-imbued arm and turned her sword to strike downward.
Clang!!!
It seemed like Seere had caught her, but Astharoth blocked Seere’s surprise attack with her spear. Using the spear handle, she pushed Seere back forcefully.
Seere, pushed back significantly, momentarily lost her balance. Seizing that moment, Astharoth charged at her like a fierce beast. As a wielder of a spear, her most dangerous attack came from utilizing her long reach.
Astharoth lunged forward with her spear. Once again, she posed a binary question to Seere. To overcome the disparity in reach, Seere had to charge in. If she stood still or stepped back, she would be skewered.
However, if she charged in…
‘…I’ll deliver a blow to the chin.’
She intended to slam the ground with her foot and then elevate her knee to strike Seere’s chin. One might think a knee strike would hardly send someone’s chin flying, but these were Demon Kings.
Though they may appear dainty, the power they exhibited was beyond imagination. Not only could they rival wild beasts, but even ordinary monsters were insignificant compared to their strength. They could easily crush an opponent’s bone with their bare hands.
Anyone struck on the chin would face dire consequences, irrespective of whether they were an animal, human, or demon. The chin fundamentally supports the face. If struck, the entire face would shake violently, impacting the brain that commands the body significantly.
Thus, confusion in momentary judgment would arise, becoming the reason why such a critical battle could be decided by a mere action.
Astharoth’s spear posed an unavoidable question to Seere. Would she succumb or resist?
Seere’s eyes narrowed. Slowly, she angled her sword downwards and held it with both hands.
She meant to counterattack; her intent was clear. There was no reason for Astharoth to hesitate. The length disparity of their weapons would be impossible to overcome, no matter how exceptional one’s martial skills. If Seere were to choose to counterattack, then Astharoth wielding a spear would have an overwhelmingly advantageous fight.
Before long, Astharoth’s spear reached Seere. Just then, Seere swung her sword, which had been angled downwards, widely.
The circuits within her body activated. As she abruptly accelerated the circuits, heat rushed through her body, and her magic began to flow out. Though her body felt flushed with excitement, Seere remained calm and awaited the moment.
At the instant Astharoth’s spear reached her sights, a short word slipped from her lips.
“Counter.”
『Repúlsĭo』
Zheeeeeeng!!!!
Astharoth’s eyes widened in shock. Though her spear had clearly reached first, Seere was unharmed…
“This is…?”
Her spear had broken. When she turned to look, the spearhead lay shattered on the ground. Then, Astharoth felt a sharp pain.
“……Ah.”
Her abdomen was cut along the diagonal. The sharp sting was but a fleeting illusion, and the moment she realized it, the wound heated up as intense pain began to surge. Astharoth clutched her belly with one hand and murmured.
“Did you block my spear with magic… and then cut me with your sword?”
Astharoth squeezed her left eye shut. Then, clinging tightly to her spear—still intact—she turned to face the source of the shattering pain.
“Not yet.”
“……”
The pain tormented her. The wound on her abdomen was not trivial. Even for a Demon King with exceptional regenerative abilities, there were injuries that could not be overcome without treatment. If she released the hand that held her belly, her entrails could very well spill out.
Yet Astharoth stood firm.
“I can still move.”
Even speaking took effort. Seere could feel her distress as well; she winced in pain.
“I’m not finished yet…!”
Despite that, her voice remained steadfast. It was clear and deliberate. Even her breaths felt labored, but there was strength in her voice.
“Not yet…!!”
Astharoth’s violet horn turned red. Her blue eyes began to blaze crimson. Seere frowned at the sight.
“A magic overflow….”
Boom!!
All of Astharoth’s remaining magic exploded forth. Through the overheated circuits, something more powerful than the remaining magic surged out.
“I have not yet fallen, successor of the Demon King!!!”
Until every circuit in her body burned away, her rampage would not cease. Watching that, Crampus and Mastes could not hide their shock.
“Your Majesty…!”
But it was merely a desperate final struggle. Once her overdriven circuits burned away, anyway, Astharoth would not survive. Even if she were lucky enough to save her life, she would live the rest of her life with severe disabilities—a basic premise being that she could never wield magic again.
That was an intense desire.
The final flame born from her strong will. A last fire consuming herself as fuel.
Seere narrowed her eyes slightly and asked,
“…Is there really a reason to go that far?”
“No one wants to give up their position, Seere von Debata.”
“Is that all there is to it?”
After asking, Seere briefly closed her eyes and let out a deep sigh. Who had the luxury to worry about whom at this moment? It was nothing but unnecessary concern.
There would only be one victor in this battle. Wasn’t that decided before the war began? Moreover…
‘…If I don’t end this quickly, it’ll become dangerous.’
The encircling net against Seere’s army was gradually tightening. Though Legion 5 and Legion 7 were struggling, the fortified siege would not easily break. The gap that Seere had created had already been closed.
It was not the time to be leisurely worrying about the enemy’s circumstances.
“Though I don’t know your circumstances.”
Seere looked at Astharoth with a calm gaze that had settled once again.
“There is no more time to spare.”
All of her body’s circuits activated. The magic within her surged and was drawn out just before reaching the brink of exhaustion. Seere pulled on her magic with precision, treading the thin line where magic exhaustion wouldn’t occur.
In response, Astharoth poured her overflowing rampage into her broken spear. A powerful magic swirled around the two Demon Kings, so intense that the arrows shot by their armies warped in their paths and couldn’t properly hit their targets.
“…….”
Seere raised her sword high. Astharoth did likewise with her spear. A bead of sweat trickled down Seere’s cheek.
‘Serious power….’
Astharoth had drawn forth magic to the extent of risking her life. Conversely, Seere had only drawn forth as much as she could without exhausting herself.
The difference was stark. The power of the magic embedded in their weapons was overwhelmingly destructive on the other side. Seere contemplated drawing out more magic even then.
At that moment.
“Poof.”
Suddenly, a small white whale leapt out of the inky mist. Following Nahun’s recent command, and partially out of its own goodwill, the creature had been hovering around Seere. Once again, without a specific order from Nahun, the creature, which naturally stayed by Seere’s side, had appeared.
“…Levi?”
It was Leviathan. He flicked his tail and stood before Seere, as if to say not to worry even if he was swept away. Or rather…
“Are you saying you will handle the aftermath?”
“Poo.”
It indicated it would take care of the aftermath, allowing Seere to collide with all her might.
“…Alright.”
Seere’s gaze hardened. The pupils of the blood-smeared blade also glowed a deeper, bloodier hue, with even greater magic imbued within.
“I’ll give it a try.”
“…Sure.”
Astharoth spoke, satisfaction evident in her smile.
“Now you’re ready for the final match!!”
Astharoth pulled her arm back, preparing to throw. She extended one hand forward while pulling the spear back as far as it would go, channeling all her strength and magic into it…
“Pierce, spear of the meteor!”
【 Meteor Spear 】
She hurled it.
Swoosh!!!!
As the spear cut through the air, it caused a gust of wind. Seeing this, Seere brought her sword down to the left below and then forcefully swung it upward.
“Crush.”
『Abrúmpo』
Kugwaaaaaaaang──────────!!
“Your Majesty!”
“…Your Majesty?!”
Urgent voices erupted from both sides. This was true not just for Astharoth’s army but also for Seere’s. The chaos arose because the thick smoke obscured any clear vision of the situation, and the powerful magic they both poured out masked everything, making it impossible to feel the magic of the two Demon Kings.
If they had been able to comprehend the situation properly, they would have acted composedly. However, they could see neither how the confrontation had unfolded nor what had happened, creating pure confusion.
“Erina! Quickly, Your Majesty!”
“Mastes! Escort the Majesty!!”
At Celestia’s command, Erina sprang into action, and at Crampus’s command, Mastes hurriedly urged his horse forward. Both generals moved through the smoke to discern the situation, but it remained too thick to see ahead clearly.
“…Your Majesty!”
“Your Majesty!! Where are you?!”
The two generals frantically shouted, seeking their lord. At that moment, a response came back.
“…I’m fine, Subcommander Erina.”
Though exhausted, it was definitely Seere’s voice. Erina opened her eyes wide in shock and headed toward the source of the voice, discovering Seere kneeling and collapsed.
“Your Majesty?!”
“I’m alright… Just lacking strength…”
When Erina approached, a small whale swished its tail, guarding her.
“Poo!”
“It’s alright, Levi….”
“Poo?”
“Are you hurt anywhere?!”
“Uh-huh…”
Seere, visibly exhausted, was sweating profusely. As Erina dismounted, she spoke.
“I’ll take you back right away. Please, get on the horse.”
“…Okay.”
Seere’s gaze remained fixed beyond the still-unsettled smoke. Though nothing was visible in that direction, one thing was certain…
“No… more… Astharoth’s magic could be felt.”
#
Mastes, bloodied and collapsed, supported Astharoth as he helped her up. She was still alive, but there seemed no chance of her survival.
“Your Majesty, you must… you must receive treatment! I’ll take you immediately…!”
“……It’s over.”
“Your Majesty!!”
“Do you think… I could survive?…,”
“…You will!”
Mastes’s lie drew a faint smile from Astharoth. After catching her breath, she mustered her remaining strength to speak.
“If I die, the war will end there. Order Crampus to surrender.”
“Your Majesty, how can you say that?! We can still hold on!! No, we can win! We will take revenge for you!”
The situation on the battlefield was indeed favorable for the 23rd Floor’s army, even without Astharoth. However, Astharoth knew it was a futile endeavor.
“…We cannot stop that.”
“Excuse me?”
The peculiar creature that had appeared next to Seere at the end—Astharoth had felt a hint of the power it possessed, and she could not believe her eyes. She wondered if even at her best, she could manage to block it… a level where such thoughts emerged.
It was at a level that far surpassed Aji Zairita, the dragon Astharoth had once commanded. Astharoth’s army should not engage with it under any circumstances; at that point, all that awaited them was a certain death.
With great effort, Astharoth issued orders to her subordinates.
“Declare surrender… and come under Seere von Debata.”
“Wh-what?!”
Mastes looked as if he could not comprehend. However, Astharoth, before her demise, solemnly shared her final thoughts.
“If it’s her… she can grant you what you have longed for… plenty…”
“…Your Majesty.”
Her breath grew harsher. Perhaps from the excessive blood loss, her thoughts began to blur and her vision to haze. Though she could see nothing, Astharoth continued to speak her final words to convey her wishes.
“Hold on to the possibility… it is time to let go of the rotting rope.”
That was the end of her words. There were no orders to continue her legacy or to seek revenge. Only sincere words regarding the future of her subordinates were left.
Those last commands from their lord…
“…Yes.”
The loyal subordinates could not refuse.
