105-106

Chapter 105: Devil's Night 5

Demon King

Devil's Night – 5

Crow feathers fluttered in the air as his greatsword stuck with enough force to burn the world. Even though I was far away from him thanks to Ubiquitous, I still needed to lift the Twilight Sword to defend myself.

[Hahahahah! How fragile your body is now! You're like that after betraying everyone!]

His voice was light and cheerful, unlike his attack.

"Khhh…!"

[A little bit remains?]

My judgment was correct; the dark mana of the man's attack bore down upon me.

"Ohhh." I let out a groan, the shock so great I felt I would break. I used the Belkena spell to cover my body with ice, but it wasn't enough to completely stop his flames.

"The Jinma is over there!"

"There are two of them!"

Ultimately, it worked out in some ways that this angel was confronting me. The demons that had been running blindly recognized his huge amount of power and turned to face us. But to the angel, they were just annoying little bugs.

[There's nothing here for you to see.]

When he swung his sword, an explosion rocked the ground. Dozens of demons were taken in mere seconds, unable to regenerate from such sheer destruction. I knew it well; after all, the moment I came into contact with him, it was over.

[Were you quietly hiding? Why did you build a new castle? Oh, was it him? Did he encourage you?]

His gaze returned to me, the crow feathers stuck in the crown he wore fluttered, distorting his handsome face.

'This guy…' What was truly annoying was how he threw words that made me stop and think while he was pressing his attack.

[Fate, not yet! You need to evolve at least once more first…]

[Well, this annoying voice. This one tricked you, didn't he?]

[Don't listen to him! Like most demons, he can use it to sow discord!]

The angel shrugged, and I picked up my dropped greatsword. Red lava began to rise up from the ground I was on.

[Always getting in between the king and I like this…]

It was like the lava was tracking me, full of the mana of Jinma. I finally activated Predation, but it brought no sense of relief. This man had the power to destroy half of my body in a single blow; I had to be careful. It felt like when I was dealing with L's power, something greater than my own power that I had to face desperately.

[You're just another demon!]

[If you still think he's the king, go back to your little hole!]

[Ha, you fool!]

The lava collided with me right after I succeeded in separating the mana of the lava from the disgustingly warm mana of the angel. It was impossible to avoid it with Ubiquitous by the way it sought me out.

[The only reason I call him a king is to laugh at him. There's no way a king without a crown could ever be recognized.]

It was hot, but even when cut in half, Blood Baptism was able to block it. It felt odd to me that it was able to prevent the lava from hurting me, making me feel slightly uncomfortable. My body was certainly in an odd state, half of it destroyed by the Angel. But something felt off about it- about the angel's first attack. I didn't have time to think about it, however. I leaped forward, lifting the lava with my mana to block the angel. I gripped the Twilight sword tightly.

[…After losing everything, what's left of you isn't half-bad.]

The angel stroked his chin. I hardly had the time to consider how odd of a signal it was before the huge black wolf carrying him let out a cry and began to narrow the distance between us. It blew through the trap I made with Belkena Spell and Lunatic Trickster with ease.

[Sir, I don't think that will work.]

Explosions bloomed everywhere. I read the flow of mana, taking great care to avoid them before they could hit me. By his standards, these explosions were just a small fragment of his power. On the other hand, I was swinging as hard as I could, and it didn't even faze him. The imbalance between our power was too great.

'Should I run away?' I felt a moment of hesitation, the sword of the angel cutting the air in front of me and summoning a huge wall of flames. It burned away any thoughts of retreat.

'He's strong.' He was too strong. So much so that I wondered if I could even reach him with my sword. So, how great would I become by devouring such a person? Since my evolution, I hadn't acquired any new skills, no matter how much I ate. But what if I used Predation on him? If I could eat this guy who was using powers I didn't have, wouldn't I acquire new skills? The path of growth before me was limitless, so long as I could beat him.

But then, what should I do? I had to finish regenerating, but if I just kept avoiding his attacks without fighting back, it would only end in my defeat. So how? I had to hit him somehow.

I ran up the air, using the power of Ubiquitous to move me closer to him. His destructive pressure surrounded me, but I threw my body against it.

[Aren't you tired of a life full of lies? Do you think you can atone for your treachery through dying? Suicide will only make you look more pathetic…]

Lightning sparked out to resist his pressure, the energy of Predation devouring some of the force as the two manas collided. Gradually, the distance narrowed, and the pressure only worsened. But I didn't withdraw. It wasn't easy to control, but the reward was immense. A blackmine that overcame the pressure of mana gained enough strength to sustain itself, and that same prison I had built before was slowly spreading out to absorb his mana. I didn't let my Lunatic Trickster go to waste, turning the air inside of this prison of blackmines into my territory.

It gave me temporary relief from the pressure; the prison devoured his mana and spewed lightning. It was a lot narrower than the previous prison I had created, but it was all I could manage with my body in its current shape.

[Huh, you mean that you, who've lost his name, strength, and memory…will try to devour me?!]

He imbued his sword with the fierce flame again, and I jumped through space once more to reach near his face. His attack redirected, striking where I moved, but it had less power behind it now. Lightning sparked again as I swung my sword to face the attack.

"Ahhhhhh!" My shoulder was pierced, and blood began to spurt out like a fountain, but I didn't stop my attack. I stabbed him in the throat, black blood oozing out of his wound.

[Khhk!]

[Fate.]

Rain's voice came through again, much calmer.

[Now I know, but he has also weakened. It is possible for you!]

[Even so, I am stronger than this shabby king!]

The black wolf let out a fierce howl as the angel's wings fluttered, summoning blasts of flames. I could feel the heat burning my lungs, and I jumped away.

[Running around?!]

The flames chased me, pressuring me with the promise of destruction. I kept firing off traps with Lunatic Trickster and Belkena Spell everywhere I could. Magic traps with the ice attribute didn't have any real effect on the angel, but they could weaken and deflect his abilities. The feeling of my weapon sliding into his throat lingered on my hand. Contrary to his overwhelming power, I now knew that his body wasn't that strong. Reaper had bitten into his neck. I had enough power to do it.

[Sir!]

His voice was as hot and full of rage as his flames.

[Sir, who broke the world. Who wants to forget the ugly past and live in ignorance! Your Excellency, who broke the hearts of every demon and caused the Great Fusion!]

"What?!" I had forgotten that I shouldn't react to his words and raised my head. He was smiling.

[Of course, you are a fool to the end.]

His greatsword, infused with fiery mana, descended in front of me, heading straight for my head. The sparks surrounding my body disappeared without a trace; the attack happened too fast for me to respond properly. In that split second, only the sword moved.

No, there was one other thing moving. A crystal appeared in the air in front of me, immediately recognizable as the Goddess' Touch which always guarded me. It had been the source of my feeling of incongruity before, having protected me from the enemy's initial attack and the lava. It was a little different than before, sparking blue as if it were made of lightning. It was an artifact that even Rain didn't know much about, but it was obvious why it was changing. It soaked up all of the mana I had been using to create lightning and was finally about to reveal its true strength now. The flaming greatsword was stopped by the Goddess' Touch, which began to release a huge amount of electricity into the mana of the flames.

[Kahak!]

I heard the angel scream, a terrible one that was incomparable to the noise he made when I stabbed his neck. I'd be stupid to miss this opportunity. What he said was still rattling around inside my head, but I could think about that later. I leaped into space, concentrating all of my mana into the Twilight sword. I put all of my power into it, activating Predation as I resisted the pressure emanating from my foe. My sword flashed, separating the angel's head from his body as he was being electrocuted. His look of astonishment was worth all the trouble he had caused me.

But he wasn't dead yet. There were too many monsters in this world that wouldn't die just because they were decapitated. Several of them were able to ignore the power of Reaper. I could feel the hot mana rising from his core, trying to stop me. But I didn't worry about it. The best way to deal with a demon was to commit yourself to the attack, even if you might die from being hit. I kept slashing, letting Predation overflow from me to swallow up the head and crow's crown that was sailing through the air. It all became mana absorbed into my sword.

[Ahhhhhh!]

A scream burst out, though I didn't know where it came from.

[You have gained 132,930 experience.]

[Your level has risen multiple times.]

[You obtained Lava Teeth.]

[You have obtained the Feathers of a Fallen Angel.]

A welcome notification window popped up, and I could feel myself growing stronger in both body and soul. Leveling up as a higher-level entity was so special I would never forget it. But that wasn't all of it.

[Evolution is now available.]

I could feel it. The iron gate that had been blocking me began to open.

Chapter 106: Demon Castle 1>

Demon King

Demon Castle – 1>

[Evolution cannot be reversed. Do you wish to evolve?]

The situation was different than when I had evolved into a Belkena, although I still had no options for it. I looked around, noticing that all the enemies either fled or had been killed in the battle between the angel and me. The only thing left was the black wolf that was now trembling like a rat with its head on the floor after the death of its rider. It didn't seem like it was dangerous, so I decided to leave it be for now.

However, I didn't have time to take a break yet. Several strong demons had fled towards the castle, not away from it. I would fail my original purpose for heading out here if I left them be.

"Let's get this done quickly." I nodded to myself. The evolution began right away, not having the violent change that evolving into a Crimson Elf had. It was my first evolution as a higher-level entity, so everything felt new. Particularly, that feeling like all the cells in my body was being reorganized. It wasn't painful, though; instead, I felt it exhilarating and joyous. I almost wished it would last forever, but the changes ended abruptly. The mana boiling inside me found its place, and the Wings of Jinma stretched out behind my back to reach toward the sky. I secured control of the mana, pulling it inside of me.

[Belkena Predator.]

[You are starting to move away from being a simple Belkena. You are still bound to the race, but as you develop a sense of individuality and discover the possibilities around you, you may find yourself on a path no one has experienced before.]

A list of skills that had increased due to my evolution followed the notification window.

[Predation became Lv2. You will be able to eat almost anything that exists in the world. The limit on the amount you can eat has increased, and the efficiency of converting what you eat into energy has increased. The chance of absorbing an ability from the target of the skill has increased.]

[Lunatic Trickster became Lv2. You can now create traps that don't currently exist in the world. The ability of the skill has increased, and the efficiency of mana consumption, when used in combination with other skills, has increased.]

[Domination became Lv2. The number of subordinates you can bring under your control has increased. Communication will become clearer, and all entities under your control will have their abilities greatly increased.]

[Black lightning became Lv3. You will be able to utilize a greater power to a wider range. You will not be bound by the type of skill.]

[Belkena Spell became Lv3. The efficiency of all magic has greatly increased.]

I was becoming more familiar with my abilities. Mana that was gathered in my heart spread out throughout my whole body, allowing me to grasp my new skills. After everything had calmed down, I finally checked my status.

[Fate]

[Belkena Predator Lv20]

[New Magic – 132, Soul Magic – 193, Luck – ???]

[Skill – Predation Lv2, Reaper Lv3, Lunatic Trickster Lv2, Ubiquitous Lv2, Domination Lv2, Blackmine Lv3, Belkena Spell Lv3]

Belkena Predator. It was a familiar term. When I had been a bugbear, I had a chance to evolve into a bugbear predator. I chose a different evolution instead, which eventually led me to become a Crimson Elf. Still, it was almost funny that I ended up as one anyway. But it made sense when I considered the name. Predator, like my skill, Predation. It must've been because I had been actively using Predation.

[Fate!]

[Rain.]

His voice called out to me. I wondered if I had been too occupied with my evolution to hear him calling out to me.

[You did it. That's great. You really worried me.]

[Rain…]

I didn't know what emotions were held in my voice, but Rain seemed to notice them. His tone became a little more serious.

[I have something I must tell you now.]

As I waited for him to speak, I made a mirror of ice to examine my face. It didn't change much at all, except that my skin had a strange luster to it.

[You are the one who caused the Great Fusion.]

I caused the Great Fusion? It sounded stupid to say. What about all of the struggles I had gone through because of it?

[You don't need to worry about what that angel said.]

His voice was firm.

[They were said to cause discord and distrust. Even as he was dying…he…Andras…]

Rain went quiet as he spat out the name.

[Come back, I'll explain about that traitor.]

[Traitor? No…I'll hear you out in a moment.]

[I'll tell you everything I can.]

I still had one thing left to take care of before I could head back to the castle. That was the huge black wolf and the headless body of the angel. I had cut off his head and devoured it, but his wings and body still remained. I knew it would taste extraordinary.

"Thank you for this meal." Without hesitation, I immediately triggered Predation. I already had a taste of it before, but it still felt great to devour and feel my Predation growing. His flesh and blood were like ambrosia to me, but I didn't have time to enjoy it. I had to move quickly.

[New Magic increased by 18.]

[Soul Magic increased by 11.]

The moment when not a scrap was left before me, not even of mana, I could feel a new skill taking shape inside my very existence. My prediction was exactly right.

[You have learned how to destroy space.]

[Space Destruction Lv3]

[By consuming mana, you can create destructive magic at a location in your field of view.]

That was the ability he was using to hit me from afar. It was overwhelmingly destructive and ridiculously fast to activate. No doubt, it would be incredibly powerful when combined with my own skills. It felt like a special skill, much like my Predation, rather than anything else. My worries melted away, my head only filled with the thought of eating only demons who had strong abilities. The battle was short but fierce. The moment when I risked my life to take victory made me stronger.

'Good.' Now it was time to clean up. I made full use of Ubiquitous to move forward, but the black wolf suddenly raised his head and started following behind me as soon as I did. It occurred to me that I hadn't yet decided how I would deal with the wolf.

[Grooaahh!]

I stopped, and the wolf stopped with me. It didn't want to attack me; it was just standing still before me with its head bowed. It took me a second to realize what he intended.

"You mean to follow me?"

[Groah.]

The howl was affirmative. I thought he would go after me for killing his master, but that didn't appear to be the case. Even more, his abilities were no joke. Except for Solas, I could tell this black wolf was easily stronger than anyone else under my command. It was a higher-level entity that had been bound to Andras. Maybe the reason he decided to follow me was that I ate his master's body and took his abilities? I couldn't know, but it was an easy matter to put him under my command with my Domination skill. Once he was, there was no way for him to rebel against me, so I stopped caring about his reasons.

"Alright, how about I call you Canis?"

[Groah.]

He seemed to want me to ride on his back, so I climbed aboard. His body was huge enough to accommodate twenty people of my size, but he soon shrunk to a size that fit me better. Even after he did, he still stood strangely tall. I began to feel an odd sense of unity with Canis as if I could use my abilities through him. I wondered how that could be possible.

[Grooooaahhhh!]

The wolf hit the ground running, and I instinctively used Ubiquitous. As if it were natural, Canis moved with me, rushing through the atmosphere. We reached the walls in a much shorter time than I thought we would, and I wondered if I needed to revise my judgment on how strong Canis was.

"Who is the master here?!"

"I can't kill a woman."

"That girl!"

"That beautiful girl who looks down on us!"

The walls were in chaos. Out of the three people I left to guard the wall, only Solas was still fighting at full strength. Demons were fighting in an attempt to occupy the castle and destroy the walls. Although my party had been able to reduce their numbers as they were climbing, countless still remained.

"Captain, I'm dying!"

"Huh." It was a great opportunity to test my new ability. I triggered the destruction of space, targeting the monsters surrounding Lee Chan-yu, Cain, and Mireina. It took about half of my mana to activate it, but explosions rang out throughout the castle.

[You gained 182 experience.]

[You gained 294 experience.]

[You gained 225 experience…]

Most of them didn't die, but the weaker ones were taken care of. The amount of experience had been drastically reduced again. Still, it made sense, given how powerful this Space Destruction ability was. My level now was incomparable to how it had been just a little while ago. It wasn't like a goblin versus a goblin fighter. The difference between each level of a higher-level entity was big enough to fill one with despair, just like it had been between Andras and me earlier.

"Now, in the midst of battle, this human is evolving."

"I'm not human, I'm a demon." I laughed at Lee Chan-yu's words, jumping through space again. Cain and Lee Chan-yu were able to escape from the siege, but Mireina wasn't safe yet.

"Fate!"

"You should've gotten a little stronger." I had been thinking she wouldn't be babbling like this after what else she had gone through. Sooner or later, I might need to drag her into a dungeon. I moved with Canis to defeat the demons surrounding her. If I was like a breeze through the battle earlier, now I was like a gust of wind. The battlefield changed around me.

"It's him."

"He came to eat us."

"No doubt."

"He is the leader."

The eyes of the demons on the wall gradually began to stick to me, especially the higher-level ones that were more sensitive to my movements. After grasping the outcome of the fierce battle that had taken place outside the wall, the way they had been moving began to change.

[They're going crazy, you idiot.]

L, who had been attracting the attention of the enemy so far, complained to me. Somehow, it sounded so cute.

[Be prepared.]

A's brief warning cleared L's sweet voice from my mind, and I could feel a huge amount of mana springing up around the castle walls. Its intent was clear: to kill me. It was the will of every demon gathered here, hundreds of higher-level entities using magic to kill only one. But now, I was a little different. I stood tall with my sword raised. It didn't really mean anything. It was just a pose to indicate my sword would kill any who attacked me.

[Achieve everyone's wish.]

[It is in front of you.]

"Kill him!"

"The night never ends!"

Amid their shouts and the torrent of mana, I spread out a black rose. I filled it with the energy of Predation and Reaper, forming it into a solid wall around me. The wall rose up high to cover Canis too, but it didn't end there. The Goddess' Touch, which had disappeared after shedding the lightning attack, reappeared now. It was absorbed into the wall I made, reinforcing it. Hundreds of magic attacks came down upon us, but the wall radiated a brilliant light. The energy of Predation and Reaper triggered together, consuming all it could eat and erasing everything that couldn't be devoured.

"Nonsense."

"Surely…!"

I didn't stop using the mana that was flowing into me. I collected it together and then spread it out again to trigger Space Destruction; my target was every enemy on the walls.

"Fuck."

"Kill him before he can activate it!"

I closed my eyes and listened to the demon's shouts and screams.

A huge explosion rocked the castle walls.