139 Chapter 137: Demon Castle Raid
Remember to join my Patreon to get 45 chapters in Advance! You can check it here: https://www.patreon.com/pancakeswitch
-----
"I won't just let everyone get the spotlight, though!" Dan Baihe said while slightly pouting, pointing her hands towards the gargoyles approaching us from above. "{Blizzard}!"
FLUOSH!
An enormous blizzard was summoned in a mere second; the conjuration time was near instantaneous, and there was no need for magic circles at all either!
The gargoyles were not frozen to death, though, but their skin was frozen, paralyzing them temporarily while weakening them at the same time.
"Now… {Glacial Wolf's Claws}!"
She flew into the skies near the dozens of gargoyles, summoning several gigantic claws made out of her ice in the shape of the claws of the Glacial Wolves.
SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! SLASH!
All the gargoyles were cut down to pieces before they could recover from the freezing status, dying without even being able to fight back.
I guess that's the amazing potential of a future S-rank!
With everyone's help, we kept pushing forward, finally reaching the entrance of the castle. There was enough ground for all of us to land before slamming the door open however we could.
The gargoyles were all exterminated as well, giving me some nice bonus EXP before the main event.
Ding!
[You and your party have defeated [Draconic Gargoyle Soldiers (A Rank)] x52!]
[You earned 1.300.000 EXP!]
[Level Up!]
[Level Up!]
I ended up gaining two levels! Now that was more than I had ever expected. There were a ton of A-Rank monsters, so I guess it makes some sense, even if the EXP was reduced because I received the help of others. Also, my three Familiars gained a couple of levels as well, although it'll take them a while to properly catch up to me.
"We're here." My brother said, looking into the enormous black gates in front of us.
They were beautifully decorated with red and purple jewels, along with many statues resembling the heads of demonic beasts and demons.
Everyone my brother had carried in his shadows walked out of them as they joined us once more, glancing in front of them.
"So we're finally here…" Kevin said he was very nervous. "Alright… L-Let's do this!"
"You're so nervous; calm down," Henrietta said. "I'll be there for you."
"Big sister, don't say that in front of everyone now! You're going to make everyone think I depend on you!" Kevin cried, complaining and whining as usual.
Henrietta only answered with a giggle.
"Big brother's on the other side…" Annabelle sighed, looking into the gate. "I wonder if he's seeing me now… I wonder what he's thinking…"
"There's no point in thinking about that," Scarlet told her. "Annabelle, we'll move forward, confront him, and end this."
"…" Annabelle remained in silence for a bit, but then nodded. "Alright…!"
[The Cosmic Throne {Butterfly That Flies Across The Universe} begins to ponder what is the plan behind the Death Apostle.]
[The Cosmic Throne {Monkey that Dances in Chaos} has brought popcorn to see the chaos unfold.]
[The Cosmic Throne {Jester Filled With Lies} smiles in silence.]
[The Cosmic Throne {Maiden that Watches Over Nature} seems to be nervous about you and your friend's safety… She says that you should be careful in there!]
[The Cosmic Throne {Warrior That Seeks Calamity} says that he will reward you greatly if you defeat the Death Apostle with your own hands.]
[The Cosmic Throne {Black Jackal that Judges the Death} is hoping you die in here…]
[The Cosmic Throne {Lady that Soothes the Souls of the Death} stays in silence, glancing into the challenge in front of you with contempt.]
[The Seamless Abyss] is looking at you.]
[The Seamless Abyss] has sponsored 5000 Plot Points.]
It looks like the usual crowd is quite lively today. And the Seamless Abyss just donated to me?! I think this is the first time a Void Ruler has ever done that!
I already have over 70k Plot Points though, but thanks nonetheless.
"It's just a huge castle on the outside, but... I wonder what's inside." Baihe said. "Will it be like a Dungeon or..."
"There's no point in thinking about that." Lee suddenly spoke. "Just shut up and enter. We're getting this done before 9 p.m.; I have an interview scheduled for tonight."
BAAAM!
He and my brother kicked the door almost at the same time, both glaring at one another furiously. What greeted us within was an expansive purple, black, and red-colored hall, lugubriously decorated with a very gothic aesthetic.
"Let's do this."
I led my friends inside with everyone else. As we landed on the hall, there were two doors at the end of the room and two stairs, the stairs connected to a second floor leading towards two separate corridors to the left and right.
Meanwhile, the two doors in front of the room seemed to be leading to two different paths as well. This entire castle seemed quite labyrinthine.
"Alright, now we should-"
FLASH! FLASH! FLASH! FLASH!
However, before my brother could even speak a word, several purple flames lit up in the middle of the air, right above us.
The flames rotated around one another, and as the figure of someone emerged within these flames, a demon made of fire materialized.
The flames receded, revealing the body of a purple-skinned imp-like demon, wearing a black suit, yellow glasses, and sharp red eyes.
"Welcome; Master Beelzebub has been eagerly awaiting your visit, our dear sacrifices." He spoke with a pleased smile. "It is not every day that we get so many delicious and strong souls as yours right in front of our noses... It feels as if you've walked straight into my master's plate! Is your eagerness to be devoured so high? I've never met such strange humans before."
"What…?!" Lee angrily barked. "You… Are you a demon serving the Death Apostle behind this? Where's your boss? I'm going to behead him and get this done with."
"Oh no, you won't." Laughed the demon.
FLASH!
However, before he could finish speaking, Lee appeared right in front of him, his two swords suddenly glowing bright red, transforming into snakes attempting to bite the demon!
"SHAAAH!"
CLASH!
However, a forcefield of flames stopped the snakes from reaching him, seconds before his body dissipated into flames and reappeared above Lee.
"How rude! Do all of you humans lack manners like this?" The demon sighed.
"What?!"
Lee quickly attacked the demon again, only to be left with nothing but illusions. Each time he was about to catch him, he disappeared.
"Are you satisfied?" the demon asked. "Then why don't you take a rest?"
He waved his hand, and the ceiling suddenly transformed into a gigantic hand, crushing Lee into the floor!
BAAAM!
"W-What?!"
Lee vomited blood as his body was crushed into the floor!
At the same time, the ground started to feel as if it were sinking; our legs were stuck there before we realized it!
"In this castle, I am its master." The demon introduced himself. "My name is Jeremias, and I am the Will of the Demon Castle; you could even call me a Demonic Spirit or even the Heart of the Castle. I was a creation of Lord Beelzebub to handle his visitors. Now, because he fancies a good show, I shall give him a good show!"
"I can't move?!" Henrietta asked. "My energy is being drained constantly!"
"If you move more, your energy is going to completely deplete!" Hector said. "Ugh…!"
"Just what is this stupid game you're doing?!" My brother roared. "If that useless bastard of Lee failed, then-"
As his arm suddenly transformed into a gigantic shadow claw, purple flames covered our entire bodies in a split second.
"Anyways, farewell! You better entertain my lord and his... well, his friends, I suppose."
FLUOSH!
Before we could even do anything, we were all teleported away.
.
.
.
Heisenberg and Beelzebub glanced through the projections of a magic orb as the hunters sent here to slay them were teleported into different locations of the Demon Castle.
"Can't we just go there and kill them all?" Heisenberg asked impatiently. "Why play so many games?"
"The best plan is to separate them. Together, they are a threat, but if we can eliminate them one by one, things will go smoothly." Beelzebub said. "Don't let me get started on how that Fenrir caught you off-guard when you descended to do some "terrorism" or whatever... You only ended up losing two members: one betrayed you, and the other died. You didn't accomplish anything."
"I was trying to send a message, but everything was ruined before I could even do a single thing. It felt almost as if someone in their group could see the future…" Heisenberg wondered. "Roy will be… certainly missed. However, Scarlet and Annabelle… I am still rather surprised over their betrayal."
"This is your fault for not enslaving their souls as I told you to do." Beelzebub angrily said. "Well, their souls will now become sacrifices at the end… We will be able to find some use for them."
"Jeremias alone can't do much, huh? Despite all the fancy tricks." The leader of the Dawn of a New World laughed.
"He is not suited for battle, but he can indeed do some good tricks." Beelzebub smiled, his demonic manifestation growing larger and larger as a huge dark purple crystal behind him, and his vessel was constantly rotating, overflowing with ever-growing quantities of energy.
"But don't worry, the contracts I've made with them remain. As weak as they might be, they're still the rightful holders of their titles; they shall suffice for these mortals."
"…"
Heisenberg remained silent as he glanced at Anna in particular; he always found that she was the most dangerous of them all, even more than Jack.
"Make sure to kill that girl, no matter what."
.
.
.
Once Jack regained his senses, he found himself sitting in a large hall filled with old-looking couches, a small bookshelf, and many strange paintings.
There was only a door in front of him, and... another person there, someone just like him, was just realizing he had been brought somewhere else.
"Lee," Jack said. "So we're stuck together... Anna! Ah, dammit, she was sent elsewhere too."
"Hoh… Hahaha…" Lee suddenly started to laugh, the wound he had gained from Jeremias' attack already having been regenerated. "That damn midget really had an interesting plan... But hey, this works just fine for me."
"It works just fine." Jack asked while squinting his eyes. "What? Do you want to do this alone or...?!"
Before Jack could finish his words, Lee's body overflowed with a Demonic Power he had never used in public, his movement speed increasing tremendously as his two swords reached Jack's throat in a mere blink of an eye!
CLASH!
However, Jack's Gram was quickly put in front of his body, blocking both swords as his sharp eyes glowed bright red, resembling those of a werewolf.
"Bastard, you're a Demonic Human!"
"Took you long enough to realize, huh?"
Jack instantly realized that Lee was a Demonic Human by his powers alone. Demonic Humans overflowed with a dark, repugnant Demonic Power that was very different from the refined Demonic Energy that actual Demons or his sister Anna could utilize.
Why was that? Well, it was because while Anna and the Demons grew their Demonic Energy by growing stronger, Demonic Humans could only grow stronger by devouring other humans and their flesh, blood, and souls.
This made their "tainted" Demonic Energy reek terribly, something that his sharp sense of smell could tell really well.
"You've been hiding this entire time… Wait…!"
Ding!
[The Demonic Throne {Snake That Devours Their Own Tail} smiles as they look at your pathetic face of disbelief!]
[The moment for their incarnation to finally kill you has come! All those Demonic Humans that were killed by your hands… shall be avenged!]
"You are Uroboros Incarnation!"
"Yeah! It was me all along, Jack! You fucking dumbass!"
Lee kicked Jack away with tremendous force, as Jack hit the walls behind him and shattered them on the spot, bringing him to a different room, where there was a large demonic altar overflowing with Demonic Power.
"What's that?!"
The young man quickly stood back up, Fenrir appearing above his shoulders.
"It looks like this bastard's finally showing his true colors." Laughed Fenrir. "He's the leader of the Uroboros Cult! If we can kill him now, this entire damn organization will fall apart!"
"I know, but he's not going to be easy... He's the city's strongest hunter after all." Jack said, without trying to get overconfident, especially because he was thrown around like a ragdoll just now.
"Focus, Jack, or I'm going to kill you a bit too quickly!"
Suddenly, a red snake emerged behind Jack out of nowhere, opening its jaws and attempting to devour him whole!
"Fuck off!"
SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! SLASH!
However, the snake was quickly filled with countless cuts, splattering into pieces a second before Lee's blades were to reach Jack's throat once more!
"Fenrir!"
"Got it!"
Fenrir's shadows materialized, blocking the two swords as he grabbed them with his jaws and stopped them in midair. Lee didn't stop there, conjuring three more gigantic snakes around Jack, trying to get a bite on him!
"You're so annoying with your damn snakes!"
Anna's brother gave a mighty roar, with black flames surging from his entire body and burning the three summons into ashes.
BOOOM! BOOOM! BOOOM!
"Hahahaha! This is just the beginning, bastard!"
Lee swiftly spun in midair after regaining the weapons that Fenrir caught, clashing against Jack's Gram with several explosions with each strike of their powerful weapons!
CLASH! CLASH! CLASH!
As the intense battle continued, the Demonic Altar right beside them started to glow with an ominous dark red aura.
The statue of a giant crow's eyes began to glow with purple light as something within it was summoned!
"So you've come, my sacrifices!" a Demonic voice spoke. "I shall feast on your SOULS!"
FLASH!
-----
Remember to join my Patreon to get 45 chapters in Advance! You can check it here: https://www.patreon.com/pancakeswitch
