"Wh-what's this?"
An unknown message appeared in front of him.
Before he could finish reading the message, the darkness covering the entire cave wriggled.
The tentacles that rose from the sides were targeting his head.
He quickly ducked, and the tentacle passed over his head.
Paf-!
"Cough!"
Instead of him, the tentacles grabbed another Light Watcher standing next to him.
Squeak-
Liquid flowed through the tentacle, the tip of the tentacle split, and a sharp bump appeared.
"E-eek! H, help me!! Help me!!"
A desperate scream left the Watcher’s mouth.
He twisted his body and shed tears, and a dense fear that went beyond death engulfed his body.
He struggled and reached out as if hoping for help, but…
Squeak-!
"Ah-agh!!! M-Mr. Ludwig!!! Mr. Ludwig!!! H-help me!! Mr. Ludwiigg!!!"
"…"
The tentacle stuck to the Watcher’s face, and dozens of sharp bumps wiggled as if they were savoring his skin.
His skin was cut, and dozens, hundreds of bumps turned his skin inside out before drinking his blood from the open wounds.
Growl-
Yellow pus poured out of the bumps into the Watcher’s skin.
There was a terrible smell, and immense pain spread through his body.
"AAGGHH! AAGGHH!!"
"Priest Xeras!!"
Ludwig quickly spread his hand, and white light gathered around it.
A sword that shone with intense holy energy appeared. A sword that was like his name, life, and goal… Holy Sword Ludwig.
He grabbed the sword and swung it.
Crack-!
The sword touched the tentacles, and a tentacle that was as thick as the thigh of an adult male was severed by the Holy Sword.
It was a sword that received the blessing of a high elf—a race that didn't appear unless Ernor was on the verge of collapsing.
A power that destroyed the demonic things spread through the place, and the white light spread like poison.
The tentacle that was grabbing the priest's head exploded.
"Ah," a sound that was close to a moan came out of the priest’s mouth.
Squeak-
His skull was opened like a tin can, and yellow pus poured out from it. His skin was rotting, and his eyes were wide open.
The priest was already dead.
Ludwig's expression distorted, and he took out a communication crystal.
It was the communication crystal he'd received from Gaia, who told him to use it if they needed help.
'Damn.'
Zzzzt- Zzzzt.
The communication crystal turned gray as if it were being filled by fog.
There was a static background noise, and someone's voice could be heard coming out from it—the voice of a man.
- Who… What's… going… on?
"It’s Ludwig. It seems like someone has interfered with the gate. I think we've fallen into a demon’s trap."
- What's… situat…?
"I'm okay, but my subordinate died. If this goes on, it could be dangerous. I'm requesting support from Guardian. We're going to try to figure things out as we escape."
- Can… Come outs… ide?
"If this continues, we won't be able to leave. It seems like a demon is controlling this entire space."
- Where… are you?
"I'm not sure. It seems like we're inside a dungeon."
- We're g… ZZZT!!
The noise worsened.
A tingling noise was heard; Ludwig frowned and threw the communication crystal.
He looked at the profound abyss, turned around, and shouted.
"Let's advance!!!"
If they stayed there, they would definitely die.
They had to move to a place free from the tentacles.
"Yes? A-advance?"
"Wouldn’t it be better to return…?!" Two priests, who were blocking the tentacle's attacks, anxiously shouted.
Ludwig bit his lip and screamed, "There's no place to escape to!"
"Ah, aah."
The priests turned their heads after hearing those words.
The gate from where they'd come had disappeared.
Their expressions darkened.
Ludwig gripped the holy sword and took a step forward. He raised the divine energy that was inside his body and emitted an aura of white light.
It was the strength of an angel.
If demons had demonic energy, angels exercised miracles through divine energy.
He concentrated that strength on the divine energy.
He swung his sword from top to bottom.
FWOOSH-!!
A white light cut through the tentacles.
As if he were Moses splitting the Red Sea, a pathway appeared through the tentacles.
"Now!"
"AAHH!!!"
The Light Watchers charged forward, threw their robes away, and concentrated the divine energy on their hands.
A white light burnt and spread in all directions like fire.
Tsss-!!
The tentacles were burnt away by the white light, smoking and letting off a terrible smell.
"Ugh!"
"Don't stop!!"
The horrible smell caused the priest to halt for a moment and hold his nose.
A tentacle brushed past where he was standing, and he lowered his body and concentrated divine energy on his back.
Flap-!
* * *
White wings pierced out of his back, and he used all his strength to flap his wings, quickly freeing himself from the tentacles.
He flew into the darkness.
[HAHAHA!!]
A laugh imbued with faint demonic energy reached Ludwig, and he frowned.
"As expected, this is the doing of a demon."
He wasn't sure how the demon had realized their existence or how they'd managed to infiltrate and manipulate a gate inside the Hall of Protection, but that doubt only lasted for a short while.
'First, I have to kill the demon.'
There were no doubts in his ideals.
If a demon had dragged them into a trap, the only thing they had to do was to kill them.
[Nice to meet you, human.]
"…"
He didn't answer.
The opponent was a demon—someone with whom it wasn't worth talking.
He raised his holy sword and got into a fighting position.
[Hahaha. Shouldn't we at least know each other's names?]
The demon with a body covered in green tentacles laughed.
"I have no name to reveal to a demon," he said firmly.
[Hahaha! I like your attitude!]
The demon laughed out loud.
Every time he laughed, the darkness fluctuated.
The demon raised his two fists that weren't covered by tentacles.
[Still, it’ll be better if you know the name of the one that's going to kill you.]
The tips of the demon's mouth went up.
[I'm Yogsaron.]
"…"
It was a demon he'd never heard of.
Ludwig frowned.
It didn't matter who the opponent was, what mattered was that the opponent in front of him was a demon.
'All demons…'
Had to be killed.
Whir-!
The holy sword began emitting light, and he rushed forward with the sword.
Despite how big he was, the demon easily dodged his attack.
With the left leg as his center of balance, he turned his body, crouched, and used his elasticity to shoot forward.
[Hahaha.]
"E-eek!"
He dodged the attack and then grabbed one of the priests by the neck, pushing their body forward like he was using them as a shield.
"M-Mr. Ludwig…!"
Stab-!!
"Cough!!"
Ludwig cut the priest’s body apart without hesitation.
It didn't matter if he was his subordinate or an ally who served the light.
'If it's to kill a demon….'
He had no time to consider such meaningless things.
The sword cut through the priest’s body and into Yogsaron's shoulders.
The green tentacle was severed, and his muscular body became visible.
Ludwig’s hand was injured by the recoil of hitting something hard and armor-like.
[Hahaha!! No hesitation, huh?! You don't care even if it's your subordinate?]
"Demon, shut up," Ludwig said in a low voice.
Although he'd killed a subordinate that had served him for a long time, there was no remorse on his face.
There was no way he'd feel such emotions.
Obviously, someone who served the light would try to eliminate demons; it didn't matter how much he had to sacrifice if it was to kill a demon.
Clang-
He raised his sword, and rays of light cut through the darkness.
His body emitted light, and wings flapped on his back, making him look angelic.
[How interesting.]
Yogsaron laughed.
[The Demon King is going to like this.]
"Demon King…?"
Ludwig frowned after hearing such ominous words.
"Are you talking about Satan?"
[Hmm? Hahaha!!!!]
Yogsaron began to laugh out loud.
[Satan?? Satan? Do you think I, Yogsaron, would serve such a weakling?]
"…"
Ludwig's eyes shook, and his thoughts ran together.
If the Demon King wasn't Satan…
'Who?'
Who was the being who had the ominous title of ‘Demon King’?
[Come, servant of light. I'm going to show you the true strength of darkness.]
Before Ludwig could continue his line of thought, Yogsaron cut through the light and leaped forward.
* * *
'Good.'
Outside of the dungeon…
The tips of KangWoo's mouth went up while he looked inside the dungeon through the magic device that Lilith had installed.
It had been 30 minutes since Balrog and Ludwig had begun fighting, and Ludwig was starting to be pushed back.
'Still, he's quite strong.'
After he fulfilled the conditions for the Demonic Soul, he'd recovered all of his previous strength.
Balrog was connected to him through his soul, so he could fight on par with an archduke.
Despite that, he'd resisted Balrog for 30 minutes.
Not only that, but he had been able to leave wounds on him.
Even if he was the apostle of an archangel, it was impressive that he had such strength.
'It's probably because of that sword.'
The Holy Sword, Ludwig…
He looked at the sword that was emitting a holy light.
Ludwig had shown more strength than expected.
'But…'
In the end, that was his limit.
Clang-!
"Cough! Huff! Huff!"
Ludwig knelt, holding his chest and letting out heavy breaths.
KangWoo smiled and looked at him.
'Should I begin?'
He put away the communication crystal.
Instead of that, he took out a black sphere.
A tentacle stuck to Ludwig's back.
After feeling that it had 'connected'. KangWoo nodded.
Now, his voice would spread through Ludwig's mind.
'The effect is important.'
Its effect was different from hearing it with your ears.
Hearing with his head rather than ears…
The effect of it spreading through his body was important.
'So…'
It was time to say what he'd prepared.
KangWoo seemed excited.
'I always wanted to say this.'
He even felt that it was unfair he'd never had the opportunity to say it after becoming a Demon King.
"Ehem…"
He stretched his head and popped his neck.
'Getting into the mood…'
He closed his eyes and pulled demonic energy from his body.
A phrase that went well with someone that was about to fall….
That one thing you desired when on the brink of despair….
"Do you want strength?"
A grotesque and eerie voice spread through Ludwig's head.
It was a dark and wet voice that sounded as if it were coming from the darkness.
"What…?"
Ludwig looked around after hearing a voice flowing right into his head.
KangWoo clenched his fists.
'YES!!! Fuck!!! Saying stuff like that right before someone falls is perfect!'
Excitement spread through his body.
'Woah.'
‘Do you want strength?’
He heard his own phrase echoing in his ears.
'So cool.'
‘I wish Darling could see this.’
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