Chapter 121
“I did one serving.”
I’m sure of it.
“I’ve done enough for this. I took out Leviathan’s human form for battle. I made it show its true self. So I really did everything I had to do.”
I did more than enough, and I created the best outcome at the most dangerous moment.
Leviathan First Form.
The battle waged inside the colossal Kraken, which those outside were unaware of, was truly a bloody war itself.
Honestly, there was nothing disadvantageous thanks to the Power of the Holy Sword.
What I was truly worried about was if Leviathan started babbling nonsense in its human form.
To be precise…
“Celcius, can our conversation leak outside?”
“Of course not. The barrier is up. No one besides you and me can hear it.”
The Water Spirit holding me is Celcius, meaning she is showing her form that she frequently used as a human 500 years ago.
“Who would dare to eavesdrop while it’s just you and me talking?”
Although it felt very awkward and strange to be wrapped in Celcius’ embrace, I was glad that she took over at just the right moment, allowing Lucius’ feet to loosen.
“I was worried that if it went into rampage before revealing my identity as the Demon Lord, it would have been disastrous, but it turned out well.”
“Were you taking a gamble?”
“A bit of a gamble, yes. Leviathan isn’t that kind of creature, but if I had revealed that I was the Demon Lord, who knows where Lucius’ Holy Sword would have aimed?”
Traveling with a Hero as a Demon Lord always brings a ton of risks.
“That’s why I tried to break Leviathan’s First Form. If it showed its true self, it couldn’t speak. It couldn’t reveal that I’m the Demon Lord. It was really desperate.”
I didn’t particularly like facing someone who knew I was the Demon Lord, but what can I say? There are already plenty of such folks in the Intermediate Realm.
“I was desperate for you, but I was also desperate for Leviathan. I needed to create a situation where my identity couldn’t be disclosed.”
Celcius made the first move before I even got to talk to Lucius, while Leviathan put us in a state where rational conversation was impossible through a one-on-one battle.
“Just like now.”
Kyaaaaaaaaaaa!!
Beast Form.
With its body stretching dozens of meters long, Leviathan revealed its enormous true form, launching an offensive against Hero Lucius, yet the Hero’s power was overwhelming.
“…That’s the power of the Hero.”
“I didn’t train to catch Demon Lords, but I certainly trained hard to take down Zephar. That’s not a Hero challenging a Demon Lord. It’s a Demon Lord challenging a Hero.”
You think the expression got reversed?
Nope.
“Even if you’re a King of the Demon World, the badass in the Intermediate Realm is the Holy Sword.”
Everyone becomes the strongest in their own house.
How could someone from the Demon World, who came from another realm, easily win against the natural laws and essence of mana in the Intermediate Realm?
‘If it’s not me, it won’t be easy.’
How could anyone else conquer the Holy Sword if they weren’t at my level?
It’s because I’m at this level that I can challenge the Holy Sword—it’s normal.
Pababababak!
The blade wind shreds Leviathan’s entire body.
Just like other sea creatures, Leviathan is also getting sliced apart by Ascalon’s wind blade.
“Are you going into rampage mode while releasing your true form to escape the Water Barrier? Foolish creature. The bigger your body, the more area comes into contact with the Wind’s Holy Sword.”
“What will you do about that?”
“Huh?”
“That sword just pierced you, right? If it attacks you later—”
“I conquered it.”
“What?”
“I said I conquered it. The Wind’s Holy Sword. I did win it through battle.”
I hadn’t been able to say this to Celcius before, nor did I have a chance to say it, but now I can.
Specifically.
“I ultimately defeated the Wind’s Holy Sword.”
“…Seriously?”
“Yeah. For real. I bet my soul on it.”
Celcius was genuinely surprised.
And rightly so, Demon Lord Belphegor was pierced and killed by the Wind’s Holy Sword.
“What on earth happened?”
“Nothing much. To summarize briefly, that crazy girl pierced Bel and I tried to kill her, but she tried to use the Holy Sword to change the atmosphere of the entire planet, and I sealed that by exploding it with a Dragon Heart.”
“…What?”
Did I explain it too concisely?
I thought I explained it well enough, but I’ve left out too much of the middle process.
“It was the Wind’s Holy Sword. It had enough power to completely change the atmosphere of this world, this planet called the Intermediate Realm. The Wind Hero awakened enough strength to do that.”
I don’t know why I didn’t summon a Spirit Device, but it essentially means the powers tied to the Wind’s Holy Sword were fully awakened.
“Like how awakening your Holy Sword to its final stage can create rivers and flip oceans upside down, that creature was also trying to do something similar.”
“I…didn’t feel that at all…?”
“Because I put up a barrier and blocked it.”
It wasn’t really a sacrifice or anything.
“It was a battle I had already won, but that creature suddenly said this world was unnecessary and blew herself up. So I had to make a choice. Either I escape to the Demon World with another Holy Sword, or I hold down the Wind’s Holy Sword using its power.”
“…You went to the Demon World?”
“No. The Holy Sword is still here. If I had left for the Demon World, the Intermediate Realm would have likely perished 500 years ago, right? The planet itself would have split in two.”
The Holy Sword is a regulator of nature’s power.
If that disappears, this world would lose its ability to harmoniously use the powers of nature and its mana, and ultimately, it would perish in chaos.
That’s the story of when even one Holy Sword “vanishes.”
But if I had taken all the Holy Swords to the Demon World, the Intermediate Realm would have seen the Wind’s Holy Sword go rampaging, and the entire continent would have been swept away by storms, leading to desolation.
“I didn’t want that. It might not be my world, but I couldn’t bear to see everything I did in the Intermediate Realm become meaningless. So I made the choice to seal the Wind’s Holy Sword using the powers of other Holy Swords.”
“You sealed it…you did that?”
“Yeah.”
Since I sealed it, I could awaken the Wind’s Holy Sword.
“It’s a seal directly laid by Demon Lord Belphegor. Who besides himself would dare break the seal of the Holy Sword? Hehe.”
When I first discovered the Wind’s Holy Sword,
Honestly, I was flustered and dumbfounded, but I was also a bit pleased.
That even after 500 years, no one could break my seal.
“Anyway, in the situation where the world would perish, or I carry this to the Demon World, or I seal it, I chose to seal it.”
“So…you died?”
“I sacrificed my physical body. My soul got ejected alive to the Demon World.”
Everything I nurtured, everything I achieved in the Intermediate Realm, and all that existed in the Intermediate Realm were about to be erased by some crazy woman, which flared my annoyance to resort to my last measure.
“Anyway! So in the end, you and Belselphia were saved. That’s all that matters.”
I winked at Celcius.
“Don’t get me wrong. I didn’t sacrifice myself to save the world; I couldn’t let that insane woman’s wishes bring about the world’s destruction.”
“Well, that’s a crime.”
“What?”
“That’s how it is.”
“Crime, what are you talking about? What did I do that could be called a crime?”
“Um…it’s behaving not quite like a Demon Lord?”
Celcius giggled while patting my head.
“Good job. Because of you, the Intermediate Realm has survived, and your subordinates are alive and able to carry on their lives and have descendants here in Belselphia. Well done, well done.”
“That feels like you’re spoon-feeding me compliments… fine. Keep praising me.”
“Sure. No one knows, but I do. It’s thanks to you, Demon Lord, that the Intermediate Realm is safe.”
“Kuh…”
Is this healing?
People from the Demon World asked why I lost, and why I had to lose to the Wind Hero at the very end, pestering me with all sorts of nonsense without knowing a thing.
Yeah.
I couldn’t be bothered to explain all this to those who blabber on about ‘Demon Lord Belphegor kneeling beneath the Wind Hero.’
“Sigh. I think my heartache is easing up now.”
“Why?”
“Seeing other Demon Lords getting wrecked by the Wind’s Holy Sword makes me feel a bit relieved.”
I hope the world recognizes that the Wind’s Holy Sword is no easy opponent.
And.
To even have the leisure to talk about the old days like this, the current situation was far too relaxed.
Kyaack!!
Leviathan screamed, twisting its body.
As its massive body shook, Lucius’ Holy Sword tore Leviathan to shreds.
“…It’s a bit unfortunate.”
It feels pitying.
Leviathan simply made a mistake by choosing to attack Belselphia, and coincidentally, I brought Hero Lucius here.
“What will you do with her? Will you spare her like that other one inside you?”
“Yeah.”
I won’t kill her.
Just like how I captured Beelzebub, I will turn Leviathan’s magic core into my own power.
Even if she’s injured and her mana diminishes from the Holy Sword, if I could harness Leviathan’s power like Beelzebub did, I would surely become much stronger than I am now.
To do that, I first need to fulfill Leviathan’s wish.
“Celcius, can you relay what I’m about to say so that only Leviathan can hear it?”
“What are you going to say?”
“A promise.”
Just like I made a deal with Beelzebub, I will make a promise to Leviathan as well.
“I will continue your will, so for now, sleep.”
*
One wish.
I wanted to save the creatures of the Demon World.
Just for that singular wish, I did my best to dominate the sea, even if I was forcibly summoned to the Intermediate Realm.
Because I am the Sea Demon Lord.
Yet now.
Before the unreasonable force, before the tyranny of the betrayer of the Demon World, I was about to be erased.
This cannot go on.
This cannot—
“I—”
A voice was heard.
“I will lead you.”
A voice that shakes the soul.
Simultaneously a familiar voice.
“I will become the Demon God.”
Ah.
I see now.
You have everything planned out.
“So for now, sleep deeply.”
The Demon Lord says.
“The Demon World is left to me.”
Leviathan declares.
“I will save you.”
In the golden storm, I quietly closed my eyes.
