Chapter 252
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Ah, what are the demons up to?
Geralds question was indeed the same question on the minds of the allied forces fighting on the front lines.
It had been several months since the great victory in Sector 1.
Until the purification of Sector 1 was complete and the temporary base was fully established, the allied forces had not experienced any major battles.
Just small-scale local skirmishes.
Because of this, conversations like these were not uncommon in the allied forces barracks.
What are these guys up to, anyway?
I thought theyd come back for another round, why the hesitation? Its making me more uneasy.
Hmm, maybe they dont have the demonic energy to recover?
After all, weve suffered significant losses during this time.
If were lucky, we might be able to push forward faster.
Well could they be plotting something strange again?
Well, I guess the Hero will take care of the West.
Amidst the quietened Sector, the allied soldiers speculated variously, gazing at the stillness that was eerily reminiscent of the calm before a storm.
.
.
.
Tap-
Tap-
A faint sound echoed repeatedly within the thick black fog.
The sound of an old staff lightly tapping the ground.
Huuh.
The wrinkles on the elderly mans face were so pronounced that he resembled a newborn baby, as he paused and glanced around.
It was an incredibly strange space.
First of all, the distinction between land and sky was ambiguous.
Every surface was constantly moving and deforming.
The sky darkened like ink, then flashed with a reddish hue like blood.
The ground cracked like glass, and the terrain shifted suddenly, turning plains into deep gorges or mountain ranges.
The sound, too, was chaos itself.
Countless whispers, screams, moans dissonance.
In the black fog that filled every direction, shadows with indiscernible shapes surged.
It was a jumble of chaos akin to a nightmare.
The elderly man standing amidst it all was truly precarious, seemingly on the verge of collapse at any moment.
But then something strange happened.
Tss tss tss tss-
The amorphous shadows emitting a chilling aura began to flee into the distance as if fearing the old man.
Yet the old man didnt even spare them a fleeting glance.
He simply found the right direction and prostrated himself on the ground.
As soon as the old man and his staff touched the ground.
Whoosh-
All the changes in space came to a halt.
The swirling black fog dispersed, swirling up into the sky.
What lay revealed was a ruin.
Hmmm-
Above the once glorious splendor of human civilization, towering structures rose defiantly against the sky.
Like a devout believer meeting a god, the old man humbly bowed his head to the looming structures.
Soft whispers followed.
Your Majesty.
So it was.
This was Sector 50.
The place where the first stake was driven, the origin of all the misfortunes of this era.
Swoosh-
As Theo, who had been prostrating himself for a while, rose to his feet, four more shadows approached and greeted him.
He looked at them playfully, his toothless mouth muttering in jest.
Tsk, these young ones nowadays. They should arrive early before the council starts.
Today was the day for the assembly of the seven archdemons, the commanders of the demon army.
Five of them gathered, excluding Malekia and Yol, who were injured in the last battle.
Except for Theo, they were all young demons who had recently risen to the rank of commander, and despite Theos teasing reprimands, they stiffened their bodies in response.
But it wasnt Theos long-standing presence as a demon that they feared.
Theos terror lay in his abilities.
Alright then, lets begin.
Clap-
As Theo clapped his hands, the eerie space transformed into a silent conference room.
One chair of honor and four others.
After the other commanders took their seats without expressing any dissatisfaction, they began to address each agenda one by one.
The utilization of human prisoners for demonic energy reserves is
The list of promising young demons
The organization of forces near Zone 1
Meanwhile, Theo watched the diligent commanders with a somber expression.
In truth, these trivial and mundane matters were not his concern.
There was only one reason he had convened this meeting.
The final agenda.
So, about the invasion plan.
Suddenly, the bustling conference room fell silent.
How are the preparations going? Who among you will accompany Yol?
The dull eyes of the old man scanned through the commanders.
Have you decided?
This invasion was extremely dangerous, as it aimed to conquer the most perilous place in the Western Continent.
To the point where even the commanders couldnt guarantee their survival.
It was such a special operation.
I volunteer.
The fattest shadow rose up.
It was a rookie demon who replaced the fallen commander in this defense.
His name was Dismay of Shame.
Dismay
Theo stared at him intently.
He was a gigantic and grotesquely ugly demon, standing about 5 meters tall.
His head was disproportionately large, with irregularly swollen and twisted grayish skin.
Blood and pus oozed from swollen sores on his sagging flesh, emitting a nauseating stench.
Under tufts of seaweed-like hair, his eyes gleamed with fierce and cruel madness.
He boldly thrust his rusty slaughterers knife into the table and spoke again.
I will assist Lord Yol in leading the invasion.
Hmm.
Demons harness negative human emotions as demonic energy.
Each demon had its own specialization in which emotion they thrived on.
Just as there were Enoc who gained power from the disillusionment after waking from sweet dreams and Malekia who gained power from the physical pain of their victims, it was the same with Dismay.
Naturally, the more powerful the demon, the more comprehensive their keywords.
Pain, loss, death.
So what about Dismay?
He gained formidable power in a short time through the emotion of shame.
Human ranch was it called?
Like humans raising livestock, Dismay managed them in pens.
The livestock were used either as war prisoners or abducted from villages.
In Dismays ranch, humans lost all dignity.
He instilled shame in humans through various creative means.
Naked, they writhed in the excrement of demons and were eventually slaughtered.
The most sinister aspect of Dismays ranch was the presence of spectators.
They were the acquaintances or family members of the abducted livestock.
The exploding shame turned into a vast amount of demonic energy, fueling Dismays strength.
Even in this recent campaign, wasnt there a case where he raised his kill count by one by cutting the throat of a member of the Dawn Knights?
As a side note, Theo handed over Ivars wife, Adriana, and their son to Dismay this time.
Ivar, who tried to betray the demons again and pass information to the Hero, had to pay the price.
Anyway its amusing.
Seeing Theos satisfied expression, a grin also appeared on Dismays grim face.
He enthusiastically asked a question.
By the way, arent humans doing their utmost to maintain security there? Id like to hear detailed plans on how well invade.
You dont need to worry about that. We have all sorts of methods
It was at that moment.
Thunk-
The sound of metal was the first thing.
As the eerie and eerie resonance of metal pierced their ears, the faces of the commanders stiffened in unison.
Surprisingly, even Theo, who had been relaxed all along, momentarily lost his composure.
A sinister and gloomy voice followed.
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[I told you, Theo]
It was like a whisper echoing from an ancient tomb.
Tss tss tss tss-
Thunk-
Darkness coalesced in the air to form a huge figure.
The grating sound continued incessantly.
Theo swallowed hard.
Yol.
A skeletal knight clad in black armor slowly descended into the center of the conference room.
A bluish light flashed near the eye sockets of the skull made of white bones.
It was a chilling light that froze the soul.
The conference room fell silent instantly.
But what was most terrifying was the sword he wielded.
Krick-
The blade of the sword, which was over 3 meters long, was entirely made up of skulls.
The commanders, who met the gazes of the skulls clacking stiffly, all bowed their heads.
It wasnt mere decoration.
They were skulls of Yols defeated enemies.
Because of Yols power, they were bound to him.
Yol, the Knight of Death, who, if vanquished, would be condemned to serve forever without even the rest of death.
Yol, the First Division Commander of the Demon Army.
The reason why he didnt possess an actual division like the other commanders was because Yol himself was a division.
From the demon world to this world.
Yol, who had overcome countless formidable foes, was as powerful as any other division.
Theo sighed and replied.
Yol. Welcome to the meeting after 200 years.
[I told you, Theo]
Yols voice, now embodied, was clear.
Yol fixed his gaze on the old man as if there was no one else in the conference room.
[Ill do it alone.]
Before Theo could offer an excuse, Dismay stepped forward and bowed his giant head.
His courage was enough to astonish onlookers.
Lord Yol. Please allow me to assist.
[]
[The son of a bitch who brought defeat to me]
Thunk-
-Aaaaargh!
As agonizing screams echoed through the conference room, the commanders trembled.
Even though his head was rolling on the ground, Dismay was screaming and yelling.
It wasnt his body crying out.
Creak-
Dismays soul was trapped and agonizingly wailing on Yols sword.
Crack-
Dismays head slowly shrank.
His flesh melted away, and eventually, only his skull remained, floating and sticking to Yols sword.
Another member was added to the First Division.
No one had spoken until then.
Yol opened his mouth again.
[We will do it.]
There was no dissent.
* * *
Swish-
A mans hand moved busily across the blank paper.
Though it seemed haphazard, the completeness of the sketch was exceptionally good.
Leciel watched in admiration.
Its truly a beautiful place.
Indeed?
Leciel replied with a slightly proud expression.
The past year.
Her affection for Rosenstark had grown much more than Leciel had expected.
Like a second home.
That was how the brilliant painter Dante depicted the academy on canvas, much to Leciels displeasure.
And to think, the guide was none other than me.
Leciel introduced Dante to various places she liked.
The hill where you can see the professors lab.
A variety of classrooms, labs, etc. where extreme classes were held.
Each reaction from Dante made Leciel feel more fulfilled.
Ive only heard about it from the leader, never actually been here I should have come earlier.
Words cant fully express it.
So, you want to capture it in a painting.
Hmm, now that I think about it, there are quite a few paintings depicting Rosenstark.
Well, none of them were done by me.
I believe youll do it justice.
Leciel also enjoyed her time with Dante.
He was the first person she could talk to about art since the Hero.
Moreover, Dante treated Leciel as a respectable painter.
That attitude made Leciel grateful, and she did her best to introduce Dante to various places in Rosenstark.
Rosenstark is not only visually stunning but also holds many mysteries within It feels even more special when you think about all the people who made and maintained this place.
Sharing such sentiments was also enjoyable.
It reminds me of the old days.
Oh?
Not Rosenstark, but I attended an academy. It was an art academy in Zedo
Ah, I see.
Of course, Leciel knew.
She had even thought about visiting it someday if she had the chance.
You attended an art academy? I didnt know
Its not surprising. I didnt finish it.
What? Why?
Leciel stopped talking.
Leciel?
Just a moment.
Glance.
It wasnt a mistaken feeling.
Someone was definitely watching them.
And very skillfully.
So skillful that if Leciel hadnt learned Felsons surveillance technique, she might not have even noticed.
Moreover, now the presence didnt feel hidden like before.
Mmmmm-
Leciel extended her senses without hesitation.
Nothing was caught.
Did they run away because they were found out?
Leciel?
Ah.
Only then did Leciel realize that Dante was standing behind her with a puzzled expression.
Explaining the situation, Dantes expression quickly hardened to a frightening degree.
Could it be the warning from the leader?
Professors warning?
Leciel, from which direction did you sense the presence?
Dante rushed off in the direction Leciel indicated, the very next moment.
You should go back to the dormitory. Thanks for the tour today!
With that, Leciel, left alone, looked bewilderedly at the direction Dante disappeared.
No
You cant fight, can you?
Leciel hurriedly followed after Dante.
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