Chapter 189
“Don’t charge, everyone, retreat upwards. Hold out on the Altar’s 3rd Floor!”
After Jurgen stabbed his Superior to death, his very first order was none other than a retreat.
After all, fighting on this wide ground would put them at a significant disadvantage.
While all the Branch Leaders had already been eliminated, the Knight Commanders were all still intact here.
Though everyone was quite exhausted, their Skill hadn’t diminished.
Moreover, our remaining troops were far greater... Honestly, as Kyle said, surrendering wouldn’t have been strange at all.
Of course, I knew what he was relying on. He was trying to hold out, trusting in the last remaining Altar.
Though it was unknown when it would descend, it would become a powerful Force the moment it did.
Naturally, I had no intention of just standing by and watching.
“We’re pursuing.”
Someone among the Knights said quietly, and the Extermination Squad followed his words.
This time, I also stepped forward, spear in hand. There was no one left to hesitate for.
“Master... *sniffle*...”
Suddenly, I looked at Livia and saw her shedding tears, having rushed to Kyle’s side.
She was crying profusely like a child, which looked quite pitiful.
I didn’t let my gaze linger in that direction.
Honestly, from the moment she joined this fight, she must have been somewhat prepared for death.
Though she probably didn’t expect to be stabbed by her own side... for now, it seemed right to leave those two alone.
They’ll pull themselves together eventually...
Thinking that, I looked forward once more.
The Lemegeton Followers had already ascended all the way to the 3rd Floor.
The Extermination Squad diligently pursued them, but the terrain disadvantage was unavoidable.
We had to climb that cake-like altar, whereas the enemies only needed to hold out up there.
Of course, that didn’t mean we were being pushed back. As I kept saying, victory was already within our grasp.
If we pushed with sheer numbers, occupying the 3rd Floor would be quick.
Furthermore, there was another method besides simply occupying it.
That was to destroy the Altar itself.
“Hoo...”
After reaching the 2nd Floor, I took a short breath. Then, I immediately imbued my spear shaft with mana and swung it with all my might at the Altar’s wall.
CRACK—!
With an immense impact, a massive crater formed in one corner of the Altar.
Though it was large, the Altar’s material itself seemed no different from ordinary stone.
SHWAAAK!
Simultaneously, vast amounts of mana leaked out in all directions...
It seemed I wasn’t the only one who felt it, as Jurgen’s surprised voice came from the 3rd Floor directly above.
“What? Mana is leaking out? Why...?”
“S-sir, the mana we painstakingly gathered is leaking out as people destroy the Altar!”
“Who doesn’t know that? It wasn’t like this when we captured Amon!”
“W-well... back then, Amon was the central figure and could re-gather the leaking mana, but this time, there’s no such central figure...”
“Damn it!”
Perhaps because I heightened my sense of hearing, I could understand their conversation clearly.
In any case, it was good news for us. Didn’t it mean we could ruin their ritual just by destroying the Altar?
BANG! BANG! Therefore, I smashed the Altar diligently.
At one point, I even pulled out a large hammer from my Spatial Pouch and slammed it down with all my might.
Indeed, in situations like this, using a blunt weapon is more efficient than a spear.
Unlike the last Amon battle, this time there was no one to interfere, which made it easier.
SHWAAAH.
As the magic power continued to leak out, wails echoed from above.
“Damn it... what is that guy doing? The floor caves in every time he swings his weapon?” “Ugh, the ground is shaking too much! At this rate, it’ll be hard to infuse mana!” “How much longer do we have to continue the ritual?” “It’ll take a long time! This ritual was already rushed... at this rate, the Altar will be destroyed before we can even fill it with mana!” “...Damn it.”
The Lemegeton guys’ expressions twisted as if they’d bitten into something foul.
If things continued like this, it was only a matter of time before they were caught.
Jurgen, who had even killed his own Leader to fight to the very end, would surely lose his head.
...But then
────!
“...Huh?”
“W-what is it?”
Suddenly, the entire three-story Altar lit up.
Though it was cracked and broken, the light rising from it was incomparably brilliant.
In this sudden situation, I couldn’t help but be momentarily flustered.
And it seemed I wasn’t the only one confused.
“What is it? What happened...?”
“I-I don’t know...”
Even the Lemegeton guys, who were in the midst of performing the ritual, couldn’t hide their dumbfounded expressions.
“This doesn’t make sense...”
Indeed, it was strange. The mana leaking out from the destroyed Altar was already far greater than the mana flowing into the 3rd Floor.
Normally, a Demon shouldn’t have appeared at all.
But as if betraying that thought, the Altar simply continued to do its job diligently.
Soon, the immense mana gathered in the Altar—the equivalent of hundreds of people’s worth—began to condense into one spot, into the center of the Altar’s 3rd Floor.
The condensed mana then began to create a single Passage, a Black Portal connected to the Demon Realm.
However, compared to the mana that went into it, the opened Passage was surprisingly small.
It was barely wide enough for one person to pass through, and even then, it looked unstable, as if it could collapse at any moment.
However, given the density of mana that went into opening that single Passage... it was absolutely not to be underestimated.
It was as if to summon a being from beyond; even this much was a blessing.
“...”
Thump-thump.
Soon, something walked out from beyond the Passage.
It was a woman with long, straight black hair and a languid expression.
She, uniquely a woman with an androgynous appearance, wore a magnificent golden crown on her head. Thanks to her neutral features and expressionless face, she exuded an inherent mystique.
As soon as the woman fully emerged from the Passage, the Lemegeton guys prostrated themselves, hastily offering greetings. Jurgen, barely holding on while covered in blood, did the same.
“We greet Lord Paimon, King of the West.”
“G-greetings!”
The Demon called Paimon silently surveyed her surroundings: the half-destroyed Altar, the heavily wounded People, even the heated Space.
As if she had grasped the entire situation just from that, Paimon sighed and opened her mouth.
“The Passage seemed unstable, so I hesitated before coming... but it seems I made the right choice. I almost couldn’t have come out at all.”
“We are deeply sorry.”
Perhaps because of who their opponent was, the Lemegeton guys adopted an extremely submissive posture.
Despite having the title of “King,” her tone was surprisingly calm. Amon’s personality, which I saw last time, was utterly obnoxious.
Soon, Lemegeton and Paimon began a brief conversation.
“It seems... you summoned me. Briefly explain the situation and who the enemies are.”
“Yes, my Lord.”
Meanwhile, I was still busy grasping the situation. How did she emerge from an altar that was practically collapsing?
Still, listening to Paimon’s words, I could roughly infer something.
Did she force her way out?
If she stayed like that, she wouldn’t be able to come out forever anyway, so she forced her way up using even the insufficient mana.
But was that even possible? Was it possible to forcibly draw upon the mana gathered in the Altar and descend herself?
Perhaps it was because she held the rank of “King”.
Whatever it was, it wasn’t good. It was very bad.
We pushed so hard to prevent that Demon from being summoned, yet she ended up being summoned anyway.
The Extermination Squad also seemed to sense the gravity of the situation, as they all hesitated, unable to easily charge forward.
“...That’s how it is.” “I see. So, to leave This Place, we must deal with them.”
By then, their conversation had already ended. It wasn’t a particularly long discussion to begin with.
Paimon took a step forward.
Judging by her appearance alone, one would think her delicate physique made her seem utterly frail.
However, the immense demonic energy emanating from behind her proved that she was a Powerful Individual.
Immediately after, the King’s command fell.
“Kneel.”
WHOOM—!
“Ugh!”
“M-my body is moving on its own!”
At that command, the Extermination Squad involuntarily knelt — all of them, Otherworlders and Gaians alike.
“As the King has arrived in this land, all of you shall rightfully bow your heads and pay your respects.”
KUGUGUGU! It felt as if something massive was pressing down on me.
Thanks to that, I almost knelt involuntarily... but fortunately, I gritted my teeth and managed to endure.
Among all the kneeling Knight Commanders, only I remained standing.
“Ugh...”
The reason was simple. I had already experienced a similar power once before.
From none other than Neria, the little one I raise in The Depths.
Perhaps because I once had the knack of resisting it, I could resist her command by wrapping my body in as much mana as possible.
Of course, it was dozens of times heavier than the Technique Neria had Cast.
“...You.”
Perhaps because I was the only one standing while everyone else knelt, people’s gazes naturally turned towards me.
Naturally, Paimon’s gaze was also among them.
The Demon’s Green Eyes scanned me as if in exploration.
And I had no intention of engaging in a staring contest like that.
I have to attack.
I had to at least attack so that people could resist. If things continued like this, everyone would just stand there dumbfounded and die one by one.
But how? Unfortunately, my body wasn’t loose enough to grab my spear and charge.
Moving my body freely through this pressure was a bit much even for me.
Similarly, throwing something was also difficult. That too involved quite vigorous body movements.
In the end, I had no choice but to use my ability, my Cursed Blood, which had always created variables in such stifling situations.
Wriggle, wriggle. I gathered and combined the blood. Since there was already blood outside my body, I was spared the trouble of self-harm.
What I wanted, as always, was a spike.
My blood, which could crush even steel, would soon pierce the Demon’s face. I condensed it as sharply and solidly as possible.
I then fired the completed Blood Mass towards her without hesitation.
SWISH!
The blood spike flew fiercely.
“Hmm?”
*At that moment, a peculiar glint appeared in Paimon’s Green Eyes.*