Chapter 214: Demon King (4)
‘Death’ didn't lift a finger to kill me.
「Authority Kill」.
Because he used the Authority he possessed as the God of Death.
Simply put, it meant he killed me just by looking at me and emitting killing intent.
That's the reason why it is often said that ‘Death’ is the strongest among the gods.
“When on earth will you realize, Death.”
But, he is just a god after all.
“That I can endure something like death any number of times.”
The one who once tried to make everyone kneel before me.
“…!”
At that moment, the comrades beside me flinched in surprise upon seeing me.
“You…”
They surely wouldn't have even properly noticed the fact that I died for a very short moment, let alone how ‘Death’ killed me.
This was natural unless they knew well about ‘Death’'s 「Authority Kill」.
Unless they knew that he could kill an opponent just by looking, how could they notice unless I collapsed spurting blood or something.
“Just now… that was…”
However, Lily, being a devout cleric sensitive to ‘divine power’, seemed to have noticed the fact that ‘Death’ did something to me just now.
Of course, she probably couldn't reach the fact that something killed me.
On the other hand.
“Teacher, that appearance is…”
Everyone could recognize my hair that had turned red again at a glance.
To reassure them, I raised one corner of my mouth slyly as usual and said.
“Why, did I become more beautiful?”
Then, realizing immediately that although my appearance changed a little, I was still ‘Yubin’ and that this was different from the previous two ‘possessions’, they showed relief inwardly.
“Is it, you…?”
“Yeah, it's me. The me you love to death.”
“In, in this situation, can you spout such bullsh*t?!”
“Because it's not bullsh*t?”
Meanwhile, ‘Death’'s side was still calm.
“…Is that so.”
To be precise, since that is a ‘possessed body’, emotions aren't revealed from the start anyway.
“It is quite unexpected that that stubborn and cheeky demon bastard bent and went in on his own.”
So perhaps, by his standards, he might be surprised in his own way.
“I thought if I tore off your soul, he would gladly take over that shell.”
“This is why I hate god bastards like you, get it?”
When I retorted with a scoff, I saw ‘Death’'s eyes narrow subtly.
“Trying to act like our masters while pretending to know everything, when you actually know nothing about us.”
Just a race with superior abilities, that's all.
“If that cheeky demon bastard refers to the ‘Primordial Demon King’, yes. It is I, Yubin.”
Actually, if looking only at abilities, he would be an existence deserving to be called a ‘Demon God’, not stopping at just a king.
But I didn't have the intention to go around publicly calling myself a ‘God’.
Because I am different from the arrogant Luce.
Right, now I am clearly a 「Demon God」.
But making others treat me as a god was a different story.
“Playing god isn't exactly my taste, you see.”
Of course, I have no intention of declining the ability to kill bastards who receive god treatment though.
“But beating up all the bastards trying to play god is my hobby!”
Pa-at!
The moment I kicked off the ground, I felt a strong shockwave burst out.
Certainly, it would be unimaginable with the weak body from before.
But the current me could do it.
“──!”
Even though it's a possessed body, just slamming my fist into the bastard's solar plexus without even giving ‘Death’ a chance to react.
『Burn!』
And as a bonus, burning the bastard with the 「Hellfire」 wrapping that fist.
Hwareureuk!
As the pitch-black 「Hellfire」 soared as if exploding, ‘Death’'s body was blown far away.
But perhaps because ‘Death’ is ‘Death’ even if it's a possessed body, the bastard quickly regained his balance mid-air and landed while flying away like that.
He also extinguished the 「Hellfire」 burning him in an instant with a single hand gesture.
Then, he swung his spear in reaction this time at me who rushed in again.
Hu-uk!
The spear tip laden with the aura of death brushed past above my head.
I ducked to dodge it and at the same time threw a punch straight at the bastard's jaw.
Hwareureuk!
The bastard urgently pulled his body back to dodge my punch, but couldn't avoid getting swept by the 「Hellfire」 that soared with that punch.
“…!”
Eventually, he wasn't hit and blown away like before, but to avoid those fierce flames, ‘Death’ widened the distance greatly again.
Anyway, once that body burns up by 「Hellfire」, he won't be able to move anymore whether he's possessing it or whatever.
Of course, he can just extinguish it again like before if it catches fire.
『Fire of Hell──』
But for me, I can just set it on fire again.
If I keep setting it on fire, eventually everything will burn up, and when that possessed body doesn't even have bones left, how does he plan to move then?
He can't move.
That means, at least here, the event of facing death by ‘Death’ also disappears.
『──Burn the sky!』
The moment 「Inferno Meteor」 was cast, a rain of meteorites engulfed in black flames began to pour down from the magic circles that appeared in the air.
Kwa-ang!
Kwa-ang!
To ‘Death’, who was dodging the falling meteors blazing like that, eventually the only choice left was to rush toward me again.
Peo-eong!
As my fist and the bastard's spear clashed, a fierce wind burst out.
At the same time, I extended my other hand and spewed 「Hellfire」.
Hwareureuk!
Then ‘Death’ quickly parried my fist and swung his spear to block those flames.
Following that, he tried to destroy even the meteorite with 「Hellfire」 attached that was falling above his head.
That's right.
The bastard is clearly strong.
Above all, can't he use the insane ‘Skill’ called 「Authority Kill」, which kills the opponent instantly without asking or questioning.
However, naturally, there was a limit to such a powerful skill.
Anyway, it's a skill.
Following the rules of this world.
In other words, it meant a ‘Cooldown’ existed.
Moreover, what is in front of my eyes right now wasn't ‘Death’ himself manifested, but merely moving a suitable possessed body with his power.
And a ‘Doll’ breaks if too much force is applied.
So probably, he won't be able to cast 「Authority Kill」 again with that possessed body.
『──Kneel.』
Unlike my 「Word of Power」, which I can cast whenever I want.
“…!?”
Naturally, the bastard is a ‘Boss’, and since he is a god anyway, he possessed resistance on a different level from mortals.
So there's no way a mere Bard's 「Word of Power」 would work.
But as I said earlier, I'm not exactly an ordinary mortal anymore either.
I can penetrate that resistance and cast a simple stage 1 「Word of Power」, no matter if it's a deity.
In other words, it meant I could make him kneel for a very brief moment before the bastard destroyed the meteorite falling above his head.
──Kwa-a-ang!
With a loud noise, the meteorite that collided with ‘Death’ exploded.
Following that, thick smoke rose up.
Well, still, it's ‘Death’'s possessed body. Whether he can cast 「Authority Kill」 anymore or not, the fact didn't change that he was the strongest enemy among the opponents we had met.
At least he would be stronger than the Demon King who met a futile death by the bastard.
This means he isn't an enemy who would pass out just by getting hit directly by a single meteor.
Ka-ang──!
As expected, ‘Death’, who rushed out scattering the thickly settled smoke, thrust his spear straight at me.
I parried this strike, but in doing so, I inevitably met the bastard's gaze.
The 「Gaze of Death」, emitting overwhelming ‘Killing Intent’.
“Eut…!”
My 「Word of Power」 working meant, conversely, the bastard's killing intent like that could also penetrate my resistance.
Just as the bastard knelt before me for a very brief moment, I also had no choice but to fall into a ‘Fear’ state instinctively for a moment.
Therefore, to the single strike that would follow next, I couldn't quite ‘respond’.
Although my head knew that ‘Death’'s spear was stabbing toward my heart, it was impossible to move my body in time.
Whether that strike would really pierce my skin and penetrate my heart to deal meaningful damage was another story, but anyway, I couldn't block it.
Well, there was no need to in the first place, though.
Because even if I couldn't ‘respond’.
『──Please protect!』
Lily wasn't like that.
Pajijik!
Although the barrier cast in front of me like that was pierced almost immediately by the spear ‘Death’ thrust, it bought enough time for me to finally move my hand and snatch that spear shaft.
Hwareureuk!
Also the time to set 「Hellfire」 on that spear and burn the bastard's arm.
“…!”
‘Death’ noticed this and quickly discarded the spear, widening the distance greatly as if leaping.
Then.
“…How dare.”
He muttered as if it was ridiculous.
“A mere god who guards a furnace or something, not only lending power to a child of a demon, but intending to go against me, the master of the Underworld.”
Toward Sistina, who granted a ‘Blessing’ to Lily just now.
Of course, Sistina, who wasn't in this place, didn't respond separately to those words.
『Burn, Furnace!』
Since she already allowed that holy flame to Lily, it was as if she had already answered enough though.
“I guess not all gods are crazy bastards like you.”
Prevented him from bringing hundreds, thousands of thousands of lives, so now he's going to take them to the Underworld himself?
To make them his ‘people’?
No matter the difference in divinity, no matter how hopeless the odds, would Sistina, who tries to protect the peace of the home, sit idly by and watch such an act?
“Whether you are really a god or not, it doesn't matter!”
Just like Lily, who has served her more devoutly than anyone.
“I will stop you!”
In the meantime, the bastard's spear I was holding disappeared at some point as if scattering like smoke.
Instead, a spear was held again in ‘Death’'s hand, who clearly let go of it himself.
It seemed it was a weapon created by the bastard's power from the beginning.
The bastard threw the regained spear toward Lily like that, but that sharp tip never touched Lily.
Ka-ang!
Because we had the knight more reliable than anyone, Miki.
As Miki raised his shield and blocked ‘Death’'s spear, Toric, who ran past that side, jumped high.
“Uoooo──!”
Then, as if declaring equality by splitting the opponent in two whether he's a god or whatever, he let out a roar and tried to slam down with his axe first.
At this, ‘Death’ likewise didn't care at all and raised the regained spear.
Like that, he would have easily blocked Toric's strike.
“──!”
If only the bastard hadn't stopped just like that suddenly.
It was unmistakable.
The bastard's ‘Time’ had stopped for an instant.
Kwa-ang──!!
With that, a heavy blow more powerful than the meteors I cast just now slammed down.
If ‘Death’ wasn't a god despite everything, and thus hadn't resisted Rine's 「Time Stop」—which no one had been able to resist until now—to some extent and moved his body, Toric's axe might have surely split the bastard in two.
Since it was a strike possessing enough power to do so.
“Furthermore, you, not even a god but a mere shell of a god, dare to go against me?”
Rine didn't make any reply to the words of ‘Death’, who barely dodged that strike.
As if it wasn't even worth it in the first place.
Instead, she raised her staff.
While ‘Death’ ridiculously swatted away the 「Fireball」 fired with that──
“──I became curious.”
He couldn't ‘respond’ even to Evie, who stepped on the bastard's shadow taking advantage of that explosion.
“If we kill ‘Death’, what happens?”