Chapter 224: End and Beginning (1)
After I jumped off, Fernaga, seemingly returning without lingering regrets, immediately began to spew fire towards the shadows trying to block the warriors.
──Bang!
I landed in the middle of the battle.
Fwoosh!
At the same time, the flames of 「Hellfire of Karma」 wrapped around my fists spread out in all directions, burning the shadows.
Inside the barrier, which had been raided by the Legion of Death, was truly chaos itself.
Although those who were in the conference room came out and were directing, it was insufficient to completely silence the confusion of the soldiers who had to face shadows that, without knowing the reason, only had their forms scattered for a moment even if cut or stabbed and wouldn't die even if killed.
No matter how high-level and experienced veterans most of the personnel gathered here were, they probably had almost no experience fighting beings that were not ‘of this world’.
Even in such a situation.
“D-Demon King's Army! The Demon King's Army is coming!”
Hearing that demon warriors wrapped in 「Hellfire」 on their weapons were charging towards the barrier, it was somewhat natural to fall into panic.
“Sir Johannes!”
I called Johannes, who was trying to calm that confusion as much as possible.
Then Johannes, who turned this way, immediately nodded, and.
“Open the gates of the barrier!”
Conveyed towards the surrounding soldiers without a bit of hesitation.
“Y-Yes!?”
“But, the devils are…!”
The soldiers who heard this initially showed a reaction of doubting whether they really heard it correctly, but.
“They are coming to help us!”
“If we go on like this, we will be annihilated!”
As Raphael, who was next to Johannes, chimed in and shouted.
“…….”
The hesitating soldiers suddenly looked back at me.
Me, who just descended from the sky and saved them from the shadows.
“…U-Understood!”
Eventually, before long, one soldier kicked the ground and ran.
Thinking that it would be the same whether dying by these shadows or those devils anyway, so let whatever happens happen, he ran and soon pulled down the lever with force.
Rumble──
Thanks to that, the iron grate began to rise slowly, but this was a ‘barrier’, not an ordinary castle wall.
Two more gates still had to be opened.
Fortunately, other soldiers, influenced by seeing the soldier who ran out first, also followed and ran towards the levers one after another.
『Burn up!』
I covered the shadows rushing at them with flames.
Simultaneously with this.
『Your opponent is me!』
Miki ran over and cast 「Provoke」.
At the same time, the shadows that avoided the demonic fire rushed towards Miki all at once.
“Where do you think you're going!”
“Don't underestimate our Irons!”
Then Gabriel and Raphael ran over and guarded Miki's side.
The gathered Irons brothers boasted perfect teamwork and scattered the approaching shadows one by one.
In the meantime, the soldier protected by them completely pulled down the lever, and the second gate opened.
I immediately turned my head towards the lever of the last third gate, and.
“Oooooh──!”
Saw Toric, who let out a roar of 「Rage」, striking down his axe like lightning.
Crash!
The electric current bursting out in all directions with the sound of thunder stopped the shadows, earning enough leeway for the soldier behind Toric to pull down the lever.
Rumble──
Finally, the third gate was also opened.
Beyond the wide-open gate, the sight of the Demon King's Army forces charging towards the barrier could be seen.
Gulp, someone swallowed saliva.
One of the soldiers who pulled the lever directly even showed a belated regret, wondering what he had done.
At that moment.
“Troops!”
The vanguard standing at the very front who crossed the barrier gate── Lilith shouted.
“Our enemies are the shadows!”
As if responding to that shout, the warriors let out a roar.
Like that, the demon warriors who crossed the gate for the first time since the barrier was erected.
“Long live the demons!”
“Long live!”
Making the tension of the humans, who had believed for over a thousand years that the world would end if they let them inside the barrier, pointless, they swung the flames of 「Hellfire」 only towards the shadows.
Even without that, the inside of the barrier was in chaos, so the soldiers who didn't even know the fact that the gate had opened showed a greatly bewildered reaction upon seeing the Demon King's Army pushing inside the barrier.
“Do not be hostile! They are allies who came to help us!”
If not for Sapphire's shout, who noticed this quickly, there might have been someone attacking the demon warriors.
But fortunately, such a thing did not happen, and thanks to that, the Allied Forces soldiers inside the barrier all saw clearly.
『Fire of Hell!』
The Succubus Queen Lilith, who had always been an object of fear to humans, and.
『Burn, brazier!』
Another succubus casting ‘Divine Magic’—which they had thought only humans believing in the same god could use—next to her, Lily.
And following those two, the sight of the brave Demon King's Army fighting against the shadows together with themselves, their old enemies.
Fighting together with demons and humans joining forces must have been something absolutely unimaginable to those living in this era.
But really, too clearly, that unbelievable spectacle was unfolding right before their eyes.
After all, the two sides have fought for over a thousand years.
Therefore, as much as they knew nothing about each other, they also knew too well.
How strong the opponent is.
The demons trying to cross the barrier were always the humans' fear, and the humans' resistance that was never breached in the end was always the demons' fear.
But that object of fear has now become an ally and is fighting together.
──Then whoever the opponent is, we might be able to win.
This single thought was gradually being planted in the minds of everyone gathered here.
『We will be victorious──!』
Of course, my 「Encourage」 was also playing a part there.
In other words, morale was soaring regardless of whether it was the Demon King's Army or the Allied Forces.
That is, the ‘wind’ has started to blow.
And if I had to pick one person who would be most sensitive to the change of such ‘wind’──
“Step back, everyone!”
The Councilman of Daian, the City of Wind, Khamsin could not be left out.
He said he came to the barrier with the magic engineering weapon he newly developed.
Then isn't now the perfect time to showcase that weapon?
『Rage!』
Whoosh──!
The moment Khamsin's weapon was activated, a strong ascending wind, no, a fierce wind closer to a tornado raged and began to sweep away the surrounding shadows.
If it had been a war where demons and humans fought each other as always, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call it a strategic weapon capable of upsetting the balance of battle.
In fact, even the demon warriors who were fighting the shadows without fear at all showed a momentarily flinching reaction at the thought that it might have been them being blown away by that fierce whirlwind.
Of course, right now, we had another person who was a powerful ‘strategic weapon’ level existence surpassing that weapon.
“Rine!”
Simultaneously with Evie's shout, Rine, who opened her eyes wide, raised her staff high.
Those shadows from the Underworld── although the concept of ‘death’ did not exist for the Legion of Death.
However, it existed here in the mortal world.
『──Stop.』
The concept called ‘Time’, which even they cannot escape.
Therefore, the only ones who could move within Rine's 「Time Stop」 were us six, her companions.
Thanks to that, I could see fully.
In the gap of that stopped time, the sight of Evie dancing the 「Blade Dance」 with two black and white daggers.
Whenever the black and white lines lightly brushed past, the shadows scattered minutely as if small ripples arose.
Soon after Evie finished her dance, and the moment the stopped time began to flow again──
──Pababat!
Centering on the ‘lines’ that were merely small ripples at first, the shadows scattered in all directions as if exploding in unison.
What can be said for sure at this point was the fact that the war situation was overturned from the moment the Demon King's Army crossed the barrier and started fighting together.
Being on this battlefield, at the forefront right now itself was proof that everyone, regardless of demon or human, was strong in their own right.
So even if the shadows don't die no matter what, it wouldn't be easy against elite soldiers whose morale has soared high.
In fact, unlike the beginning when they were attacked without knowing the reason, now they were rather starting to push back gradually.
──And this surely must have made ‘Death’ extremely uncomfortable.
If not.
“…I should get rid of you first for now.”
He wouldn't have appeared in front of me again like now.
“That's my line.”
Roar──!!
Fierce 「Hellfire of Karma」 soared around me and ‘Death’.
And, pitch-black darkness fell.
I haven't been able to use my full power to prevent damage to the surroundings until now, but the story was different from now on.
“──Ha.”
Looking at ‘Death’ dragged into my Unique Barrier like that, a scoff came out inadvertently.
This place was, strictly speaking, a world of souls.
Therefore, it could also be said to be a place where the appearance hidden outside, the essence of that soul, is revealed.
“That's your true identity.”
In short, the ‘Death’ in front of my eyes no longer had the appearance of a ‘person’.
“You pretended to be a person well.”
Speaking frankly, it was a huge machine.
More directly, a giant robot.
『Once you disappear, how long do you think that precarious alliance will last.』
“Well, I don't plan on disappearing right now.”
『It was not a question.』
The voice of ‘Death’── no, the mechanical sound resonated loudly.
『I proclaim death.』
It was 「Authority Kill」.
The authority of ‘Death’ that kills a single soul unconditionally without asking or arguing.
Therefore I, died.
『…….』
In the past, that is.
“Is it far? I'm still waiting.”
But now as you can see, I am alive and well.
『……Why?』
Then, ‘Death’ made a sound.
For the first time since facing him, a sound where emotion── a flustered sign was clearly felt.
“Your 「Authority Kill」 is a skill that forcibly sends a single soul to the Underworld.”
Therefore, when I suffered it as Yubin at first, I could 「Resurrect」 through a trick of being spirited away to this place by the ‘Primordial’ before going to the Underworld.
And now.
“My soul, is not one, you see.”
I became a being outside the rules.
One, yet two.
“Too bad.”
I don't become a target of 「Authority Kill」 which follows the rule of ‘one at a time’.
“Originally, I intended to make you kneel in front of everyone. For pretending to be a god all this time, sorry.”
I said, letting out a smirk.
“Now you don't have knees.”
『…Laughable.』
Then, ‘Death’ erased the flustered sign completely as if nothing happened and made the emotionless sound as usual again.
『I will make all your precious ones face death right before your eyes.』
However.
『All mortals are born to die. Coming to the Underworld someday and becoming my kin is the fate decided for you.』
That didn't mean he didn't fall for my provocation.
『I am your beginning and your end.』
The ‘eyes’ of ‘Death’ looking down at me began to flash.
『I am Death.』
“Ah, really?”
I wonder why you are trying to introduce yourself now, but still, I am polite, you see.
“I am Yubin.”
So, I answered waving one hand lightly.
“The Primordial Demon King, and the Champion of the Malevolent Star. And, also a Bard.”
Since stage greeting is essential.
“The song I will perform this time, is your Requiem.”