Chapter 223 ·Great Devil (4)

Great ‍​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍‍​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌‌​‌‍Devil (4)

The general reputation of the 7th Legion was rock-bottom.

Because it was a place that took in all sorts of criminals, it was only natural that there was no good opinion of it.

Moreover, in order to manage those trash prisoner soldiers, it wasn't even an option to assign a pure and sane officer.

It was only right that merciless, violent officers, who were in fact no different from the prisoners themselves, were assigned instead.

A place where monsters gathered who killed people without batting an eye, without a shred of conviction.

No one could possibly like the 7th Legion, a group comprised only of such people—soldiers and officers alike.

A place everyone spat at and condemned as a dump, thoroughly defined as the evil of society—and yet, ironically, it was a place the world could not do without.

A place deserving of being treated as trash, but also the only way to stop the monsters of the demon realm.

But at the same time, a place that could never be rewarded for it, literal hell existing in the world of the living.

However, as of today, that hell was about to disappear for good.

All that remained were the fragments of a fortress swept away by monsters and the corpses of soldiers.

And now, cutting down monsters mercilessly, were boys and girls who once belonged to that very 7th Legion.

"Damn. They keep coming!"

Victor, a member of the special task force, groaned as he watched the horde of monsters approaching through his telescope.

"Are they trying to overwhelm us with numbers now?"

"Have they ever done anything else? They've always just rushed us with numbers."

Simon and Rozen bickered with each other, then showed resigned expressions.

"This might be... the last time."

"You mean this battle?"

"Not just the battle. Maybe our connection with this demon realm, and above all... our own lives."

With only their strength, there was no way they could hold back that countless number of monsters.

Plus, with Louis missing, their anxiety was at its peak.

"So, how about we use this chance to say the things we never said?"

It would take at least an hour for that horde of monsters to reach this spot.

Looking through the telescope, there were plenty of advanced-rank monsters among them as well.

"Well... I guess now's the Perfect time to get things off my chest before we deal with those guys."

Simon took a deep breath and spoke up first.

"Actually... there's a secret I wanted to keep most."

"What is it?"

"Every night before I sleep, I think of the young master."

"What?"

Rozen's face twitched when he heard that.

Because the young master was male, it sounded extremely ominous.

"Simon, don't tell me that's your thing?"

"Don't worry. It's not like that."

"Then what is it?"

Simon sighed again and said,

"Before I go to sleep... I always think about doodling on the young master's face. In fact, I actually have some ugly drawings of his face hidden under my bed."

"Oh... so that's all it was."

Rozen was a bit relieved that Simon didn't have some strange interest.

But seeing how he was badmouthing the young master behind his back, Rozen was surprised in a whole different way.

"If the young master caught you doing that, you'd have seen hell."

"I know that very well. The young master has super sharp ears and nose. If he overheard even the slightest bad word about him in this village, I'd already be off seeing a new world."

There was nowhere in the village out of Louis's earshot.

That was the problem.

How could anyone tease the young master without getting caught?

"That's why it only stays in my thoughts."

"Fair enough...."

"I really held myself back. I want to tease him just once, say it out loud, but I can't even do that."

Just keeping it inside wasn't enough to relieve the stress.

He wanted to do something, but the very existence of the young master was so terrifying that it was impossible.

"To be honest, Rozen, you feel the same, don't you?"

"...."

Rozen didn't speak, but his expression was clearly sympathetic.

"Yeah, you're right. I'm the same."

In the end, Rozen began to reveal what he had been hiding, too.

"And now the young master isn't here. Isn't this the perfect chance?"

"...."

At that, Simon just smiled without a word.

Then, the two of them raised their voices together.

"Louis, you little brat!! You think you're all that?!"

"We're older than you! Don't get cocky just because everyone calls you young master!"

As their true feelings spilled out, their faces began to look a bit mad.

"Just because you've looked after us doesn't mean we shouldn't even be able to grumble a word!"

"That's dictatorship! Dictatorship!! You little bastard! Why are your ears and nose so unnecessarily sharp!!"

Because of his uselessly sharp senses, the special task force members' words always reached him, no matter the distance.

Of course, that was not only a bad thing.

If any of the members had a problem, he would instantly appear after catching a whiff of it.

They'd certainly benefited from those strengths until now, but couldn't ignore the drawbacks, either.

The young master had done them a huge favor.

Badmouthing him was definitely a grave sin.

But... just a little... a teensy bit of grumbling, shouldn't that be fine?

"The young master's face looks like an orc's!!"

"And with that nasty temper, as if he'll ever get a lover!!"

Their backbiting moved beyond Louis and onto their fellow special task force members.

"Rio and Pram are a problem, too! Why do they fawn over the young master like that?!"

"Those dummies. Their bodies grew up, but their heads haven't grown at all. If they claimed to be adults anywhere else, people would just laugh."

Certainly, in terms of physique, Rio and Pram were no longer children.

Just by looking at their chest, grown as big as a mountain range, one could see they were practically adults.

But Rozen and Simon never saw them as women at all.

Because someone else already had them?

No, it was their strange personalities.

"These brats wearing adult masks!"

"Just try not to be laughed at anywhere else. Puhahahahaha!!"

And then—

"Hey, guys."

Victor called the two of them with a shaky expression.

When they asked him what was wrong, Victor pointed beside him to Rio and Pram.

"You brought this on yourselves."

Rio and Pram, who had overheard themselves being talked about, wore faces that were neither smiling nor angry.

Their expressions, betraying no emotion, felt somehow chilling.

"Simon, Rozen. We heard everything you just said."

"We must have gotten too close. I guess we need some distance now, don't you think?"

Even their voices carried an ominous energy.

It felt like any moment now, someone would be stuffed in a sack and dumped somewhere, but Simon and Rozen just laughed.

"Ha, hahahahaha! What's the point anyway?"

"We don't even know how long we'll last here anyway."

They knew very well what Rio and Pram were like.

If things got troublesome, they wouldn't hesitate to draw a sword or cast dark magic first—truly outlandish personalities.

Even among members of the special task force, there were no exceptions.

"See those advanced-rank monsters coming this way? Only the young master can handle them."

"Whether we die by your hands or those monsters, doesn't it all end up about the same?"

In fact, Simon and Rozen had wondered even before being sent into this battlefield.

"The more I think about it, the weirder it gets. The young master would never toss us somewhere this dangerous."

"One advanced-rank monster is one thing, but with that many, even for us, it's too much, isn't it?"

To the special task force, the demon realm itself wasn't a threat.

But facing an army of advanced-rank monsters was a different story.

No one in the task force thought even a single member could survive against that horde right now.

"Yeah, you're right. The young master would never put us or you guys in danger."

Rio, who had been showing invisible anger, now calmed her tone.

"Sure, you couldn't handle that group. It may look like he just left us here to die...."

At that, red aura began to imbue itself in Rio's sword, stretching and lengthening at the tip.

"But there's a reason for all of this."

"A reason?"

"I'll show you right now."

The monsters hadn't arrived at their position yet.

Rio held his blade high in front of the monster horde, still 10 km away.

"And I'll show you the true worth of the Blood Sword Technique."

The crimson sword slashed down diagonally.

In that instant, a red sword energy swept toward the front.

Kuwaaaaaaaaa――

The storm of sword energy, impossible to describe, roared across the earth.

Like a broom sweeping, the monsters charging across the open field were scattered like dust.

At the same time, the mountains and fields that made up the landscape were flattened neatly, and even the advanced-rank monsters couldn't escape the devastation.

"Mad...!"

When the storm of sword energy dissipated, Simon and Rozen were aghast.

All that remained where the tempest had swept was the corpses of monsters and the destroyed land.

Even the fearsome advanced-rank monsters were reduced to nothing but corpses.

"Ah...."

Simon uttered a short gasp.

He was awestruck at Rio's unbelievable power, but before he could recover, another horde of monsters began to pour in from the sky.

Again, an army of advanced-rank monsters dominated the sky, raining down upon the ground.

And unfortunately, since Rio had just used his power, he would need time to prepare another attack.

"Pram. I'm counting on you."

"Got it."

Seizing the moment to block the monsters, Pram used wind magic to lift herself into the air.

Not just Rozen and Simon, but even the soldiers were stunned at the sight of a girl floating up into the sky.

Some were ready to rush over, worried for her safety—but it was unnecessary.

As Pram's eyes turned red, dark magic power spread widely around her.

Advanced-rank monsters touched by the magic were instantly turned to powder and scattered through the air.

Soon, every monster threatening an aerial assault on the people met the same fate.

"We barely have a chance against advanced-rank monsters...."

"But they're being hunted like flies...."

Everyone was stunned at the sight of those two hunting monsters like flies.

Now that there was no World Tree, there was nothing in the continent that could block the encroachment of the demon realm.

No matter how hard humanity fought back, they couldn't last long.

And yet, humanity had been given a means to secure their own protection from that encroachment.

"When I awakened my past life's memories through that manual, the Blood Sword Technique got even stronger."

"When the Blood Sword Technique ritual was performed on me, my power grew as well. I guess it's because I use the same power as the great devils."

The young master had not abandoned the special task force here without a reason.

As long as Rio and Pram were present, no one would die.

"So, Simon, Rozen."

"Do you get what I'm saying now?"

Having just cleaned up the monsters, Rio and Pram looked at them.

"...."

"...."

At their chilling smiles, so different from before, Simon and Rozen shrank in terror.

"Uh... Sorry about before."

"We're definitely not going to die after all, right? Ahahahaha!"

They tried to feign ignorance and brush it off, but there was no way that would fly.

"Simon, Rozen. Let's see who survives in a bit."

"We'll play with you as much as we want."

"Please...."

"Just forgive us this one time!"

Victor, watching the four of them, let out a helpless laugh.

"By the way, where's Squad Leader Silia?"

Then he suddenly remembered someone who was missing.

****

Meanwhile, Silia now gripped the two Bloodlines, which no longer contained their lingering thoughts.

With a pair of blades in hand, she recalled the words the two Heroes had spoken before fading away, and took her stance.

One had become one with the World Tree, the Great Mage; the other, a martial genius who had stood at the top of the continent.

They once wondered what would result if their powers were combined into one.

But it was too late for them, now lingering thoughts, to fulfill that wish—so they wanted Silia, their descendant, to accomplish it.

"Haa!"

Silia swung her blade with all her might, using the knowledge and techniques those two had left her.

The blade, swung with all her strength, ripped through the very air.

Chwaaaa!!―

Silia's face instantly twisted in shock.

The air the tip of the blade brushed against—space itself—had been split apart.

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