Episode 282
“The Spirit King’s power is unexpected, but you are overconfident. There is no way a mere human could handle it.”
Neron, who had been wary for a moment, regained his composure as he realized the reality.
Certainly, manifesting the powers of two Spirit Kings simultaneously is life-threatening, but the nature of this space was different.
Moreover, with two top-tier spirits present, it was possible to realize them to a certain extent. Though
the danger remained unchanged.
"A human who doesn't value their life."
"You're capable of dumping a demon on us, aren't you? You need to be prepared."
It was a usage that even the two spirits shook their heads in disbelief.
Hanbit took a stance and spoke to the enemy.
"Let's try not to get eaten by each other."
"What do you mean…?"
Whoosh!
Before the answer could even be heard, Hanbit’s body charged head-on.
The waves of wind and water surrounding his body created impossibly fast movements.
Whoosh!
Bang!
"Ugh!"
As he swung his sword, an explosion of heat and cold surged along its trajectory.
It was accompanied by the aftermath of a tremendous force that engulfed the surrounding space.
Bang—!
Boom—!
“You’re insane…!”
The demon reacted hastily, dodging the direct hit.
Confused by the action that disregarded recoil, he attempted to counterattack.
However, it was blocked by the protection of the spirits.
Crunch—
A strange sensation of expansion surged through Hanbit’s body as he unleashed his attacks.
Even in that state, the assault did not stop.
Whoosh—!
Boom—!
Hanbit’s movements, charging forward while treading on the wind, were like a concentrated embodiment of technique.
And as the one-sided attack continued, Nerion’s patience reached its limit.
“Tsk.”
Crack—!
A dark red curtain enveloped him as he quickly retreated.
The two wings on his back were gradually spreading out.
“It will be a heavy cost, but I will obliterate a part of this continent. You are a human who will be a threat to us…!”
Crunch—!
In an instant, something brushed past Neron's back like a flashing light.
His right wing had vanished before he knew it.
Blood gushed from that spot in no time.
Swoosh—!
“Ugh!”
Overwhelmed by pain, Neron turned his eyes to assess the situation.
Above him stood Elencia, a demon with uniquely spread wings, holding the torn-off wing.
“…Awakening?”
The half-demon he thought had fled the city.
She had appeared awakened and torn off his own wing.
Nerron clenched his teeth, and rage instantly filled his eyes.
“You pathetic mongrel…!”
“Do you have the luxury to do that?”
“What?”
Boom—!
A violent explosion interrupted their conversation and engulfed Neron’s vision.
“Ugh!”
The demon was pushed back by the tremendous impact.
The impact of losing a single wing was far greater than expected.
It was not merely a center of gravity, but a part that significantly influenced the composition of his power.
Crack—!
Ejecting a dark red electric shock, he barely regained his balance and extended both arms.
The widespread destructive technique attempted just moments ago.
It was a magic that would cause a massive crest of the House of Belzenor to appear in the sky and unleash a rain of black.
However, neither the given circumstances nor the balance of power was right now.
Whoosh!
Before the first red line could even be drawn, Hanbit surged forward once again.
The flames and ice intermingled in the blade were now pouring out their final full power.
“It’s over.”
Whoosh!
Boom!
The blade, having struck Neron’s shoulder, spewed out an aftershock along with the explosion.
It engulfed the demon’s entire body, creating a large diagonal wound.
“Cough!”
Neron opened his eyes wide at the sudden surge of pain.
A demon who had lived a comfortable life at home, far removed from the front lines.
It was obvious he wouldn't even remember when he last sustained such a wound.
Moreover, in this situation, having lost a wing as well, it would be difficult for him to make proper judgments.
“Now!”
Reading his mind, Hanbit raised his voice.
At the same time, Elencia moved.
Whoosh!
Rushing forward with a sound that sliced through the air, she grabbed Neron by the neck.
Then, she began to fly straight toward the castle wall.
Whoosh!
Hanbit also quickly followed, swept up by Aerial's wind.
"Where is the key?"
asked Nereis, the water spirit who had been following their movements.
The key, the tool used to open and close the rift.
Although the entire intermediate process had been lost, it was not a problem as long as Elencia, who had awakened as a demon, was present. After all,
the key was currently fused within her body.
“It is with Princess Elencia. If you approach the rift, you will naturally figure out the method.”
“Then it means we just need to push that in and it’s done. It’s a shame we couldn’t kill it, though.”
Nereis showed lingering regret at not being able to sever the demon’s lifeline.
However, he could not simply decapitate it immediately.
If the energy of evil were to spread along with its death, this kingdom would be contaminated and turned into a desolate wasteland. This
had been a major issue in past wars against demons as well.
“Concentrate. It is opening.”
The rift of evil spread across the castle wall was still shimmering intensely.
Blocking the way were a purple area and countless spheres.
It was the spatial magic used by Ivela.
*Squeak*—
*Screech*!
The monsters, their movement blocked, remained stuck in the middle, unable to escape the rift.
It was a perfect response, typical of Ivela.
Sssss—
Just then, she, who had been watching the situation closely, swung her staff to withdraw the magic.
At the same time, a massive amount of water mist scattered from below.
Raffina had made a move.
Swish!
The flow rate increased dramatically as Nereis gained some breathing room.
The water mist instantly enveloped the entire rift.
Then, Luna, who had been waiting alongside her, swung her sword.
Quadruple!
The intense cold rising from below rode the scattered water mist and spread out in an instant.
The monsters attempting to escape the demon's realm were frozen solid.
Whoosh!
Seeing the scene below, Elencia maintained her speed and headed toward the opened rift.
Neron, still held by the neck, was unable to offer proper resistance.
This was because the power of the two supreme spirits had not let up their hold.
“These wretched things……!”
Crack!
The demon spewed curses and unleashed crimson sparks.
However, such pathetic resistance could not resolve any problem.
Whoosh!
Reaching the boundary of the rift, Elencia slowed and stopped.
Staring at Neron with a cold expression, she quietly murmured,
“Tell your clan head. That I will come to see you in person soon.”
“A mere half… you…”
The demon, barely managing to pour out words while his throat was constricted,
saw the rage emanating from his trembling lips as intense.
“I don’t know yet how far that half… is capable of going. In any case, disappear now.”
Elencia released her grip on his neck and tried to push Neron away.
But.
Tight—!
The demon, gripping her arm, was twisting the corners of his mouth.
“I’ll… take you away just like this.”
Neron’s left wing, having already reached beyond the rift, gradually pulled her body inside the boundary.
“Ugh!”
Elencia could not shake off his arms.
The demon’s last ounce of strength and obsession was that powerful.
However, this was the situation Hanbit had desired.
“Both of you, I beg of you.”
“Huh?”
“What… … .”
Whoosh—!
Hanbit abruptly spoke to the two spirits and charged forward with a Leap of Wind.
Just as he twisted his body and swung his sword, a curtain of sharp wind and water gathered around the blade.
Having anticipated this force, Hanbit naturally continued his movement.
Whoosh!
Slash!
The blade dug into Neron's forearms.
It created wounds deep enough to cause a massive amount of blood to flow.
"Ugh!"
Neron momentarily lost his strength due to the intense pain.
Hanbit spun his body and kicked him hard in the chest.
Bang!
Whoosh !
The demon, pushed back, crossed the boundary of the rift and was sucked inside.
In Neron's eyes, which were the last thing to touch, were filled with rage and bewilderment.
"Princess."
"Ah, yes!"
Elencia, who had widened her eyes for a moment, responded immediately.
Reaching out her hand, she carefully touched the shimmering black area.
At that, a black haze began to rise across the entire rift.
Whoosh—
the change that soon followed was immediately visible.
The gap stretching along the castle wall was shrinking at a rapid pace.
“It feels like my mana is draining away,”
Elencia murmured, sensing a strange sensation.
Concentrating with her eyes closed, she controlled the flow of mana more boldly.
Thanks to that, the rift connecting to the demon realm closed completely in no time.
“Is it… the end?” Elencia turned her head and asked as she gazed at
the castle walls, which had returned to their original form. Hanbit nodded in response. “Yes, it is the end. Thank you for your hard work.” “…Ah.” *Swoosh*— As he gave the confirmation, Elencia momentarily lost her balance. Hanbit caught her and slowly descended to the ground. “It might be the aftereffects of using your power immediately after awakening. You should get some rest.” “Thank you. I don’t know how to thank you both.” Elencia’s gaze fell upon the two spirits standing beside her. Their diametrically opposed stances showed that their relationship remained unchanged. "It’s not like it’s unrelated to us. It’s unpleasant to see this land being ravaged by demons." "Well, that’s true." The two spirits shared the same opinion. Nereis, who had been surveying the surroundings for a moment, looked at Hanbit and said, "You seem very accustomed to handling spirits." "Have we met before?" She narrowed her eyes and asked, as if digging into his very core. Hanbit shrugged and said, "Perhaps. Thankfully, I have a body that is easily influenced by spirits." "Hmm." Nereis met his gaze silently for a while. Not sharing the story of the past held little significance for the spirits. After all, newly connecting and gaining their acceptance was an absolutely necessary process. At least the effect of the title of Recorder No. 55 had drastically shortened that time. "Well, it doesn't really matter. It was quite an interesting experience. There are things ahead of us, so come visit the Holy War later." *Swoosh!* Leaving those words behind, Nereis vanished along with a water droplet. Watching her go, Ariel shrugged and said, "Nereis and I will both focus on recovery for the time being. Sylph will tell you how to get to the Holy War, so come when you are ready." "Understood. Thank you for your help." "You guys did a great job. It seems there are many excellent humans in this generation. " "Then, see you later." Whoosh! Ariel, having offered a greeting, also vanished with the wind. His tone, much kinder than before, was like proof that he acknowledged the other person. "It ended well." "I was worried you might make a mistake, but I'm glad." Luna and Rafina, who approached shortly after, looked relieved. Given the significant importance of their roles, the pressure must have been immense. "That's enough of a brief reflection. Shall we head back for now?" Ibella, who had appeared out of nowhere, was exactly the same as usual. She appeared unfazed despite having consumed a considerable amount of mana. Turning his gaze toward the direction of the shelter, Hanbit spoke. "Let's go."
