36. Survival is Winning
[I am Belphegor.. Every great evil that rules the swamps of hell.]
It was a low voice like a large rock rolling.
The great devil Belphegor spoke with a voice like that of an old man.
Belphegor’s voice resonates like an echo throughout the cave, and it feels like the terrible low voice is pressing on the chest.
-If Belphegor… Fortunately He is famous for not being active due to his indolence. There is still a chance.
Even with the Great Devil in front of them, the companion was not at all frightened.
I was calmly analyzing the situation, thinking of ways to survive.
But unlike the voice of my companion, I am very frightened.
‘This is… Prime devil?’
Even though it wasn’t a complete descent, the Great Demon exuded a terrifying sense of intimidation.
The demons I’ve dealt with so far have been nothing.
The companion said that the plot of the great demons must be stopped, and that the moment will come when one day you will have to fight them.
‘I’m with something like that… Do I have to fight?’
-Wake up Amy Parker..!! If I collapse now, I will die unconditionally!!!
It’s impossible.
There’s no way I can fight something like that.
It looks like it will break at any moment.
-Pulseok
“Uh..? Why me….”
River knelt before me.
Her face was so pale.
Cold sweat broke out on her forehead, and although she didn’t let go of the sword, her hand was shaking.
-Oops… ! You’re holding back thanks to the coat of the hangma, but Simoa is naked. There’s no way ordinary people can withstand the energy of the Great Devil…!
Only then did I come to my senses.
It can’t be broken like this.
Now, I wasn’t alone in this place.
If I break down here, I won’t die alone.
I made up my mind and got up again.
[Really… I sang in a place where it’s not fun. Calling me into a cave like this… Why are you doing what you were doing 1000 years ago again?]
The great demon, Belphegor, started talking about nonsensical things in front of us.
It looked like he had no intention of killing him right away.
Seeing that attitude, my companion exclaimed as if he had seized his chance.
-I’m not thinking of killing him yet. Now is your chance. Use the hourglass..!! It’s an imperfect Advent, but it’s not an opponent I can handle right now..!! Run away quickly!!!!
The hourglass is a special artifact.
Even if the Great Devil spreads a spell to prevent movement in space, the hourglass will work.
Belfegor didn’t even bother killing us, so now was the opportunity to speak slowly.
Yes, there was an hourglass. Use this to escape.
At that time, something important came to mind.
‘Then… The river…?’
The hourglass is an artifact that can only be moved by one person.
If I use the hourglass and disappear by myself… What should I do with River who is left here alone?
-It is an inevitable choice…!
I glanced sideways at River.
“….Get up..Do.. Get up…”
Reaver, who was not afraid even with the devil evangelist in front of him, is trembling.
I didn’t panic, but I still can’t get up on my own.
I can’t escape alone like this.
‘No… There’s still one more left.’
-You’re using it now?! It’s a powerful tool, but it’s not enough for the great demon that has descended!
‘The other side isn’t even a complete Advent!!’
Fortunately, I still have one more trump card left.
You should aim for the moment when you are still careless.
He raised the gun in his left hand and aimed it at Belphegor.
“Saint McInto’s fire…!!!”
-Roaring!!
As soon as I pulled the trigger, holy flames that glowed white again poured down towards the great demon Belphegor.
The seal was released in front of the trigger, and the white flames erupted endlessly.
A wave of pure white flame blew away the black magic and swallowed Belphegor.
No matter how great the devil is, he won’t be fine after receiving the dragon’s breath with divine power.
The only way to survive ‘both’ is to fight.
“Liver… daaa!!!”
Since the silver bullets won’t work, I put the pistol in.
The aura from the raised mithril greatsword flared up.
—————————————————
[That’s unpleasant]
And the flames were extinguished all at once.
“Kyaaah!!!”
As a black storm raged, Mackinto’s fire scattered and River and I were caught in it and slammed into a wall.
It hurts here and there, but I can still move.
But that’s my story that I could barely move.. The river that I couldn’t control my body properly is important.
“Ugh… River… Are you okay?”
“……”
“No…”
Reaver does not move.
It looks like it hit its head while flying.
[Unpleasant. Throwing something dirty like that on me… To me who personally came from hell.]
Belphegor walked out unscathed, though his body was burned.
It was the breath of a dragon with divine power, but at the level of reproduction… It seems that it is only this much.
“Don’t shoot the missionary… I should have fired both shots here.. I did..”
[You’re cocky.]
A black light flashed from the Prime Devil’s fingers, and a black stake was driven into his left leg.
-Fuck!
“Aagh!!!”
I know that showing pain will only make the demon happy, but I couldn’t hold back my screams.
The black stake was no ordinary stake.
I keep feeling pain from the flesh that is touching the pitch-black stake.
It is not that the Great Devil cannot kill himself.
He’s just not killing.
Like watching the ants crawling on the sand without much thought… The great demon Belphegor just keeps them alive because they don’t really need to kill them right away.
A being in the position of an overwhelming force who decides whether to save or kill a life depending on his mood at the moment. That was the Great Devil.
The black stake did not come off the bridge.
“Ugh… !! My legs don’t move…”
In the end, nothing was done.
I should have used the hourglass to run away as soon as I saw it.
Once again, the companion was right.
-You took a lot of damage, but you’re not dead yet. Belphegor doesn’t even bother killing you. Now is your chance..! Even now, if you use the hourglass, you can survive.
Your companion is right.
To survive, you must use the hourglass even now.
You will be able to survive right away.
‘But what next?’
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It is said that the one who survives wins, but if you run away now, there will be no Atlas and no Reaver.
Should I be alone again and fight the demons…?
Is that really what winning is?
“No….”
There is nothing very strange about it.
Because that’s the way I’ve been living.
I somehow survive and fight the demons alone.
Someday I will be able to deal with such a terrifying archevil.
My companion said so, so this must be certain.
But even then I will be alone.
How much longer do I have to live like this?
Until all demons disappear… ?
Will I be able to hold on until then… ?
“What is this…”
Something hot was running down my face, so I thought it was blood, but when I wiped it away, it was tears.
I thought I had dried up because I hadn’t cried in years, but it seems that I still have lingering attachments to the world.
Yes, I have decided.
I took off the hourglass that was hanging around my neck and put it around River’s neck.
Then, as the hourglass was turned round and round, her figure disappeared like a mirage, as if she had never been there.
-You… What have you done!!! Do you really want to die!!!
The transfer of the hourglass surprised my companion.
You may be surprised, I have given up my life now.
“I’m sorry… I… Couldn’t live like that.”
I really enjoyed coming to the academy.
After all my friends died in the manor, I got back what I had forgotten.
“As expected, being alone is scary..”
Atlas reached out his hand…
Liver who saved me when I was caught by a bad person..
I didn’t show any special abilities, but they were just kind to me.
I felt the warmth of a person after a long time.
I thought it would be nice if this kind of time could continue.
So Atlas became a Mine and I regretted it very much.
If I throw away River and run away to live alone, will I be able to live proudly?
No one will be left in the empty lot where the three of us gathered in the morning. Can I survive that?
“I don’t want to leave my friends to die and survive alone… I just want to die….”
Tears flowed freely.
I cried because I was sad that my life was ending like this, but my mouth smiled because I was happy that River was still alive.
A tangled mess of emotions, neither this nor that.
-…Oh… There could be an ending.
My companion also lowered his words as if resigned.
-After all, I couldn’t understand you at all…
Belphegor sighed as he looked at me as if he were a bug.
[It’s a new wave drama that’s not very interesting. I’m fed up now I need to go outside.]
Black demonic energy condensed in Belphegor’s fingers again.
I can’t move my legs with black stakes and I have no strength left in my body.
It was a life that could only be swayed by someone’s words, but he was able to decide his own end.
I didn’t close my eyes.
When you die, even if you die, you will definitely remember the face of the devil who killed you.
I’ve been killing demons so far… But this time I failed.
“Does such a demon… Die?”
-Yes, all demons are not free from 3 weaknesses. Even if it’s an archevil… Do you still remember?
At first, I came up with three ways to kill the demon that my companion told me.
Because it is the most necessary information that you must keep in your head, you must remember it.
The first is divine power
The second is a pure substance
And…
“The third… The third…”
“Hey..Yayayayayayayayayayayayayayayayayayayayayayayayayaya!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”
At that time, an urgent cry was heard from somewhere.
I heard the sound of running footsteps.
Then the sound of footsteps disappeared shortly thereafter.
-Poo Woo Woo!!!
[Quaaa!!!!!!!!]
Something shiny flew like an arrow into Belphegor’s side and pierced it.
It was a sword that shone like the midday sun.
I’ve never seen an aura blade that shines so brilliantly before.
It ended my nightmares as a child, and when I researched it later, I could see what it meant.
The swordsman expressed the aura blade that reached the point where the blade could not be seen.
“At the ‘pole’… Aura Blade…”
Belphegor, with a shining sword embedded in his side, is screaming in pain.
“What are you doing to my canary!!!!!!”
It was Atlas who stuck the shiny sword into Belphegor’s side.