65. End!
The demon king has fallen, and the fierce battle that only appears in myths is over.
Since the gods disappeared and those who wanted to become gods were stopped, it can be seen as a victory for mankind.
But the war was not completely over.
This is because the battle between the demons and mankind to annihilate them continued with the demons who wanted to return to the demon realm with the dead demon king’s body.
The beginning was a battle of special forces.
“Take His Majesty!”
“Take Sir Glenn and Commander Sicario too!”
The shadows evacuated the three fainting heroes to the back while blocking the black magicians and the Demon King’s bodyguards.
In the meantime, Ignit’s special powers were revealed one after another.
“We must completely kill the Demon King!”
It looks like he’s already dead, but he had to be killed for sure.
That’s why they rushed to kill the Demon King from all sides.
However, befitting those who have the name of the Demon King’s bodyguard, they broke through the wave of human attacks and arrived at the formation of the Demon King’s army.
-I have to take the Demon King with me.
At the fox demon’s words, the demon corps leaders looked at the demon king’s body, whose eyes were silently closed.
He risked his life to bring the Demon King, but he was already dead.
– He’s not dead yet.
– Can’t you feel your breath?
At the fox demon’s words, the bull-headed demon corps commander tilted his head and said.
Then the other demon commander nodded.
Their body, which had been trained to the limit, felt that the Demon King’s heart had stopped.
Those who led them and challenged the gods were barely beaten by humans.
A demon king who had the ambition to step on the demon god instead of resurrecting it and rise to the ranks of the gods.
The demon lords seemed to shine, so the demon corps leaders were the ones who stood next to the shining one and set out to leave a line in the myth.
But the one who led them disappeared.
The fox demon said while looking at the demon corps leaders who had a blank expression on their faces from a sense of disappointment.
-Once again, the Demon Lord hasn’t died yet.
Having said that, the fox demon pointed to the pattern near the demon king’s chest.
– The Demon King has not yet gone to Hell.
Traces obtained while going to hell as a living body.
After he died, the traces he made to accept that sin in hell have not yet disappeared from his body.
This meant that the soul was still in the body.
-then… … .
– It means that there is still hope.
Having said that, the fox demons spoke to the demon corps commanders.
– There is a possibility that you will wake up if you recover all the lacking magic. so… … Let’s risk our lives to bring our ‘God’ home.
At her words, all the demon corps commanders looked at the demon king in silence and bowed their heads.
Representing them, the bull-headed demon corps leader opened his mouth.
-I will follow your orders from now until I return to the Demon Realm. Any name is fine, so please make sure to take the Demon King to the Demon Realm.
At his words, the fox demon also nodded.
She also owed a lot to the Demon King.
Like other demon corps commanders, he was in danger of being weeded out due to lack of lineage and demonic power, but he stood up to this position as the demon king took over.
He was able to survive and evolve in numerous battlegrounds with the help of the Demon King.
So, this time was a golden opportunity to repay the favor he had received from the demon king.
– Our operation is one. to break through their siege.
Having said that, the fox demons opened the map and drew a straight line from the giant’s mountain range to the gate.
– No other operation required. Break through here before the enemies are fully prepared.
With her command, the demons started to move in unison.
* * *
“Enemies are moving!”
Rokhan, who was concentrating on transporting the emperor to the rear in response to the reconnaissance team’s report, quickly contacted Eshtar.
“You can’t send the demons away like this.”
“I agree.”
The moment the two masters exchanged views, the human army also moved.
The Demon King and the remnants of the past appearing in the middle caused a lot of damage, but he had to move.
“For the sake of the future, we must annihilate the Demon Kings here!”
The soldiers, tired of Rokhan’s command, clenched their teeth and rose from their seats again.
He felt like he was going to die from wounds and exhaustion, but more than that, anger reigned over his head.
The fight to kill each other between those who wanted to survive and those who suffered from evil began.
Compared to the overwhelming power enough to collapse mountains and change the terrain, the fight between the soldiers and the demons was dirty and brutal, far from marvelous.
It felt like fighting in the mud, but humanity continued to fight more fiercely than ever before.
“Kill at least one more guy!”
“Block the way! We need to block them from going to the gate!”
Rokan and Ashtar, who are said to be the best generals on the continent, tried their best to kill even one more demon.
It was because he did not know when he would attack again if he sent the Demon King’s army as it is.
While the battle was fiercer than an all-out war, Kariel and other human heroes were quietly transported to Ignit.
Cariel, who was transported under the escort of dozens of airships, was transported along with the knights of the imperial palace while lying in a coffin full of potions enchanted with all sorts of divine magic.
Kariel was disembarked with the imperial palace knights from the airship dedicated to the emperor.
People from all over the place looked at him with worried eyes.
thud! thud! thud!
The knights of the imperial palace wearing armor carefully carried the coffin containing Kariel and moved to the emperor’s palace.
As soon as they arrived at the emperor’s palace, all the priests and healers rushed into the palace.
“Your wounds are too severe.”
“Your heart rate is too weak.”
“For the sake of sustaining life… … .”
The priests and healers worked together to heal Kariel.
Clearly, it was Kariel who won the fight against the demon king.
But the last one was a problem. His whole body was ruined because he used to gather his strength to the floor to finish off the demon king.
On the other hand, Glenn and Marquis Sicario are also struggling between life and death, but their situation is better than Kariel.
“Is it very serious?”
“… … Yes.”
At Luffiel’s question, the healer lowered his head and answered.
“It is true that we passed the crisis… … When will you wake up… … .”
Thanks to the use of potions and healing magic, there was no damage to his life, but regaining consciousness was another matter.
It is impossible to know how long Kariel will be asleep because he consumed his mental strength beyond the limit.
“after… … What about the others?”
“So are they. Physical recovery is slow because of demons… … .”
All three heroes who will protect humanity are wandering between life and death.
As a result, Luffiel’s expression when he had to announce this to the people of the empire was infinitely darker.
“I will do my best.”
“… … Yes, Your Highness.”
At Rufiel’s command, all the priests and healers bowed their heads and focused on Kariel again.
Rufiel, who glanced at the scene once more, sighed and headed to the place where he was supposed to be, along with the letter of resignation he was holding in his arms.
* * *
-Long time no see?
pure white space.
There, a child greeted Kariel with a smile.
But Kariel just stared at him without saying a word.
“… … .”
The young boy, who was prepared to be beaten with porridge at any moment, put on a puzzled expression.
-I thought you would rush as soon as we met, so it’s surprising?
Kariel was silent for a long time at the boy’s words, then opened her mouth.
“What brought me back. When did you start planning it?”
Instead of answering Kariel’s question, the little boy kept his mouth shut.
“I made a bet with the god of the earth, and what brought me. Is it all planned?”
The boy smiles instead of answering this question.
I don’t know when or where it was planned, but one thing is certain: his plan was a success.
“Isn’t it polite to tell me something if you make a high school student?”
The young boy, who had been silent for a while at Kariel’s question, erased his mischievous smile and looked at Kariel with a serious expression.
Then, in a low voice, he began to explain.
A world that is scheduled for another destruction after the destruction of the Age of Mythology.
To protect this place, God sacrificed everything he had.
He sacrificed much of his power to delay its destruction, which was the time when the first emperor of Ignit existed.
Since then, he has been working hard to delay the destruction, knowingly and unknowingly.
The proof was that he, who should shine brighter than anyone else, was in the form of a little boy.
Nevertheless, destruction could not be prevented.
So, I bet on the world that was destined to be destroyed.
He used all sorts of methods to attract the attention of the gods of other dimensions.
Thanks to that, numerous challengers hid their identities and worked all over the continent. Among them were the people of Earth.
The conditions were simple.
“You must clear the conditions above a certain level.”
He wanted to prevent the destruction of the world he loved, even at the risk of becoming a plaything for other gods.
It wasn’t fun to give them great power and talent like the warriors in the novel.
To clear in the worst conditions.
However, no one has achieved a goal above a certain level in the worst conditions.
Numerous opportunities to prevent destruction under easier conditions disappeared and eventually led to Kariel.
-You managed to protect the empire even in the worst situation. In the end, I succeeded in bringing you back by borrowing the power of the Earth God, and I was also able to find someone to use all my last power I had saved.
The boy smiled while saying that.
No, the face of Shin, who was a boy, was filled with wrinkles before he knew it.
-I used to be handsome.
Kariel asked with a heavy expression at Shin, who was jokingly speaking while looking at his wrinkled hands.
“… … What is your name?”
A god who reincarnated himself and caused all sorts of hardships.
But when I asked for the name of the god that I couldn’t figure out in the end, the god who turned into an old man smiled and said.
– Baldr.
The old man who said so looked down without a word. Then all of a sudden, a panoramic view of the continent was visible on the floor.
The continent he wanted to protect was still in a fierce war, but mankind still survived.
“Why me?”
Kariel asked, looking at Baldr who was curious.
“There was the Demon King who wanted to become a god, and there was Hel who wanted to be resurrected. But why me?”
At his question, Baldr smiled and said.
-The moment hell swallows up the continent, another dimension will swallow up this place.
The moment another dimension is connected through the warped dimension, this place will be destroyed.
Perhaps it will survive as a colony.
But what does that mean? It would be better for him to destroy the world himself, since the creatures he loves so much will live like slaves for eternity.
“What about the demon king? If so… … .”
Baldr shook his head again at Kariel’s question.
The moment the demon king, mad with power, becomes a god, he will move to find another war, and immediately a war across another dimension and world will begin.
Whatever the outcome, Baldr’s world will perish.
-What… … It might be different now.
After saying that, Baldr looked at the soul of the defeated demon king who was lost in thought.
Perhaps due to a single defeat, the Demon King might become a different being from the future Baldr saw.
Hell is also stabilized instead of chaos, so it might be connected in a good way with the continent.
One thing is for sure, all of this is thanks to Kariel who is right in front of her.
-Thank you.
Saying so, Baldr’s body gradually turned into light.
“you… … .”
– As I said before, I put all my energy into it.
Having said that, Baldr smiled.
– It’s cheap for the price of preventing destruction.
“… … What would this world be like without you?”
-Well. Maybe it’ll be okay for a while? A new god might be born and take over this place.
After saying that, Baldr shrugged.
At the point of preventing destruction, what he could do was over. The future is for the descendants to take care of.
Baldr speaks with a relieved expression as if his task is over.
Now he too can go to the place where the brothers who left earlier are in peace.
– You’ve been through a hard time. and… … Thank you for keeping this place.
Baldra, who laughed mischievously until the end, turned into light and disappeared. At the same time, the space maintained by his power also began to crumble little by little.
The moment the entire space collapsed like that, Kariel’s eyes flashed open.
“Here… … .”
familiar space.
And I saw a room full of antique trinkets that I didn’t want to come to.
“Is it the imperial palace?”