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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Prøks]
[Proofreader - Prøks]
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Chapter 203: Noble
Flame.
The incandescent heat that bloomed from the unknown darkness beyond the sky and revealed itself to the world was like Samael's will—obscured, yet never extinguished, eternally burning.
Samael's incantation, fueled by seven circles.
'Ugh.'
Perhaps it was due to forcibly opening the circles.
A shattering pain tore through my heart, yet a contrasting emotion surged within me simultaneously.
Euphoria.
The corners of my lips curled upward, a smile I couldn't suppress.
Success or failure?
Saaaaaaa—!
The answer resonated in the scorching shockwaves erupting from all directions.
If forced to choose between the two, it was closer to success.
It was a gamble from the start.
The experiences of the expedition, where life and death intertwined, had vividly etched the magic wielded by my comrades into the depths of my mind, like a brand.
However, the 7th Circle was a different story.
An incantation that even high-ranking sorcerers of Samael in the past could only manifest by pouring their entire will into its imagery.
The Heat System, boasting the most extensive destructive power among all flame-attribute incantations.
And among them, the very first incantation.
7th Circle, Heat System.
Meteor.
The surging waves of mana that had filled my body receded like the tide.
The barrier that cloaked the sky shattered, and as the incandescent shadow descended through the fragments, euphoria washed over me.
The reason for choosing the incantation that summoned the meteor among the Heat System incantations was surprisingly simple.
It was not only the most powerful incantation to resolve the current situation but also the one I was most confident in executing.
Samael's signature incantation.
The most vivid incantation etched in my memory from those my comrades had once wielded.
"Haa..."
Bang—!
The moment the erupting shockwave slammed into me and passed, a metallic scent of blood filled the air.
I swallowed the bitter taste rising in my throat.
Judging by the intensity of the shockwave, its power was undeniably far less than the incantations cast by Samael's elder mages or the Archmage in the past.
However, even this level was difficult to withstand completely at present.
"Grooooan!"
"Gah!"
Groans erupted from all directions, enveloped in the ash-grey fog.
Though the scene resembled a chaotic hell...
These were not screams of despair.
I could sense it—the barrier erected by my subordinates offsetting the heat of the shockwave from behind.
I could also sense the barriers manifested by the Six-Dominion Sword, Altair, and the other knights.
My gaze remained fixed forward.
The moment the meteor struck, all the cold had vanished, and the corrupted earth had melted away in the heat.
Still, I needed to confirm it with my own eyes.
Rumble—!
With each step, I pressed forward against the violently trembling ground.
Saaaa—!
The ash-grey fog slowly dissipated, revealing a glimpse of the landscape at the center.
The barrier was nowhere to be found, replaced by a massive crater, a fiery pit.
'Hmm.'
Although I had anticipated this sight...
A strange sense of unease crept over me.
I paused, closed my eyes, and listened intently.
The screams were gradually fading.
Zion, Makan, Arin, Palge...
The life force of my subordinates, along with others, became distinctly perceptible.
"Ugh, where's the Commander?"
"He's ahead!"
"Don't let your guard down. The aftershock isn't over yet."
The voices of my subordinates, regaining their senses, reached my ears.
"...Wh-What is this?"
"Ah, ah..."
Gasps of pure astonishment replaced the fading screams.
I surveyed the surroundings, still shrouded in ash.
The aftershock of the incantation raged on.
There were no unexpected variables.
Yet, why?
Despite the situation unfolding as predicted, the unease lingered.
A nagging sensation, like insects crawling in my gut.
Baaaaang—!
I continued forward, pushing against the persistent heat of the shockwave.
At the heart of the crater...
Something caught my eye amidst the ash-grey fog.
'...Hmm.'
The fog was too thick to see clearly.
As I pressed on, a strange inscription etched into the ground came into focus.
Saaaa—
A tailwind seemed to rise from somewhere, but I kept my gaze fixed forward.
'It's not writing.'
It resembled a pattern more than an inscription.
As if a giant brush had swept across the earth, leaving a single, horizontal stroke (一).
Wheeee—
When the tailwind intensified, making my steps feel noticeably lighter, I could clearly discern the nature of the pattern.
'Split?'
The ground at the center was sharply split, as if by an earthquake.
The earth had been cleaved vertically, creating the illusion of a horizontal stroke (一).
Rumble—.
Suddenly, the entire area around the split ground shook violently.
It was as if...
It was breathing, inhaling something.
I finally understood the source of my unease.
"This is fucked up."
The westernmost edge of Keplan.
An identical image to the entrance of the Restricted Demon Realm was now unfolding before my eyes.
Even as I laughed bitterly, an immense surge of energy seized me.
Baaaaang—!
The ground buckled violently, and an intense wave of force slammed into the area, pulling everything towards the center.
It wasn't a tailwind.
It was suction.
The surging energy felt like a furious roar of rage.
I instantly activated Spatial Acceleration to escape the area of effect.
But to my astonishment, an even stronger force, several times more powerful, seized my entire body.
"...!"
This was no natural phenomenon.
Baaaaang—!
In a fleeting instant, an irresistible wave engulfed me like a raging storm.
A hollow laugh escaped my lips.
A laugh that seeped out involuntarily, as if through a pinhole in my mouth.
Instead of resisting the pull, I surrendered to it, throwing myself towards the entrance of the Demon Realm.
"Ruin Samael!"
I turned my head at the sudden voice.
The ash-grey fog that had filled my vision...
The space ahead seemed to vanish as if sliced apart, and Black emerged from within.
I quickly took in the sight of the others appearing within the cleaved space.
Baaaaang—!
A massive storm surged.
The entrance to the Restricted Demon Realm.
Like an earthquake, the ground split open, and a colossal storm swallowed Black and me.
* * *
The sensation of falling didn't last long.
The ash-grey fog and the shockwave's aftereffects vanished in an instant.
As soon as my feet touched the ground, I looked up to see nothing but darkness.
Had the Demon Realm closed in that brief moment?
A suffocating silence.
Not a single sound could be heard, as if we had suddenly sunk to the bottom of the ocean.
"Are you there, Ruin?"
"Yes."
Black's voice, coming from the left, resonated throughout the space.
He muttered quietly,
"This is the source."
Pitch-black darkness.
The true source of the icy walls that emitted endless cold and the endlessly proliferating Demon Realm was here.
The entrance to the Demon Realm, revealed only after the surrounding area had been annihilated by the meteor.
Its true form, exposed only after being struck by a 7th Circle, highest-ranking incantation.
This demonstrated just how thoroughly those responsible for the current situation had prepared and planned for the worst-case scenario.
"That was an incredible spell."
"..."
"I mean it."
"Why did you follow me?"
"I felt it."
Black's voice was rough.
The fact that Black instantly activated his Heart's Void Style meant he also sensed the same abnormality I did.
Black glanced around and said,
"This is a veritable abyss."
"It's the Myriad Demon Assembly."
"...Somehow, I don't think you're just saying that."
"The Summoning."
"What?"
Black, about to retort, abruptly swallowed his words.
I had experienced this space before.
Until now, I was ignorant of the Myriad Demon Assembly's intentions, but now it was clear.
The location where the Seven Demons conference had been held.
A space filled with nothing but pitch-black darkness, as if plunged into the depths of the abyss.
It was the same then as it was now.
There could only be one explanation.
There was only one thing the Myriad Demon Assembly would consider important enough to go to such lengths.
'The Summoning.'
The event Parin had first mentioned, the one that the Seven Demons, led by The white heron, unanimously considered paramount.
"This seems to be it."
An ominous premonition rang alarm bells in my mind.
This was where the Summoning would take place.
Black and I held our breaths, extending our senses.
The surroundings remained shrouded in darkness.
What was the Summoning?
I had some conjectures, but I couldn't be certain.
However, this situation wouldn't be pleasant for the Myriad Demon Assembly either.
No matter how meticulously they had planned, they couldn't have foreseen getting struck by a meteor.
Furthermore, they were unaware that I knew about the 'Summoning.'
Saaaa—!
Just then, a faint light emerged within the darkness-filled space.
"..."
As if on cue, Black and I looked towards the source.
Our vision cleared in the lower right diagonal direction, revealing a multitude of grotesque creatures bowing their heads towards a single point.
Monsters.
Following their gaze towards the direction they were bowing, light spread, revealing a staircase of black.
At its peak sat a throne enveloped in darkness.
Though someone seemed to be seated there, their form was invisible, completely obscured by a dark mist.
Silence still reigned.
While luck sometimes struck at unexpected moments, this was not one of them.
Luck wouldn't appear in this situation.
They were undoubtedly aware of my presence.
There was a clear reason why they were ignoring me.
The being controlling them hadn't issued any commands.
Black pointed a finger.
"...That one's a demon."
The ranks of monsters.
The closer they were to the throne, the more human-like their forms became.
Among them, the humanoid creature bowing closest to the throne clearly signified a higher-ranking monster.
Black was right.
A demon.
Moreover, it was clearly not an ordinary one.
The higher the rank of a demon, the more closely it resembled a human.
Whether that one was truly a demon, or a human who had undergone demonification, was impossible to tell.
But one thing was certain: the being this demon was worshipping.
Ultimately, the one sitting on the throne...
"Have you figured it out?"
"A Named demon."
The moment I uttered those words, the demon and monsters bowing towards the throne simultaneously turned their heads towards me.
Snap—!
The sight of all those monsters glaring at me was chilling, but my gaze was drawn slightly upwards.
To the throne shrouded in darkness.
The mist gradually formed the shape of a finger, pointing directly at me.
I couldn't help but laugh.
"Ruin."
"It has a name."
"Why are you laughing?"
"How can I not?"
Yes.
This was right.
If a demon had appeared, then it was only fitting for these guys to show up as well.
Suddenly, Black started laughing along with me.
Laughter was contagious, but I didn't know why Black was laughing.
In any case, there was only one type of demon that could be sitting on that throne right now.
A Named demon.
An existence on a completely different level from others.
"Nobles."
The demons who called themselves noble beings.
Those bastards.
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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Prøks]
[Proofreader - Prøks]
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