Chapter 28

Descend.

Descend. Descend. Descend.

The one that must not descend has descended.

It’s horrid. An invader, an enemy of the world along with the angels.

A being that destroys worlds. An arch-nemesis of humans, existing on a higher plane.

Even though there’s still some distance, I can clearly see the space being corrupted from here.

A red aura shaped like lightning is encroaching upon the world, repainting it.

I can’t see the demon yet. But the vibrations coming from the heavenly Sword are intensifying.

It’s definitely there.

Even though I came at the request of the Princess, I never expected to face a demon.

In this situation, rescuing the princess alone won’t suffice.

Both angels and demons cannot be left unchecked once they descend. If the realm on the other side expands, it will supply power directly from there, becoming unstoppable.

I accelerate towards the royal palace with the power of the Thunder Sword.

Along the way, there are only fallen humans.

Their magical energy and stamina must have been drained.

If they continue to be drained by the barrier, they’ll die.

But I ignore them.

It’s a demon. If I don’t deal with the demon, we’re all dead anyway, the whole country.

Only anxiety mounts.

Will my power be enough?

Will the trump card really work?

Damn those demon worshippers. They’ve done something truly foolish.

I kick down the doors of the palace and enter.

Inside…the soldiers and knights are all wiped out.

Perhaps because they were closer to the source, they were more heavily drained.

They realized the emergency and came, but their magical defenses didn’t hold.

The kingdom’s mages need to dismantle the barrier quickly.

Even my magical defenses are gradually being breached.

I can feel myself starting to be drained too.

The path to the throne room is open.

Inside…it’s quite the sight.

The king is decapitated, and those who appear to be ministers are crucified on the pillars.

And the crucial princess is bound in the throne room.

Though bleeding from her wrists, she seems to be breathing.

The blood is collected in a chalice.

She’s already quite weakened. As rumored, she’s a beautiful woman with red hair, but her complexion is pale.

A grotesque, skeletal man stands beside her, gazing beyond the throne.

From here, I can’t see his expression, but he seems to be holding something back.

As if overwhelmed by seeing a long-awaited scene.

I approach silently.

I focus my magical power into the Thunder Sword.

Just a little more until I’m in range…

“Don’t you find it moving, the strongest adventurer of the empire?”

So, he noticed me. Well, stealth isn’t my specialty anyway.

“What do you mean? To me, it looks like a nightmare.”

“Ah, yes, Ahavain. You witnessed the descent of an angel and even defeated it, didn’t you?”

“That’s right. So, although it’s different, this is my second time seeing such a scene.”

“Lucky or unlucky, no, I should say lucky. Ordinary humans would never witness this.”

I grip the Thunder Sword.

“How did you defeat the angel? I assume it involves tools related to the Creator King. Do you have any spares?”

“Who knows.”

“Heh. It doesn’t matter. I just wanted to see this scene. That alone is my dearest wish.”

“What a troublesome family. You should have stayed hidden.”

“That’s impossible. You’ll understand once you see. By the way, the angel you defeated is considered lower-ranked. The one I summoned by offering the kingdom is…”

Unfortunately, I couldn’t hear the rest.

The grotesque man’s face was blown off.

Blood spouted grandly from his headless neck.

I seized the moment, ran forward, and grabbed the princess, putting some distance between us.

The one who killed the grotesque man was a girl who had suddenly appeared beside him.

With long black hair, red eyes, and two horns.

She looks young, dressed only in black underwear-like clothing, with exposed skin inscribed with unfamiliar characters.

She’s a demon. Without a doubt. Above the girl’s head is a red rift in space.

The demon licked the blood off her right hand but spat it out as if it tasted bad.

Serves you right. Seems your fervent love call didn’t please the demon.

The demon turns towards me.

One of the purified coins I’m equipped with shatters.

Just being looked at caused one of the cursed defense coins to blow up.

What a formidable opponent.

Her magical power and gaze alone are overwhelming.

Compared to this, even a dragon isn’t worth fearing.

But fighting here is not an option.

The princess is in critical condition. Though I’ve given her a potion, she’ll die in the crossfire.

I need to create some distance…

The demon slowly approaches.

She has a terrifyingly beautiful face.

Now that I think about it, the angel also had a remarkably beautiful face.

Despite being beings from a different dimension, why do they look human?

Even though she has such a lovely face, there’s no charm at all.

The demon opens her mouth.

“Demon Lord? Where is the Demon Lord?”

Her voice is lovely.

The kind that would make you stop in your tracks if you heard it on the street.

At the same time, the Celestial Sword reacts more strongly than ever.

Finally, it wakes up.

“Hey girl, are you lost?”

“Where is he? Where is the Demon Lord?”

She’s not listening to me.

She just looks like an ordinary girl, but damn, the murderous intent is overwhelming.

I guess I’m not even on her radar.

At the same time, the barrier shatters.

Is it the kingdom’s mages? Well done.

I quickly put some distance between us. Once outside the palace, the barrier is gone, but the red encroachment has spread wider.

Mira and the others, who dismantled the barrier, are heading towards me.

I entrust the princess to them and instruct them to leave the capital.

Since the princess is in critical condition, they don’t argue and start moving.

As the mages leave, the demon follows me outside.

She looks around, seemingly searching for the so-called Demon Lord. He’s not here.

“Wake up, you sleepyhead. This is your enemy.”

I unleash the Heavenly l Sword and activate the sealed angel core.