Chapter 895
Episode 224: The Venomous One’s Humiliation (Part 2)
As he made his way back, Lagal’s mind churned with thoughts.
First of all, Keliak Ziphl was simply not an opponent he could handle. Even after unleashing every toxin from the Extreme Poison Zone, he hadn’t managed to scratch him. No matter how many times they fought again, the outcome would be the same.
Even if Keliak chose only to defend and never counterattacked, Lagal was almost certain he’d be the first to fall.
But he couldn’t tell Jito about this.
“Jito cares about me, that’s true… but if I went up against the guy who told me to just stay put like a plant and ended up getting thoroughly beaten? Then Jito might really bite me to death. If I had won… if I had actually beaten him, would things have been different?”
Lagal quickly dismissed that thought.
“Given the circumstances, Keliak is likely connected to the witch. Reporting this to Jito would be madness. If the witch favors this man and shows anger… Jito would definitely kill me. Damn it, what was I thinking attacking him in the first place? Even if I’d won, I wouldn’t have been able to handle the aftermath.”
So, no matter how he looked at it, telling Jito about the fight with Keliak meant certain death—or at best, death after torture.
Seeking help from other Demon Lords was also fraught with problems.
From Lagal’s perspective, no ordinary Demon Lord could take down Keliak. They’d need someone like Paelito, the Supreme Sword of the Demon Realm, or a Demon Lord of comparable strength.
“Paelito… I can’t ask that bastard for help. Not him, no way! I’d rather die. Besides, I secretly smuggled out the Runkandel. Normally, that would be an easy escape, but not this time. Jito won’t protect me.”
Among the top-tier Demon Lords besides Paelito, there were some who would definitely help if Lagal asked.
But what if even they lost to Keliak? If the strongest forces meant to fight for Jito were reduced to ashes before even stepping into the mortal realm?
The responsibility would fall squarely on Lagal.
By the time he reached the castle gates, Lagal accepted that his life was no longer his own. It was a hollow realization, but now it belonged to Keliak.
Lagal wasn’t the type to tear his hair out in regret. His way was to keep moving forward, no matter what had spilled.
“Keliak.”
“Speak.”
“Why did you spare me?”
“You lasted ten seconds. That’s why.”
“No, not that. There must be some other reason.”
“Seems you’ve had time to think while walking. As I said before, I never intended to use you. But since you foolishly started the fight and things turned out this way, what choice do we have? We have to find a path that’s good for both of us.”
“The prisoners, the souls of the Runkandel… was it really someone else who smuggled them out, not you?”
“I remember what Jito said to you the day I arrived here. He mocked you, saying you’re a curious one.”
“Hey, aren’t we supposed to be some kind of comrades in fate now? If word of today’s fight reaches Jito or Paelito and I fall, you fall too, right?”
“Cute, just like Jito said. But no. You’re the only one who’ll fall. However, since you’re handling yourself decently, I’ll tell you the truth as a reward. Yes, I was the one.”
“Damn it! So you were playing with me all along!”
“That depends on how you look at it. So, you’re unhappy?”
“Well, the strong do toy with the weak sometimes. What do you plan to do with those souls? No matter how great you are, they’re already dead. Without our demon powers, you can’t control them. Our people have already subdued and reformed them. Besides, even when alive, they were just Runkandel in name—nothing special.”
“I thought so too. But blood… blood is important.”
Lagal naturally assumed Keliak meant the Runkandel bloodline.
But the “blood” Keliak referred to was the lineage of ‘Ganesto.’
“So, unexpectedly, they have value as hostages? The White Lord or the True Runkandel are that soft?”
“Maybe not the White Lord, but definitely not the True Runkandel.”
“Well, it doesn’t matter since the plan was to capture the White Lord, not the True Runkandel. Your friend shares the same goal, right? After all, even when your friend was thriving in the mortal realm, he was always an enemy of the Runkandel.”
“Lagal.”
“Yes?”
“We had a brief fight, but the Extreme Poison Zone is still sealed off, right?”
“Of course. Once I give the order, every section closes within a minute. And all the outsiders inside the Extreme Poison Zone are probably dead from my poison.”
“Your ability causes mass death but can selectively kill? How does that work?”
“Something like that.”
“So that’s why my lost ancestor fell to you. I think you’ll have many more uses ahead.”
“It feels like just yesterday I became a Demon Lord and finally earned the title of Mara… and now I’m stuck cleaning up after you.”
“I told you, you’ll enjoy even greater power than before. Take it positively. Anyway, it’s good the seal is intact. There’s a spy, Lagal.”
“…What? A spy? Who sent them?”
Lagal tilted his head at the sudden news.
“Probably Biceps. They’re the only ones in the Demon Realm who could have planted a spy on you. One of the underground prison guards. The one managing the lower-level cells just above the bottom floor.”
“Really? How does your friend know that?”
“Call it insight.”
“…Insight? The kind that lets you tell if someone’s a spy just by looking at their face? That’s a power only immortals have.”
“But Jito doesn’t seem to have that kind of insight.”
“That’s something you don’t know, Keliak Ziphl. You call him Jito here, but he might be listening somewhere. Maybe he just finds your antics amusing and lets you slide. Do you think Jito caught all those Demon Gods and Demon Lords by luck?”
“If Jito had that ability, it would benefit me even more.”
Lagal couldn’t fully grasp Keliak’s words. He shrugged and reminded himself that this reckless man’s backer might be the witch.
“Sigh. Anyway, let’s say there is a spy. You asked if the Extreme Poison Zone is sealed because you want to catch and interrogate the spy, right?”
“I told you to think before acting, Lagal.”
“So I shouldn’t interrogate them!?”
“I asked about the seal to know if the spy might have escaped. But since the zone is sealed, the spy must have returned and resumed guard duty. We keep feeding him just the right information.”
“Right information to give to Biceps?”
“Of course, Biceps wants the mortal realm to deal a heavy blow to Jito and the Demon Realm in this war. So they have to help the mortal realm.”
“Ah! Biceps has already allied with the mortal realm’s factions, including the Runkandel. So they can pass information about our prisoners to the Runkandel? To use against Luna?”
“What you just said sounds exactly like what a thinking person would say. But I’m not sure if Biceps has truly allied with the Runkandel. It’s just a guess.”
“Oh, then we’ll feed Biceps information about when the prisoners will be used and see if the White Lord shows up. If the White Lord appears on the battlefield unaware, then Biceps isn’t allied with the Runkandel. But if the True Runkandel or someone else shows up, then they are.”
Keliak genuinely looked surprised at that.
“Impressive… Why did you act like an idiot with a brain like that?”
“Heh. But I don’t have the prisoners.”
“…Back to being an idiot? You’ll release the information to the spy, and I’ll send the Runkandel.”
“I see. Well, I understand now. If those Biceps bastards really have allied with the Runkandel… what’s next? How should we respond?”
“That’s a plan for later. For now, go inside and inform your subordinates. You fought me out of curiosity about my strength and managed to beat me fairly. My magic was flashy and caused great damage in the Extreme Poison Zone, but it didn’t affect you.”
“Maybe we should stage it so it looks like I barely won. Like, you have a few holes in your body, or an arm cut off, or your staff broken?”
“If you want, go ahead. Just know I might counterattack without realizing it.”
“Hmm, no. I’ll just say I won. The underlings won’t suspect anything. Anyone who saw me falter is dead, so no problem.”
“Tell them the prisoners were recaptured by morning. Disguise it thoroughly so the spy doesn’t get suspicious, and fill the lowest-level cells again.”
“Alright, alright. But Keliak, how did you get them out? Witch’s power? Or do you have someone as strong as you on your side?”
Keliak stopped walking and looked at Lagal.
“By the way, you’re still being informal…”
“Hah, if you want, I’ll be formal. I was doing pretty well until just now.”
“That’s not what I meant.”
“Because we’re friends?”
Keliak let out a low chuckle.
“Of course, since we’re friends. Now, it’s your turn to tell me what you want most.”
Ragal’s eyes widened.
“Is there anything beyond sparing my life and saving face? Your mercy moves me to tears!”
“Speak freely. If it’s within my power, I’ll grant your request.”
Ragal didn’t hesitate for a moment.
“Faelito Belgassium. I want to surpass that miserable bastard and become the strongest in the demon realm. And I want Faelito to be reduced to the point where he has to lick my feet just to survive. If you can make that happen, honestly, no matter what crazy things a friend does, I’ll wholeheartedly stand by him.”
Kelliak grinned, summoning the seal of fire on his palm.
“I swear by my name and by fire itself: you will become exactly that.”