Episode 584: Return to the Demon Realm
“Gasp!”
A deafening crash echoed, leaving Carmenzael frozen in place, eyes wide open.
A sudden, chilling aura enveloped him, paralyzing his entire body.
The beautiful yet unsettlingly manic gaze of Baritan pierced through him, making it hard to breathe.
The intense energy was suffocating, binding him in place as if trapped in a nightmare spun by a succubus, unable to wake.
Even knowing that the end of this suffocation was death, he couldn’t move a finger.
Yet, he survived thanks to Drakan’s swift summoning of a massive ice spear.
The piercing sound that nearly deafened him snapped his mind back to reality.
“Damn it!”
With a burst of energy, Carmenzael retreated, instinctively raising a shield.
His eyes darted around in confusion.
“Why? How is this happening?”
He glanced nervously at Izran.
If the powers and the dark god’s authority were truly sealed, this should be impossible.
But Izran, too, was staring at Baritan with a serious expression, clearly unsettled.
“Damn it! Could it be that Izran’s abilities don’t work?”
That couldn’t be. Izran’s powers were a gift from the Demon King.
If Baritan was a demon, she couldn’t escape its influence.
That was the truth.
If she had somehow bypassed that truth, it meant she had learned something beyond the ways of demons…
“Could it be…?”
Baritan smiled alluringly and slowly assumed a combat stance.
[Have you finally realized?]
Drakan’s voice echoed in Carmenzael’s mind, as if reading his thoughts.
“She’s mastered the martial arts of the warriors.”
[It’s too late for you to realize that. Did you think I was just idling while using warriors as my avatars?]
Drakan’s guess was spot on.
Baritan wasn’t using magic; she was wielding inner strength.
By possessing Zonya, she had learned the ways of the warriors, mastering their control over inner energy.
Though it was an inefficient method, she had to learn it to fully utilize a human body.
And today, it proved unexpectedly useful.
Rumble!
Crash!
Drakan spread his hands, forming two sharp ice spears.
He gripped them, glaring coldly at Baritan.
“Indeed, she’s someone His Majesty would be concerned about. Stay alert. She’s just a lone wolf.”
“Of course. The hardest fish to catch is always the tastiest.”
Carmenzael licked his lips.
Baritan surveyed them calmly.
[Fools. You still don’t sense the difference in power. Your foolish greed will be your undoing.]
“Enough talk! Let’s dance, woman!”
With a flash, the Beheaders charged at Baritan.
Her form flickered as she weaved through the four adversaries, cutting through the emerald storm.
‘When was the last time I felt like this… I remember now. It’s infuriating. Don’t think I’ll die quietly.’
Memories of that long-forgotten day resurfaced vividly in Baritan’s mind.
**
The blizzard raged on.
Her fingertips were numb from the cold.
The wind howled fiercely.
Young Luciel clung to Walter’s back, asking no questions.
She only knew they had to leave urgently.
Just hours ago, Luciel had been playing with a succubus in her dreams.
“You’re quite charming.”
The succubus had said to her.
Though she occasionally met the succubus in dreams, she didn’t understand why she said that today.
But it felt good.
As she played with the succubus, her father’s grave voice interrupted.
She didn’t want to wake from the dream.
The succubus seemed completely enamored with her today.
But the succubus advised her to heed her father’s words.
Reluctantly, she awoke.
Her father’s expression was urgent.
“I’ve given you power. Now, you must live on your own. Don’t even dream of revenge. I only wish for you to live a proud and happy life. This isn’t about right or wrong. Everything moves according to the flow of power. Understand?”
His stern expression made Luciel nod.
She felt she had to agree, though she didn’t fully understand.
Soon after, the clashing of weapons echoed outside.
Words like “traitor” and “rebellion” reached her ears.
Her father entrusted her to his loyal retainer, Walter.
Walter, ever faithful, nodded with determination and carried Luciel away.
Her father’s last words were to survive at all costs.
Walter carried her through the snowy mountains.
The cold was biting.
Walter’s feet sank deep into the snow.
Soon, pursuers appeared.
Shouts and curses echoed behind them.
The distance closed rapidly.
Walter set Luciel down briefly and drew his sword.
His blade flashed, cutting through the enemies.
Screams erupted, blood splattered, and bodies piled up.
Walter was a one-man army.
He felled dozens of demon knights alone.
Walter seemed invincible.
Even as enemy blades pierced his body, he fought on like a beast.
The enemies were mere prey to him.
After dispatching the last pursuer, Walter staggered back to Luciel.
“Are you alright, miss?”
His voice was gruff, but his eyes were warm.
Tears welled up in Luciel’s eyes.
She hadn’t cried when she heard her father’s words at dawn.
She hadn’t shed tears when she saw her mother’s body while fleeing.
But the warmth in Walter’s voice melted her frozen heart.
Luciel broke down in tears.
Walter silently embraced her.
The scent of blood clung to him.
But it was proof of his protection.
Whether it was his blood or the enemy’s.
Somehow, she found comfort in that scent.
Walter collapsed.
Luciel climbed onto his back again.
Walter pushed through the blizzard, running once more.
The pursuers were relentless.
They had no choice.
Their footprints in the snow and the trail of blood made them easy to follow.
When the pursuers closed in, Walter set Luciel down and fought.
Luciel watched his battles without blinking.
Perhaps she sensed that one day, she would have to fight like Walter.
For two days, this cycle continued.
Walter carried Luciel, fought off pursuers, and carried her again.
When the final group of pursuers arrived, Walter’s eyes were darker than ever.
Their words had struck a nerve.
“As of today, the 21st Demon King is His Majesty Tarant. Duke Tualan has been executed.”
Walter protested the reversal of traitor and loyalist, but the pursuers scoffed.
Enraged, Walter annihilated them.
But this time, he was gravely injured.
His previous wounds had caught up with him.
Yet Walter approached Luciel with the same gruff expression.
“Are you alright, miss?”
This time, Luciel didn’t cry.
“Yes, I’m fine.”
Her confident reply brought a faint smile to Walter’s lips as he lifted her onto his back.
After the last pursuers were gone, no more came.
But Walter was in bad shape.
Carrying Luciel, he stumbled frequently.
Luciel insisted on walking, and Walter finally set her down.
They walked for what felt like an eternity.
Thud!
Walter collapsed into the snow.
Looking back, Luciel couldn’t tell how far they’d come.
The landscape was a sea of white.
Walter’s breathing was labored.
“Are you okay, mister?”
Luciel asked, and Walter nodded with a faint smile.
“Be strong. Survive.”
“Yes. But get up. It’s too cold here.”
“I’m sorry, miss. I need to rest a bit.”
With that, Walter closed his eyes.
He promised to wake soon.
But he didn’t open his eyes for a long time.
Luciel shook his cold body, calling out.
“Mister. Please, wake up…”
Walter didn’t respond.
“You said you’d wake up soon. How long do I have to wait? Please, get up.”
As expected, there was no response.
Tears welled up in Luciel’s eyes once more.
She collapsed onto Walter’s broad chest, sobbing uncontrollably.
In a voice choked with tears, she murmured, “You’re such a sleepyhead, mister.”
When she finally lifted her head, she found herself surrounded by dozens of pursuers, their intent clear and menacing.
Swish! Slash!
Baritan swung his sword with precision.
Clang!
His blade clashed with Drakan’s icy spear, sending shards flying in all directions.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Ice fragments embedded themselves in the snow.
This place was practically a field of Drakan’s weapons.
With just a gesture, ice spears and swords materialized from thin air.
And each time, Baritan shattered them with a swift stroke of his sword.
“I fought like this that day too, lost in the moment.”
In truth, the memories of that day were hazy.
How had she fought?
When she lifted her head from Walter’s chest and saw the encircling pursuers, her first emotion was rage.
She grabbed Walter’s sword and, in a trance, began to swing it.
The enemy’s screams pierced the air.
She couldn’t recall how or for how long she fought.
When she came to her senses, she stood amidst the bodies of the pursuers.
She was injured too.
Yet, the thrill of having defeated them on her own filled her with a wild, triumphant laughter.
And then she left for a place beyond the reach of Tarrant’s power.
Using the dark god’s power inherited from her father, she altered her appearance.
No one would recognize her true self.
“Since then, I’ve taken the name ‘Baritan’ and lived as a mercenary. Do you really think you, who grew up sheltered in the demon king’s embrace, can defeat someone like me, forged in the fires of real battle?”
Boom!
“Ugh!”
The force of the impact sent Drakan skidding backward.
Was it the vibration?
Rumble.
Crash!
An avalanche roared down from the mountain peak, engulfing Baritan and the Beheaders in its relentless path.