I Picked up the Demon King - Chapter 131

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 131

 

“Are you okay?”

 

“For now.”

 

Shtidy answered briefly and nodded. Johnny, who had drawn his Holy Sword and stood facing Kaella as if protecting her, couldn’t see that gesture, but he could sense it with his sharply heightened senses.

 

“That thing, no matter how I look at it… it’s similar, isn’t it?”

 

Johnny nodded at the question mixed with slight hesitation. Without taking his eyes off Kaella’s movements, he shouted.

 

“Albeng!”

 

The answer came from a little distance away.

 

“I’m dying from exhaustion, can’t we rest a little?”

 

Albeng was running over, panting heavily. Right beside him, Sherry was looking at him as if he were pathetic, but Albeng had his own reasons to defend himself.

 

Using Holy Power, he could instantly recover his tired body. However, if they entered combat, the small amount of Holy Power consumed there could make a big difference. Since the battle had entered a lull, he wanted to observe the situation.

 

“It wouldn’t matter if they waited for us over there.”

 

Johnny said, pointing his Holy Sword toward Kaella.

 

“Hey guys? Could you wait a little?”

 

“I don’t think that’s going to work.”

 

Albeng glanced over there, then shrugged his shoulders and let out a sigh.

 

“I knew this would happen.”

 

“No, let me just say…”

 

“The opponent is the Black Tower Master. A former companion of the Second Hero, Ruin Epeldor. She’ll be stronger than anyone we’ve faced so far.”

 

Kaella waved her hand and tried to speak, but they didn’t listen.

 

What the Hero’s Party had faced so far wasn’t just monsters. They knew well how cunning and cowardly the Dark Mages who had lived for long years could be.

 

“So, we win. Just like we always have.”

 

“Is this enough waiting for you?”

 

The waiting was clearly a lie.

 

“What are our juniors chattering about among themselves in front of their senior?”

 

One must not listen to the enemy’s words. Shtidy’s unusual state was also likely due to her mind being shaken while taking advantage of her anger.

 

“Fine. If you want to fight that badly.”

 

“Come, Witch.”

 

When the Hero finished speaking, the mist had already reached before him. It was an ambush that would have devoured him if he had relaxed even slightly.

 

However, the Hero quickly swung his Holy Sword and split the mist apart.

 

A beat later, Shtidy’s magic and Albeng’s Divine Magic struck the mist.

 

“It’s fine! With the Holy Sword, I can endure!”

 

“Understood. We’ll focus on whittling down the enemy’s strength. Shtidy.”

 

“I’ve finished analyzing. Even if it’s too much alone, we can win if we all work together.”

 

Kaella, who had been watching them cross their arms and burn with fighting spirit, let out a sigh.

 

“Well then. Since you were the ones who subjugated this, you’d naturally be prepared. Then…”

 

She reached out and snatched the staff floating in the void.

 

“This isn’t my specialty!”

 

“Here it comes!”

 

Magic circles extending out once again. The Hero swung his sword and destroyed several, but there wasn’t just one magic circle.

 

Attack magic spewed forth from the magic circles. Even the ones that had been destroyed were instantly restored, and attacks poured down in succession.

 

“Ugh…”

 

The Holy Sword cut through the magic. But after that, and after that too. Magic continued endlessly.

 

The Holy Sword alone couldn’t defend against it all. Holy Power dwelt in his body, and Shtidy’s magic intercepted the attacks, but it wasn’t enough.

 

“Didn’t I tell you? To consider the compatibility between magics as important.”

 

Even while watching the Hero’s Party struggle against the continuous magic, Kaella wore a dissatisfied expression.

 

Her eyes were directed toward Shtidy, who was gritting her teeth and intercepting the magic.

 

The ground, close to a desert, was soaked by the rain that had fallen earlier and froze as the temperature dropped.

 

Naturally, the magic Kaella used was focused on ice-type spells, but for some reason, Shtidy was just frantically casting magic like before.

 

That’s what she thought.

 

“Look. If you just use anything like that, you can’t keep up with my speed… Hah!”

 

Until the fragments of magic used so far. Ice fragments flew from an invisible angle and grazed Kaella’s neck.

 

Kaella is a Dark Mage. Not a Monster.

 

Unlike some Dark Mages, she hadn’t modified her body, and aside from forming a Mana Core, she was no different from an ordinary Human in other aspects.

 

Even a small Ice Fragment lodged in her neck would be a fatal wound. She could die.

 

“Our junior here. Your learning ability isn’t bad, is it?”

 

“It’s the privilege of a young Mage.”

 

Compared to any magic Shtidy had used so far, while the power might be lacking, the danger was overwhelming.

 

However, upon hearing Shtidy’s mockery, Kaella just innocently tilted her head.

 

“Well… I should be younger, shouldn’t I?”

 

Shtidy’s movements, which had been frantically chanting spells, stopped for a moment. It was only brief. But during that brief moment, Kaella regained the composure she had lost.

 

“Didn’t you know? I’m seventeen now. Same with the other kids.”

 

“Other kids…”

 

What flashed through Shtidy’s mind were the faces of the Second Hero and the Saint. It’s been almost two years since they defeated the Demon Lord. But if she’s seventeen now, that means she was fifteen back then…

 

“The Witch is talking nonsense.”

 

“Nonsense?”

 

Hero Johnny dismissed Kaella’s words.

 

“Stop fooling around.”

 

“Albeng!”

 

“Y-Yes.”

 

An explosion occurred. The mist split and a gap became visible.

 

“I manifested the Divine Authority that was called a Great Demon. Even if it’s an imitation, it shouldn’t be broken through so easily, should it?”

 

“This much is nothing.”

 

Shtidy forced a smile while glaring at Kaella, but she was lost in her own thoughts and paid no attention.

 

“Using the Holy Power and Mana Repulsion? I’ve never tried this before. It must have worked because of the incomplete Divine Authority, right? Perhaps even with Divinity….”

 

There was no way to miss that opening.

 

Sherry appeared behind Kaella. Her emergence at this moment when no one was paying attention. Movement like a complete shadow, without even a trace of presence. Kaella defensively allowed the unexpected strike.

 

Or so it seemed.

 

Multiple layers of Invisible Barriers, deployed at an unknown time, deflected Sherry’s dagger.

 

“Even when generations change, the basic structure doesn’t change, does it.”

 

“Wh-what…. It’s a Dragon Fang Dagger….”

 

“Is that all you prepared?”

 

Black Mist stretched out like hands and snatched Sherry’s body.

 

“This makes you a complete downgrade from Cain.”

 

“…!”

 

“At least Cain didn’t freeze up when his attack failed. Is the weather getting chilly?”

 

And she laughed while covering her mouth.

 

“Just kidding.”

 

At her words while waving her hand dismissively, Sherry struggled. Shtidy and Albeng coordinated to free her, but Kaella retreated backward while gripping Sherry as if she were war spoils.

 

“The skill gap is too large. Is it lack of experience? Even so….”

 

Suddenly, a flash of light streaked toward Kaella.

 

Kaella reflexively tried to block with the magic protecting her back, but it couldn’t hold for even a moment and shattered.

 

The trace of a massive slash attack split the ground. Moreover, it wasn’t even aimed at attacking Kaella.

 

Sherry was freed from her restraints without a single wound on her body.

 

“…You’ve become a different person.”

 

Johnny exhaled and readjusted his grip on his sword.

 

His stance was different from before. It wasn’t a tremendous difference. However, the subtle change created an enormous sense of pressure.

 

The overwhelming power of that attack just now, and the finesse that surpassed it. There was a considerable gap between this and Hero Johnny’s abilities that Kaella knew and had been informed about.

 

“That’s the First Hero’s Holy Sword, isn’t it?”

 

Kaela Rowan combined the information she had and instantly found the correct answer.

 

The Holy Sword used by the First Hero. According to legend, it was an Ego Sword with its own consciousness.

 

“Surrendering your body to a weapon. How pathetic.”

 

Johnny. No, the consciousness of the Holy Sword that had taken over his body didn’t react to the mockery. It simply pointed the sword calmly, only watching for an opening in Kaella’s guard.

 

“It seems I’ve been playing around too much.”

 

Black Mist swallowed Kaella’s body.

 

Shtidy and Albeng hurriedly searched for Kaella. However, they couldn’t find any trace of Kaella anywhere.

 

-Can you stop this too?

 

At the echoing voice, everyone belatedly looked up.

 

That’s right.

 

Kaella had revealed herself in the distant sky. Beyond the clouds that had gathered as she cast her magic.

 

Kaella looked like a small dot.

 

However, the Magic Circle extending from her completely covered the sky. It was overwhelming power and size that didn’t feel small at all.

 

“That is…”

 

Shtidy suddenly drew in a breath.

 

“Do you know what that is?”

 

Shtidy recalled memories from a little over a year ago from now. The day when the Dragon attacked the Imperial Capital.

 

The sky that the Hero had cut down along with the Dragon. And the massive Magic Circle that had covered the sky. Even though he had been completely distracted by the crowd swept up in madness, that overwhelmingly large Magic Circle had clearly entered his vision.

 

As the Magic Circle emitted a faint light, the blue sky turned black. It was as if a hole had been pierced through it.

 

At that time, he couldn’t understand what it meant. But now it was different. Now that he had gained skills counted among the best on the Continent, not just any ordinary mage, he could interpret that Magic Circle.

 

That’s why I collapsed right there.

 

“Meteor, Summoning…!”

 

A meteor that had been drifting beyond the world crossed through space and struck the Continent directly. There was no point in fleeing anywhere. Even if I ran beyond the border in an instant, it would be useless.

 

It was a true disaster.

 

* * *

 

“Is this how it ends? I had quite high expectations.”

 

The demon lying in the shabby room, wiggling his feet, let out a sigh.

 

“Couldn’t the Hero stop it, you ask? No. It’s already too late. This is an attack that devastated one-third of the Demon Realm in an instant. Maybe the first generation or Ruin Epeldor could handle it, but that one isn’t complete yet. A defective product that can’t be completed even after completing all the trials. In a way, you could say it’s just like you.”

 

Even while speaking of the danger of magic, his voice carried no sense of crisis. Considering that his true identity was the king of all demons, this was perhaps natural.

 

For him, who had transcended the framework of living beings, only the Holy Sword could cause him harm.

 

“He won’t die.”

 

The demon, who had been listening to something, chuckled and said.

 

“Even if injured, he’ll somehow survive. Yes. Only the Hero won’t die.”

 

He declared it. That the Hero would not die.

 

Conversely, that meant everyone except the Hero would die. Not only Shtidy and Albeng, but even those in the Black Tower including Remal couldn’t escape its effects.

 

“Do you want to save them?”

 

In his usual subtle tone, the demon spoke. As if he would save them if I desperately wished for it.

 

But then he frowned.

 

“I know you’ve put in quite a bit of effort so far. Would it be alright to waste that effort to save those things?”

 

Finally, the demon who let out a sigh said.

 

“Well then, give it a try.”

 

Regardless of the demon’s will, a small magic circle began to be drawn at his feet, emitting a beautiful grayish-white light.

 

It was far too slow.

 

Through the already opened dimensional gate, the meteor began to come into view. The time remaining until catastrophe was merely a few seconds, an instant.

 

The Dark Mages who had secretly poked their heads out from the Magic Tower wailed in denial of the situation.

 

Even in the Holy Nation Capital, days away, the Priests prayed while crying out to the Goddess.

 

The Imperial Emperor rose from the Dragon Throne.

 

The meteor crossed through the dimensional gate. And then.

 

The completed magic circle burst forth with light.

 

“Not bad.”

 

Those who had been waiting for death opened their eyes one by one and looked up at the sky. Only the blue sky remained in that place. The Emperor sat back down on the Dragon Throne.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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