The Crazy Battle God Has Returned - Chapter 316
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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A Mad Swordsman Returns – Chapter 316
The situation had become entertaining.
That was what Han Yu-sung thought, concealed among the Demon Forces.
Kakasha, who had read that thought, exhaled a deep sigh.
[Is this truly a situation to find entertaining…?]
‘This is my first time disguising myself this way. Isn’t it thrilling?’
[This one’s heart races with anxiety!]
Han Yu-sung lifted his gaze.
At the forefront of the procession stood Berias, the Demon Forces commander.
Unlike Helud, this demon took a form far closer to that of a monster.
A massive frame, skin resembling that of a reptile.
Countless eyes adorned its body, and impressive fin-like wings sprouted from its back.
‘And roughly a hundred demons follow that creature.’
The demons’ appearances varied wildly. Some bore humanoid forms, others monstrous ones.
And Han Yu-sung stood among them.
Naturally, he had undergone a complete ‘transformation’ into a demon.
[Remarkably, not a single one suspects anything.]
‘The mask’s effect must be responsible.’
The Mask of Hwanrak possessed a potent cognitive obstruction effect.
Thanks to this ability, I could evade suspicion. Even if they looked directly at me, the moment they turned their heads away, they forgot my existence entirely—how could they possibly grow suspicious?
And.
‘Fortune has smiled upon me in many ways….’
How had circumstances unfolded to this point?
Having traversed the passage, Han Yu-sung arrived at the Battlefield of Good and Evil. The battlefield was in chaos, consumed by the ongoing clash between the Celestial Forces and the Demon Forces.
‘It was utter pandemonium.’
How should I move in this situation?
I tracked Helud’s position while surveying the battlefield, rapidly assessing how to proceed through this Trial.
And before long, an opportunity presented itself.
[The Demon Fortress has been completed perfectly!]
The Demon Forces’ Fortress was finished.
In a sense, it was unwelcome news for me.
A completed Fortress meant the Demon Forces’ defenses had grown even more formidable.
It would be harder to kill Helud.
But there was no need to worry.
‘A Trial wouldn’t be this simple.’
It was a conviction born from enduring countless Trials.
They wouldn’t create a Trial where mere defense sufficed. I believed that firmly, so I expected change would come soon.
And sure enough, the Demon Forces began to sortie from the Fortress.
– Check the map provided by Count Helud and move accordingly! The Portal is our top priority! We must block the enemies’ invasion routes!
– All flying Demon Forces, report to Baron Kirtocol!
– We don’t have much time! Hurry!
That became an opportunity for me.
Helud was among those launching the expedition.
Seeing that, I immediately prepared to pursue Helud.
But before I could, others were already chasing him.
“…Helud, don’t think you’ll survive this unscathed.”
It was Berias and the Demon Forces following him.
My mind raced as I observed the scene.
I couldn’t know the exact circumstances, but this Demon Force clearly harbored a grudge against Helud.
And there was something else.
“Count. The orders Lord Balak gave us were to protect the Fortress. If we sortie so recklessly….”
“Hmph. The Marquis I serve is Lord Zariack. Why would I obey someone like Balak? Pay no mind to his orders.”
“…Understood.”
Berias’s current pursuit is not an authorized action.
Perhaps there are factions even within the Demon Forces. Since he was originally in an antagonistic relationship with his superior, he simply refused to follow orders.
‘A rogue demon, then.’
As I continued listening, the situation became clear.
Berias had his territory seized by Helud, and through various other incidents, they had become sworn enemies.
Balak, the Duke leading the Demon Forces here, was aware of this as well.
To prevent the two from clashing, it seemed Helud was assigned the task of attacking the Portal, while Berias was given the role of defending the Fortress.
‘The problem is, he has no intention of following those orders.’
Berias had willfully led his own forces and charged forward.
Needless to say, it was to kill Helud.
This was an opportunity I could exploit.
– Demons!
– Roooaaarrr!
“These accursed Celestial Forces deserve to be torn to shreds…!”
Having reached that conclusion, I immediately lured the Celestial Forces and monsters toward them.
It wasn’t particularly difficult. Every entity in this Trial had been penalized to instinctively reject and oppose me.
The moment they saw my ‘mutated’ form, they revealed their hostility.
I simply drew them straight toward Berias.
[And while the Celestial Forces and Demon Forces clashed, I joined the demon ranks. As if I had been there from the beginning…]
I slipped into the midst of the Demon Forces using that opportunity.
Had Berias carefully scrutinized the faces of his subordinate demons, it would have been dangerous.
He might have seen through me, but the situation was far too urgent.
“Time is slipping away. I must move quickly before losing Helud’s trail.”
Berias confirmed there were no casualties among his forces and quickened his pace.
There was no time to check each of his subordinate demons individually. He needed to pursue Helud ahead and determine how to eliminate him.
Thanks to this, I naturally became one of the Demon Forces.
“…Helud draws ever closer. Everyone, from this moment on, wear these armbands. We’ll need them to distinguish friend from foe.”
“Yes, Count.”
Berias gestured, and a distinctive emblem flew toward me.
With that garment now donned, my disguise as a Demon Force became even more flawless.
Things were progressing far more smoothly than I had anticipated.
‘When I think about it, there’s nothing particularly strange about it.’
[Who would have imagined that a human would participate in a Trial meant only for Demon Forces? It was a completely unexpected move….]
Even I hadn’t foreseen this.
A human participating in a Trial exclusive to Demon Forces, and that human now disguised as one of them.
Whoooosh.
Berias and the Demon Forces following him cloaked themselves in shadow.
They advanced swiftly toward where Helud was located.
How long had we been moving?
BOOM!
“…We’ve arrived.”
A deafening roar shook the immediate surroundings.
The sound came from beyond—where the Portal stood.
There, two factions were locked in fierce combat.
– Filthy Demon Forces! Are you trying to destroy the Portal?!
– We cannot lose our invasion route! Hold it with your lives! Just endure a little longer—reinforcements will arrive shortly!
“Kill them all! They are enemies targeting Pandemonium!”
“Invaders…!”
The Celestial Forces and the monsters under their command.
And Helud and his Demon Forces. The former fought to protect the Portal; the latter fought to destroy it.
And observing it all was Berias.
‘A three-way battle.’
[Hmmmm….]
Berias would strike the moment Helud showed an opening.
Then Helud would be surrounded from both sides and suffer grievous losses.
But.
[He likely didn’t fail to anticipate that.]
‘I had the same thought. He’s not foolish enough to miss something of that magnitude.’
[He appeared emotional, but…]
I was aware that hostile Demon Forces existed in this place.
If we moved separately, it was obvious they would seize the opportunity to strike.
Yet Helud seemed utterly indifferent to such concerns.
His focus was singular—the destruction of the Portal consumed his entire attention.
‘A trap, then.’
I couldn’t discern his exact scheme.
But this situation was orchestrated by Helud. He had engineered circumstances where Demon Forces like Berias would target him, would attack—all according to his design.
He likely possessed countermeasures for such contingencies.
Yet there was one thing he had overlooked.
[He could never have dreamed of your presence.]
Han Yu-sung’s existence.
He would never have imagined a human targeting him was mixed among their ranks.
That would completely overturn the situation.
“Wait.”
Berias and the Demon Forces assumed their battle stance.
The combat near the Portal intensified with each passing moment. Yet who held the advantage was unmistakably clear.
Helud, without question. On the surface it appeared balanced, but as time elapsed, his victory was inevitable.
‘We must move before then.’
Berias summoned a profound darkness, extracting a small crystalline object from within.
And slowly, he waited for his moment.
– Wicked ones! Perish before the light!
The moment the Celestial Forces, sensing the crisis, launched a massive assault.
Berias crushed the crystal he held in his hand.
Thereupon, a tremendous power contained within the crystal spread outward, mingling with the darkness he had summoned.
The darkness that spread forth consumed the entire area.
And then, a colossal Domain unfolded.
[The Execution Chamber of Malice has been deployed.]
[Buffs are granted to Berias, the master of this Domain, and the Demon Forces that follow him. These buffs grow stronger each time enemies are executed.]
[The weapons of the Execution Chamber begin targeting the enemies….]
It was a Domain saturated with thick darkness.
Vicious weapons revealed themselves through that gloom.
Rather, they were closer to execution instruments than weapons.
They all turned their aim toward Helud and his subordinates.
Kwaaaaaaack!
“Wh-what in the—!”
“Ughhhh!”
They descended in unison as if executing a sentence.
Helud and the Demon Forces, shocked by the unforeseen situation, assumed defensive stances.
Seeing this, Berias roared and stamped the ground.
His subordinates followed in his wake.
“Kneel before Berias!”
Eyes sprouted across Berias’s entire body, emanating darkness.
It was no ordinary darkness. A vicious curse-laden darkness settled upon Helud’s subordinates, weakening their bodies.
Berias’s subordinates charged toward those weakened foes.
“Slaughter them all! As for Helud, I shall deal with him myself!”
“Yes, my lord!”
The battle near the Portal grew even more chaotic.
The Celestial Forces attacking Helud from the front, and Berias launching a surprise assault from the rear.
Helud was surrounded by enemies.
At this rate, annihilation was inevitable.
Yet Helud and his subordinates remained utterly composed.
“Helud. Just as you predicted….”
“Hmm, I didn’t expect him to be quite this foolish.”
“Face me, Helud! You will pay the price!”
Helud scoffed at Berias and glanced around the surroundings.
The Execution Chamber of Malice is a formidable Domain. It prevents escape to the outside while summoning weapons within to assault enemies.
Each time someone is executed, it even grants buffs to allies.
It would have been perilous to face it unprepared.
But.
“If one is prepared, it amounts to nothing.”
I had already foreseen this situation.
I had prepared both the means to counter that Domain and the method to eliminate Berias.
All that remained was to set those plans into motion.
Berias ignited a conflagration and drew forth an item.
Soon, a fierce inferno erupted from him.
Whoooooosh!
That blaze consumed the entire surrounding Domain.
Berias furrowed his brow.
Helud’s smile deepened further.
And in that instant, someone began to move.
[Laughter echoes from the Mask of Hwanrak.]
[The Veil of Hwanrak unfolds.]
Han Yu-sung, who had been waiting for this moment more than anyone else.
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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