Chapter 464: Withering Earth

The barbarian echoes of the soldiers hit the earlobes of those who approached the city-state. Beasts were howling with voices that could no longer just scream.

It wasn’t clear to those who approached. But it was easy to imagine what was happening just by hearing it.

It was a battlefield. The battlefield, which should’ve ended, was still breathing in Garoua Maria. The music of battle didn’t stop playing.

「Hey, hey, didn’t you say the Bolvat army would stop attacking? Then, why didn’t they stop? Or can’t they stop at all? 」

「…Commander Lugis, it seems to be the latter. I apologize. In our army, there’s a person who is not bound by discipline. 」

While riding the horses and rushing on the main road, Bolvat’s Vice-Commander, Hind, returned his words without trying to hide his grumpy feelings. This expression couldn’t be seen at all. But the grumpy emotions Hind felt could be seen in his eyes.

Apparently, this occurrence was unexpected for Hind too.

It was terrible, but it wasn’t the worst. It didn’t seem like the Bolvat army betrayed the deal they made with me.

If the Vice-Commander looked this frustrated, then it meant something else, something that went out of his grasp, meaning it wasn’t a betrayal on their part. I frowned between my eyebrows, and my teeth were gritting.

「You two, wait a second! 」

While holding the reins of my horse, Hind shouted to two Bolvat soldiers, who were running towards the battle. The expressions of those soldiers weren’t clearly seen in their helmets, but it seemed from their gestures that they were somewhat in a frenzy.

That sign told me that something had happened.

It felt ominous. But I had no information that Garoua Maria had fallen. As long as Caria was there, I didn’t think that would happen.

The Bolvat soldiers didn’t have time to breathe properly and explained in a hurry.

「Magical beasts have appeared on the main road! We are in a fight now. Wait here. 」

I inadvertently distorted the expression I had on my face upon hearing their words.

Of course, it was the age of Death Snow. There was no doubt that magical beasts were roaming around. Rather, it was unusual for humans to go out during the Death Snow period.

However, I wanted to fully comprehend this situation. At the same time, I heard a voice when I twisted the tongue in my mouth.

It was a very nostalgic voice.

「…No, no, you’re wrong. Who is the magical beast you’re referring to? Huh? I’m a proud demon. I don’t want you to put me in the same category as those creepy things. 」

It was a bright voice. At the same time, the body of a soldier burst while moaning. Both bounced on the snow with a large noise. It was a shocking sight.

The soldier was still alive, but his bones were broken. No, maybe it was luck that he lived.

Anyway, if that menace really wanted to do it, then it would’ve killed that soldier on the spot.

He walked slowly and turned to me. He said while showing his shoulders.

「Is that you, Lugis? The reason I came here was to kill you secretly. But it seems you humans are doing it to yourselves instead. 」

Large demonic eyes. A two-shaped horn that didn’t match the appearance of a young boy. There was no mistake.

The Prison Demon Doha Surah. It was one of Altia’s demons that was tied to the Burial Prison Beulah.

I opened my mouth quickly as if to stop the surrounding soldiers.

「No way. If you really wanted to kill me, then you’d do it a long time ago. By the way, you’re quite late. I thought you wouldn’t come anymore. 」

Doha Surah opened his demonic eyes and returned the words in a stunned manner. It was strange that his young appearance showed an adult-like expression.

It was my own doing, of course. I asked Ann to prepare it before leaving the City of Philos.

In any case, in this war I had a few troops against the mighty power of the Bolvat Dynasty. Indeed, my true intention was that I wanted to borrow the hands of a demon. If Doha Surah could participate in the war, then that alone would be enough.

That said, he wasn’t in time for the war.

This was probably not a mistake from Ann. Doha Surah himself was reluctant.

「I didn’t want to come here without “her” orders. 」

Doha Surah followed “her”. That person was none other than Altia. Altia was the one who could give orders to Doha Surah.

…Protect the prison until the hero comes and later follow the hero who has a ring.

Now, one part of the ring was with Eldith, and the other part was with me. Although it followed that wish, I had to be careful with my words as long as Doha Surah was faithful to Altia.

That said, I didn’t want to imitate Altia, nor did I plan to do it in the future.

「Commander Lugis. He is…」

By the way, Hind looked at me with a question mark. I explained while nodding.

「He’s definitely a demon. But he’s not an enemy now. Doha Surah, I want to ask you one thing, and it’s urgent. 」

Doha Surah shook his shoulders with a disgusting voice, but didn’t refuse me. He was probably the same in terms of a magical beast, and in terms of a demonic being…he was bound to the height of loyalty.

It may eventually strangle my neck. That’s all.

—

The loud noises of people and the roar of beasts. Seeing the battlefield where they interacted up close, Doha Surah wasn’t afraid or astonished. He just felt nostalgia.

When he was traveling on the continent with Altia and Offal, and other comrades, this kind of sight was like a daily meal.

Come to think about it, Altia didn’t lead a peaceful life. She engaged in war after war.

In the past, the human situation was tough. There were only days without freedom and dignity.

That’s why she continued to fight. Fight, fight, fight. She opened the human world with justice.

But what was her justice if the result were these pitiful human beings? Doha Surah was thinking vaguely in front of the battlefield.

Then, he sighed. He immediately understood that it was useless to think. No matter how much they struggled, this world belonged to Altia’s palm. It seemed foolish to think about it.

Lugis seemed to be resisting Altia’s grasp, but Doha Surah thought that he wouldn’t surpass Altia’s power.

Lugis was Altia’s opposite end. His own soul was human. It was doomed to never be more than that. That’s why he couldn’t surpass Altia no matter what happened to his soul.

Doha Surah was reminiscing of the past, a past with war after war. Perhaps, this was what Altia desired now.

After a deep breath, Doha Surah used his demonic powers. He stared at the battlefield mixed with soldiers and beasts.

The Creator of the Desert, the Southern Magic Eye. The distorted demonic eye, which was once hated by his family, was no longer tied to that prison. The ring was the only thing that tied his soul, but no longer suppressed his power.

So this was Doha Surah’s power, the power of the demon that once transformed the south into a desert.

「Let’s go now. To the endless journey. This body doesn’t belong to a demon…because it’s the apex of a former magical beast. 」

The Death Snow melted down. The temperature changed to become like a tropical air, and sand flew in the hollow.

The snow melted and the flowers that showed at one’s feet died one by one, and at the same time, they withered and turned into sand. The surrounding area became sandy around Doha Surah’s feet.

…The large demonic eye in the middle of his head opened and the earth withered.

The power of a magical devilish being. One of its vertices opened its jaw.

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