Chapter 575: The Ruler of Earth and the Conqueror of Heaven

Eldith opened her blue eyes wide. She showed a vibrant smile that befitted an elven princess, no, that befitted a queen. She radiated dazzling beauty in the heart of the fairy realm.

But terrifyingly, her eyes were overflowing with countless curses.

For the fairy race, blessings and curses were inherent. Since ancient times, fairies had loved humans and bestowed favors, and at other times played tricks that troubled them. The most familiar helper fairies, or the mischievous fairies.

Their essence remained unchanged even when their spirit merged and underwent a certain transformation.

「Even for a god, repeatedly regenerating like she does is going too far. It’s utterly disgusting, you know. 」

But this queen’s essence leaned far too heavily towards curses.

Blessings were wishes, and curses were thoughts. Perhaps it was inevitable that she, a being so specialized in feelings, would fall in love with a human.

It was precisely because of this fact that she, despite her demonic nature, stood here right now.

「She suffered a fatal wound because her connection to the earth was severed. Therefore, I should do the same to her as well. The rest is up to Lugis. 」

Eldith spoke haltingly in a world where forests flourished, and the murmur of rivers resonated. However, it was more like a monologue than a conversation.

The Fairy King, whom she was supposed to be speaking to, had vanished in the capital city. All that remained here and now were his Original Text and will. His lingering scent occasionally responded to Eldith as if speaking.

「Will he reach Zebrililith…? You’re asking a predetermined question. 」

Eldith distorted her lips in response to the Fairy King’s voice.

A mixture of exhilaration and a contradictory calmness flickered within her. She looked so happy, so amused. But her face was as cold as ice.

「Let me tell you something important. He has nearly died countless times, overcome countless more. And yet, at the end of each encounter, he heads back to the brink of death again. I’m sure I’m not the only one who thinks this way. Caria, Filaret, and everyone else have all said it at least once…isn’t this enough? He has served humanity enough, and he has surpassed the achievements of a hero. He has no obligation to kill great demons or demons alike. Doesn’t he deserve a lasting peace? 」

No one could dispute his achievements. Surely, nobody would ever be able to completely erase his name.

Whether it was the fame of a hero or the infamy of a great villain, no one could ignore his existence anymore. He had become an essential element in history.

Eldith knew that he still cared for his childhood friend. But even subtracting the fleeting feelings of childhood love, what he gained must have been immense.

So shouldn’t he choose his own life over the world now?

「What did he decide?…It’s a secret. Now that I’m here, you’ll know which he chose. But I feel like I know it, Drigman. Because he’s that kind of person…Yes, because Lugis is that kind of person…」

With a cheerful, bouncy tone, Eldith raised her arm and opened her palm. A curse hung around her contrary to her cheerful voice. This curse, which brought such waste and squandering, would probably be the last.

Eldith treated all of Drigman’s accumulated magical power as her own. That was the behavior of a queen.

「He killed demons, even great demons…And that’s how he made me fall in love. 」

With each word she spoke, Eldith’s body spurred with energy. It was like a spell in itself for her.

「That’s why we’ll win. He’s our hero, after all. 」

Eldith clenched her raised hand tightly. It seemed like the signal for everything.

The world…the fairy realm…transformed itself. It resonated with the queen, stirring as if responding to her command. This was an ideal world, retaining remnants of a myth. The world itself sided with Eldith, emitting a curse.

But at the same time, Zebrililith’s magic poured into her body also began to move.

To obey the god’s command, and to kill those who defied that god. Zebrililith’s magic itself was almost like a living organism. Every drop was life. Once it entered one’s body, killing or controlling the opponent would be easy.

…If only the Fairy King, who knew its nature intimately, hadn’t simultaneously left behind some of its magic and remained here.

Eldith didn’t just inherit the Original Text from Drigman. She brought his will here. For the sake of the promise to defeat the spirit god.

That’s why Zebrililith’s magic was only slightly restrained. That brought enough time for the new Fairy Queen to finish her preparations.

And the world roared.

As if playing a requiem, Eldith released all the curses in this world.

—

Zebrililith’s throne vibrated.

A familiar pulse of magic, and a curse of pure malevolence. Even Zebrililith, with all her power, reacted sensitively to the abnormality occurring within her own body.

The Fairy King’s magic…no, his very presence…had entangled the lines through which Zebrililith drew magic from the earth, severing them all.

No, perhaps it would be more accurate to say it was binding them.

「…So. You too have become my enemy, Drigman. 」

It was Zebrililith herself who had granted him the miracle of drawing magic from the earth. She surely understood its mechanism even if she didn’t understand the full extent of the miracle.

Zebrililith showed little sign of distress though she had been bitten by her own dog.

This was partly due to her confidence in her own power, and partly because she judged that something of this magnitude wasn’t a threat at all.

Certainly, the supply of magic would be temporarily cut off, but not forever. Rather, it would impossible to restrain a being with the mass and magical power that Zebrililith had for an extended period.

A few minutes at most.

During that time, her own magical power would be more than enough. Even Shadraput’s fireballs, which scorched the outer shell, would take time to completely destroy the core. Destroying Zebrililith’s immense size was no easy feat no matter how powerful a dragon would be.

Therefore, the only question was how to deal with him. Simply creating demonic energy from black water wouldn’t suffice against this curse.

「Now, what shall we do, Demon Lord Lugis? Will you show me your loyalty? Or would you prefer to remain kneeling? 」

Zebrililith, with her slender body seated on the throne with her legs gracefully extended, lowered her gaze to the demon at her feet, who had lost his freedom. Of course, her eyelids remained closed.

There was still no sense of urgency in her voice. Rather, she felt a faint surge of excitement, as if something slightly different from usual had occurred. It wasn’t much different from royalty or nobility seeking the entertainment of a jester.

She questioned the demon who bowed before her with a touch of pity and an unashamed arrogance.

「…Don’t ask when you already know the answer. Or do you not know? Of course not. 」

It was an answer he uttered with ragged breaths, using all his might.

And it couldn’t be helped. Even now, Zebrililith’s magic was raging within Lugis’ body.

She had never experienced the sensation of being invaded from within, but even Zebrililith could imagine how indescribable it must be. It was remarkable that she hadn’t completely burned out his mind.

「Oh, right. I’ve seen all sorts of things. All sorts of things you can’t even imagine. You know, Demon Lord Lugis? In this world, anything can happen. Things you think are impossible, things you think are illogical, things that defy logic, even dragons falling into misfortune and dying. All of these are certainly possible. I think it’s easier to understand when the strong submit to someone even stronger and kill their allies. At least, wouldn’t you say that’s better than crawling your whole life? 」

Zebrililith’s words, spoken with such conviction, silenced Lugis for a moment. He didn’t groan in pain. Only the sound of him clenching his teeth echoed.

「Yes, anything can happen. Of course it can… But whether I make it happen or not is up to me. 」

「I see. 」

Zebrililith sighed and settled back into her seat.

He didn’t refuse to give up; he had simply forgotten how to give up. It was pathetic, and foolish. But such beings existed, both among humans and demons.

It was what one would call stubbornness. Even without a chance of winning, even without meaning. Making irrational decisions for the sake of one’s pride. A futile struggle.

「Then, keep doing that forever. 」

Only time and pain could dissolve stubbornness. One day, he too would regret not obeying back then. Until then, it wouldn’t be so bad to have a demon who defied God under his control for a little while.

Suddenly, Zebrililith shifted her consciousness from inside the temple to the sky. The greatest threat now was the copper dragon Shadraput, roaring outside.

Zebrililith decided to deal with that first. When her attention drifted…

…Zebrililith soared from the throne, which had remained motionless, in a single breath.

It came, surpassing all divine dignity and reign as a ruler. A dense presence of death crawled over her entire body, gripping her heart.

It was the same feeling she had once experienced before, in Altia’s presence. She judged that she couldn’t withstand it.

Soaring through the air, Zebrililith saw its true form…something unbelievable.

Doubt and incomprehension surfaced beneath her eyelids.

In her vision, Lugis, with the sharpness of an assassin rather than a hero, thrust his treasure sword towards her.

「…!」

Lugis seemed to have transformed himself into a spear. His whole body leaped violently as he thrust his left hand, gripping the treasure sword, forward. A voiceless, pulsating cry. His all-out surprise attack pierced the tip of the treasure sword into Zebrililith’s left chest.

He was certainly not a hero chosen by fate or by gods.

He lacked the spirit of a character in a knight’s tale…fair and square. A head-on battle. All he possessed was a deadly will.

「…You’re kidding. 」

These were Zebrililith’s blunt words. Why was he still standing? No, even worse, he managed to plunge his blade into her body.

It was impossible.

He was a demon, and Zebrililith was a great demon. A blood-bound master-servant relationship existed between them. It wasn’t simply a matter of being able to withstand pain and resist.

The intense pain inflicted was merely a byproduct. It was only meant to break the opponent’s will. More importantly, anyone who had swallowed the blood of a superior could lose control of their body at any moment. That was the nature of demons.

Perhaps it was because Zebrililith tried to understand every possible phenomenon that her thoughts stopped for a moment. Lugis couldn’t miss this.

「The myth is over. Yes, your time is over…The Original Text, Unlock: “Primordial Evil”. 」

The first sin committed by a living being, the first act of murder.

The purple lightning treasure sword gleamed with an aurora that could even kill gods. Just one thrust. Absurdly, Zebrililith felt a certainty when it pierced her entire body. This wasn’t just a sword; it was the very concept of killing demons and humans. It was with this that Vrilligant was killed.

Finally, she realized. With her eyelids closed, Zebrililith felt ashamed of her ignorance.

That was right. He killed Vrilligant. There was no need to question what that meant.

There was already a predecessor.

…Altia, having killed all the great demons, transformed her own soul into a great demon. Therefore, even after death, she continued to live on.

Therefore, the soul of this man who killed Vrilligant was no longer human or demon. It was only natural that even Zebrililith’s blood couldn’t completely control him.

「Ugh… So, two humans like this are born. Altia, Lugis. I’ll remember that. 」

「You don’t need to remember. There’s nothing more troublesome than having a god remember my name. 」

The two of them stood on the ground, spinning. There was almost no distance between them now.

As blood spilled from her body and she cried out, Zebrililith truly realized that he had become a being capable of destruction.

Each heartbeat was fast, and a piercing sense of danger enveloped her entire body. She swung her slender arms, gathering the black fluid. Now, every drop of blood was precious.

She wasn’t dead yet. The wound Lugis had inflicted on her body wasn’t fatal. Even though the concept of death had been instilled, the body remained intact. In just a few minutes, the severed connection to the earth would be restored.

Then, victory would once again fall to her side. One could defy the death they had been given.

Here, the scales of victory and defeat, which had seemed unshakable, were wavering. The scales were waiting for a trigger. A fatal trigger to tip them to either the left or the right.

…And then, it came with an unparalleled vibration.

Zebrililith was the first to notice.

「Is this…a coincidence? Or is this all according to your plan? 」

Lugis only noticed after being asked the question. He winced as he saw the temple spewing sand out of the corner of his eye.

「…You should have considered what would happen if your huge body didn’t move. 」

—

A short while before the primordial evil was unleashed.

Around Zebrililith’s perimeter, the copper dragon Shadraput was raging through the air. Her colossal fireballs were tremendous, and to Leu, they seemed like the work of a god. Why, despite possessing such power, was she “like that”? Such thoughts even crossed her mind.

However, that wasn’t the problem. Once Shadraput started something…she would give it her all. She wouldn’t hold back for the sake of her own victory.

And yet, the fact that she couldn’t completely destroy Zebrililith’s outer shell was simply awe-inspiring. She demonstrated what a god truly was with her very being.

「In a case like this…」

What should she do? Shadraput had moved. Leu had been instructed to urge her to move, and to take action if she didn’t. Therefore, Leu’s task was already complete.

However, Zebrililith showed no sign of falling. Was this really alright? Sadly, even as a demon, Leu was still just a young girl at heart. She was incapable of making quick, on-the-spot decisions on the battlefield.

Perhaps she should intervene? But what if that led to further trouble? Everything might be ruined because of her own actions.

A swirling chaos and overwhelming anguish. Sweat trickled down her forehead. Time passed relentlessly.

Shadraput had breached a part of its outer shell, and Zebrililith’s movements had stopped. And now, for unknown reasons, it seemed to have lost its regenerative abilities as well.

So, perhaps it was best to just watch? Leu swallowed hard.

『There’s no need to worry. Acting as you please, as you desire, is the way of a jewel; so stop worrying. For some inexplicable reason, you want to save people, don’t you? You want to lend a helping hand. 』

Leu’s eyes widened. She wasn’t sure if that voice was real. Perhaps it was just a faint sound resonating inside her, or maybe it was a hallucination.

Either way, the voice wasn’t as clear as before; it was just a lingering scent.

Ah, even so. Even so.

「…Yes. That’s right. 」

Leu was worried since her voice was trembling. Whether it was just a lingering scent or truly there. She couldn’t let her see her in such a pathetic state.

She had told Leu to live. She had told her to be happy. How could she show her tears and a trembling voice?

『That’s good, being honest. Then, let’s use what’s in your hands. The greatest of all the jewels I’ve collected and transformed. The most enormous. Well, actually, it’s not really a trump card, it’s just a hobby. But that aside…』

The glittering jewels that Bar Agathos once collected…all of them were now in Leu’s hands. Each one represented Leu’s connection to Agathos, something close to the meaning of her life.

Whatever the reason, a touch of guilt and sadness accompanied her, which hesitated her actions in using them.

But the voice said, laughing heartily.

『You fool. I’m not here in body and flesh. But you remember what makes me who I am, don’t you? I won’t forgive you if you say you’ve forgotten. 』

Leu nodded. She couldn’t speak properly. Her voice kept cracking.

She guided Leu to hold the jewels, as if they were with her, as if to teach her that releasing them was necessary at this moment.

『I’ll tell you about the myths of the past, Leu…The land is ruled by the Fairy King, Drigman. I, the supreme jewel, rule the sky. And what does it mean? 』

More and more, she couldn’t tell if the voice was real or merely a hallucination.

Leu narrowed her eyes. Just for this moment, she wanted this to be true.

Finally, they released the jewels together, with their voices in unison.

「「As long as Bar Agathos exists, the ultimate indulgence is promised. 」」

A dazzling, white jewel was launched.

Shining brightly yet fleetingly, it released what it had sealed within.

In the legend of the jewel Bar Agathos, there was a story that she sealed everything she desired within that jewel. This included not only glittering things but also living beings. Sometimes, it was even said to have been an entire city.

This, too, was one of them. A relic of myth.

The Demon City, once a mystical mass floating in the sky, dwelled by dragons. Its magnificent and graceful form once made the supreme temple appear like a tiny floating island.

But now, the colossal shadow over the land could no longer rise, only fall. Its former glory was nowhere to be seen.

However, for now, that was enough.

…The Demon City fell, as if destroying Zebrililith’s colossal body, letting out a lament that meant the end of a myth.

Previous | Next

😉

—————–

Support us on Patreon and get access to early chapters