Chapter 186 : Sacrifice (2)
Sacrifice (2)
"Grand Duke..."
― Kugugugugugu!!
With Acedia's soft murmur, the air tore apart and the gates of hell began to open.
Beyond the fissure, a suffocating stench of sulfur poured down like a waterfall, mingled with the chilling cold of the abyss.
Soon, the great lord worshipped by the Cult of Sloth, Grand Duke Belphegor of Sloth, who would grant eternal rest to this world, was about to descend.
And with that, all these bothersome and exhausting duties of life would come to an end.
"Ah... finally..."
Eyes glittering with anticipation, Acedia looked up at the blazing gates of hell.
― Turuk!
Soon, a massive foot stepped out from beyond the fissure.
"O, oh! Huh?"
But then—
"... What?"
Acedia blinked, dazed.
The aura pouring forth from beyond the demon realm's gate felt... strange.
The demonic energy of the Grand Duke of Sloth had always felt heavy and damp, dragging one down as if sinking into sludge.
But the presence now billowing out was the complete opposite.
It was sharp, extremely oppressive, dazzling, and so overwhelming it choked the breath.
"What is this...?"
― Jeobeok.
Soon, the great being from the demon realm fully revealed itself.
A giant with golden skin, adorned in resplendent crystal armor.
Eyes like the frosty light of the sun, surveying all things as if looking down on insects beneath his feet.
"Wretched earthlings."
It was Lucifer, Grand Duke of Pride from the demon realm.
"Ah, aaah...!?"
Acedia's lips trembled.
W-Why!?
He had clearly opened a gate connected to the demon realm of his great master, the Grand Duke of Sloth.
So why had the Grand Duke of Pride emerged from that gate!?
― Tuk. Tuduk.
"... What?"
Suddenly, a dripping sound drew Acedia's gaze to the Grand Duke of Pride's left hand.
"...!!"
In the Grand Duke's grasp was the pale, beautiful head of a maiden, crowned with massive goat horns.
"H-hurgh!"
Acedia clamped his hand over his own mouth.
That face—a face that had appeared in Acedia's dreams countless times.
The visage of the god he served, the severed head of the Grand Duke of Sloth.
"Are you looking for your master?"
― Cheolpeodeok.
Lucifer tossed the Grand Duke of Sloth's head at Acedia's feet.
"Tore it off the slowpoke myself."
"H-huhh! T-That was...! M-My...! Huff! Huff!"
Acedia could barely speak, hyperventilating.
"Like master, like servant. Pathetic."
Lucifer slowly lifted his hand.
"But as fertilizer... perhaps you'll be of use."
"...!!"
In an instant, every hair on Acedia's body stood on end.
A flood of divine killing intent overwhelmed him.
If he wanted to survive, he had to run. Right now!
― Paat!
Acedia instinctively thrust out both hands.
He detonated the hundreds of years of stored magic power all at once, unleashing his deadliest, most toxic fungus spores at maximum output.
― Kwaaaaaaa!!
A deluge of dark red spores surged forth like a tidal wave.
"Hmph."
But Lucifer neither dodged nor blocked.
He simply moved his lips, his voice flat and devoid of interest.
"Kneel."
― Kwaaaaaaaaaaang!!!
"G-Gaaaaaahhh!!"
With a single word from the Grand Duke, the gravity in the area shifted.
― Kugugugugugu!!
"Uuuurgh...!"
The tsunami of demonic spores was crushed against the ground by pressure and vanished in an instant.
Acedia's knees shattered as he was slammed hard into the floor.
It was as if everything in existence prostrated itself at the Grand Duke's command.
The ground, the clouds, the sky, the weight of the sun and the stars—all seemed to press down mercilessly upon him.
― Uduk! Dududuk!
"Ugh, uuurgh!"
His guts and bones twisted and crushed in real time.
― Jeobeok.
Lucifer slowly approached, placing his foot atop the blood-spewing, prone Acedia's head.
― Kkuuk!
"K-Kkhurik!!"
"Consider it an honor, insect. Your corpse will bear my legion."
― Kwajik!!
With a merciless cracking noise, Acedia's head burst like a watermelon.
Without bothering to wipe off the blood, Lucifer extended his hand.
― Bugeulbugeulbugeul!!
― Jureuk! Jureuk! Jureuk!
Soon, Acedia's corpse grotesquely swelled, transforming into a massive, blood-red swamp that engulfed the ground.
This was the demon realm's entrance, opened personally by a Grand Duke.
"Now, come forth."
― Kugugugugugu!!!
― Swaaaaaaaa!!!
Like swarms of bats rushing out of a dark cave.
Like a mighty waterfall surging upward.
From the blood-swamp, all manner of golden monsters and demonkin poured out without pause.
Dozens, hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands...
Soon, the land and sky were filled with the legions of Pride.
― Doong! Doong! Doong! Doong!
Lucifer, now seated on a golden throne, pointed toward the horizon and gave his command.
"Annihilate everything."
The march of Pride began.
* * *
Southeastern border of the Roderun Empire.
In just half a day, it had become hell.
What trampled and burned the empire's lands now bore no resemblance to any monsters humanity had ever known.
No goblins, orcs, trolls, ogres, or dragons.
The invaders were adorned with radiant golden skin and immaculate white armor.
Dignified and supreme, like a celestial legion of myth.
But their atrocities as they crushed the land were more brutal than any barbarian, more grotesque than any fiend.
Without even a single war cry, they simply marched in sync, dismantling fortress walls like sandcastles, and tearing apart anything—be it knights, beasts, or children—that stood in their way.
[Third border fortress has fallen! Can't determine the enemy's identity or numbers! H-hah! They're already here! Have mer—! Aaaagh!!]
The last report arriving at the imperial palace through the communication orb was abruptly cut off by gruesome screams.
Not long after, word spread of the shocking annihilation: the 30,000 imperial troops guarding the southeastern border had vanished without a trace.
* * *
Grand council chamber of the Roderun Imperial Palace.
"We must dispatch the western and central armies to the southeast immediately! The fate of the empire hangs in the balance!"
The third imperial princess, Aurelia, clutched the table with both hands, shouting desperately.
But the man seated across from her, second Prince Ikaron, legs crossed, wore only an expression of boredom.
"Really now."
The second prince fiddled with his teacup, letting out a mocking snort.
"If you want me to move my western army, you'd better offer something. Asking for my troops for free is a bit much, don't you think? If you're that desperate for my help, propose something better."
"... What did you say?"
The princess's eyes quivered in fury.
"Even now, imperial lands are burning and our people are dying! And you talk about conditions? Do you dare call yourself a royal sworn to protect the empire!?"
"Hah!"
The second prince thrust his chin up in scorn.
"If you'd known your place and given up your claim to the throne earlier, the imperial forces wouldn't be so divided now. This whole mess is the result of your overreaching greed."
"Ikaron...! You—!"
The second prince slowly stood, a sneer curling his lips.
"Ah, and speaking of, I got some entertaining news just now. As you know, marquis Deloa was in charge of protecting the southeastern frontier."
"... What are you getting at?"
Marquis Deloa was currently out of contact.
They'd tried to reach him repeatedly since the border invasion, but with no response.
"Apparently, his head was just found—hung atop the fortress wall."
"...!!"
The princess's face went utterly pale.
Marquis Deloa was her main political backer and one of her strongest military supporters.
His death—and the loss of his territory—meant almost half her power base was gone.
"Kekeke! Don't you look pathetic now? Your shield's gone, hasn't it? That's what happens to fools who follow would-be traitors. How does it feel?"
Despite the second prince's open mockery, the princess could only bite her lip in silence.
It was perilous.
Normally, her powerful ally and close friend, Veronica of Hisperion, would have stood by her side.
Just Veronica's aura and Hisperion's reputation would've kept Ikaron from behaving so brazenly.
But Veronica was not here now.
Wounded terribly in the Frozen Sea to the north, her dantian shattered, she was recuperating in her homeland.
The absence of her closest friend was painfully clear in this moment.
"If you'd just bowed low and begged for mercy from the start, maybe I'd have helped..."
The second prince clicked his tongue—Tsk, tsk—as he strode toward the doors.
"You're still keeping that haughty head held high, so my mood to help has evaporated. It's your land that was invaded—try solving it yourself."
― Bang!
With those words, the second prince slammed the doors shut behind him.
"... Haaah."
Alone in the vast council chamber, the third princess crumpled into a chair, burying her face in her hands.
Relentless stress and a hammering headache stabbed at her mind.
At that moment, the princess's elderly retainer, waiting quietly in the corner, approached her hesitantly.
"Princess... You must act at once. With the marquis's lands breached, their assault on our eastern stronghold is imminent. If Ikaron won't help, we must secure a powerful alliance from outside—no matter what."
The princess slowly lowered her hands, her bloodshot eyes gleaming.
"... Send a messenger to the continent's south."
"The south...?"
"The Dragonblood Family. I will meet with the Mirnoi Family."
At that name, the old retainer flinched.
"M-Mirnoi family!? Your Highness, that is far too dangerous! While they are indeed a powerful mage family, the new lord, Kalian, is notorious for his treacherous and sly nature ever since usurping his position! If we seek aid from that snake, he will surely demand monstrous, blood-draining terms!"
The retainer's protest was only natural.
The young lord of Mirnoi, Kalian, was a cunning man who would squeeze an opponent for every drop of flesh and bone.
But the princess let out a hollow laugh and slammed her fist on the table.
"Do I have any other choice?"
"... Your Highness."
"Selveris's holy kingdom is too far, and the southwestern royal alliance supports Ikaron. If Veronica were well, I'd beg for Hisperion's power, but... right now, she can barely stand. If I involved her now, she might never recover."
The princess's eyes held a poisonous resolve.
"That leaves only Mirnoi. No matter the cruel terms, I have no choice but to hear them out. If necessary... I'll even sell myself in the streets to protect the empire."
"Pl-please, Your Highness! I beg you—!"
"Silence! The decision is made! Send the fastest horse to Mirnoi. At once!"
"Aah... Your Highness... I... as you command."
In the end, the weeping old retainer made contact with Mirnoi.
And less than an hour later, the young Dragonblood Lord of Mirnoi, the continent's greatest mage, visited the princess in her bedroom.