Chapter 263 : Ragnarok (9)
Chapter 263: Ragnarok (9)
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A demon suddenly broke in.
The one exuding immense demonic energy glared at them with bloodshot eyes, brimming with killing intent.
Swoosh!
Six, who was at the front, spread his hand first.
The Heavenly Silk unraveled in a flurry, scattering in all directions.
If the demon moved, it would immediately entangle his entire body, rendering him completely immobile.
Gallon also gathered divine power over his fist, ready to strike a fatal blow.
Flash!
The demon rushed forward, ignoring the Heavenly Silk that had fallen around him.
Six instantly pulled the silk, but his eyes widened in shock, his expression frozen.
Plop, plop, plop.
Even with internal energy infused into it, the Heavenly Silk—strong enough to withstand aura—snapped like ordinary thread, strand by strand.
Gallon stepped in front of the exposed Six, thrusting his fist with all his might.
Crack-crack-crack.
However, the divine power he released was instantly eroded and dissolved by the demonic energy spreading around the demon.
Just as Gallon also widened his eyes in shock and tried to brace for impact, Carl placed a hand on his shoulder.
“So you can wait outside.”
Whoosh!
Six and Gallon’s bodies were flung outside the barrier.
Immediately afterward, Carl blocked the demon’s hand with the Divine Thunder Sword.
Claaang─!
A tremendous shockwave exploded, shaking the barrier.
Carl stepped back to absorb the recoil, furrowing his brows as he looked at the opponent.
Crackle. Crackle-crackle.
Noise flickered over the demon’s limbs.
It seemed to be a wraith that had failed to escape the previous Ragnarok, just like the monsters they’d encountered on the way here.
But unlike those monsters…
“You still have a sense of self.”
—…Where is she?
The voice, distorted with static, barely formed words.
“She?”
Carl glanced behind him and continued speaking.
“Do you mean the Saint of ‘Rest’?”
—…Reeest!!!!
The demon let out a thunderous roar.
Carl’s hair whipped in all directions under the pressure of the massive burst of demonic energy.
“Tch.”
He seemed stable at first, but at the mere mention of “Rest,” he erupted in a frenzy, his eyes flipping like a madman’s.
Just as Carl slowly raised the Divine Thunder Sword, the roaring demon kicked off the ground and charged at him.
Claang─!
The shockwave numbed Carl’s hand that gripped the sword.
He stepped back to shake off the force, but the demon rushed in again, closing the distance in an instant and shouted:
—Struggle all you want. In the end, you're nothing more than toys in a miniature garden! Accept your fate quietly!
“Even if you say that—!”
Crack-crack-crack!
Slashes rained down.
The demonic energy of the Heavenly Demon Divine Art poured through the barrier, stirring its insides.
The demon raised his sword like a shield and blocked most of the attacks, then barreled forward through the barrage with brute force.
‘His defense is insanely high.’
Even though the aura scraped across his skin, it left only a few thick marks and slid right off.
Flash!
The demon reached out to grab Carl by the throat.
But Carl nimbly dodged and instead locked the demon’s arm.
Crunch.
This level of injury—breaking a joint—would heal quickly for a demon of his caliber.
But what mattered to Carl was that brief instant.
Swish.
Letting go of the dangling arm, Carl unleashed demonic energy from the Divine Thunder Sword and slashed upward from below.
Szzzzzzzt─!
The demonic energy of the Heavenly Demon Divine Art surged, engulfing the demon’s body.
Flames that consumed demonic energy burst forth, sweeping across the demon’s distorted, noisy body.
KWAANG!
Unable to even mount a defense, the demon was hurled away, rolling across the ground in the distance.
—Cough.
As he tried to regain his senses and get up, he spat black blood and raised his head.
—Thi…s place…
His expression was clouded with confusion.
Lowering the Divine Thunder Sword, Carl slowly approached him.
“Are you lucid?”
—…A face I’ve never seen. Who are you?
“I’ll be the one asking questions.”
Carl narrowed his eyes.
Truthfully, there’d be no issue with killing this demon right now, but given the uncertainty surrounding this entire Ragnarok ritual, he decided to delay judgment and take a small risk.
“The Ragnarok you participated in has already ended. The next iteration is already underway.”
—…Heh.
The demon let out a hollow laugh.
—So they botched the ritual and still had the nerve to start another Ragnarok? Impressive bastards.
“They botched the ritual?”
—…
The demon raised his head.
He slowly stood up, then slumped back down to the ground, staring at his noisy, glitched hands.
—You know what Ragnarok is supposed to be, don’t you, human?
“A ritual to attain complete divinity, I assume.”
—Hahaha!
The demon burst into laughter.
Then, with empty eyes, he looked up at Carl and said:
—Wrong. Ragnarok is a ritual to choose a sacrifice. Everyone's just desperate to sit on the divine throne without even knowing that.
“…A sacrifice?”
—That's right.
The demon lifted his head and looked at the spot where the Saint of ‘Rest’ had vanished, then spoke in a bitter voice.
—All gods are cowards and self-centered beings. Yet for the world to persist, the existence of a god is essential—one willing to sacrifice themselves.
“Be more specific.”
—The flow of the world consumes the existence of gods to keep turning. The Chief God and other pre-existing gods allowed the birth of new ones in order to maintain their own existence and eternal life. That is the purpose behind the existence of demigods and Ragnarok.
“……”
—Even if you happily ascend to divinity through Ragnarok, you’ll merely wear the shackle. You’ll be worn down as a component of this world until your divinity runs dry, and eventually vanish. Don’t you get why Ragnarok keeps happening? Why a god is needed every cycle? Under the guise of fairness, demons, humans, and demigods gather for the ritual. But you’re all just dancing in the palm of their hands. No matter how much you struggle, you can’t defy the laws they set.
The demon chuckled and looked up at Carl.
—Who's in first place right now?
“…The human faction. The one I belong to.”
—Do you think you're in first place because you’re so capable? No doubt the god of the humans is on the brink of disappearance. They're trying to raise a suitable candidate to take its place. …Let’s see, you seem fairly qualified.
If the demon’s words were true, it was a shocking revelation.
This fierce ritual, where everyone risked their lives, was merely a selection process for parts to keep the world running.
‘Of course, it’s possible he’s lying…’
But Carl’s instincts told him otherwise.
“So, what’s the connection between the ancient heroes and Ragnarok? And why were you chasing the Saint of ‘Rest’?”
—Rest…!!!
The demon’s eyes turned red once more.
As he was about to lose control again, Carl gently pressed down on the demon’s shoulder with his hand.
He imbued it with dense divine power.
Ssssss!
With his shoulder burning in pain, the demon barely regained his senses.
Seeing the green-tinted divine power on Carl’s hand, he smirked and said:
—You were Kylos’ apostle?
“Technically, his successor. I absorbed his divinity.”
—How amusing. To think that sly bastard would let his power be taken.
“Answer the question. You don’t seem to have much time left.”
Crackle, crackle-crackle.
The longer the conversation continued, the heavier the noise became.
Without hesitation, the demon severed his most noise-distorted wrist and continued speaking.
—Because a participant from a previous cycle like me is conversing with a participant from the current cycle like you, distortion occurs. This should buy us some time. This space is one even that detestable Fairy King cannot interfere with.
“……”
Carl looked down at the severed hand rolling across the floor.
But the demon, with no intention of regenerating, continued speaking.
—Those of you called heroes had long realized the true nature of Ragnarok. That’s why they tried to join forces with me to halt the ritual itself. Even if chosen as the winner, they intended to reject the succession of divinity.
“…You tried to stop it?”
—Yes. But that wouldn’t mean the end of the world. It would only mean the rule of the gods disappears; the world would continue to exist. The reason the gods want this system to keep cycling is to preserve their eternal life and the accomplishments they’ve amassed. The heroes wanted to break that chain. But…
The demon’s expression twisted.
His eyes turned red again, though he no longer expelled demonic energy as before.
—There was a traitor. I don’t know who, but they were quite fatal. Our plan fell apart, and we all received immense retribution. I ended up wandering, trapped in the rift between dimensions for countless ages, and the others likely suffered the same fate.
“……”
Damian thought of the ancient Seven Heroes.
They had all vanished without a trace at some point.
The prevailing theory was that they had retired after repelling the demonic invasion, but if they had ended up like this demon for trying to halt Ragnarok…
‘Then they might still be somewhere in this place. Like the arrangement left behind by the Saint of ‘Rest’.’
The demon let out a long breath and looked at the spot where the Saint of ‘Rest’ had been.
—I thought the traitor was the Saint. Since she was most closely connected to the gods, the motive seemed clear.
“It wasn’t Rest. She left a message for those who would come later. It included a mention of the traitor you spoke of—saying the ritual had failed and no one would be chosen as a god.”
—…In that case.
The demon bit his lip.
His expression showed he couldn’t figure out who the traitor was, no matter how much he thought.
—I don’t know. It wouldn’t be strange no matter who it was. Humans are that kind of species.
“Do you know how to find the other heroes?”
—If you're lucky, they might appear like I did. But even then, they won’t be in a normal state. Even a high-ranking noble of the Demon Realm like me is mentally unstable—do you think ordinary humans drifting in the dimensional rift would be fine?
“……”
It was a convincing argument.
Other humans Carl had encountered deep in the labyrinth had also been physically and mentally broken.
No matter how mentally strong a human might be, if they had wandered this place for eons, there was no telling what they had become.
—Now then, human. I’ve told you everything. So give me rest.
“Is that what you want?”
—Yes. I’ve wandered here unable to die. But you… you seem worthy.
The demon closed his eyes.
He had clearly come to terms with it, so Carl nodded lightly.
“You’ll pay the price for your information.”
Slice─.
The Divine Thunder Sword, imbued with divinity, cleanly severed the demon’s neck in one strike.
When the demon’s body eventually turned to dust and vanished, Carl turned his body and stepped out of the barrier.