Chapter 174
Ch.174 The Hero Party Seems to Have Arrived
Scorching heat surged from the red river of flowing lava.
“We’ve arrived, Master Hans?”
At Edward’s words, I stared at the Demon King’s fortress.
It resembled the dungeon where the game’s Demon King once resided.
I pointed toward where the Demon King’s chamber should be atop the structure.
“Make a hole right there at the very top.”
“Eep? The Demon King will be furious!”
“I don’t care.”
What could the Demon King possibly do?
Killing him would be easy—
far harder would be subduing him without killing.
“A-are you serious?”
“Yes. Not joking.”
Edward glanced between me and the fortress.
“U-um… you do know how strong the Demon King is, right?”
“I know.”
At my words, he stretched his hand toward the fortress.
“I-I don’t know! Meteor!”
A meteor summoned by his magic plummeted from the sky toward the Demon King’s fortress—
—BOOM!
A massive shockwave erupted, sending thick clouds of dust billowing upward.
—Who dares?!
A man’s voice thundered, shaking the heavens.
After a few seconds, a gust of wind cleared the dust—revealing a hole where the meteor struck.
Given Meteor’s status as the most destructive offensive spell, it was surprising it only made a hole this small…
Was the fortress built from special materials?
I pointed at the opening—just large enough for three people to enter.
“Let’s go in there.”
“Yes!”
As we stepped through the shattered wall, a man with long black hair and a muscular build glared at us.
“Who dares?! How dare you challenge me so boldly?!”
I drew Sword Saint’s Blade and spoke.
“Skip the theatrics. Where is the God of Death sealed?”
The Demon King summoned a sword midair and asked:
“Are you the King of the Dead?”
I shook my head.
“No, I’m not him. Stop stalling—just tell me where he’s sealed.”
“Do you think I’ll just tell you?”
Instantly, the Demon King closed the distance—
his sword struck my stomach…
—CRACK!
…and I smashed into the wall.
Indeed… Hell’s Demon King seems stronger than Roy.
Though hard to compare precisely, judging by the force that sent me flying, he’s definitely stronger than Roy.
“You refuse to talk, then?”
But so what if he’s strong? He can’t even scratch me.
“Hoh? You’re quite formidable—I suppose that’s why you dared challenge me so recklessly.”
In a flash, the Demon King lunged again.
Instead of dodging, I thrust my sword forward.
—Shunk!
Aiming for his abdomen to land a critical blow…
Did he think I was going for a mutual kill?
He dodged my strike at incredible speed.
Frowning, the Demon King looked genuinely shocked.
“Kh… What… are you? You fear not death.”
“That’s right. Because right now, I can’t die.”
He scrutinized my body up and down.
“Is it the armor’s power?”
“None of your business. Just tell me where the God of Death is sealed.”
I slung my sword over my shoulder and continued:
“Unless you enjoy getting beaten to a pulp.”
“Heh heh… you’re not just fearless—you’re reckless.”
—Are you alright, my lord?!
At that moment, a door in the corner burst open—demons rushed in, prompting me to yank out Equality and fire wildly.
—Bang bang bang bang!
“Gyaaaah!”
“Kuh!”
—Thud!
As demons collapsed limply, I glared at the Demon King.
“Get your rabble out of here.”
Seeing smoke rise from Equality’s barrel, the Demon King asked:
“Are you… the Adversary?”
I was puzzled by his words.
“I am—but how’d you know?”
“The only weapon so brutally straightforward that I know of is Equality. It seems we share the same goal.”
The same goal?
“What do you mean?”
He dismissed his sword and replied:
“The God of Death wishes for our demise too. Hell’s denizens aren’t affected by death—we revive. But he desires the death of us, the heavenly beings, all life.”
So the God of Death intends to kill even demons—hence why he called us allies.
“Oh? So you also can’t let the God of Death break free?”
The Demon King nodded.
“Correct. We cannot allow the King of the Dead to run rampant in Hell.”
Having an Epic-tier Demon King on our side was incredibly reassuring.
But…
“What if your king dies?”
He grinned wickedly.
“Then I’d have to kill you and the heroes—to claim the human realm as ours.”
“Hah? So you wanna fight right now?”
I holstered Equality and subtly gripped Levi’s Dagger.
“Heh heh… you wield Equality. But you can’t kill me—if I die, you’ll never learn where the god is sealed.”
I acknowledged his menacing glare.
“And you can’t kill me either—you know what this armor is.”
“True. No need for us to waste strength fighting. Let’s deal with the King of the Dead first, then settle our own score.”
I was suspicious.
If he knew what Equality was, he’d surely understand how hard it’d be to win—
was he planning to keep challenging me?
Either way, it was a tiresome prospect.
Recalling how Roy overwhelmed us with sheer numbers still made me shudder.
Between Roy’s army and the Demon King’s, the latter clearly had more troops—
and Hell’s content features the same monsters as the main game, but massively buffed.
Even the Hero Party would struggle against endless waves.
Roy’s forces, though individually weak, overwhelmed us through numbers alone—
because we’re living beings; we need rest and sleep.
Seriously… if we don’t figure out how to close the Gates of Hell, we’re doomed.
Is a god the only one who can seal it?
“Death—the demise of humans, demons, and all life—is the greater threat. There’s no need for us to fight meaninglessly.”
The Demon King grinned slyly.
I wanted to smack that smug face—
but first, stop Roy.
As for the Demon King… I’ll think about him later.
“Fine. Let’s form a temporary alliance.”
He gave a sharp nod, still smirking.
“Good. Truly worthy of being the Adversary chosen by the gods. I appreciate your efficiency.”
With a flick of his finger, the scenery around us changed.
***
Roy rested briefly halfway up a barren mountain.
His hair was brittle, his eyes hollow.
Selena’s beautiful crimson eyes now burned with madness; her once-lovely skin was dry and cracked, her lush hair split and frayed—her former beauty utterly gone.
Unkempt and neglected, even her left hand was missing.
She’d recklessly swung that arm to shatter the last Seal Stone.
Though painful, it opened the Gates of Hell—and finally brought her here.
‘So tired… utterly exhausted.’
Fighting Hans and the Hero Party was draining.
Each was powerful alone, and together, even Roy struggled.
In truth, he’d died dozens—hundreds—of times at their hands.
During the final Seal Stone battle, he’d thought he found an opening—only to die repeatedly.
‘What was that artifact?’
The Hero Party had tried placing a strange artifact on the fatally wounded Roy.
Seeing its unusual hat, he chose to end his own life.
‘Must be something that blocks regression.’
Losing his left arm was worth it—he’d shattered the Seal Stone and reached the vastness of Hell.
Now, he only needed to march toward where the god called him.
Freeing the sealed God of Death there—
that was his sacred duty.
Overwhelmed by exhaustion, he closed his eyes briefly.
He sensed his entire army had returned to death—and guilt washed over him.
Many conflicting emotions churned within—
he was now just one step away from fulfilling his mission.
He should’ve felt joy—but somehow, he couldn’t.
‘Was sacrificing those who gave their lives for me truly right?’
Roy gazed at distant lava flows.
Closing his eyes, he almost heard the voices of those who died for him:
—“Your Highness! We shall die for you!”
—“Protect His Highness! Do not let the enemy near him!”
The king remembered his brave knights’ and soldiers’ final moments.
This time, it was the king who sent them to their deaths—
even if they were merely soulless shells.
“O God… grant them eternal peace.”
His eyes slowly closed.
For the first time since entering Hell, Roy allowed himself to rest.
***
When the Demon King flicked his finger, the scenery shifted—
as if by teleportation.
“Where are we?”
A vast basin surrounded by towering mountain ranges, with nothing but empty, barren land stretching endlessly.
Not a single plant grew; the dry earth was cracked and parched—
as if enduring a centuries-long drought.
“This is where the god is sealed.”
For a god’s prison, it was desolately bleak.
“Pretty barren, huh?”
The Demon King scoffed at my comment.
“Did you expect some romantic paradise in Hell?”
“Well, not exactly—”
Compared to the human world, this was excessively desolate.
In-game, it’d seemed fitting for Hell—but seeing it in person felt different.
“Is Hell always this barren?”
“Naturally. That’s precisely why we covet the human world.”
“I see… Edward.”
“Yes?”
I handed my notebook to the slumped figure nearby.
“Give Leah our coordinates and tell her to come.”
“Y-yes, sir!”
Edward took the notebook and began writing.
“How odd. You command a lich so easily?”
I showed him Levi’s Dagger.
“It’s Levi’s Dagger’s power.”
“But don’t humans usually hate liches?”
“He’s different. He never performed human experiments—became a lich to save lives instead.”
The Demon King looked Edward over as if seeing something bizarre.
“Quite a sane lich.”
“Right? But from a human perspective, he’s a decent guy.”
Ordinarily, liches are archmages who refuse death—
mages obsessed with magic and power, seeking to uncover truths even beyond death, thus becoming liches to escape mortality—though in truth, they merely trade death for another form of bondage.
Most liches retain their original selves—but must obey the King of the Dead absolutely.
Edward, however, sacrificed himself willingly to save others—
becoming a lich purely to use magic for healing and prolonging human lives.
In Destiny, he’d even run a free clinic disguised as a human.
“Hmph… whatever. His nature doesn’t matter.”
I nodded in agreement.
“He’s not evil—that’s why I took him as my retainer.”
Just then, a blue flash shimmered in midair.
The Hero Party must have arrived.
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