Chapter 175
Ch.175 The Battle Between the Hero Party and the Demon King Restarted
The blue light faded, and the Hero Party and Nekhuf appeared.
Their expressions were grim.
I stared at Cecilia among them and stepped forward deliberately.
“Why… why did you lie?”
She avoided my gaze, her voice barely a whisper.
“Because… Lady Icira asked for it.”
“So you made me a fool who danced unaware of my friend’s death?”
If I hadn’t been angry at Cecilia, that would’ve been a lie.
But beneath this rage was guilt—my own helplessness, my failure.
“Master… in that situation—”
I glared at Leah, who tried to speak.
“Ugh—!”
She quickly turned away.
“Hans, you’re too emotional. Return to your usual cold self.”
“Cold? I am cold.”
I was furious—but had nowhere to vent.
Since Icira died, I’d replayed this over and over.
In the end, she died because of my incompetence.
What if, after falling here, I’d trained systematically?
What if I’d monopolized the artifacts or elixirs to strengthen the Hero Party, and left only the final blow to Scarlet?
If I’d been stronger, Icira wouldn’t have died.
Perhaps my casual attitude toward Roy—my underestimation—brought this tragedy.
Or maybe… if I’d called Auros to attack?
Even if Auros became an undead dragon, Equalizer could kill him again.
It’s not easy to land a hit on a full-sized dragon in its true form—especially one as massive as Auros.
Or what if I’d summoned an undead army like Roy?
Every possible scenario spun through my mind.
“Isn’t it Cecilia’s duty to honor her bond with Lady Icira?”
Mia spoke softly, like she was soothing a wound.
“She’s already dead. Even if Cecilia hid Icira’s condition, she didn’t kill her. Why should Cecilia endure your wrath?”
Her words were impossible to refute—and my face twisted in frustration.
“Hmm… It’s been a while since I’ve seen the Hero Party.”
At that moment—
They turned their heads toward the Demon King in the corner.
“D-Demon King?!”
“H-How?!”
As they gasped and readied for battle, I sighed.
No one else to blame.
It’s all my fault.
And we’re not even fighting him right now.
“Everyone, stop. We’re not fighting the Demon King.”
They all looked at me, uneasy.
“What do you mean?”
“Master? Explain clearly!”
The one watching me with curious eyes?
“For now, until we kill Roy, we’re temporary allies.”
“Huh?!”
They all stared at me in shock.
“Master?! Allies… with the Demon King?!”
“Yes! Even if the King of the Dead is urgent, you can’t ally with something this dangerous—!”
Cecilia’s outburst was cut off by the Demon King.
“Little servant of the gods. Don’t you know the situation?”
“Shut up. You and the Death God are no different. If the Death God dies, you might be next.”
Cecilia’s eyes blazed with fury as she glared at the Demon King.
“I haven’t forgotten your cruelty, Demon King! Hans! Kill him now!”
“True. He’s alone now—we could end him instantly.”
Scarlet and Mia spoke with reckless confidence.
I turned to them—and to the entire Hero Party and Nekhuf.
“If I don’t step in… can you beat him?”
It wasn’t provocation—it was truth.
The Demon King’s combat power utterly dwarfs Roy’s.
He exists as a mob for hunters who cleared *all* DLCs.
“Hmph, of course *we* win?! Do you think we’d lose to someone we’ve already defeated?!”
Leah scoffed—and everyone glared at me with disgust.
“Hans, I never thought you’d be this low.”
Mia scowled, clearly offended.
The Hero Party had easily defeated the Demon King before.
They’d trained relentlessly, fearing they might lose.
But that was then. This is now.
Back then, they trained to *easily* defeat him. Not to prepare for endgame content.
To beat the Demon King, we needed to first defeat Auros—and crush Roy like a snack.
“Hmm? Really? Then you go ahead. I won’t interfere.”
They turned their eyes to the Demon King.
“Do you really think it’ll end like last time? Foolish heroes?”
He grinned at me.
“You’re really not going to fight, are you?”
“Yes, yes. But—if any of them die… I’ll kill *you* before I even think about Roy. I’ll track you to your resurrection point and erase you.”
I let loose a cold, predatory aura to threaten him.
“Hahaha… how unfortunate. My great adversary would abandon his duty? Well… fine. I’ll humor you.”
At the Demon King’s arrogant words, Scarlet and all of them scowled.
And the first round began swiftly.
Scarlet and Nekhuf lunged at the Demon King at speeds invisible to the eye.
—*Shing!*
A sharp, metallic clang rang out—
“Ghk!”
He blocked them with terrifying ease.
The shock sent Scarlet flying far away—
—*Thwack!*
Nekhuf was flung like a ragdoll by the Demon King’s fist.
From there, the battle between the Hero Party + Nekhuf and the Demon King resumed.
***
Roy had lost his left arm.
“I need to find a usable limb.”
On his way to the sealed location of the Death God, he resolved to fix his drastically weakened combat power.
He might encounter the Demon King or his minions.
With his current state, he couldn’t even hold his own against Hans, let alone the Demon King.
For a swordsman, losing one arm was fatal.
But he couldn’t just graft any arm.
‘I might have to fight him soon.’
The King who ruled Hell.
Roy knew better than anyone how strong the Demon King was.
He needed the arm of a superior.
“I need the arm of a high-ranking demon.”
His eyes locked onto a castle visible atop a distant mountain.
Only high-ranking demons could build and dwell in castles in Hell.
He sprinted toward it.
As he neared, massive demonic beasts turned their heads toward him.
—*KRAAAAA!*
The beasts roared thunderously.
Roy plunged through their ranks, swinging his blade wildly.
—*Ssshh!*
The King decapitated them in an instant.
—*Who the hell are you?!*
—*Ghk!*
—*Kch!*
He began slaughtering demons as he entered the castle.
‘Five times? Now it’s six.’
The King had faced death many times.
His combat power had dropped, but through constant regression, he sliced through enemies effortlessly and ascended straight to the top floor.
—*Boom!*
Roy kicked open a massive door and stepped inside.
Before him sat a woman in a lavish dress upon a throne.
A high-ranking demon, perhaps mid-twenties.
Long black hair, horns protruding from her head—she gazed down at Roy with bored eyes.
“Who are you?”
Roy didn’t answer.
“Queen Succubus. Today, I take your life.”
“Demons don’t die. We only resurrect. But… I’m displeased.”
The Queen frowned.
She rose from her throne.
“Rude, uncouth creature. My life is not so easily taken.”
“You’ll see.”
In her hand: a massive staff.
Instantly, the two clashed.
—*Shing!*
—*Poom!*
Roy dodged dozens of magical attacks with ease.
He surged toward the Queen.
—*Shing!*
“You’re not bad… for a one-armed man.”
A flicker of interest lit the Queen’s eyes.
She’d lived so long, her emotions were worn thin—this was novel.
After dozens of exchanges—
Roy slashed her neck with his blade.
—*Ssshh.*
The Queen’s head rolled away, grotesquely.
Roy cut off her left arm with his sword.
“Hmm… the size fits.”
He attached the Queen’s arm to his own.
—*Ghhhh…!*
***
Before a colossal, blood-red entity, every member of the Hero Party lay sprawled on the ground.
Enormous black horns.
Claws.
Six pairs of torn, black wings spread from its back.
A long, whip-like tail.
—*Hahahaha!* Dare you challenge me in Hell?!
The Demon King revealed his true form—and the fight ended in his victory.
His flawless body proved how severely the Hero Party had been handicapped in their previous battle.
Still… I didn’t expect them to lose the first phase.
Even his human form was stronger than the Demon King they’d faced in the human world.
The Hero Party had defeated his human form… and still couldn’t stop his true form.
They were decent.
But utterly inadequate against an Epic boss.
Unless you’re a veteran, defeating an Epic boss is nearly impossible.
“Haa… haa…”
The Hero Party collapsed on the floor, glaring at the Demon King.
He slowly walked toward them.
“Hahahaha! Still want to fight? Very well. Let me imprint true terror upon you.”
Watching them crumble, the Demon King seemed delighted.
I judged further combat meaningless and spoke coldly to him.
“Enough.”
“Hahaha… you didn’t kill me yet. So why not play a little longer—”
—*Bang!*
I fired Equalizer into the sky.
“I’m in a bad mood. Annoy me again, and I’ll kill *you* first.”
“Hmph. Fine.”
His body shrank, reverting to human form.
Horns, claws, monstrous bulk—all gone.
The Demon King stood before us, a handsome man.
“Understand now?”
He looked down at the Hero Party.
“You only won because I was restricted crossing dimensions. In a fair fight, you’re nothing.”
I watched his taunt and asked:
“Did you hold a grudge from last time?”
The Demon King fell silent.
“That’s it, isn’t it? You’re the Demon King—and you still nurse grudges? You’re… pathetic.”
The in-game Demon King was cool.
This one? He seemed oddly insecure.
“No! Why would I hold a grudge?!”
“Then why provoke them? Be honest. Did you lose to girls and feel ashamed?”
“Eek! No, I didn’t!”
While I traded words with the Demon King,
Scarlet struggled to rise.
“We’re not defeated yet!”
“Yes! We can’t lose to evil!”
The Hero Party rose, fire in their eyes.
“Icira, rest first.”
The Demon King had spared them—but their condition was terrible.
“Cecilia—”
Seeing the platinum-haired girl, guilt welled in my chest.
“Have them recover first.”
Did she sense my thoughts? Her voice was quiet.
“…Yes.”
Cecilia healed the Hero Party.
“Again!”
The battle between the Hero Party and the Demon King restarted.
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