Chapter 113: Motivation for a Good Fight...
The Marauders continued pounding the ground with their claws.
THUMP.
THUMP.
THUMP.
The entire cavern vibrated with that strange rhythm.
They weren’t shouting.
They weren’t roaring.
It felt more like a ritual.
As if they were cheering for their king.
Nox remained perfectly still.
His black chains slowly moved around him.
In front of him, the King of the Marauders had yet to reappear.
He was hiding within the shadows.
Waiting for an opening.
Leaning against a nearby rock, Yuri tried to stand once more.
She took a deep breath and tightened her grip on the knife made from fangs.
Her legs were still trembling.
Nox glanced at her from the corner of his eye.
"You don’t have to."
She took another step forward.
"Yes, I do."
"Stay where you are."
Yuri shook her head.
"I’m not giving up."
Nox let out a quiet laugh.
"You’re way too stubborn."
She smiled.
"I can also give pretty good headbutts."
The demon slowly shook his head.
’This woman is seriously crazy.’
But...
For some reason...
He liked that stubbornness.
It reminded him of his group of villainesses.
Every single one of them became impossible to convince once they made up their minds.
And that awakened something inside him.
The urge to fight.
The desire to prove he could win.
At that very moment...
Danger Sense activated.
Without even thinking...
Nox threw one of his Demonic Dual Knives to his left.
The dagger disappeared into the shadows.
A second later...
A pained growl echoed throughout the cavern.
The King had materialized exactly where the blade struck.
The dagger was buried in the center of his chest.
The monster’s eyes widened in surprise.
Yet he continued charging straight toward the demon.
Nox smiled.
"Found you."
A black chain instantly appeared, wrapped around the dagger’s hilt, and pulled with all its might in the opposite direction.
The King’s momentum came to a complete stop.
His massive body lost its balance for a fraction of a second.
And that was exactly what Nox needed.
He disappeared.
Then reappeared directly above the monster’s back.
His second dagger came down again and again.
The scales covering the beast’s skin began to crack.
Small black fragments scattered through the air.
"You’re not as tough as you look."
Another stab.
At last...
A gap appeared.
Nox smiled.
Ashbringer was already aimed.
The ash bullet shot through the newly opened opening.
The King’s body convulsed violently.
The monster roared in fury and tried to strike his own back.
But Nox was already gone.
He had disappeared once again.
Reappearing beside Yuri.
The woman stared at him in complete awe.
"That..."
She struggled to catch her breath.
"...was incredible."
Nox didn’t answer.
He raised both hands, and dozens of chains erupted from the ground.
They completely wrapped around the King’s body.
The monster roared and struggled to break free.
But the chains pulled with overwhelming force.
The enormous body crashed onto its back.
The entire cavern trembled once again.
The King tried to disappear into the shadows.
But something wasn’t working.
He blinked.
Looked around.
His breathing grew faster.
"What...?"
His voice sounded confused.
"No..."
He tried to use the shadows again.
Nothing happened.
Ashbringer was still taking effect.
His senses had become completely distorted.
He couldn’t recognize his surroundings.
He couldn’t tell where the sounds were coming from.
He couldn’t even distinguish up from down.
The Marauders immediately stopped pounding the ground.
Absolute silence filled the cavern.
Everyone watched.
Waiting to see what would happen to their king.
Nox calmly walked over to Yuri.
Golden flames appeared above his hands.
"Stay still."
The woman obeyed.
[Phoenix Regeneration.]
The fire slowly flowed across Yuri’s body.
Her wounds began to close.
The bruises faded away.
Her breathing returned to normal.
She smiled.
"Thank you."
"No problem."
"I’m sorry..."
She lowered her gaze.
"...for making you use that magic on me again."
Nox chuckled.
"As long as you don’t die..."
He extinguished the flames.
"...everything’s fine."
Yuri looked down at her own hands.
She felt strong again.
Then Nox began walking.
Slowly.
Toward the King.
As he advanced...
The Marauder Mask began to crumble away.
Black ashes slowly drifted from its surface.
His true face was revealed once more.
His crimson skin.
His black horns.
His scarlet eyes.
The dagger lodged in the monster’s chest also disappeared.
The wounds were still burning.
The King was still trying to understand where he was.
Breathing heavily.
He watched Nox approach.
But he no longer looked so aggressive.
His enormous body began to shrink.
The muscles disappeared.
The scales receded.
His fangs became small once again.
Until he returned to that almost adorable form.
The little King remained seated on the ground.
Still blinking.
Still confused.
Nox stopped in front of him and watched him for a few seconds.
Then smiled.
"I suppose..."
He slowly crouched down.
"...now we can finally talk."
The little King looked at him.
Then glanced at the Marauders surrounding them.
They all remained completely motionless.
Waiting for his orders.
The King looked back at the demon.
"...Why don’t you kill me?"
Nox raised an eyebrow.
"Because I came here to talk."
"That doesn’t make any sense."
"No."
The demon slowly shook his head.
"Everyone else comes here to hunt you."
He paused for a moment.
"I came to offer you something."
The little King’s black eyes remained fixed on him.
"What could you possibly offer a king?"
Nox smiled.
"A common enemy."
Those words plunged the entire cavern into silence.
Even the Marauders seemed intrigued.
The little King tilted his head slightly.
"Explain."
Nox crossed his arms.
"The humans of the swamp want to exterminate you."
He pointed toward Yuri.
"She came here for that very reason."
Yuri lowered her head slightly.
She couldn’t deny it.
Nox continued.
"They see you as monsters."
Then he pointed toward the Marauders.
"And you see humans as monsters."
The little King slowly nodded.
"That’s correct."
"But there’s someone who benefits from this war."
The King remained silent.
"The Gods."
That single word sparked a quiet murmur among the creatures.
Nox noticed their reaction.
’Interesting.’
So they knew that word.
"They want you to keep fighting each other."
The little King narrowed his eyes.
"Why?"
"Because as long as you keep killing one another..."
Nox smiled.
"...no one will pay attention to those who truly rule this world, and this land can continue being treated as abandoned."
The King remained completely still, deep in thought.
He no longer looked like nothing more than an adorable little monster.
He looked like a true leader.
And Nox smiled.
Because he knew the real negotiation...
...had only just begun.