Chapter 631: 'The Red King of Battles'

The swaying balance of the battle started tipping on one side. To the side of the Human-Demon Allied Forces…… Considering the simple difference in strength between the two sides, excluding the Joker that is Alice, it's a miracle that things are going so well for them.

Countermeasures they planned in advance, assigning the opponents they should fight, and exploiting the weakness of most Gods' lack of battle training…… Their strategies worked beautifully and became a catalyst for the war.

However, it was like they were walking on thin ice. As long as the Gods have Life on their side, they can fill in as much manpower as they want, but this isn't the case for the Human-Demon Allied Forces.

If one of their pillars collapses, the whole building would follow suit, crumbling down to ruins.

[Megiddo-samaaaaaaa!?]

A tragic shout that was probably cried out by one of the War King's subordinates. That voice drew the attention of the many people gathered on the battlefield to a single floating island.

Megiddo's body, which is over ten meters tall, was "sliced in half"…… crashing down on the ground. And the high-ranking God who did it…… Shea, abjectly stared at the scythe in her hand and muttered.

[……Ahh, d*mn it…… So this is what taking a life feels like. Even though I'm doing this for Shallow Vernal-sama, I still feel terrible.]

She never kills her opponents, even those who turn their blades against her, allowing them to keep their lives. This was the principle that the God of Disasters, Shea, obsessively follows. However, the most effective way to stop the Human-Demon Allied Forces from gaining momentum is to break one of their pillars.

With Alice, the Joker who alone surpassed the Supreme Gods, it was necessary to break one of their pillars as soon as possible. That was why, for the sake of the God Realm, Shea abandoned her obsession and cut Megiddo in two.

[……I'm sorry, Megiddo. Beating you with a borrowed power…… After everything is over and you come back to life, I'll obediently receive one of your strikes.]

The fact that Megiddo, one of the Six Kings, was defeated, brought tremendous turmoil to the Human-Demon Allied Forces. The War Kings' subordinates in particular, who were the main players in these battles, suffered mental damage that they could not immediately recover from.

Isis and Lillywood, who had been fighting Life, and Magnawell, who had been taking on a large amount of Gods, were also very shaken…… Looking at this chaos that had, in a sense, decided the course of the battle, Chronois muttered to herself.

[……Well, I guess I should say he's done well holding out until now, but this is to be expected. Even though he's mentioned in the same breath as the Six Kings, his…… the War King's overall strength is one step inferior to the other members of the Six Kings, even weaker to Ein. With that being the case, he'll obviously be the first one to collapse.]

After muttering this, she looked at Ein and the others who were probably just as shaken as the others…… and received the sharp punch that Ein sent to her.

[Hoohhh…… I don't know if I should say that it's to be expected of you or that was quite heartless of you…… but even when the others were shaken from his death, you don't seem to be shaken at all huh?]

Zwei, Vier and Funf more or less looked shaken. However, Ein looked completely unfazed.

The reason why Ein was able to remain calm, even when the other members of the Six Kings were shaken by Megiddo's death———— wasn't just because of her personality.

Just as Ein was about to tell Chronois the reason why, a loud voice echoed across the battlefield.

[Don't get shaken! War King's subordinates!!! Raise your blades! "This is "where the real thing starts"!!!]

[……Ozma…… -sama…… Why…… are you laughing?]

The expression on Ozma's face as his voice echoed across the battlefield was abnormal, even to Agni, another member of the War King's Five Generals near him. Even with Megiddo's death…… Ozma was laughing. He looks like an extremely happy child, gazing at the hero of his dreams about to make his entrance……

[Alright, listen here! For what would happen now is something I couldn't say before…… but now, this is where the real things starts!]

Filled with excitement that one couldn't imagine from his usual aloofness, Ozma even used Loudspeaker Magic to make his voice ring out.

[War King's subordinates! I don't care if it's while fighting! But you ought to burn this into your eyes! Give praise! And engrave it unto your souls!!! ———"Our King's appearance"!!!]

Immediately after Ozma's joyful shout echoed, a huge pillar of flames rose up that seemed to tear the heavens apart. As the flames that seemed to vertically split up the space burst out…… it covered Megiddo's body, which had been sliced by two.

The Gods are aware of the fact that this is an unusual situation. Shea, who was about to leave the scene, stopped, and even Chronois stopped her counterattack against Ein and looked at the pillar of flames.

[……What's that? What in the world is happening?]

[Chronois.]

[Hmm?]

[The answer to what you just said is simple. Why is it that I didn't get shaken…… Vexing it may be to say this, but I'm desperately fighting right now. I don't have the composure to "worry about someone who is much stronger than me".]

[……What?]

As if in response to Ein's unexpected words, the blazing pillar of flames began to change.

The color of the flames became darker and darker…… and after it turned into a jet-black flames, it disappeared.

In the midst of the silence that was unlike a battlefield…… Ozma quietly brought his hand on his chest, dropping to one knee, even when he's still floating in midair, and lowered his head.

His heart was beating with joy. As it should be, for he had been waiting for this moment for a long time……

[……I express my heartfelt joy that you're awake. "Our Great King".]

At the place where the flames emerged, a beautiful woman leisurely stood. Her long hair rippled red like blazing flames. She was about 180cm tall, which was too small considering her previous appearance.

(T/N: 5'11")

She has two horns that curve backwards, and beautiful white thin arms. A beautiful woman wrapped in tattered robes that was torn in many places, with a body of excellent proportions.

The woman looked at her hands once, as if to check her own appearance, and looking away from Shea in front of her, she got down on both knees, clasping her hands together and closed her eyes, as if she's going to pray.

[……My mother whom I love and respect, Kuromueina. Forgive me, for I have returned to this foolish form again without your permission.]

[……You're full of gaps.]

As the praying woman's beautiful voice echoed, Shea didn't wait for her to make any further actions and immediately kicked off the ground, approaching the woman. She still hadn't understood what had just happened. However, her intuition told her that the woman in front of her was dangerous.

That's why, she wielded her scythe and swung it to the woman with all of her might while she was still exposed.

Without missing a beat, the scythe caught the woman's slender neck———— "and shattered without piercing a single thin layer of her skin".

[What!?]

Surprised that her attack was blocked even when she didn't defend, Shea immediately leapt backwards to get away from the woman.

It was a brilliant decision. However, it was already too late.

Immediately afterwards, Shea saw a clenched fist closing in on her…… crushing through the scythe Shea had created with magic power, the woman's absolute blow pierced through Shea's magic barrier like paper.

And with her strike————— The space burst apart.

With a simple swing of her fist, the floating island was obliterated and a huge cloud of dust was created. When the dust cleared up, Shea couldn't be seen anymore…… only the king reigning over the space.

[Ohhhhhhh!]

The woman…… Megiddo, who had regained her true form, roared and headed towards the nearest group of Gods with the speed of a beast unleashed from its cage.

Of course, the Gods immediately took a stance to fight back,  and even the high-ranking Gods, sensing the danger Megiddo brought, gathered to attack Megiddo in the dozens.

And at that moment————- The Gods learned what true tyranny is……

The blades swung, the spears thrusted, the arrows released, and the magic raining down upon her————– Much less scratch, not a single one of them dirtied Megiddo's body.

Huge shields, magical barriers filled with one's magic power, and power suited for defense————— Not allowing even a shred of resistance, everything was crushed by a single fist.

The Gods who were supposed to have been enormously strengthened by Shallow Vernal—————– All of them were swept away like insects.

She truly looked like a raging red beast…… The King of Battles. In ancient times, "she turned a third of the Demon Realm into scorched earth", and even though she had been defeated, "she was someone capable of inflicting a slight wound on the hand of the serious Kuromueina". She has the strongest power among those who are naturally born in this world, but she herself has sealed her true form, "for she hated how this form couldn't bring battles, it could only bring slaughter".

Her power that can only be suppressed by applying multiple layers of seals until her height, which is originally less than two meters, becomes more than ten meters, is now directed at the Gods.

As she knocks down the dead and resurrected Gods with even greater speed, Megiddo shouted.

[Oraaaa! Ozma! How long are you going to lazily fight like that…… Start getting serious!]

The moment those words were exclaimed, Ozma, who had been lowering his head, shuddered with joy. He usually refers to Megiddo Argetes Borgnes as "Master". This is because to him, Megiddo may be his king, but not his king at the same time……

For the knight Ozma, the man once known as the "Ozma of the Storm", who believed himself to be the strongest…… He only has one King, whether it's in the past or the future. It is her, the Incarnation of Tyranny, who easily shattered his pride, accumulated strength and firm confidence.

He admires the strength of his King, and thus, he decided to dedicate his life for that King. Just like his King, he sealed his own power…… only waiting for when she awakens.

And now, the royal decree that he had been waiting for has been given, bringing a strong light in the knight's eyes.

The wind blew, his stubble was trimmed off, and his shaggy hair was neatly swept back.

[As you wish, my King.]

There is no need for him to hesitate any longer. His King's order has arrived. All he needs to do now is to seriously fight, with all of his might…… Ozma, who had turned into a raging storm, went to the floating island where Megiddo was fighting and started exhibiting everything in his power.

Now, the scales of battle have greatly tilted, inclining towards the Human-Demon Allied Forces' side……

However, one must not forget. With Megiddo's actions, the Gods, who had the composure to only fight with their main goal of buying time for Shallow Vernal, were now given a reason to change their objective, moving towards elimination……

<Afterword>

? ? ? : [Incidentally, the three people in the Demon Realm who knew Megiddo-san's true form were Kuro-san, Ein-san and myself……]

Serious-senpai : [……Rather than that, my other self was just easily eliminated, oi!]

? ? ? : [Ahh, it's alright. If the fact that it wasn't stated that Life-san's power didn't revive her wasn't stated, it could just be that she didn't even die in the first place…… She may have blown away really far though.]

Serious-senpai : [Was that……a great news? Well, anyway, it means the War King is awesome, isn't it?]

? ? ? : [Yes. By the way, Megiddo-san, in this form, doesn't use magic at all. It's a strong style that only uses her physical abilities to punch and kick, becoming a humanoid bullet with that body of her that had a freaking cheat-like attack and defense power.]

T/N: 50/183