Chapter 538: The Duel (8)

While Gavid received condolences from the demons, Eugene did not look that way. He had already finished offering his condolences and farewells to Gavid.

He was unsure how Gavid had taken them, but he was genuinely thankful and expressed that.

This duel was important to Eugene and held great significance. Thus, he absolutely had to win. He had been desperate.

"I'm getting tired,” Eugene sighed deeply and muttered to himself.

He slowly allowed Ignition to end. The sanctuary wrapped around his body disappeared as well. It was quite different from a year ago. Eugene had far surpassed the human limits, and he no longer had to deal with any physical recoil.

That didn't mean he was completely fine. If anything had changed, it was that his physical body could still move perfectly. However, he couldn't help the backlash from the surge of divine power.

‘It would be better if only my body were in pain,’ Eugene thought bitterly.

Due to Ignition's backlash, he could not use divine power for a while. Fortunately, he could still use mana, but Levantein could not even draw a quarter of its original power without Divine Power.

‘I'm glad this didn't happen in Babel.’

Eugene had gained a lot through this duel. One was the divine power and Levantein. Moreover, having won a duel that was broadcast across the continent, his faith would increase immeasurably.

Of course, the greatest achievement was having killed Gavid Lindman. Now, no demon could stand in Eugene's way in ascending to the throne of the Demon King of Incarceration in Babel, except for Noir Giabella.

‘I need to kill her before going to Babel,’ Eugene thought apathetically.

It was not an easy task. He wasn’t confident even after gaining such power. Nevertheless, there was one thing he could be certain of, regardless of whether he would win or not.

Noir could no longer be given any more time. She could no longer be called the Queen of the Night Demons. She was the same as Gavid. She had already become an unfathomable entity, transcending the realm of demons.

‘She even possesses the Demoneye of Divine Glory.’ Eugene continued with his musings.

Just the Demoneye of Fantasy was horrendous and tricky enough, but she now also possessed the Demoneye of Divine Glory. Moreover, Noir would not use the Demoneye of Divine Glory like Gavid.

‘Noir Giabella's mastery of the Demoneye is overwhelmingly superior. She'll probably use the Demoneye of Fantasy as a supplement in battle,’ Eugene thought with a frown.

Thus, all the more reason Noir could not be given time. What she had done in Giabella City was unclear, but Eugene could no longer leave her be.

"Radiant!" a voice was heard.

Eugene's steps halted abruptly as he brooded. It was the cursed title he had heard for the first time in a year. But would it have become familiar if he had heard it all year long? He doubted it. Eugene grimaced and looked up.

Everyone in the stands was standing and looking at Eugene. The first to jump down was, surprisingly, Gilead Lionheart.

"Radiant Eugene Lionheart!" Gilead shouted as he landed in front of Eugene.

Eugene saw the Lionheart crest emitting a faint light on his left chest.

It wasn't just Gilead. All the Lionhearts who came here were the same. Carmen introduced a new emblem on the uniform a year ago. Eugene looked at the Lionhearts gathering in front of him with a melancholic expression.

"Why the face?" Ciel asked with a puzzled expression.

He couldn’t pinpoint his emotion. It wasn’t unpleasant, but he couldn’t openly be happy about it either. Should he just ignore it? Was it necessary to mention it? All the Lionhearts, including those who were not present, probably had the same emblem engraved on the chests of their uniforms.

Eugene coughed and simply shook his head.

"I'm just tired,” he said.

"That makes sense,” Cyan murmured in agreement with a nod.

He had seen the recent duel with his own eyes from the nearby stands, but he could not understand it. The duel between Gavid and Eugene was beyond human comprehension.

"Aaaaah!"

A crow-like scream struck Eugene’s eardrums, but he was not surprised and looked toward the noise.

Among all the people of the continent, there was only one person who could make such a loud, screeching noise. Just as before, Melkith raised her arms high without caring that she was being broadcast to the entire continent.

"Long live, long live, long live!"

A large flag appeared in Melkith's hand. Eugene was speechless at the sight of the Lionheart crest engraved on the flag. His name was even written in gold below the crest.

Eugene could only stare with his mouth agape as Melkith squealed and waved the flag back and forth.

"Hmm...”

He shut his eyes closed to help with his nausea.

It seemed like a tease, but it wasn't. The gently glowing Lionheart crest and the fluttering flag were all prepared because they had believed in Eugene's victory.

Eugene had attained divinity but fortunately still had a human heart, so he refrained from scolding Melkith and bore with it.

"A-hem." From the back, Sienna cleared her throat. She did not push through the crowd or fly directly to Eugene but reached him with a small step.

"Uh-hum-hum."

Sienna straightened her shoulders and pushed out her chest while coughing. She had hoped for a greeting like “long time no see,” but Eugene did not act as Sienna had expected.

However, Sienna could not complain to Eugene. The moment she stood before him, without hesitation, Eugene spread his arms wide and embraced her.

"Has Vermouth's Oath borne fruit?” the Demon King of Incarceration murmured in a low voice.

The people from three hundred years ago threw themselves into the Devildom because of the Hero’s existence. Even those who were weak and not heroes were influenced by Vermouth. They died in the Devildom for the sake of the world.

The continent and the humans did not win the war. But they also did not lose. Three hundred years ago, there were a few moments the Demon King of Incarceration could not forget.

One was when he first saw the man called Vermouth Lionheart. The moment he saw him, the Demon King of Incarceration no longer advanced but returned to Babel. And he welcomed Vermouth there. He was curious what that man, who could hardly be called the Hero, was plotting.

Another was when he first saw Hamel. It was when he came to the Devildom as one of the comrades of Vermouth.

The last moment was at the very summit of Babel, in the throne room of the Demon King. When Hamel's comrades trudged on after his death, Vermouth unleashed the nature he had been sealing.

"Excellent," the Demon King of Incarceration spoke with a nod.

He could have refused, but he did not. The Demon King of Incarceration had made the Oath as Vermouth had wished.

Thus, three hundred years had passed. For the Demon King of Incarceration, three hundred years was not considered a long time, but it was not the same for the world.

Destruction had been postponed for three hundred years. The war had ended. The world had changed incomparably from before the war.

What now lay before the eyes of the Demon King of Incarceration was the fruit of that promise.

But could he truly reap that fruit?

"Eugene Lionheart," he called out once again.

Clank.

The chains behind the Demon King of Incarceration moved.

"There isn’t much time left. Regardless of my will, the end of the Oath is approaching."

"Yes," Eugene responded with a nod.

He, too, thought of Vermouth. Tied down and sitting in a chair of chains, Vermouth was utterly exhausted and worn out.

"We can't just wait for the end of the Oath, can we?" said Eugene.

Still, Eugene did not truly know what kind of existence Vermouth was. But, this he was sure of: Even if Vermouth was related to the Demon King of Destruction, he did not wish for the world's destruction. Even if Vermouth was not the Hero, he had done his best to save the world.

He must have desperately hoped that Eugene would fulfill that wish.

"I'll come before it's too late," Eugene promised.

He raised his finger to his neck.

"Don't run away. Just wash your neck and wait," he told the Demon King of Incarceration.

Swish.

Eugene's finger slid across his neck. The Black Mist flickered and showed malice toward Eugene. However, it didn’t really bother Eugene.

"I will wait for you," the Demon King of Incarceration promised.

He smiled and opened the door of chains. The Demon King of Incarceration entered the door first, and the Black Mist quietly followed behind.

The door of chains closed.

Only Noir Giabella remained alone. A veil still covered her face, so her expression was unreadable. But Eugene felt Noir's gaze.

"Shh."

The moment Eugene was about to speak, Noir raised her finger and shook her head.

"I do not wish to have a reunion, conversation, or communion with you here,” Noir whispered. "The Demon King said the end of the Oath is not far off. If so, Hamel, you will have to come find me soon."

Noir took a step back.

Whoosh!

A descending wind swept the ground.

Noir pressed her fluttering hair with her hand. Her smile was visible through the fluttering veil.

"I will wait," Noir whispered.

The wind that had been plunging downward now shot upwards. Noir ascended into the sky with the wind. The Giabella-Face that had come to greet its master shone brightly.

"In my city."

With that whisper, Noir and Giabella-Face disappeared.

Openbookworm & DantheMan's Thoughts

Momo: I did not expect info on Vermouth in this chapter. But super interesting to read anyways.