Chapter 177

Chapter 177: Home Ground

Thud.

The air inside the banquet hall began to change with the simple act of the fallen one-armed man pushing the ground with his left hand, starting to rise.

The demons’ arrogance and mockery, which had once settled heavily, froze cold.

A fierce wind blowing from somewhere sent shivers down the spine, causing the movements of the insects crawling in search of prey to stiffen.

“...”

Demon Lord Magan, who was standing closest to him, felt a prickling sensation on the back of his neck.

Am I getting tense?

By simply realizing that the man in front of him had risen once again, it made his body tense up.

He reached his hand inside his mouth and pulled out the soul he was chewing on, inspecting it.

Although they looked the same, the dissipating soul in his hand was not the Soul Whisperer he knew.

He had also been deceived by this insignificant soul—he was certain of that much.

“So, you were the original Deus Verdi.”

As Magan stared at the slowly rising mana, he licked his dry lips with his thick tongue.

He had no idea what kind of being that man was, but Magan didn’t care at all.

After all, all he needed to do was kill and devour both of those souls, there was no need to complicate his thoughts.

“Magan.”

A voice, dull to the point that even a chill could be felt, echoed.

Just one word.

With just one word spoken.

He was now certain that he was facing the real Soul Whisperer, Deus Verdi.

It was almost ridiculous that he had been deceived by the clumsy fake performance just moments ago.

Therefore, Magan felt even more irritated and was about to try to devour the soul he held in his hand. However...

Thwack!

A flying spear made of blue flames pierced through his wrist.

It was a sudden attack from Deus, who was still unable to control his own body properly.

Magan, who hadn’t even expected him to be able to cast a spell in that state, clicked his tongue. It was such a ridiculous attack that it didn’t even make him feel an itch.

However, with a hole pierced in his wrist, his fingers lost their grip. Seizing this opportunity, Deus snatched the soul with his mana and pulled it into his arms. Upon seeing that, Magan ground his teeth.

That man truly lived up to his title as the Soul Whisperer.

Despite his enemy standing right before him—a monster who had severed his right arm, the Demon Lord who previously possessed the left arm of the former Saintess and treated it like a trophy.

Deus still chose to ignore someone like him for the sake of the soul that was about to disappear.

“How dare you....”

To Magan, it felt utterly disgraceful. It was as if Deus had squandered his only opportunity to launch a surprise attack, all for the sake of saving just that one soul.

The Demon Lord felt that he was not as valuable as that soul in the heart of the Soul Whisperer.

[...Ah.]

With holes caused by Magan’s teeth, the dissipating soul of Deus stared into his face.

They had the same face but carried an entirely different atmosphere.

He had to admit that although the man in front of him was merely someone who used the same name as him, he was a completely different person.

Was it because of that?

That Deus could accept his own annihilation more easily.

[It was as you said.]

For the first time in a long while, as he slowly closed his eyes, Deus showed not a smile tainted by alcohol, drugs, or lust, but rather that of an innocent, sunny smile of a child.

[I was a human who was capable of change.]

For souls, there were only two possible endings: eternal rest or annihilation.

Eternal rest was the kind where you simply laid down and closed your eyes forever, while annihilation meant you disappeared without leaving anything behind.

This man woke up from his eternal rest to fight for his family, and in order to do that, he had to abandon himself.

At the moment of annihilation, because he did not lose his smile...

“I just...”

The remaining Deus Verdi in this world honored his departed self.

“Thank you.”

* * *Because the original Deus’ soul occupied the body, I had no way to show up.

Even though I knew about the ongoing tragedy, I couldn’t help but lament my inability to communicate.

“I just...”

However, Deus Verdi’s noble will and sacrifice enabled me to stand here again.

“Thank you.”

It was like the words I said when I sent him off at the funeral without mourners in the past.

He was the kind of person who could sacrifice himself for others. And if given the opportunity and the right circumstances, he could have changed.

His heavy steps were approaching. Just a single step was enough to send a tsunami-like wave of terror crashing over us humans.

He was one of the top predators surpassing the human race.

“I am Magan, the Demon Lord of Gluttony!”

Thud!

As he got closer, the pressure bearing down on my shoulders felt like it would crush my entire body.

“How dare you oppose me at my dinner! You pathetic humans! You mere pieces of meat!”

Deia and Darius had already succumbed to the pressure and fallen to their knees, while the Dark Spiritualist urgently stayed close to me.

[Y-you have a way to escape, right?]

“No, I do not.”

[What?]

“There is no way to escape. And I have no intention to.”

I will kill him.

As I uttered these words, the Dark Spiritualist widened her eyes and stared at me with astonishment.

Although it was for a brief moment, I glanced at her; out of the blue, a chuckle escaped my lips.

“It is good to see you after so long.”

[Uh...]

In an instant, I pushed away the frozen Dark Spiritualist and warned her.

“Keep your distance, this is not a battlefield for humans.”

[W-what are you...]

Before the Dark Spiritualist finished her sentence, a burst of maniacally excited laughter resonated from my empty right arm.

[Keehahahaha!]

Crack! Crack! Crack!

My right arm felt hot.

Despite having nothing there, my skin started swelling and I felt like blood was flowing, almost as if I had an arm.

Souls contained mana.

And the mana from the Demon Lord’s soul inside me swirled like spiral particles, forming the grotesque shape of an arm.

“Velica.”

Magan called out the name of another Demon Lord. In response, the projection of Stella’s soul, with horns on her forehead, emerged behind me.

[Magan! That fat body of yours is still the same, huh?!]

“How dare you mock me, you moron, you’re only a Demon Lord who acts like a parasite to the Saintess.”

[You fool! I am only adhering to my nature, you know? I am Velica, the Demon Lord of Deformities! It means my demonic nature is just as twisted as well! Very much unlike you, you psycho bastard!]

“Yeah, that fucking mouth of yours sure knows how to play.”

After saying ‘but’, his tongue flicked restlessly as if he couldn’t hold back any longer.

“How dare you think of fighting me at my dining table? Has your deformity affected your foolish brain?! This is my stage! Have you forgotten that no other Demon Lord would dare challenge me at my own table?”

As if everything until now was just a trivial display of his power, Magan’s mana exploded forth, causing the world to tremble.

It was a power that could turn even the most powerful forces of each country into mere dishes.

Facing such an enemy, Velica, who was already a dead soul, practically couldn’t be considered a match for Magan. However...

[Did you eat so much that even your brain got fat from it?]

Instead, Velica let out a laugh. It was not an empty taunt, but one filled with deep trust and conviction.

Magan’s visibly narrowed eyes showed that he felt it.

[It seems like you forgot what kind of Demon Lord I am!]

Behind me, Velica’s energy started to fluctuate as it tried to burst out.

I accepted her without any resistance. As my mana mixed with Velica’s, spider-like legs took position behind my back like wings.

[I am Velica, the Demon Lord of Deformities! And the bastard with me right now...]

Bang! Bang!

Velica patted my shoulder without holding back and smiled brightly.

[His right arm is now gone, disappeared! His emotions have been worn out! His body is not his own! And even his soul has come from another world!]

I thought she was mocking me.

However, from Velica’s perspective, there was no better praise than this.

[That’s why he is a truly deformed human! I mean, his whole existence, you know? You pig!]

The rather rough introduction line didn’t sit well with me.

However, if someone asked who would be the best match for the Demon Lord of Deformities on this continent...

Someone whose every aspect seemed to be completely deformed.

I thought the answer might be me.

[Has the reward for Stella’s faith come to me as well? How could such a perfectly fitting guy appear before me?]

Velica lifted her middle finger and directed a confident smile towards Magan.

[How about we fight once on each other’s home ground!]