TL/Editor: raei
Status: ongoing
Illustrations: none
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Deep within the demon realm, further past the border...
CLOP CLOP CLOP!
A group rushed quickly toward the border from that direction.
Though this was the demon realm where supposedly only demons could survive, all members of this group were human.
Specifically, it was the hero party including Claire Flosimar.
'To think that time is already approaching.'
The gray sky grew lighter as they approached the border.
Urgency filled Claire's eyes as she ran while watching that sky.
The death of Lion Princess Evelyn Agnes.
The significance of that death was immense.
Beyond simply one of the world's strongest disappearing from the world, it became the catalyst for the demon realm to begin full-scale activities.
Evelyn, called the strongest knight, served as a deterrent to war just by existing.
Therefore, her death would accelerate both the timing of the great war and consequently, destruction itself.
'The timing has been moved up much earlier than last time.'
Originally, this shouldn't have happened for another 4-5 months.
Though much had changed compared to before regression, she hadn't expected it to be advanced this much.
If not for Prince Zion's message, they wouldn't have even been able to move in time like this.
Then-
"Claire."
Turzan, running beside her, called her name in a firm voice before stopping in place.
"Something passed through here before us."
The giant's eyes scanned traces of something inscribed in the earth as he spoke to the party members who had stopped with him.
Very faint traces of demonic energy.
In the demon realm where demons existed more numerously than grains of sand, these traces seemed insignificant enough to ignore.
But Turzan had reason for stopping.
Just detecting these faint traces made his entire body, which had reached the Third Heaven among the 'Seven Heavens', tremble against his will.
Demonic energy that seemed to press down while looking down from an incomprehensibly high place.
Just what kind of being could possess such demonic energy?
"This is...!"
Claire's eyes began trembling as she followed Turzan's words and examined the traces.
Not from fear of the remnants of unimaginably powerful force felt from the traces.
She had expected an Archdemon's involvement from the start.
What made Claire's eyes tremble was the nature of this demonic energy.
'The future has changed again!'
In her previous regression, the Archdemon who had targeted Evelyn Agnes was Madness.
But these weren't traces left by Acrimosia.
No, only one being in the world could possess such demonic energy.
'Archdemon of Pride.'
It seemed the future had twisted due to their using the Archdemon of Jealousy Zeloth to cause discord.
"We need to hurry."
Urgency filled Claire's eyes.
Though both beings might possess similar strength, in her opinion, the Archdemon of Pride was far more dangerous.
While Madness would waste time without using full power from the start for her own amusement, Pride had no such tendency.
"We'll move at maximum speed from now on."
WHOOSH!
With these words from the hero, her companions exchanged glances before beginning to move incomparably faster than before.
---
Unlike ordinary skies, the demon realm's sky was extremely black.
Though several theories existed about the cause, the most likely hypothesis was that demonic energy emitted from the demon realm gathered in the sky without dispersing, covering it entirely.
Zion thought this hypothesis was somewhat correct.
Otherwise, the sky at the border between demon realm and empire wouldn't show such a gray color.
It was probably a phenomenon caused by demonic energy spreading from the demon realm touching the original sky.
'Though the reason doesn't really matter.'
Girard's eyes began trembling uncontrollably at this sight.
Just what was happening?
The demons charging toward them now were the demon army they had been facing all this time.
Until now, they had only engaged in small skirmishes, knowing neither side should move carelessly.
Yet now their main force suddenly moved all at once.
'If it were an ordinary demon army, we could quickly subjugate them but...'
The problem was that this wasn't an ordinary demon army.
As they faced the Border Corps, the empire's elite, this demon army's level was far higher than other enemies and included many high-ranking demons.
'Moreover, the one leading that army is...'
With this thought, Girard watched a demon approaching at the army's front while laughing madly.
-HAHAHA!
A demon with four horse-like legs and six arms.
This demon named Cteon was one of the 'Six Claws', known to possess top-tier strength even in the demon realm.
A being who had reigned as their greatest trouble and strongest enemy until now.
Then-
"Hah..."
After briefly catching his breath and cooling his head, from Girard's lips-
"All forces prepare for battle!!!"
A tremendous shout burst forth.
Though the situation was completely unexpected, they couldn't simply take it lying down.
The one fortunate thing was that they could prepare quickly since they were already readying for deployment.
'Though if intense battle breaks out, deployment will be canceled due to massive casualties... but we have no choice.'
Perhaps truly befitting their reputation as elite among elites.
Just as Girard thought this, feeling the Border Corps swiftly forming ranks behind him-
FLASH!
All energy within sight suddenly began being drawn somewhere.
Simultaneously, the gazes of Girard and his soldiers naturally turned toward where the energy was being drawn.
What their eyes beheld was:
SCREECH!
A dark spear converting all absorbed energy into darkness and concentrating it into a single point.
And Zion, drawing back that spear.
"Prince... Zion?"
A dazed voice flowed from Girard's lips as he felt his entire body pressed down by the terrifying pressure radiating from him, but Zion's eyes remained fixed solely on his spear tip's target.
The target was Cteon, ruler of the demon army and one of the Six Claws.
Zion knew.
RUMBLE!
The demon army's advance before his eyes was meant to hold them back and buy time here to prevent them from concerning themselves with Evelyn.
But Zion had no intention of playing along.
One layer, two layers, three layers...
Black Flash continued layering over the darkness concentrated to its extreme at the spear tip.
SCREECH!
Agdravar screamed, unable to withstand this power, as space rippled from the aftermath.
The scene looked as if the world was contracting around Zion.
Finally-
'I'll end it with this strike.'
The Dragon Rage Spear, layered with ten Black Flashes, was drawn to maximum and aimed at the demon's heart.
-Y-you are!!!!
Cteon's eyes widened as far as possible as he realized both that he was the target and Zion's identity.
WHOOSH!
As Zion's drawn spear was released-
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The world was pierced through.