Chapter 235

Chapter 235
## Chapter: 235
Chapter Title: I Want to Kill You. (3)

……Something was wrong.

As the confrontation persisted, the Heavenly Demon felt an increasing sense of confusion.

The Sunken Emperor.

The myriad of insects he controlled.

Initially, he had viewed them as simple mana-eating parasites.

‘They consume magical energy and convert it into their own supply.’

The swarm reproduced without end, constantly refilling their master’s used reserves.

It was reminiscent of the state of Life and Death, pulling in environmental energy for personal use.

However, there were distinct variations from that particular realm.

‘They are actually draining my internal essence.’

Every time an insect made contact, his inner energy fractured and was stolen away.

It mirrored the sensation of being affected by a dispersion powder toxin.

He found it difficult to stabilize and deploy his surging internal energy.

Even worse, they were actively siphoning his personal power.

This was theoretically impossible.

He had long ago ascended past the stages of Adamant Indestructibility and Immunity to All Poisons.

No minor energy source or spirit should be able to penetrate and disturb or hijack his internal core.

‘……It defies logic.’

……It was supposed to be an impossibility.

Even the Heavenly Demon had to apply intense concentration just to catch a glimpse of the bugs, given their microscopic scale.

But labeling them as mere insects didn’t feel accurate.

They possessed no spark of life.

They were instruments functioning under their creator’s dictates.

They behaved more like automatons carrying out programmed tasks.

One fact was undeniable: the further this engagement dragged on, the more his position worsened.

Without utilizing the Heavenly Demon Path, he was unable to fully break free from the surrounding tide of these infinite creatures.

He could not cut through the self-replicating swarm to reach the Sunken Emperor directly.

‘At a disadvantage? Me?’

It was a sensation he hadn’t felt since he cast aside his humanity and descended into the void.

Even without the Heavenly Demon Path, it appeared he had to admit the reality of the situation.

The Sunken Emperor.

He possessed great power.

He was more formidable than any beast he had run into within the abyss.

However, being in a bad spot did not equate to a loss.

In the past, many entities more powerful than himself had eventually ended up on their knees with their lives extinguished by his hand.

‘But now, I have seen through it.’

In that heartbeat, the Heavenly Demon’s expression grew serene.

What might have looked like desperate swinging with his spheres of energy was actually a calculated test to understand the swarm’s essence.

The conclusion: he had mastered its secret.

The mystery behind the Sunken Emperor’s dominance.

‘The insects operate on specific behavioral codes and transmit cues to one another.’

The Heavenly Demon had isolated frequencies that should have been beyond detection.

Vibrations that only their ruler, the ‘Sunken Emperor,’ who directed the swarm, could perceive.

They weren’t exactly sounds, but rather waves…… pulses.

Neural transmissions.

Echoes from the Upper Dantian!

‘He has unlocked his Upper Dantian.’

Activating the Upper Dantian provides access to esoteric arts.

Paranormal gifts like precognition.

It grants the ability to observe from further away, contemplate more profoundly, and bring more effects into reality.

Because of this, those who achieve it are occasionally viewed as deities and given worship.

However, those who unlock the Upper Dantian always face an early demise.

For the Upper Dantian itself siphons power by consuming the core of one’s life.

Even within the depths of the abyss, the rules remained the same.

To maintain control over that massive swarm, he must have traded his life force—or an even more vital sacrifice.

What, then, had he surrendered at the ‘Gate of Truth’?

“I admit it. Your strength is real.”

The Heavenly Demon voiced his respect.

It was a rare moment, one of the few instances that could be counted on one hand throughout history.

Yet a sense of calm spread across the Heavenly Demon’s features.

Because the Sunken Emperor wasn’t the only person present who had unlocked the Upper Dantian.

“However, I am the superior one.”

The Heavenly Demon gave a smirk.

In the face of danger, he dove deeper into his thoughts.

Identifying flaws and creating counters in an instant—that was his true talent.

Just now, a strategy to neutralize those bugs had entered his mind.

What would happen if he jammed the signals the swarm used to communicate?

‘Heavenly Demon Dominion Wave.’

He triggered his Upper Dantian, producing the identical frequency.

The Heavenly Demon planted his feet.

Rumble—!

A brief pulse of resonance.

Instantly, the dark wall of insects surrounding him began to falter.

And then.

Shaaa!

Sshaaaaaaa!

……Like mist blowing away, the bugs drifted off in every direction.

There, the Sunken Emperor stood exposed.

The flawless protection had been compromised.

Only the final strike to the heart remained.

‘Mad Dragon Shakes the World.’

Crackle! Crraaaackle!

Bolts of electricity raced over his skin, taking the form of an azure dragon.

An integration of ten energy spheres perfectly entwined.

A move that drained so much internal energy it left the user feeling empty in a heartbeat—but if the blow landed, there was no surviving it.

A move that had brought down even divine beings. What hope did the Sunken Emperor have?

Grooooaaar—!

The crazed dragon let out a cry, diving toward the Sunken Emperor.

Boom!

KABOOOM!

In moments, a violent detonation occurred.

A cloud shaped like a mushroom rose into the air.

A terrifying display of force.

……Yet, the Heavenly Demon scowled.

It should have gone straight through; why was there an explosion?

With his protection gone, the Sunken Emperor should have been unable to stop Mad Dragon Shakes the World.

In that split second, the Heavenly Demon noticed a shape at the center of the blast.

Someone had shielded the Sunken Emperor.

Betting their own existence as the price.

“…You?”

Curse it all.

Truly a wretched turn of events.

“Cough!”

Before his mind could process the danger, his muscles reacted on pure habit.

To protect the Sunken Emperor, who wore the visage of the sovereign.

Because of that choice, his physical form was ruined.

If he hadn’t immediately broken all five of his seals, he would have been wiped out at a molecular level.

He wondered if he should be grateful just to be breathing.

“Are you…… unharmed, Your Majesty?”

“……”

The Sunken Emperor offered no comment.

His gaze and features were cold and distant.

It was impossible to tell what he was thinking, but there was no confusing that face at such a short distance.

It was the sovereign.

The creator of the holy Arhon Empire!

Raiga, who had spent a lifetime serving the empire, could never fail to recognize that face.

Naturally, the circumstances were confusing.

Why was the man who should be resting in the empire awake and here in the abyss?

“I shall defend you, Your Majesty.”

Hoo!

Raiga exhaled a heavy breath.

It was possible it wasn’t really him.

It might be a hallucination.

But Raiga leaned on his gut feelings.

This being, the Sunken Emperor, was one and the same as his sovereign.

And Raiga, the leader of the Palga Knight Order, functioned as the sovereign’s blade.

The Palga were established first to serve the sovereign, not just the state.

The sovereign was the personification of the empire, and the empire was the sovereign—guarding him was the same as guarding the nation.

‘This is for the best.’

Each of these adversaries was a terror that put the empire at risk.

Therefore, he would eliminate every fragment possessor present, except for the sovereign.

By now, all five seals had been discarded.

He wasn’t truly among the living anymore regardless.

If his end was coming, he would drag every fragment possessor here down with him.

‘Release.’

Raiga tapped into the entirety of his ‘blessings.’

Before long, a radiant golden aura wrapped around him, stitching his injuries back together at high speed.

Once his vitality returned, Raiga leveled his blade at the Heavenly Demon and spoke.

“Abominations. I am your inherent enemy, the slayer.”

Isabella found it hard to breathe.

Everyone was mesmerized by the conflict between Raiga and the Heavenly Demon.

The competitors and the dark spirits of the night alike were frozen.

The reason even the participants and spirits abandoned their goals just to watch was simple.

‘To succeed, you have to understand the full depth of your enemy.’

Apprehending an adversary during the night only locked them away in the ‘Star Prison’ for twenty-four hours.

For the dark spirits to achieve ultimate victory, they had to understand every competitor and their ‘behavior.’

Likewise, the competitors needed to evaluate their enemies to survive.

Beyond that, the struggle between ‘abyss elites’ was simply mesmerizing……

Boom!

Bang! Kaboom!

The two traded strikes without mercy.

The speed was far beyond human sight.

One thing was clear.

‘Raiga holds the advantage.’

The Heavenly Demon was being forced onto his heels.

Even if he was burning through the very last of his internal reserves, Raiga’s power was the real deal.

Raiga, with all five of his seals active, was a force of nature.

“Ah, so that’s the one they talk about?”

“The human who hunts fragments?”

Raiga appeared to have quite a reputation even among those from the abyss.

The competitors watched him with intense focus.

“Fascinating. Why is a hunter of fragments acting as a shield for the ‘Sunken Emperor’?”

The Storm Multiplier found the irony of the situation quite entertaining.

A mortal defending a lord of the abyss—a strange reversal of roles.

Even so, at this rate, Raiga was likely to finish the Heavenly Demon.

If the Heavenly Demon fell, only one major threat would be left in this tomb.

Only the master of the grave.

One that Isabella felt she could manage.

‘I never imagined I’d be rooting for that arrogant Raiga.’

If you live long enough, you witness everything.

But the moment of hope was fleeting.

Stab!

“Y-Your Majesty. For what reason……?”

A hand had been driven through Raiga’s ribs.

It was none other than the ‘Sunken Emperor’ who had struck Raiga.

Raiga, who had shattered every rule just to keep him safe!

Yet the Sunken Emperor’s voice was steady and his eyes remained cold.

“You are obstructing me.”

In the way.

Do not stand in my path.

“Gah!”

Raiga coughed up dark fluid.

Immediately, the golden radiance covering his skin flickered out.

It marked the near-total exhaustion of his life energy.

The heavy price for unlocking every seal and blessing at once.

Thud!

Raiga fell to the earth, losing consciousness.

Death would soon claim him in this state.

“Heartless monster. Striking down the one who tried to save you.”

Watching this, the Heavenly Demon let out a mocking laugh.

A being who had truly abandoned all human sentiment.

Not a trace of pity remained.

But regardless of his taunts, the Heavenly Demon was in a bad way.

He had expended his core essence fighting Raiga.

Meanwhile, the Sunken Emperor was already pulling his insects back together.

The unbreakable defense was returning.

‘If I stay, I die.’

There was no path for escape.

No energy left to fight.

If only he possessed the Heavenly Demon Path.

If he had that, the entire landscape of this fight would be different.

“Hup!”

The Heavenly Demon pulled together his remaining inner energy.

Then he launched himself forward.

Was he running away after realizing he couldn’t win?

That thought lasted only a second.

“……?!”

Fear filled Isabella’s gaze.

The Heavenly Demon wasn’t aiming for the Sunken Emperor.

He was flying toward the cave mouth where she stood guard!

But Isabella wasn’t his target.

He was after what was kept inside the cave.

Undoubtedly trying to take back the ‘valuable item’ stolen from Randolph.

【‘Night’s Evil Spirit’ initiates an ‘Expedition Duel’ against ‘Heavenly Demon.’】

【‘Night’s Evil Spirit’ is the victor.】

【Claimed the Heavenly Demon’s second-most cherished item.】

【‘Valuable items’ taken by ‘Night’s Evil Spirit’ are lost permanently.】

【‘Heavenly Demon’ is sent to the ‘Star Prison.’】

【The winning ‘Night’s Evil Spirit’ is barred from ‘Expedition Duels’ until the following night.】

Isabella fought a desperate duel against the Heavenly Demon.

He vanished in the blink of an eye after his loss, but she saw it clearly.

The faint grin on the Heavenly Demon’s mouth.

Even though he had been beaten and lost something precious, he had avoided death, which was what mattered to him.

Roooar!

But the chaos wasn’t over.

The owner of the tomb began to wake.

“……”

The Sunken Emperor turned a frigid look toward her as well.

Isabella bit down on her lip until it bled.

‘I can’t duel?’

Winning meant she was locked out of further duels for the rest of the night.

A mechanic she hadn’t known until this very moment.

Regardless, Isabella didn’t move an inch.

Neither did the lord of the tomb nor the Sunken Emperor.

They were waiting for her to be erased.

‘Even if this is my end……!’

The colors of the night sky were starting to bleed away.

The sun was beginning to break over the horizon.

Isabella remained a steadfast guard at the cave.

They had no way of knowing she was unable to duel.

Sizzle!

As the daylight hit, her form began to scorch.

Once the shift occurred, her true self as Isabella would be revealed, and she would be finished.

Looking at the rising sun, Isabella had a single thought.

‘I want to kill you.’

The cruelty of destiny was almost funny.

Then Isabella turned her focus toward the interior of the cave.

Even if the visions she had witnessed were the truth.

……It didn’t matter.

It was fine.

She was acquainted with Randolph.

She knew the nature of the man better than anyone.

He was no monster.

He certainly wasn’t the type to toy with others and lead them to ruin.

Randolph must have been carrying burdens he couldn’t speak of.

So if some deity had set all of this in motion.

She wanted to destroy that deity.

‘Sir Randolph. My light, my sovereign.’

Isabella let her eyes fall shut.

In that instant.

“……Move aside.”

From the darkness of the cave, Randolph’s voice rang out.