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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Wjin
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Inside Lame Castle.
In one of the dozens of rooms, the purpose of which was now unknown, a man sat.
Nameless Day had already begun, and the light from the barrier had vanished, plunging the room into darkness, making the man’s face almost invisible.
Finally, a voice reached him.
Hello, Mr. Raus. What is it?
“Violet, can you connect me with my sister?”
Well, I can, but things are rather urgent on her end…
“What?”
It seems the 2nd ranked hero’s hideout was in the Central Sea Islands.
He had seen the 2nd ranked hero before, albeit from a distance.
And it wasn’t a sight he wanted to see again.
“That madman was hiding there?”
Fortunately, he doesn’t seem to be directly involved, but it’s inevitably causing some disruption to the operation… Ah, it seems she’s available now.
Another voice echoed,
Raus, is everything alright there?
Her tone implied that things weren’t alright on her end.
“Sister, are you alright?”
I asked if everything was alright there.
“Yes, everything is fine. The princess who escaped returned and caused a commotion, but we apprehended her quickly.”
Raus, Allen Blake isn’t here.
Allen Blake wasn’t in the Central Sea Islands?
That implied another possibility, and a significant one.
Of course, even if he single-handedly attacked this place, still teeming with Demon Lords, what could he possibly do…
At that moment, the castle shook slightly.
Just as he was about to consider the tremor,
a larger tremor robbed him of the chance, washing over him.
There was only one thing that could cause such a tremor.
The walls had fallen.
What was that just now?
Levia asked, but he didn’t have time to answer.
He shouted to Violet, who would have heard the conversation,
“Inform all the Demon Lords in the kingdom! We’re under attack! And tell the 72nd not to leave the White Tower, and seal the White Tower!”
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The walls crumbled in an instant.
Those sturdy walls, which seemed capable of withstanding any invasion.
But they had collapsed so easily.
The sight filled the hearts of the enemy knights and the Black Knights with complex emotions.
At the same time, it ignited their morale.
They had witnessed the power of the reliable ally their commanders had spoken of.
“Charge!”
“Charge!”
Fueled by high morale, they began their assault.
Most of the coup forces were currently in the underground passages of the castle.
It was best to advance as much as possible now.
“We’re under attack!”
They were once knights who protected the Lodreim kingdom together.
But now they had become enemies.
It was a situation that could weaken their resolve, but there was no hesitation in their charge.
If they retreated now, the future of the kingdom was clear.
The current peace was just a temporary, false peace. If it continued, the nation would eventually fall ill and rot from within.
And though they didn’t know it, if they retreated here, the Lodreim kingdom was destined to be destroyed by the Demon Lords.
“Surrender, and your lives will be spared!”
Even so, the enemy Knight Commander offered mercy.
Not everyone inside the castle was there willingly or knowingly.
Therefore, he tried to spare those who surrendered.
“Kgh!”
But there was no mercy for those who resisted.
Most of the knights inside the castle used light magic, and having lost their light due to Nameless Day, they were helpless against the Reedval family, who used fire magic.
The enemy knights and the Black Knights, following the Reedval family, seemed to be overwhelming their opponents with their boosted morale.
However, that morale couldn’t last forever.
There were beings the ordinary knights didn’t know about, though the commanders were already aware of them.
The Demon Lords.
“Wh-What is that…!”
The Demon Lords no longer concealed their true forms.
They revealed their demonic bodies without reservation.
And the sight shocked those who were encountering Demon Lords for the first time.
Their massive size, two to three times that of a human.
Their forms were nothing like humans.
Above all, they possessed an overwhelming presence that went beyond mere physical disgust.
“That’s… a Demon Lord?”
Even the enemy Knight Commander was taken aback.
Of course, she knew of Demon Lords, but this was the first time she had seen one in person.
Even she couldn’t help but freeze before a Demon Lord.
Fortunately, both sides were momentarily stunned.
But the enemy forces, realizing that the Demon Lord was on their side, quickly recovered.
Just as the tide seemed to be turning,
“Sky Splitter.”
The darkened sky of the Lodreim kingdom split open.
Or rather, it felt like it split open.
That’s how overwhelming the attack was.
Crack
Even the Demon Lord’s body, which should have been several times tougher than a human’s, couldn’t withstand it and split apart.
This was the third Sacred Replicant consumed.
But it wasn’t wise to be stingy with a mere 2-star holy relic when facing a Demon Lord.
Arrows flew in and pierced the Demon Lord’s split body.
At first glance, it seemed like a meaningless attack.
The arrows simply pierced the body, inflicting almost no damage.
But then, a sound like a plucked string echoed.
The three arrows embedded in the Demon Lord’s body resonated.
Bzzzz
Simultaneously, blood and flesh exploded from the severed section.
This was why Hero Lyudmila could distinguish herself from other archers and rise to the rank of high-ranking hero.
‘But the finishing blow…’
Yuseora had inflicted a fatal wound with Sky Splitter.
And Resonance paralyzed the Demon Lord’s regeneration ability by destroying its insides.
Yet, the Demon Lord didn’t die.
That’s how resilient ordinary Demon Lords were, even within the barrier.
So, a finishing blow was necessary.
‘Gravitus Replicant.’
Minimize the weight.
‘Authority of the Wind.’
Maximize the speed.
‘It’s been a while.’
It was a technique he hadn’t used in a long time.
The instantly accelerated strike transcended the perception of the onlookers.
‘Weight Release.’
Gravitus Replicant, now with a weight he couldn’t normally handle with his current strength.
By the time they perceived it, it was already shattering the Demon Lord.
Thus, a Demon Lord was easily slain.
The appearance of two beings clearly stronger than a Demon Lord.
Realizing they were on their side, the enemy knights and the Black Knights regained their morale.
On the other hand, the enemy forces began to surrender one by one, giving up the fight.
Observing the flow of battle, searching for other Demon Lords, he also looked for Elsie.
But she was nowhere to be seen.
Fortunately, the plan seemed to be proceeding smoothly.
Because right now, Elsie was probably…
His gaze settled on a white spire in the distance.
Inside the White Tower.
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Bzzzz.
A faint vibration could be felt from the floor.
Elsie knew it was a signal.
The Outer Castle walls would soon crumble, and the siege would begin.
But she had other things to do.
While Allen and Yuseora diverted the attention of all the other Demon Lords, she had to reach the White Tower.
And there…
“It’s time to end this.”
She took out two pills from her inventory.
The Awakening Pills Allen gave her.
They would grant her considerable power for 30 minutes.
‘Though there would be severe penalties after 30 minutes.’
So, she had to finish everything within 30 minutes.
Steeling her resolve, she swallowed the pills.
At the same time, she heard the sound of the walls crumbling.
‘It’s starting.’
Escaping now would be easy.
She grabbed the bars of her cell with her bare hands.
Thanks to the Awakening Pills, she could feel her strength significantly enhanced.
“Ugh…”
The bars were quite thick.
Even with her increased strength, they seemed unyielding.
But as she gritted her teeth and exerted her force, the bars began to bend.
‘Just a little more…’
She continued to bend the bars without losing focus, and finally, they widened enough for her to pass through.
She wiped the beads of sweat from her forehead with her sleeve.
‘Optical Camouflage.’
Having become invisible, she slipped through the gap in the bars.
There was only one place she had to go now.
The White Tower.
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In the most secluded corner of the castle, stood a pure white spire, a stark contrast to the surrounding gray walls.
The spire, shaped like a giant’s sharpened finger, seemed to be merely decorative, not meant to be entered.
But this decorative spire held a secret.
Behind the spire, a door leading underground was hidden by magic.
And a man in a white robe was trying to seal that door.
Because of the attack.
Moreover, a sealing order directly from the Demon Lord implied that the enemy was quite powerful.
It meant they intended to protect what was inside, even if they lost the battle.
‘And perhaps…’
If ‘that’ succeeded, they could even wipe out the intruders.
‘Yes, if we succeed in creating the real one.’
As he was performing the sealing procedure,
he felt a blunt impact on the back of his head.
He turned around.
But there was no one there.
At least, that’s what his eyes told him.
But he could recognize her.
“Your… Highness?”
Naturally, the sealing process hadn’t been completed.
Elsie, who had knocked him unconscious, was puzzled that the White Knight recognized her at the last moment, but she opened the door to the spire.
Then, she heard a voice from afar.
“Sky Splitter!”
It was Yuseora’s voice.
A Demon Lord was being split in half.
Then, three arrows flew in and pierced the Demon Lord’s body.
It was a battle on a different scale.
Allen had told her that she could do the same with the Royal Sword, but right now, she couldn’t be of help in such a fight.
So, she had a different role to play.
While Allen and Yuseora risked their lives fighting the Demon Lords, she had to infiltrate the White Tower, located underground beneath the white spire.
And there, she had to prevent the possible awakening of the 72nd Demon Lord.
For that mission, she drew her sword, leaving Allen behind, and stepped into the White Tower.
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