C881
'Now, how should I cook this?'
Raon licked his lips as he looked at Askara, as if he were about to devour a bite-sized morsel.
"Hello, a doormat?"
Wrath opened his eyes in disbelief.
"What the hell are you trying to get out of him?"
He shook his head, saying he couldn't understand what Raon wanted.
'You'll see.'
Leaving the stunned Wrath behind, Raon approached Askara, the Balrog King.
"Hmm, the injuries are severe."
It felt like a knife had been lodged in his energy center. Just taking a step caused pain, as if his energy center and mana circuit were being torn apart. It seemed to be the reaction of simultaneously using all the power of the Sword Domain.
It was an extremely serious situation, as it was an internal injury that erupted from within rather than an external impact, but now wasn't the time to worry about it. He had to finish the fight with Askara first.
"What a pathetic body."
Raon shook his blood-covered hand, enduring the unbearable pain that ran through his entire body.
"Wrath! What are you thinking?"
Deep anger flowed from Askara's breath.
"Do you really want to die at my hands?"
He tore the dimension apart with his fingers as if it were his intention. From the open cracks, a powerful fighting spirit erupted that sent chills down the spine.
"If you want to kill me, go ahead."
Raon opened his arms and told him to do whatever he wanted.
'Askara will never touch me.'
What Askara wanted wasn't Wrath's life, but a duel with him. If he stayed still, Askara wouldn't attack.
"Wrath..."
Askara's clenched fist trembled. He wanted to fight, but the situation confused him and he couldn't.
"Why aren't you fighting? At least tell me the reason!"
Askara stomped his foot in frustration and demanded an explanation.
"Didn't I tell you? I don't like dealing with the weak."
Raon shook his head with a sneer.
"Me, a weakling?"
Askara gaped, seemingly hearing this for the first time since his birth.
"The reason I didn't kill you and threw you into the Devildom sea was because I had expectations for the future. But to think you're only at this level, I'm disappointed."
Raon slowly lowered his eyelids as if he were truly regretful.
"Eh?"
Wrath blinked in disbelief.
"What is this?! Why are you such a good actor?"
He let out a sigh and said that even actors couldn't match this performance.
"Askara, this bastard is just acting! Wake up!"
Wrath waved his hands up and down, begging him to realize.
"Nonsense! The me now is very different from before!"
But Askara was so surprised to be called weak that he couldn't even think that Raon might be acting.
"Why don't you see it for yourself?"
Askara tore the split dimension even further. Despite consuming a tremendous amount of fighting spirit due to dimensional interference and his body being shattered, he showed no signs of stopping.
"How disappointing."
Raon clicked his tongue as he looked at Askara's hand gripping the dimensional crack.
"You consume so much fighting spirit just to cross dimensions, do you still think you can fight this king?"
He nodded, telling him not to waste effort.
"Wrath..."
Askara gritted his teeth in frustration. The sound of bones being crushed could be heard from the force with which he clenched his teeth.
"Do you want to fight me that badly?"
Raon narrowed his eyes as he looked at Askara.
"Of course! I'd do anything to fight you!"
Askara pounded his chest with his fist as if he really meant it.
"I don't like dealing with the weak, but if you insist so much, I suppose I can indulge you."
Raon nodded calmly, as if he were taking a sip of tea.
"Really?"
"But not now."
He gestured towards Askara, whose eyes widened.
"What do you mean not now?"
Askara frowned as if asking what he meant.
"You've wasted your stamina and fighting spirit by crossing dimensions. There's no point in facing someone like you now. If we're going to fight, it's better if we're both in top shape."
Raon clasped his hands in front of him and rubbed his chin.
"Then..."
"This king will accept your challenge when he returns to the Demon Realm. I'm also interested in the events unfolding in this world."
He lowered his chin and said they should fight in the demon realm, not the human realm.
"Are you serious? You must know the impact would be enormous if you and I fought in Devildom."
"Has this king ever lied?"
Raon looked at Askara with firm eyes.
"Besides, there won't be any impact since this king won't lose."
"...You're truly different from those who are kings only in name."
Askara nodded as if he could trust Wrath's words.
"But your last words are wrong. This time, I will end with my victory."
He clenched his fist with black flames burning, as if telling him to wait.
"Eh...? What?"
Wrath gasped.
"W-what is this?! Why is a duel decided when this king didn't say anything?"
He shook his chubby arms in disbelief.
"You crazy bastard! You're not content with absorbing this king's skills, now you're selling this king's name! What are you going to do?!"
Wrath shouted, asking why he had to fight Askara.
"Wait. The terms of the agreement are in effect right now."
"You're the one who eats those terms! This king is the one who's cleaning up! All the responsibility and no pleasure on your side! What kind of deal is this!"
He waved his hands wildly, telling him to stop that fraudulent deal.
"Eh? Don't tell me you're going to lose to Askara?"
Raon blinked towards Wrath.
'The Monarch of Wrath losing to a Balrog?'
"W-what nonsense! Even if you've taken away this king's power, I can easily crush a demon like that!"
Wrath snorted, telling him not to say nonsense.
"Then it's fine."
"Yes, it's done, it's done, we'll just hit him lightly and we'll be done with this... eh?"
Wrath, who had been smiling, suddenly widened his eyes.
"No! It's not about winning or losing, why does this king have to fight?"
He gritted his teeth and said that even angels wouldn't sell someone like that.
"Looking into your eyes, I can see you're serious."
Askara nodded, saying his sincerity was legible.
"Of course I'm serious."
Raon smiled slightly as he looked at Askara.
"Because it's not me who's fighting."
He could honestly say he would fight without hesitation because Wrath would be the one fighting. This seemed to be pleasure without responsibility, contrary to Wrath's words.
"This king doesn't lie."
Raon nodded calmly, ignoring Wrath's cries behind him.
"It's a lie! This bastard tells lies every time he opens his mouth!"
Wrath flailed in the air, begging for someone to listen.
"Then, when will you return to the Devil Realm?"
Askara licked his lips, already eager for the fight.
"Right now, this king enjoys watching his subordinates' journey. When this body turns to dust, this king will return to the Demon Realm. I'm also interested in the events unfolding in this world."
Raon replied that he would return only after this body's life was extinguished.
"That long?"
Askara frowned as if it was too long.
"This king's subordinate will live for a maximum of 80 more years. It's just a fleeting moment in our lives."
"I know. But just thinking about fighting you makes my blood boil even now!"
He raised his fingers, burning with black flames, saying he wanted to fight right now.
"Wait and build up your strength so that the duel you're so looking forward to doesn't end anticlimactically."
He gestured towards the impatient Askara.
"80 years..."
Askara clutched his head with his hand, thinking that it was still too long. He seemed calm and dangerous, but when it came to fighting, he was no different from a child.
"This is where it gets important."
Having tricked Askara to this point, he couldn't let him go. He had to extract everything he could, though not as much as Wrath.
"Then let's do it."
Raon raised his finger to point at his own chest.
"Give the fighting spirit you possess to this king's subordinate. When this body dies, the fighting spirit will return to you, so you'll know when it's time to fight this king."
"Mmm..."
Askara lowered his eyebrows, seemingly interested in the idea.
"T-this was it!"
Wrath clapped as if he finally understood.
"You sold this king to aspire to Askara's fighting spirit!"
His blue eyes trembled, saying how cruel he was.
"Don't be fooled! It's all a lie! He's acting to gain your fighting spirit!"
Wrath clasped his hands, hoping his words would reach Askara.
"Not bad!"
But Askara, unable to hear Wrath's wishes, muttered that it was fine.
"With the fighting spirit still in that body, it shouldn't be too difficult."
He nodded as if he were attracted to Raon's words.
"Aaaaargh!"
Wrath's scream, as his last hope disappeared, echoed throughout the underground.
"But your subordinate living for 80 more years means he's currently 20?"
"Close enough."
"Having those physical abilities and that aura at that age, I can understand why you made him your subordinate. Very well."
Askara showed an interested look and opened his hand. The black-tinged fighting spirit pierced through the dimension and enveloped his entire body. Unlike before, it wasn't mixed with murderous intent, so Raon stood still and accepted Askara's energy.
Through the <Fighting Spirit Manipulation> trait, the accumulated energy was drained and replaced by Askara's fighting spirit.
He felt as if his entire body was being burnt on a hot plate. Askara's fighting spirit, the Balrog King, possessed great power and heat in itself. It seemed he could further enhance the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation through this fighting spirit. However, although he thought it would end quickly, Askara was giving much more fighting spirit than he expected.
It was much more than the lightning aura he had recently obtained from the Celestial Thunder Arts.
"You're giving more than I expected. Do you have a reason?"
Raon narrowed his eyes and asked what he was thinking.
"It's a gift for a powerful young man."
Askara straightened his back and nodded with dignity.
"A gift for a powerful young man?"
"I had a feeling that the young human you call your subordinate might one day reach a position like mine."
He licked his lips and said it was a milestone he was leaving for that time.
"Of course, I've done it in a way that the fighting spirit will return to me when your subordinate dies. In 80 years, right? I'm looking forward to that day."
"No!"
Wrath flew towards Askara, shouting.
"This damn bastard will live a disgustingly long amount of time because of this king's influence! He'll surely live for over 100 years!"
He frowned and said he would live a long and healthy life. I'm not sure if that's a curse or a compliment.
"By the way, what did you mean by 'interesting events' before?"
Askara turned his gaze as if remembering what was said at the end.
"There are times when ugly Demon Kings and even uglier angels cause disturbances. It's very entertaining to watch."
It was obvious that angels would intervene when they fought Derus Robert in the future. He threw out this bait in advance because this battle-crazed Balrog could be useful.
"Demon Kings and angels..."
Askara narrowed his eyes in interest, but then shook his head again.
"As you say, it's interesting, but right now I just want to fight you."
He revealed a heated look, saying that while other fights were good, he now only wanted a duel with Wrath.
"I won't fight! This king won't fight at all!"
Wrath shook his head vigorously, telling him not to say nonsense.
"Then I'll be waiting for your return in Devildom."
As Askara waved his hand gently, the numerous dimensional cracks and crimson sparks he had created began to disappear one by one.
"Lastly..."
Askara, who was about to turn around, extended his pale hand. The dimension that had been accumulating like threaded needles tore apart again, and his great sword shot powerful black flames towards the empty space on the left.
"Aaaaargh!"
A white-haired man jumped from the shadow of a rock falling from the ceiling and screamed. He tried to shake off the black flames using demonic energy, but Askara's flames never extinguished.
"So it was you, the vermin who tried to take me out of there."
Askara's gaze turned not only fierce, but cold.
"W-wait a moment! Listen! We're..."
"The only sound a rat can make is a squeak."
As he nodded, the black flames exploded, shattering the white-haired man's body into pieces. Thanks to Askara's consideration, his flames didn't reach the people embedded in the right wall.
'Everyone is safe.'
Dorian, Borgos, and the masters were all unconscious, Burren, Martha, and Runaan barely kept their eyes open, and Sheryl held her two swords, ready to intervene if she was in danger. They probably didn't hear most of the conversation due to the noise of the dimension and the sparks Askara had left open, but it seemed some explanation would be necessary.
"Vermin."
Askara shook the dust off his hands, emitting a chilling aura.
"Then I'll be waiting for you."
With those last words, he closed the last remaining dimension and disappeared.
"Wow..."
Raon swallowed dryly as he looked at the black flames that had incinerated even the blood.
"That was dangerous."
If Askara had wanted to, he wouldn't have even left blood, like that white-haired man. A chill ran down his spine.
"How can you just leave like that!"
Wrath gestured towards the space where Askara had been.
"You should have burned and incinerated that one too! He's a problem just for being alive! He'll ruin the whole world!"
He shook his head and said that he should be killed too.
'Why are you like this among friends?'
Raon approached Wrath and grabbed him by the shoulder.
"Friends? What kind of friend betrays his friend!"
Wrath gritted his teeth and swatted his hand away.
"I had no choice if I wanted to survive. I felt bad having to eat everything you wanted for a week, but I guess not."
Raon licked his lips and said it was a shame.
"A week?"
Wrath's body turned very slowly towards Raon.
"Yes. I was going to eat dessert every time too. With pearl ice cream."
"Pearl ice cream B..."
His eyes slowly rose as if they wanted to touch the sky.
"Ahem! If it's for survival, it can't be helped! This open-minded king will understand!"
He approached and said it was fine.
"As expected of someone open-minded."
"There's no Demon King with a wider mind than this king in the vast Devildom!"
"Then, will you fight Askara too? You can easily win if you set your mind to it, right?"
"O-of course! If this king uses his power, I can easily crush a demon like that!"
Wrath nodded with a slightly awkward smile.
"It's a relief."
As Raon nodded with a smile, it happened.
[You have perfectly tricked the Balrog King.]
[You have achieved a great feat.]
[All skills have increased...]
[The <Fighting Spirit Manipulation> trait has become <Askara's Fighting Spirit>…]
Rewards for defeating Askara appeared.
'Hmm, since we're friends, I guess this is fine...'
"I won't do it."
Wrath shook his fists and shouted.
"We won't be friends! You bastard! This is extortion, not friendship!"
-
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