Chapter 294: Demonic Realm (3)
NTl“Was that you, Cedric, you son of a bitch…?”UcsF
kCB8N[That’s right. Exactly what you’re thinking.]G0P
FslYuri reacted with fury.Pi7m7
AouW“Don’t touch Maryrose!”6GlPR
dCTbXv[Hmm?]CYnef
LkKu5oCedric replied in a surprised tone.BWTAy
UbEYM[Maryrose, you say?]6ly7IJ
QcF91Sj“If I’m talking about my woman, it can only be Maryrose, right?”YFK
IURQYuri raised Guilty.5iEa6nT
NCfTYBp“If you so much as lay a hand on her, I won’t forgive you!”fKp6
Krt1TRAnd he tried to cut down the knight Cedric was controlling.1fQN
vBJ8nHowever, another Imperial soldier at the side stepped in, taking the blow instead.0FX
w3E8G[My, you almost fooled me.]MAkoLGm
X1HE“Fooled you? With what?”f0lfC
VWAf[No matter how important Yekaterina is to you, don’t you think playing with the Archmage’s feelings goes against the knight’s code, Yuri?]PYNEY
tDvl0iw“No… I don’t know what you’re talking about.”Wnh
9uDMYuri had mentioned Maryrose to try to hide Yekaterina’s existence.PIpV
tEBPl4qThough unlikely, if Cedric took the bait, it might shift his target.VnE
79UOAaMaryrose he could protect, since she was with him serving in the Anti-Imperial Alliance.IxE
sH6uGnOf course, Cedric wasn’t so naïve.8waVF
ApsFR[No need to hide it.]jxatER
X4Et“What… what do you mean?”rx3
9QjLuy[Tsk, tsk… how disappointing, Yuri. If the Archmage knew, how disappointed do you think she’d be?]D74dB
F8KQ“You talking about disappointment… that’s ridiculous.”8nM
MaSYuri had no intention of continuing the conversation. He raised Guilty and swung immediately.8382V
QLN2The knight possessed by Cedric backed away, provoking Yuri with words to rile him up.nPI
NTCUBut Yuri let them pass without reaction.KChC1N
tfSVU[Yuri, wasn’t what you just did now the act of trash?]mUp0
JVlVoQz“Yeah, I’m trash.”0MktCE
QMWuJP[You’ve grown bold. If the Archmage knew…]1khNJK
1Zvcol“Then she shouldn’t have loved someone like me from the start.”fAPoP6
0WX7U[My, my…]dMh0nvb
CMnAzU“Of course, the real piece of trash is you, bastard.”OAA4no
iq9[No, I’m not trash, I’m a trash cleaner. The whole world is trash.]lB0B
fQAi“Everyone but you is trash?”N2u
Oz3a[I’ll exclude you, Yuri.]zrb
1VXJ“And who are you to decide that?”YZpIeUG
1k5AFAs they spoke, Yuri was observing the knight Cedric was controlling.v9ElSch
23wVjqThat knight was connected to Cedric through black magic.3gjfbYv
yybiyPThrough him, Yuri could deduce what kind of power Cedric had gained and how he was able to manipulate someone’s body from such a distance.ZZFQ2W
bWkFSeYuri’s eyes, entering the mental domain, examined the opponent.2Ch
i7YbEvThe knight was like a puppet, with an invisible tentacle that seemed to extend from high in the sky, connected to the crown of his head.MlH
j85SWhen he looked up, the dark sky showed nothing.TT0
DumloekOnly that invisible thread descended from above to control him.YhyLtT4
aGdzThis meant only one thing: Cedric’s power already extended across the land without anyone being aware of it.lgKQhL
CTBCedric had gained a power close to that of a god. Yuri fully understood it upon seeing that scene.paxVB
4cxd[Don’t like what you see?]tZK4Rud
C3ZXwqXCedric spoke mockingly, while the knight’s body moved like a paper doll.XyPd9
Q960TThere was no point in investigating further.YcEw
AvEMTeYuri asked,Q8fzkw
9Jzjvy“Did you touch Yekaterina?”KxvJdX2
7MsZoUR[When did you two get so close? Winning the heart of the most beautiful woman on the continent—you really are my brother.]ZMs
ikS“Shall we drop the word games?”Bl9l9o
Hxte[Weren’t you the one who started it? What was that about Maryrose?]5fo
SjRHeYuri fell silent. Cedric laughed again.BPn4U
hq1[I sent troops. Not just Yekaterina, all of Briol will burn. You could go back and save them… but you won’t, will you?]lzo
8bwmYuri considered.Zn5WpA9
PTQ5Tn8He hadn’t received any reports of such a large Imperial military movement.6x8W
SVFNo matter how powerful Cedric was, he couldn’t split his forces and still successfully face the Anti-Imperial Alliance.t59
O7OOr at least, that’s what he wanted to believe.H0QqNoL
MfGaE2“Why do something like this?” Yuri asked.dZ2
FncM“You said you’d remake the world—if I fall, Briol will also submit to you. So why destroy it? Not even for old times’ sake?”BCgt
uHBzGr[I’ll answer from your second question. Affection is a major source of human inefficiency. I don’t need it. And the reason I want to destroy Briol is…]3Ly
3xzq2nCedric smiled.m5T4M
2Q4[I simply want to destroy the people precious to you.]RP9z
HXPKqG“You talk about efficiency, and you think that twisted feeling is efficient?”bTUhU12
EH9cl[For me, yes.]l4Pbs
R6CvnFn“Always lenient with yourself.”Ml8bd9
L3rfErC[That’s the difference between a monkey and a human. For a monkey, this kind of amusement is too much, but for a human, it’s necessary.]ZXfblOA
lhRZNJ“Die.”5zvBg
HUPCold sword energy rose sharply over Guilty.paby1
G0KONYuri appeared calm, but inside, his concern for Yekaterina and Briol was agitating him.dRtBuT
6NEVpIThat anger carried into his Cut of the soul and the heart, and the sword energy rushed toward Cedric like a hungry wolf.bAP
JWs[I wanted to talk a little longer.]sxu0
5K4zTGCedric raised the knight’s hand and released black magic.mV5EDcC
90dm6d0The foul energy, dense and viscous like polluted water, spread out and wrapped around Yuri’s sword energy like a spiderweb.cIK
7OFg4Yuri clenched his teeth and increased the power of his Cut of the soul and the heart.a9ApOD
fLVztNjGuilty vibrated, releasing a fierce sword energy. The black magic surrounding it began to crack.PFhRjw
oCtQUq“Disappear!”Q3l
8jRkRWith a roar, the chaos force from his core disintegrated the black magic.XSXQAJ
9u5kyThe foul energy hardened as if frozen and shattered instantly, breaking into dust that scattered in the air.o88Z3e
vZgKq4Yuri lunged and pierced the knight’s body. He spewed blood from his eyes, nose, and mouth before collapsing.N7L
Z3MB9His lips moved, as if Cedric wanted to say something.CWCS
szv“I can’t hear you.”judm9
G4R3Yuri cut the air.fgd8T
l3SgEThe invisible tentacle connecting the knight to Cedric was severed. Focus returned faintly to the opponent’s eyes.B24FQ
aEuBut that was all.OzrB
tLDgu9Without stopping, Yuri also cut his neck. The head flew into the air before dropping to the ground.fFF
BtqKEHe kicked the kneeling body, knocking it fully over, and drove his sword into the heart again.t7XvmaX
0DgJThe body controlled by Cedric died completely.QSZ
yppYuri looked up.wpCfwT
yVCshwwThe tentacle that had been connected to the knight, now cut at the tip, swayed in the air and then curled back toward the sky.sD1
WbeUp, up, endlessly ascending.BDTNV
0oalWhat he had to face was the existence crouching beyond that.n9M5LA
AIiNFLVThinking of that vast power was overwhelming, but Yuri shook his head. He mustn’t think too much.OTb
NixgdNot about Yekaterina, not about Briol—not for now.Jeq
Zy8He had to kill Cedric.GJbg79
nB3With that single thought stored in his heart, he had to advance silently.Nk5t
XB7Otherwise, he would never make it.5cuG
7uyuKa“Was that Cedric?”rIQ
jBLLaurent, covered in blood, approached. Yuri nodded.zxHd
zIKA“What did you talk about with him?”6ahWtXj
lRDbYuri opened his mouth, then closed it.2CaBqCS
wSart“Nothing important.”VXPI1xx
HCde9Kp“It must have been something serious.”b52h43
b8C“I’m telling you, it was nothing.”phtf5
sD8Hao“If it really were nothing, you wouldn’t be holding back your words.”N1tz
maVl3r4“Stop asking so much.”XPkfmN
giEQBvcYuri reached out and ruffled Laurent’s hair. But Laurent didn’t give in.9G5xY
zZtDQc“If you’re trying to brush it off like that, it means you’re feeling uneasy, right?”xPowO
LQFxU“No.”U3hD
7Dj“I know you’re trying to make me mad to change the subject.”Is2kK2x
gWBl“I’m not.”bIE
P75When Yuri messed up his hair completely, Laurent kicked him in the thigh.ruohoL
yPp“That hurts.”P71h
GNvV“Is Briol in danger?”3Ud7cB
Onor“No…”5JSa
Y0Wa“Right now, that’s the only thing that could make you hesitate.”G2pd8zn
zCP9JXTLaurent fixed his hair and said,Xeb5
Yz9mK7f“Yuri Briol. Don’t worry.”IZJxctF
pTsZadI“Laurent…”1Uaz9
hhtUHYuri looked at him, moved. Since Laurent had gone astray, he rarely said anything so warm.oPJ
aBpXE8Laurent continued,1hBFS
Nji5“In any case, there’s nothing you can do. So don’t waste your energy and focus on the battle. Got it?”BhbjhT
FD3K“That’s what you mean?”LJt
7EjEN“Either way, if we lose this battle, we all die. So, are you going to go back to Briol now? No, right? Then stop worrying.”xHc
sFgAR“Alright…”NRk
Oj2mP8yYuri forced himself not to think about Yekaterina.ZoMzOBm
3lL2RxAlthough he had brought most of the troops with him, he hadn’t left the place completely defenseless. The royal guards, including Saned, and a few knights to maintain order, were still there.BVLPpt
xOhIt was time to trust them.HK7
XyEYuri looked up and assessed the battlefield. The Anti-Imperial Alliance had the upper hand.iFouy
KQRUTigHe wasn’t the only one who had thrown himself fully into this war. Moyongchan, Francesco, Jose, Inariel, and others from the Ten Greats, along with countless talents of similar level, were fighting, risking their lives.tORo
i4J4QtTheir army was not so weak as to lose against the troops Cedric had thrown out as bait.9cqLpc
vC5SLjzIn a sense, it was strange.OadcO
H6TIMsThere had never been a time with so many experts. The Ten Greats had reached even higher levels than before, and the standard of knights had also risen dramatically.NjRyia8
sZa1exa“They say the era calls for heroes…”4PF9
mvYlsYuri smiled.4isJh
zVwkHe had thought the world would be swallowed completely by darkness, but here and there, unexpected flashes of light appeared. Sometimes they were overshadowed by the darkness, but the light never disappeared.Ten
foU7bAll his allies, who fought alongside him, were that light. The courage Cedric had oppressed was now alive again inside him.bgRqq
6qRTDWith Guilty in hand, Yuri swept through the frontlines. The Imperial army could not put up a proper defense.0JkZDOu
znxWith the resolve to lay them to rest, he mercilessly ended all lives in his path.2sagJS
eWhelThus ended the first battle in this Demon Land.NpC
drA56The corpses covered the ground.1xrSydR
w67U3LPThe mages began to incinerate them all.0fi1X
9on6q“Your Highness.”UghP9
50ECPFkWhile he was watching the scene, he suddenly heard Maryrose’s voice behind him.pLqsF
KTFContrary to her usual habit of wearing luxurious dresses, she wore combat attire and a cloak.8KOy9cP
9tr61KIMaryrose was taking this war seriously too.W8I69T
37fOut of respect for her resolve, Yuri nodded with a serious and formal expression.ea0
X6MEe“What is it, Maryrose?”lQvbG
FyCE“I want to ask you something.”BS97P2z
w6K“What is it?”SIbHst
15h3“I heard Your Highness called me your woman. Is that true?”uhz
bWf“What?!”F4S
oqGiSYuri instinctively leaned back and averted his gaze.TTom
wPB1BMi“What are you talking about?”dZn
K6i0“That’s what I’m asking. What is it about?”IGe
dVn“In any case, letting a rumor like that spread is my mistake. I apologize.”AHZF
2wnq“You don’t need to apologize.”tued32n
2HonfUI“No, the fact that I allowed such a rumor to spread at all is…”wQc4ltJ
U4l“No, it was my mistake for falling in love with a trash man like Your Highness.”Ulbhjq
Z7AtYuri swallowed hard and choked, coughing.sffe0pD
loboMaryrose, arms crossed, squinted at him.Ebg0M0
Zf8Q“So it’s true?”9z1
fHiv7k“Wh-who…?”n3Bpk
iAtgIt“One of the Imperial soldiers, as if possessed, relayed your conversation.”5srK
LxACd“That damn Cedric…!”6obgYP
VXG“To treat someone’s feelings like a game, when they love you…”NlT6A6p
nV7Maryrose was no longer hiding her feelings. Yuri felt even more uncomfortable.JKklf
tQrLMmY“No, Maryrose, I…”eyxD
MULocM“You misspoke, didn’t you?”921US
vRE“Huh?”2tTU9
7gueg“If you want me to forgive you, come with me to burn the corpses.”ppO
emC6pMaryrose took Yuri’s arm. He tried to pull away, but her next words made it impossible to refuse.19C
j1E“You never know when you’ll die. At least grant me this wish.”iw4a
DIuWd2VMaryrose tilted her head and gave a faint smile.cdL
VPSZRYuri sighed.WF93T
d3k13“Just for a moment.”LSlDSg
I8Mkdf9“Yes. Burning corpses doesn’t take that long.”Gdh2a
4I8Holding Yuri’s arm with one hand, Maryrose hurled fireballs at the bodies with the other.0Uc
WQBKeALAlthough they were together, no one paid them much attention. Compared to what was coming, it was all trivial.cPKgC
arEBfYuri looked up at the sky.LMXT
4nKvG“That’s the direction of Briol. Are you worried?”vw58o
7Oz“Yes.”EYvf
UDGuAuA“Worry about us instead.”i8O
imb“Of course…”W4w4DBc
MlXKo***SxKakJA
ZcY3tJqBriol border, Saidor.8tnlG
GIXmihxRecently, orc attacks had begun increasing again, so the soldiers of Saidor kept watch over the distant horizon.clPXnHS
hjmSuddenly, a cloud of dust rose.8dVJo
gGRkU“Orcs?”MA3j
h0fSOne of the soldiers raised the spyglass.eewbAKN
4ChWx7UThrough the lens, what he saw were not orcs, but people.rQ5YS
A7BQjAn unknown army was approaching Briol.TBhDB
Ls7From the walls of Saidor came the sound of a horn.6l5v7Kj
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