In the forest of this period, there were truly many people. The nickname “the hellish forest where no one can live” sounded rather pitiful.
Even though Daniel was not active as a Sherpa in the Forest of the Demon Realm, surprisingly many were around.
First of all, there were the Witches.
They were always in the Forest of the Demon Realm, so it felt a bit off to count them. But after all, they were humans living in the forest.
Next were the Chokugen Faction.
When Rin first saw them, she wondered why they were there. It was a bit ambiguous to say they were there since they were dying without being able to properly clear a path.
Still, they kept pouring their members in like pouring water into a bottomless pit, desperately trying to find a clue.
Lastly, there were the Tudogs.
Rin could understand why the Chokugen was acting like that only after seeing the Tudogs. At this time, the Tudogs and the Chokugen were in a fierce rivalry.
The Chokugen must also have wanted to strengthen their forces using the resources in the Forest of the Demon Realm, just like the Tudogs.
It wasn’t very successful, though.
Regardless, the presence of the Chokugen was a boon for Rin.
It’s a bit odd to say it like this, but having used them once, there were no better puppets than the Chokugen for Rin.
“Ah, no! Not like this!”
She flailed around like someone falling into a pit, but the Chokugen member simply vanished. And when they reappeared, they were already a soldier stained with death.
“……”
Seeing that, Rin calmly moved forward. As she swallowed every person and magical beast she encountered, a giant army was trailing behind her.
To avoid being noticed by Kurika, she had hidden them in the darkness, but she knew it was just a matter of time.
“What kind of magical beast are you?”
“……”
At the call of a sharp-voiced woman from the tree, Rin slowly lifted her head. It was Horan, the charge of the Tudogs, wearing glasses, and the leader of the Tudogs, Mage No. 17.
Even though she had seen those faces once already, Rin was not the least bit pleased.
“Wait a minute.”
The leader of the Tudogs, who was showing interest in Rin, blocked her. His sharp gaze pierced through the glasses as he looked at her.
“Is it possible……?”
The leader’s eyes slowly widened as if stretching like a yawn. Rin slightly nodded as the memory of their first encounter resurfaced.
‘Come to think of it, that man recognized my identity during our first meeting.’
The leader of the Tudogs had immediately discerned that she was The Earliest Apocalypse. Thinking of that stirred up a strange feeling in her.
“The Earliest Apocalypse!”
Wham!
The leader immediately gathered mana to try to kill Rin, but darkness had already taken the shape of a sharp spear piercing through his wrist.
Gack!
“Leader!”
Even in such a sudden situation, due to his wild instincts, he charged at Rin, only to be devoured by the darkness that lay in wait before her.
“There should still be…… ten more years left! Why are you moving faster than the prophecy!”
“Ah.”
Come to think of it, she had heard that the leader of the Tudogs had seen the future where the world perishes through prophecy. That’s why he had formed the Tudogs to stop her.
“Whether I move quickly or slowly, it has no effect on the result. Even if ten years pass, you will ultimately fail.”
In any case, the leader of the Tudogs and Horan both had no future. Even if time reversed after the end of this world, those two would already be dead in that timeline.
“I apologize for waking you who had fallen into eternal sleep.”
The leader of the Tudogs tried to use mana to escape, but this place was filled with such dense darkness that it could be assessed as having no sunlight.
In reality, no one could escape from Rin here. So, the leader of the Tudogs naturally found himself sinking into the darkness.
Once again apologizing to the two who had been lions, Rin headed deeper into the forest.
Realizing their leader and Horan’s presence had vanished, the Tudogs continued to come and become Rin’s prey. She experienced the feeling of having food come just by opening her mouth.
When Hayun first entered the Forest of the Demon Realm, she found it hard to breathe because of the thick air and fainted for a moment, but Rin continued to move inside without changing her expression.
In fact, even outside the Forest of the Demon Realm, she was already struggling to breathe.
Before long, she arrived at the Witches’ village.
Shortly thereafter, unaware of what their future held, the Witches were having laughter and conversations or discussing magic among themselves.
Feeling that Adriana, who had been consumed by her darkness, was crying, Rin deliberately ignored it.
She was already a dead person.
The emotions she felt now were not real but simply her imagination. Therefore, Rin extended her overwhelmingly powerful hand once more.
The darkness that opened wide swallowed the Witches’ village like a tidal wave.
*
“You have come.”
Rin, sitting on a rock where the Witches’ village once was, looked kindly at the wolf beastman who had rushed over.
“The Earliest Apocalypse.”
Kurika glared at her with eyes full of venom, growling as if he would tear her throat out at any moment.
But Rin still held her gaze filled with ambiguous emotions toward him, which Kurika couldn’t help but feel.
“What is it?”
“……”
“Why are you looking at me like that? It’s neither eyes seeking mercy nor those wanting a fight. Longing…… is it?”
As Kurika thought that, Rin rose from the rock and spoke her gratitude honestly.
“Thanks to you, until the very end, I managed not to abandon my duty, allowing Daniel to stop me.”
“What does the apocalypse even mean?”
He couldn’t know.
But she had no intention of explaining. What she just said was merely Rin’s selfish desire.
Yet, Rin politely lowered her head and reached out.
A surge of forces emerged.
It wasn’t just the Chokugen or Tudogs. From the elite knights of the kingdom who pursued Rin after she destroyed Elgrid and killed Princess Elise.
To other Ancient Beasts she had just devoured moments ago.
Swarming insects began to gather. The Insect King Apviel, who had already become Rin’s army.
The Demon Belton, who had been spying on the Witches’ village.
The Goblin, who beat drums summoning lightning.
The great red snake that swallows everything.
The foolish King Mihu, sitting on his own throne.
“When on earth……”
Kurika had no choice but to be flustered.
Even he couldn’t notice everything in the forest. But it made no sense that such strong beings were unaware of the forest being consumed by the force of apocalypse to this extent.
Rin only answered Kurika’s confused question with silence.
For Rin, who already had memories and experiences of having destroyed the continent once, handling such power wasn’t that hard.
The darkness hid far more than one might expect.
“I can’t believe I failed to notice such a buildup of strength. Have the gods truly abandoned us……”
Seeing Rin’s strength, Kurika had no choice but to admit that failure lay right before him.
He had known that he must not grant the Apocalypse time to grow recklessly, so he always sought the Apocalypse, but those efforts went in vain.
In fact, he hadn’t done anything wrong.
Rin was already in a state of regression where how to handle power and its size was beyond anyone’s reach.
An unfair strength.
Just like Daniel McLean had overwhelming strength through regression.
Grateful earlier, Rin now cautiously apologized.
“I’m afraid I can’t kill your existence without inflicting wounds. Sorry. But for the sake of the world……”
Slowly, she reached out.
Rin’s army began to advance toward the Forest King.
“Please die.”
Just speaking those words sent a sharp feeling tightening around her throat. Kurika, tensed, gripped the Sword of Rest in one hand and a Dagger of Sealing in the other, preparing to counter.
Even if he were to die here, he vowed to kill Rin before he went.
But suddenly,
Hahaha!
From a distance, a hearty and confident laughter echoed. The pride and confidence radiated from that voice.
The mana of the forest began to twist, as if it had met its nemesis.
Holding a staff and wearing a Skull Mask,
“The strong standing against the strong, what shame is there, what reason, and what occasion matters!”
His tone was extremely coercive.
It was, in a way, a kind of unreasonable statement, but he had the power to demand such a thing.
“A venue for strong opponents must not lack my presence!”
It was the resurrection of Tyrant Sharcarl.
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