A black giant, larger than a house, appeared, and standing before it was a man who was at least not friendly.
Moreover, the saint-guarding hero, Ludvik, found himself being absorbed by that black giant.
The Holy Knight Brigade uniformly rushed towards Priest Vigrind, raising their shields high.
The knights who had gathered at the Community Center had already been reduced to a handful of blood strands by Damian’s life force, and the remaining brigade hardly numbered more than twenty.
Yet, the fact that such knights stood firm to protect Vigrind in this situation, undaunted by fear, was enough to show their courage.
– GRAAAAAAAAH!!!
The black giant raised its arm and roared.
Looking around, no hostile beings could be seen, and its creator demanded indiscriminate destruction.
As a creature, it wholly followed that will.
Damian surveyed the surroundings.
With his fingers, he continuously formed seals, and each time he did, parchment fluttered and rose into the air.
With every movement he made, a red sigil drawn like a curse seemed to shift beneath his feet.
Surrounded by ominous, dark red smoke, Damian continued to glare at the knights with his somber expression.
“—It would be wise to step back.”
Even in response to Damian’s words, the knights did not retreat.
The grace of Vigrind shone brightly over the heads of those knights, and within the scope of her blessing, it was certain that the energy emanating from Damian could not encroach.
“The Saint is with us! Do not back down!”
The knights shouted boldly, boosting their courage.
With their feet reluctant to flee, they reminded themselves that this was the moment to showcase the results of their rigorous training against Damian.
– WOOOOAARRH!
The black giant raised its enormous arm.
From that arm emanated a white glow.
The black giant, having absorbed hero Ludvik, seemed to draw out some divinity from him, igniting a miraculous light that clashed with its own dark form.
“Everyone, raise your shields—!”
The knights’ voices echoed.
In this battlefield where screams erupted—a chaotic crucible that had suddenly turned into a battlefield—the knights remained composed.
Raised shields in front of the saint they had to protect and the monstrous evil they had to overcome.
They would not retreat.
The black giant’s fist came crashing down on the knights.
However, that fist was blocked by a golden radiance that thwarted its intent, and Vigrind, who emitted that glow, gritted her teeth and stood firm, glaring at Damian.
“—Don’t make me laugh, you demon. Who said they wanted to hear something precious from a scum like you?”
“Did you do it?”
Priest Vigrind’s divinity, finally realizing her true calling as the Saint, became even stronger.
Saying “stronger” didn’t even begin to cover it; her divine aura became even more noble and pristine.
“I am here because the Celestial Lord is with me. Those of you who have sullied this most wretched place, the lowest of the low, truly deserve divine punishment!”
Vigrind glared with wide eyes and clasped her hands together.
The golden radiance emanating from her intensified, bursting forth like wings — a halo exploded behind her.
Damian, gazing at her in silence, couldn’t help but smirk.
In all the ages he had lived, had there ever been divine punishment?
Damian, who had committed acts unworthy of a ruler — indeed, acts unworthy of a human — had stolen the lives of millions, disrupting the peace of the dead, also to millions.
If divine punishment existed, then if the Celestial Lord truly safeguarded justice and walked the righteous path, He should have appeared long ago to condemn him.
— GRAAAAAAH!
The black giant, clearly displeased by the golden radiance blocking his fist, roared and brought down his hand repeatedly.
Each time, the light trembled violently, but it never diminished in its brilliance.
“If you seek death, if you wish for the purification of your life, I shall gladly bring you to justice. The Celestial Lord watches over but does not act for personal reasons; therefore, as humans, it is right for us to judge you!”
At those words, Damian fell silent.
After a long pause, he finally spoke up.
“Don’t be ridiculous, Saint. If a celestial being exists yet does not govern, what is its purpose? That place I belong to, the demon realm — and now you praise a Celestial Lord who is scrambling to tidy up the mess? You still don’t get it, do you? The Celestial Lord has no interest in you.”
“Demon, accept your death quietly! What credibility is there in the blather of one who hides in the slums, merely to fill their pathetic stomachs? How can the existence of your kind among those who have nothing be justified!”
Vigrind charged forward, not backing down an inch.
Unbeknownst to her, her personality before becoming a Saint was beginning to show.
“Return the hero to us! He is not someone who would fall victim to the likes of you!”
Vigrind’s fierce voice did not falter.
As she held her gaze firmly on Damian, the dark aura around his face began to fade, and annoyance gradually bubbled up.
“…You really can’t stop chattering, can you, Saint? I’ve endured thus far, seeking peace by taking your blood and flesh, but I’ve reached my limit of tolerance for your incessant squawking.”
I have arrived, and I can no longer endure this incessant chirping.
“Then hand over the hero immediately and get lost!”
“If it comes to that, I’ll have no choice but to take you by force. Let’s see if you can handle it.”
A dark aura blossomed from Damian’s fingertips.
With every binding, black lines were drawn in the air, eventually forming into letters.
The letters tangled and mixed, finally becoming one single character, which flew towards the black giant and smoothly melded into it.
– Kruh…!
With a grotesque sound, the shape of the black giant began to slowly change.
In its bare hands, a black spear emerged, and upon its previously outlined body, something resembling armor was firmly placed.
“Let’s see if your esteemed celestial can protect you this time too.”
Damian’s binding spun with a creaking sound to the right.
And as if it was a predetermined signal, the black giant raised the spear high.
The black spear—
Strangely enough, stood out sharply against the blue sky.
That sharp spearhead.
It was so dark that it didn’t reflect light, yet its sharpness was vividly evident.
What it was aiming at was all too clear.
The golden brilliance being spread by Priest Vigrind.
And that golden radiance enveloping the knights.
If that spearhead were to strike down—
Could they possibly withstand it?
Vigrind swallowed hard.
Would it be okay?
No, it certainly wouldn’t be okay.
If that spearhead, concentrating all its sharpness, were to pierce through the radiance—
It would dig into the brilliance, ultimately breaking through and descending upon the knights’ heads.
“Pray to your esteemed celestial. If you can condemn me even now, I shall willingly become the celestial’s dog.”
A mocking voice of Damian echoed.
Hearing those words, Vigrind tightly shut her eyes.
Oh, Celestial.
Where are you?
Why do you not reveal yourself?
Have you grown angry at this slow-witted saint for realizing too late?
Have you left because your creations have begun to oppress each other?
Even amidst Vigrind’s prayers, the celestial did not respond.
And as if to mock her, the black spear finally aimed at Vigrind’s brilliance—
– Kuuwaaang!
A tremendous sound echoed.
And the noise of something collapsing.
– Gooooooo—
A roar that sounded different from a usual yell, as if it were the black giant’s bellow.
“You little—!”
Damian’s voice, filled with astonishment.
‘…Ah, it hurts.’
A stinging pain pierced through all of Vigrind’s body.
Only then did Vigrind gently open her eyes.
“What is that thing? Vigrind, what the heck is that?”
In elegant black attire.
The outfit of colors.
Milk-colored hair swaying behind.
Tall and slender figure.
That—those huge breasts that I’ve always disliked, visible even from behind.
It was Yona.
The black giant, about to thrust down his spear, stumbled as a fierce shock hit him from the side, dropping his spear and rolling around.
Vervaria charged at the giant, spewing black magic, and went straight for the giant’s arm.
The magic pouring from her fangs rose in smoke, and with her grip on the giant’s arm, Vervaria violently shook her head, tossing the giant aside once more.
The giant was helpless against Vervaria’s relentless attacks, rolling through the slums.
There was barely any time for him to regain his senses before Vervaria’s continuous assaults, but the tainted magic erupting from her fangs was seeping into the giant’s body, acting as poison.
“What are you doing? Why are you treating Big like that?”
Yona growled in a rough voice.
Her gaze was fixed on Damian.
Vervaria had explained that he was Damian.
She had also heard he was a vampire, one of the Demon Lords.
But seeing him directly, she was unsure what he was, nor did she particularly want to know, but one thing was certain: since Big was hostile toward him, he surely wasn’t normal either.
Moreover, if he was a Demon Lord, he was someone Yona needed to absorb.
“Since the saint of the demon realm has appeared, you better obey, you bloodsucking bastard.”
“I’ve heard there’s a saint in the demon realm.”
Damian’s expression darkened again, returning to a grim look.
With a voice heavily draped in gloom, he stared intently at Yona and said, “I’ve never heard of a woman looking this ugly. What on earth are the priests thinking?”
“Ugly? You crazy bastard.”
Yona, who was about to explode with anger, quickly calmed down.
Then she spoke to Damian again.
“…Enough of this, just obey quickly, like Vervaria.”
“Demon Lord, Vervaria, huh? That pitiful snake probably couldn’t survive without obeying you. If you see me that way, you’re in for a surprise. I must’ve seemed that laughable to you.”
As Damian said this, he spread his arms wide.
Black letters spread out behind him, eventually forming a circular barrier that began to rotate.
“The time has come to demonstrate my grandeur. Very well, I shall show you.”
A black aura surged across the ground.
The explosive energy cascaded over the earth, soaring up and enveloping the sky, turning everything pitch black.
And in the midst of it stood a red-glowing altar.
Before that altar stood Damian.
“The place where the king resides is the palace. Yes, you came well. To my palace.”
With those words, the world transformed.
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