Chapter 191 – Mutation – 2
The identity of the being that corrupted or mutated the Knight Commander of the Golden Dusk Knights was pretty obvious.
Demon.
In fact, there were no other candidates besides those guys. How could a Knight Commander of the Golden Dusk Knights, who wouldn’t normally leave the Imperial Palace, have contact with anything else?
A demon also desires a strong host. Thus, the Knight Commander of the Golden Dusk could be considered the optimal vessel for them.
The stronger the host, the greater the total amount of power that could be incarnated on the surface. If the host was weak, their body would collapse and be sent back to hell the moment they attempted to use great power.
When the main body descends, the restrictions on the power available are lifted, so it’s a perfect situation, but if they happen to be ‘purified’ after descending, they will die permanently, which depends on the demon’s nature.
Those who care more about immediate pleasure than what comes after will jump at any opportunity, while those who think longer term will be extremely cautious.
‘…That was the explanation from the game’s documents.’
The demon that had mutated the Knight Commander of the Golden Dusk was quite cautious.
It was well aware that descending in its true form right next to Kaiquilia, who could easily tear demons apart with the Holy Sword, was insane.
So it borrowed this guy’s body. A considerable powerhouse, able to wield great strength, and even if it dies, the demon’s true form remains intact.
This was all detailed in the game’s documents.
“Minerva, wait a moment.”
“What is it, child?”
I raised my arm to stop Minerva. The blue light gathering at the tip of the staff scattered again into the air. Her questioning eyes were fixed on me.
“Don’t be surprised, but listen. That one is possessed by a demon.”
“…You said, demon?”
Minerva’s expression turned rigid. Even though I was saying something absurd like a demon descending in the middle of the Imperial Palace, she seemed to trust my words completely. This would speed up things a bit.
“Yes. And the Empress is likely trapped in her bedroom. There should be a magic barrier surrounding her.”
This guy was no fool. There was no way it would recklessly cause havoc in the middle of the Imperial Palace with Kaiquilia sturdily holding her ground.
Having utilized human magic, it had erected barriers around Kaiquilia’s bedroom. It could destroy them if it really tried, but doing so would also blow up the Imperial Palace and the capital.
No matter how much power Kaiquilia, endowed with exceptional strength among humans, might hold, unbreaking the barrier and simply dispelling it were completely different matters.
‘Well, this serves as an excuse for why the player has to handle a demon appearing in the Imperial Palace instead of the Empress.’
For reference, the Empress would only emerge after the player dealt with that.
Most demons have egos too strong to cast human magic even if they would rather die than resort to it, but this one was said to be a first in the continent’s history.
“So, you mean I should go and dispel that barrier?”
“The air around the bedroom is likely contaminated by the demon. Even if it’s Minerva, you wouldn’t last long without a Sacred Spell.”
This was not an issue of skill, but rather of compatibility. Even with Minerva, it was impossible to purify the environment contaminated by the demon without a Sacred Spell.
It wasn’t merely the contamination caused by the demon; it was a trap deliberately designed to kill anyone approaching the bedroom.
The demon had devised this well. It had confined Kaiquilia with ordinary magic, making it difficult to use the Holy Sword, and spread its energy outside the barrier, thereby blocking even Minerva’s intervention.
“…I see. I understand.”
Minerva conceded without retaining pride. It seemed she grasped that trying to do so would only harm herself.
“The Empress should surely be able to break through the barrier by herself. So, Minerva, just head to the Holy Kingdom and inform them that a demon has appeared. Leave the rest to the Holy Kingdom.”
In a game, players had to tackle everything solo, so seeking help from inquisitors was hopeless, but not here. We could definitely enlist the help of the Holy Kingdom.
If it absolutely had to be done alone, it was possible, but I prefer not to take a roundabout way when an easier path is available. Unless I had no other choice but to fight alone.
“I understand. Please be careful, child.”
Minerva left that comment and vanished without even a magic circle. I wondered what she had found in the Crystal Scroll that had changed her teleportation so much.
‘…That can wait. Let’s focus.’
I turned my head towards the place where the golden and silver armors were clashing.
Some stopped just after turning the corner, and others were too focused on the Golden Knight Commander to look around, so no one had noticed me yet.
I summoned all my strength and shouted in a voice that echoed loudly.
“Lize!!!!!!”
As Lize’s name echoed through the hall, the armored warriors wearing helmets all turned their heads in unison.
“Delta?! How did you get here?”
Their voices were distinctly panicked, seemingly caught off guard that I had appeared here.
“I’ll explain later, so leave this to me and back off! It’s possessed by a demon, so you guys won’t stand a chance!”
“A demon?!”
At that, the knights instinctively stepped back, creating space. Since they worked in the Imperial Palace, they were well aware of what kind of being a demon was.
They also understood that they couldn’t cause any harm to the demon. Even in the game, the Silver Dawn Knights ended up injured and sprawled all over the Imperial Palace while trying to hold it back.
If I hadn’t arrived early thanks to Minerva, the place where I was originally supposed to face that guy was the Imperial Palace garden. This served as evidence that the initial attempts to stop it had failed.
“……”
Seeing the golden armor’s helmet facing me, I drew the Wingless Nightmare. The color of the blade began to shift.
Half of it was golden, symbolizing the sun, while the other half was silver, symbolizing the moon. Sunlight streamed in through the window, enhancing the blade’s sanctity.
I took a step forward. Whether it was due to the divine power radiating from my weapon or their own feelings of inferiority towards me, the knight’s gaze fixated purely on me.
The silver and gold armors lined the corridor, parting to allow me through. As I walked in, their gaze pierced me from both sides.
“Delta… are you going to be okay?”
At the end of the path were Erica and Claudia.
“Of course I’m okay. You both stay back with the kids. Control the area around the Imperial Palace, evacuate the people, and make sure no one goes near the Empress’s bedroom. Once you see what’s happening, you’ll understand why I’m saying this. But don’t get too close either. You don’t want to get swept along.”
“But, Delta…”
“Why would I do this? You all know I wouldn’t. Just do as I say, Erica.”
Erica fell silent. Claudia did too. Their hands holding weapons trembled slightly.
Without divine power, all they could do against a demon was to serve as a mere meat shield. No one here was ignorant of that truth. That’s why they reacted this way.
After a moment of silence, Claudia patted my shoulder and turned to her subordinates. Erica whispered “Be careful” and followed Claudia.
As Claudia and Erica relented, Lize and Iris also gathered their subordinates and disappeared down the hallway. The surroundings quickly emptied.
“Delta! You need to be careful!”
Lize’s voice echoed briefly, but as even that sound faded away, complete silence enveloped the place.
I briefly estimated the width of the corridor.
‘…It’s a bit narrow on the sides.’
Even though the Imperial Palace’s corridors are wide, it’s nothing compared to the garden. If that guy uses Area Attack here, dodging it might get a little tricky.
There was a possibility that the whole area could crash down if things went wrong. No matter how much I flew and crawled, I couldn’t avoid a collapsing building.
“……”
From the moment the demon realized I had arrived, it had been staring at me without a moment’s pause. After all, I was likely the reason its temptation succeeded.
“I told you not to entertain any foolish thoughts, didn’t I?”
I sighed and opened my mouth.
“I may have expressed it vaguely because I was worried it might draw your attention, but I did give you a warning, and yet this is the outcome?”
“……”
The demon remained silent. I had been trying to buy time with conversation, but at this rate, I might have to fight right away.
I didn’t need to rush in to kill it. Minerva had gone for help from the Holy Kingdom, so sooner or later, an Inquisitor or an Inquisitor would show up. I just had to endure until then.
“Well, if you don’t want to talk, go ahead.”
I gripped the Wingless Nightmare with both hands.
The radiant pillar of light that had penetrated the Behemoth might have been a one-time thing, or it might only activate against enemies, but I still had to test it.
I spread my legs shoulder-width apart and raised the Wingless Nightmare above my head. The blade began to shine. The golden armor remained completely still.
“After taking a beating, maybe your perspective will change a bit.”
I drove my arm down vertically.
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