WE TRIED TRANSLATIONS x FLAME COMICS

Translator: ZERO_SUGAR

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

◈ Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint ◈

Chapter 699: Episode 25: Demon King (2)

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As though expecting him, the demonic noble calmly turned toward the Capitol entrance.

Yu Junghyeok didn't move a single step. His previous life told him.

This was a trap.

Even if it wasn't, he wouldn't believe the words of a demon king's lackey.

"Prophet."

Anna Croft didn't respond to Junghyeok's call.

When he glanced back, Anna was staggering, her face pale.

"I don't know why, but [future vision] isn't working."

[future vision] wasn't working. Anna's skill had often malfunctioned in the previous round.

But for it to fail at such a suspiciously convenient time.

Junghyeok calmly assessed Anna's condition before quickly reaching a decision.

"You're useless whenever it matters."

The demonic noble was already more than twenty paces away.

Junghyeok had already identified the creature through [Sage's Eye].

'Demonic Viscount Nikhterida.'

Nikhterida was a viscount-rank demon.

Based on the original Scenario difficulty, a demon of that rank should have appeared in the eighth Scenario.

Yet Nikhterida had said:

'The Demon King of Salvation is waiting.'

There was a true demon king's representative inside the Capitol. In all likelihood, a vassal capable of demon king Possession was more likely to be there than a symbolic form.

If so, there had to be at least a count-rank demon there.

Junghyeok took a light breath. With every breath, the condensed Mana throughout his body circulated again.

Mana Cycle.

Normally, a Mana Cycle referred to circulating the Mana gathered in one's lower abdomen through every capillary.

However, the Sky-Splitting Sword Sect used the term Mana Cycle differently.

Only when the circulating Mana formed a complete circle did the body itself become a single eye.

An eye that perceived the world through expanded senses.

Through that eye, humans saw the sky. They came to realize that the sky, which had seemed only beautiful and vast, was in truth a prison of terrible Scenarios.

「"Recognizing that this entire world is nothing more than that sky's plaything. That is the Mana Cycle, Sky-Splitting's first step."」

At his current level, it was still difficult to count the stars in the sky. However, counting the aboveground demonic species wasn't difficult.

"There are four in total."

Startled, Demonic Viscount Nikhterida turned around.

Then, three statues atop the Capitol's stone structure began giving off a sinister light.

[The demonic viscount Bricolacas has revealed hostility toward you.]

[The demonic viscount Scupidia has revealed hostility toward you.]

[The demonic viscount Myrmicoleion has revealed hostility toward you.]

There were no fewer than four demonic viscounts.

In no previous round had Junghyeok ever faced four viscount-rank demons at once in the seventh Scenario.

Rumble.

Anna bit down hard on her lip as the pressure of the demonic species bore down on the area.

"They're the demons who killed my companions."

Those demons had likely been summoned in the fifth Scenario. If the difficulty was this high from only the fifth Scenario onward, it was only natural that no country could handle it.

As Junghyeok's Moon Halberd gave off a sharp light, the viscounts looked at one another as if they found it strange.

Rumble.

If this had been the previous round, or the round before that, Junghyeok would never have confronted them. Fighting four viscount-rank demons in the seventh Scenario was no different from suicide.

But Junghyeok didn't retreat.

Because this wasn't the thirty-ninth round or the fortieth round.

This world was the forty-first round.

The moment Junghyeok's figure disappeared, the three demonic viscounts drew their weapons against him simultaneously.

Bricolacas raised their primary weapon, a long spear. Scupidia drew paired daggers, while Myrmicoleion clenched their swollen fists.

Mana steeped in deep evil karma exploded outward, forming a semicircle around the three demons.

Junghyeok's Agility had reached the Scenario's limit. Still, it was a speed the demonic viscounts could clearly see.

Their eyes fixed on the same point in the air.

"Is that where you are?"

The spear, paired daggers, and fists struck the same point at once. A brutal explosion rang out, and the demonic viscounts smiled. They thought Junghyeok had been crushed to a pulp.

But when the black Aether staining the air vanished, Junghyeok was no longer there.

"What―"

That was impossible. There was no way a mere Incarnation could evade the eyes of evolved demonic nobles.

Demonic Viscount Myrmicoleion sensed that something was wrong and opened their mouth.

Slice.

With a sound like the world splitting in two, Demonic Viscount Myrmicoleion's head flew off.

Unease spread across the demons' faces for the first time.

Fine, he had escaped their sight. But a viscount-rank demon had been killed in a single blow.

"That's impossible―"

Yet for Junghyeok now, it was entirely possible. The power he was manifesting had been obtained at that price.

[Binding of Truth has activated.]

One of his three fable markings, Binding of Truth.

[A portion of your memories is being sealed.]

A fable marking that manifested power in exchange for sealing a portion of his memories from the previous round.

[All your overall stats temporarily exceed the Scenario limits!]

[Explosive power surges throughout your body!]

One of the memories Junghyeok had held dear was fading from his mind. It was a memory he had offered up.

「"Captain. This is your birthday present. It's a pair of arm warmers I treasure..."」

Lee Hyeongseong of the twenty-second round smiled innocently. The worn arm warmers he had offered were disappearing from Junghyeok's mind. The warmth in his heart faded, and his heart grew endlessly cold.

Junghyeok would probably never remember that smile again.

Instead, he would remember something else.

A memory that would not fade until his life ended, when his long journey of regression finally came to an end.

「"Captain. Will you definitely take revenge in the next round?"」

"I'll grant your wish, Hyeongseong."

He would remember only sorrow.

With the hatred born from that sorrow as fuel, he would fight against this world's sky.

"You bastard! How dare you!"

Demonic Viscount Scupidia swung their paired daggers in shock. The black aura gathered on their tips grazed Junghyeok's cheek.

But the Moon Halberd was faster. It had already pierced Scupidia's heart.

Shunk.

Scupidia vomited black blood and died on the spot. Bricolacas and Nikhterida rushed in together, enraged like evil spirits.

It was an attack prepared for mutual destruction.

The Dark Fog Nikhterida created covered Junghyeok's vision, while Bricolacas's long spear split into more than ten and flew at him from all directions. Several long spears grazed Junghyeok's thigh and waist.

Slice.

Bricolacas's head fell.

Only Demonic Viscount Nikhterida remained.

Nikhterida backed away and said, "What are you doing? Why, why are you hostile to us? The Demon King has no hostility toward you!"

Having cast aside even the pride of a demonic species, Nikhterida cried out as though desperate.

"W-why are you doing this― The Demon King of Salvation clearly said it would be fine if we gave you his name―"

Realizing the situation was unfavorable, Nikhterida watched Junghyeok's expression before hastily turning and running away.

[You have activated Exclusive Skill phoenix walk Lv.10!]

Junghyeok's thigh muscles twitched like beasts once more. With a roar, his steps drove deeply into the ground. He spun once through the air and gathered Mana.

[sky splitter] spun with centrifugal force and extended from the tip of the Moon Halberd.

[You have activated Exclusive Skill Flash Sky-Splitting Lv.8!]

The Mana gathered at the Moon Halberd's tip became a flash of light, punching a huge hole through Nikhterida's upper body.

[Binding of Truth has ended.]

As soon as the Mana from his Mana Cycle was exhausted, Junghyeok took an Advanced Mana Recovery Potion from his clothes and drank it.

The liquid went down in large gulps and spread through his body.

Looking somewhat tired, Junghyeok lightly wiped his mouth before immediately examining the equipment dropped by the demonic species.

'Ancient Demon's Necklace.'

'Fingerless Gloves of Great Strength.'

'Dark Fog Belt.'

All three were decent pieces of equipment.

The Fingerless Gloves of Great Strength, which raised Strength, suited Hyeongseong, whose specialty was hand-to-hand combat. The Dark Fog Belt suited Junghyeok himself.

'I can give this to that guy.'

The Ancient Demon's Necklace, which raised resistance to fainting, belonged to the one who passed out at the drop of a hat.

He was useless in his current state, but putting this on him would help a little.

After completing his preparations in an instant, Junghyeok rose to his feet. Watching him, Anna asked in disbelief.

"What on earth did you do?"

"There's nothing for you. You didn't help in battle."

"That's not what I mean."

In truth, Junghyeok knew what had shocked Anna.

It was understandable that she couldn't believe it. The divine power he had shown just now was on a level no Incarnation in the same Scenario could compare to.

"Did you use a fable marking? Have you forgotten what happened to the villains who used those?"

Junghyeok also knew how those villains had ended. For some of them, he had failed to find a way to kill them and had sealed their existence instead.

"You're borrowing fictional fables. That power will eat away at your soul and memories."

"That's none of your concern."

"What did you lose as the price?"

Junghyeok didn't answer, but Anna knew what he had lost.

「"Prophet. There is a memory I need. Use [past vision]."」

To the regressor, memories were his entire existence.

"Why would you do that... Sealed memories don't come back! You've lost that memory forever. Do you even understand what that means?"

The worlds that had disappeared existed only through his memories, and he maintained his identity by not forgetting them.

Yet Junghyeok had offered up his own memories as payment.

"You'll eventually become a different person. You'll become someone who doesn't even know what you are."

"You talk as if you know what you are."

As though any further conversation was meaningless, Junghyeok began striding forward again. Demon blood marked every step he took.

Anna blankly stared at the footprints he left behind.

If he failed, what meaning would those footprints have?

If one day she too gave up reading the past through [past vision], who would remember that regressor's long record of failures?

"Wait. Wait for me, Supreme King!"

Anna snapped out of her thoughts and quickly chased after Junghyeok.

But before she had walked very far, Junghyeok abruptly stopped. There was no need to ask what was wrong. A being was walking out from inside the Capitol.

Terrifying demonic energy made her whole body shudder.

"Run, Prophet."

For the first time, Junghyeok's expression hardened.

"It's a marquis-rank demon."

* * *

That was where Anna Croft's story ended.

"Wait. So what happened?"

Hadn't she left out all the important information?

What happened to Junghyeok after fighting a marquis-rank demon?

How could she be certain the companions were safe after something like that happened?

And who was that Demon King of Salvation over there?

Unable to bear it any longer, I pressed her.

"Don't tell me you left Junghyeok there and ran away alone?"

"Before I tell you what happened next, there is something I need to ask you."

I already knew what Anna wanted to ask.

She had started this story to buy time from the beginning.

The Incarnations surrounding the reception room were proof enough.

Of course, no matter how many Incarnations surrounded this place, they weren't much of a threat to me. That was only if we judged the Incarnations by their combat power.

"We possess a tactical nuke."

"So?"

A tactical nuke. It seemed they had somehow secured modern weaponry from the generation before the Scenarios.

"You aren't planning to fire that at the Washington Dome, are you? You know it won't do any good."

A nuclear weapon with that level of destructive power couldn't be activated under the Scenario's structure.

The moment they pressed the button to launch it at the Washington Dome, the tactical nuke would stop working due to a Plausibility Backlash.

But rather than firing the tactical nuke at the Washington Dome, she had brought that weapon here to use against me.

"I heard it from Christina. She said you're a demon king's vassal."

Anna had probably made up her mind. If necessary, she would use that nuclear weapon here.

"Is the name of the Demon King you serve the Demon King of Salvation?"

Footnotes:

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