SSS-Class Revival Hunter - Chapter 116

WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: ZERO_SUGAR

◈ SSS-Class Revival Hunter ◈

Chapter 116: The Black Wedding (2)

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Shadows covered the earth.

Each shadow was a person in a fluttering black robe. Even facing the ghost army halted in the distance, they showed no surprise. They had lived in a world overrun by zombies.

They had died.

For them, ghosts could not be a source of fear.

"Today, the Vice-lord looks exceptionally grand."

Ghost-Soul Flame Demon spoke in a leisurely tone. One of the Demonic Cult’s Four Demon Lords, this believer had once fought the Head Monk of Shaolin in the final Great Orthodox-Demonic War.

"Even applying makeup, as if you're heading to your own wedding."

I nodded.

"It is indeed a wedding."

"...What?"

A thousand believers turned their heads in unison. They were martial artists whose strength from their prime had been restored. Apparently, all of them had strengthened their hearing with internal energy to listen to me.

I announced to them.

"Today, I am getting married."

Silence fell.

The followers exchanged glances, then looked back at me, trying to discern if I was serious or joking. I simply nodded in response to their unspoken inquiries.

"Our Vice-lord,"

Ghost-Soul Flame Demon opened their mouth.

"Our Vice-lord is getting married!"

The followers erupted in excitement.

"Our Vice-lord is marrying!"

"The supreme authority of the Demonic Heaven is tying the knot!"

"Not an engagement, a real wedding!"

They forgot the ghostly army in front of them, causing an uproar. The news of my marriage seemed an urgent matter they must announce to the world.

"Who is the bride?"

"Over there."

I gestured gracefully with both hands.

"That lady over there with silver hair will be my wife."

Raviel was soothing the panicked citizens of the Empire at that moment.

Her cool and dignified profile as always.

Following my gesture, the followers' jaws dropped.

"She's beautiful…"

"Yes, quite pretty."

"Our Vice-lord has high standards."

"Vice-lord! How strong is the lady's Ki?"

Someone, true to a martial artist's nature, inquired about her combat strength.

“Hmm. My wife does not know how to use martial arts.”

The followers' eyes widened. Soon, murmurs of discontent spread. Their eyes held a rebellious spirit, seemingly unable to accept this marriage.

“But she is to be the partner of the entire Demonic Heaven...”

"She doesn’t know martial arts at all? That's a bit..."

"Well, authority comes from strength..."

"The Blood Ghost Troop cannot acknowledge this marriage!"

I added more.

"I forgot to mention. My spouse is second in power in this country, next to the Emperor."

The followers murmured amongst themselves.

"Then it's a different story…"

"People aren't obliged to learn martial arts from birth, right?"

"Right, authority stems from power..."

"Congratulations on your marriage, Vice-lord!"

Such simple-minded folks.

However, not everyone among them was a follower. Preta, once feared as the Demon King of Autumn Rain, had been gaping ever since hearing about my marriage.

"You're getting married, lord?"

"Yes. That's the plan."

"Impossible. Someone like you, a total... Ah, my apologies, lord. I mean, someone as unique as you found someone willing to marry you?"

Preta, you…

Externally obedient, but you thought of me as a lunatic inside….

Feeling slightly hurt, I sighed.

"Yes, it really happened. I'll share the details at the reception. But for now, let's focus on the battle."

"Ah, yes. Of course, lord. Who are our enemies?"

"Otherworldly apostles trying to conquer this world."

And then, I said.

"They're also trying to ruin my wedding."

At my words, the atmosphere among the followers shifted.

"Oh?"

Blood Demon, leader of the Blood Ghost Troop, ran a hand over the sword hilt.

"Hmm…"

Ghost-Soul Flame Demon, leader of the Spirit Consolation Unit, smirked.

"Interfering with the wedding of the Vice-lord of the Demonic Cult."

Moon Shadow Demon, leader of the Shadow Corpse Troop, swept back the hair at their temple.

“Hah. What a bunch of lunatics.”

Sword Demon, leader of the Extermination Troop, stretched his neck in all directions.

"..."

Lastly, Preta unsheathed her sword without a word. The same sword that forced hundreds of deaths upon me. It was a magical sword emitting a dark red light.

“I see. I had guessed that Your Lordship had undergone another awakening and restored the power we possessed in life... But no. It was a Constellation’s blessing. Those must be the Constellation’s servants.”

"Correct."

"If I may ask, which Constellation’s lackeys are they?"

"Mahos. Known as the Warhorse of the Eternal Plains."

Preta twisted her lips in scorn.

"Fools who know nothing but battle."

Her disdain held the arrogance she had before falling, due to my actions.

The enemy numbered ten thousand. We numbered only one thousand. Yet the believers chatted as they gripped their sword hilts, and Preta slowly raised her blade. Our side held the advantage. Not one of us thought otherwise.

"My lord, command me. What would you have me do?"

I ordered.

"Annihilate them."

Preta lifted her magical sword high.

"As you wish, lord."

A single slash.

A beam redder than blood split the blood-red sunset.

-Grooooooh!

It was a red beam, leaving no room for any other description. Its power and majesty laid within Preta's strike. Ghosts caught in the red beam screamed and vanished.

Even the general leading the ghost army barely escaped.

-What is this...? No, it cannot be. A Constellation...? Not a Constellation, yet commanding a Constellation as a subordinate...

As the general gaped at me in shock.

"Crush them!"

The followers roared.

"No need to recite doctrines for these small fries!"

“Whose fucking lowborn bastards dare interfere with the marriage of the sovereign of the Demonic Heaven!”

"The heads we collect today are our wedding gifts to the Vice-lord! Understood! Anyone who brings less than five heads will die by my hand today!"

"Haha! Extermination Troop, aim for at least ten heads!"

"This is why the uneducated are…"

Some charged in fury, some with roars, and others while clicking their tongues. Though the ghost army was still far away, distance meant nothing. Fully one thousand shadows unleashed their movement techniques at once.

-Uh?! Block them!

Startled, the general ordered a defense.

The ghost army was indeed elite. They raised their shields tightly, forming an impenetrable formation like a porcupine. Spears filled the gaps. But...

"So foolish."

Preta, the Autumn Rain Specter, sneered.

“The horsefeed has obligingly made itself into a target.”

Another red beam tore through the sky. Kwaang! The tightly packed formation of the ghost army was easily swept away, leaving a gaping hole. The ghosts frantically tried to fill the gap.

"Haha!"

But the battle-hardened followers didn't miss this opportunity.

"Tear them apart!"

They charged like beasts. The shadows and the ghost army clashed. Chaak! Chaak! The followers spread their Ki, slaughtering the ghosts.

Unlike the Great Orthodox-Demonic War, they didn't bother chanting the mantra of Baraya. No one mentioned why, but I could guess. This wasn't a duel. It wasn’t a war.

Merely a hunt.

The followers disdainfully butchered the ghost army, treating them like mere beasts.

-Kiiieek!

The ghost army lacked the strength to overcome such arrogance. They crumbled under the followers' blades. Shields shattered, spears snapped. Followers thrust their swords through the gaps and reversed the broken spear shafts to strike down.

It was a massacre.

"Regroup by units!"

The general raised the flag and shouted urgently.

"Don't panic, warriors! No rush! Follow the lead of the captains..."

"Hey."

Thud.

Someone casually landed on top of the flag that the general was holding.

"Hello there."

It was Sword Demon, one of the Four Demon Lords and the foulest-mouthed man among them. With the evening sunset behind him, his face lay in shadow.

"Are you trying to interfere with our Vice-lord’s wedding?"

-You...

“You fucking bastard. Just die.”

The sword point flashed. One strike. Two. Three. Three paths of the sword intertwined like a spiderweb. The first severed the general’s right arm, the second cut the general across the chest, and the third shredded the flag.

-Cough, hah...

The Apostle of the War God spewed blood. That was brief. Sword Demon launched his final strike at the general's throat, cutting off his scream and sending his head soaring.

"Oh. Euh cha."

Sword Demon leaped from the flagpole, catching the general's head in mid-air.

"Ah, can't let this precious thing slip away. Haha. See that, you brats! I'm the Sword Demon, leader of the Extermination Troop! Our troop will be the first to offer a wedding gift to the Vice-lord!"

"Damn."

"Why did it have to be that blockhead..."

Soft curses flowed from various places. Even among the same Demon Lords, there seemed to be a peculiar competitive spirit. The followers frowned, having their moment stolen by Sword Demon.

[The Apostle of the ‘Warhorse of the Eternal Plains' has been annihilated.]

Swoosh-.

The general’s head in Sword Demon’s grasp dissolved into light. It was not alone. The headless body and all the ghosts who followed the general crumbled into dust in an instant. The army vanished.

"What? What?"

Sword Demon was baffled, looking at his now empty hand. After a moment, he dumbly turned to look at me.

"Uh... can you accept a gift from the heart, Vice-lord?"

I smiled faintly.

“It’s all right. I’ll give you partial credit.”

Then.

-Lu. La.

The Apostle of ['The Immortal Missionary of Happiness'] began to sing. Lu. La. Children holding hands, danced in circles in the air. With each step upon the sunset, more melody was added to the sky.

"Hmm."

"Uh."

The followers furrowed their brows. Some hurriedly raised their Ki to counter the song, but it was futile. The wide-area effect had ended with the death of the Apostle of the Warhorse of the Eternal Plains.

"Ah..."

Preta also let out a disappointed sigh. The black sludge covering her body rapidly flowed away. She clicked her tongue and glared at the Sword Demon.

"That idiot... Not even useful to his own side. I apologize, lord. If I'm not in my prime, I'm weak against such psychic attacks... fighting... is..."

Her voice slowed as she fell into sleep. Preta staggered.

Not only Preta. The followers who had been rampaging on the battlefield, as well as the guests following Raviel's command, were similarly affected. They were helpless before the lullaby sung by the dream apostle.

"Please wait, King of Death."

Heretic Inquisitor formed a hand seal.

"I'll create an immunity field now!"

"No."

I grabbed Heretic Inquisitor's hand, stopping him. He tilted his head in confusion.

"King of Death? If we leave it like this, we'll also fall victim to the Apostle’s song."

"It's possible. But if I'm right, everyone else might not know, but Raviel, you, and I should be fine."

"Hmm."

Heretic Inquisitor smiled and released the hand seal.

"I understand. If the King of Death says so, there must be a reason."

The sunset was at its peak.

-Lu. La, La.

-La, Lulu. Lu.

The setting sun burnt red, illuminating the children. Their shadows stretched long across the horizon, growing and shrinking, coming closer and then moving away.

『It’s a kind of mental attack.』

『Exposure to that song forces you into [your happiest memory].』

The wedding venue fell silent.

The followers sat on the ground, leaning on each other, dozing off. Some guests had completely fallen asleep. Were they all immersed in their own happiness?

"Oho."

However, three people still spoke.

"Really?"

Heretic Inquisitor looked intrigued, alternating glances between Raviel and me.

"The King of Death was right. The three of us are unaffected. I feel a bit sleepy, but my body maintains its normal condition. Ahaha. What magic did you use this time, King of Death?"

The Heretic Inquisitor, curious about the current situation, wasn't the only one. The dream apostles slowly stopped their circle dance. The children tilted their heads from side to side and looked down at me.

-Strange human.

-Doesn't sleep. Doesn't dream?

-No happy memories?

I shook my head.

"No."

I slowly surveyed the wedding venue.

"It's not that."

There was Preta, softly breathing in sleep. Followers leaning on each other, having dozed off. Lives that I had gathered and those that evidenced my teacher's existence.

There were many reasons for me to be unhappy.

Countless.

I had burned to death, committed suicide thousands of times, witnessed comrades killing each other under the influence of doubt, lost dozens of lives just to take a step forward, been bitten by already dead corpses, and had to part with someone who said I was beautiful.

No one might blame me if I called my life unhappy.

"But I am happiest now."

Because the person I love is here.

One reason for happiness was more precious to me than hundreds of reasons for unhappiness.

"I don't know if you know, but today is my wedding day. I might not know about other days, but today, it's hard to find someone happier than me. You've chosen the wrong day to invade this world."

I shrugged.

"As for the Heretic Inquisitor... maybe he's never happy, or maybe every day is happy for him."

"Ah! Indeed! That's right. I'm always happy! No one can match the King of Death's insight."

Heretic Inquisitor laughed and whispered.

"Holy Technique. God of Teleportation."

In the next moment, we were teleported behind the Apostle.

Unlike other Apostles, ['The Immortal Missionary of Happiness'] had no combat ability. The Apostle, in the form of a child, didn't resist even after seeing us, just gazing up at my face.

-Strange human.

I steeled myself and swung my sword.

[The apostle of ‘The Immortal Missionary of Happiness’ vanishes.]

We returned to the ground using Holy Technique.

All invaders from another world were vanquished.

"......."

No. Not all of them yet.

I gripped my holy sword and turned around. An Apostle with a giant hammer stood in the distance. As our eyes met, she shrank back in fear.

-Yikes, uh... ah...

I slowly opened my lips.

“This is your last chance to fight me. Your last chance to defy me, and your last chance to resist me. I will kill you and take you in.”

-Gather...?