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HELHEIM SCANS
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General Royce Flanel gazed at the thousands of soldiers lined up before him.
His unit was tasked with advancing from the northernmost edge of Operation Sector 17.
Included in his forces were not only his original subordinates but also soldiers brought in by neighbouring lords.
Over the past two days, they had quickly crossed the rugged Great Mountain Range and arrived at the entrance of the Demonic realm.
By now, forces in other sectors would also face the Demonic realm after similar processes.“That is the Demonic realm…”
“Finally…”
The moment the scenery of the Demonic realm came into view, even the knights who had appeared composed couldn’t stop their murmurs.
Their eyes, filled with determination, fixed on the Demonic realm.
In this era, humans were educated about their lifelong enemies, demons and monsters, from birth.
As they grew, they lost friends, neighbors, and family to these foes and fought them in their own ways until they died and were buried.
The Demonic realm was the source of most of the misfortune and disasters they faced in their lives.
There was no one who wasn’t shaken.
Even the renowned General Royce, who had led countless battles, had never come this close to the Demonic realm before.
‘Just as expected.’
Royce squinted his eyes, staring at the Demonic realm.
He didn’t feel as much of a chilling sensation as he anticipated, and the demonic clouds that had previously hindered visibility were long gone.
Mutated plants and animals were hardly visible.
Of course, there would be a few demons lurking inside, but with this force, it would be as if they didn’t exist at all.
They could break through the barriers and advance within half a day.
‘The reason must be that all the demons have gone to the 50th sector.’
The soldiers were burning with fighting spirit.
“It’s finally our turn to attack.”
“We’ve been waiting for this moment for so long.”
“Let’s shove our spears up the asses of those retreating bastards.”
It was no wonder, as they believed the operation was to chase and deliver a decisive blow to the regrouping Demon King’s army before they could fully reassemble.
Hiss—
General Royce took out his pipe and lit it.
He was the only one among the thousands of humans who knew the true nature of this operation.
The weight of this knowledge weighed heavily on the old general’s heart.
‘It can’t be helped.’
The first stage of the Light Bringer plan: Diversion.
‘We have to be the bait.’
They were not the main force in this battle.
Their role was to lure out the defensive forces hidden deep within the Demonic realm as much as possible.
‘And to hold out.’
Their only task was to pave the way for the suicide squads.
Even though they were considered elite, Royce knew.
The deeper they went into the Demonic realm, the more they would face things that ‘ordinary humans’ could not possibly withstand.
‘It will indeed be nothing but stalling for time.’
…Ordinary humans.
General Royce savored the bitter taste of his pipe tobacco as he mulled over the words.
This term applied even to him, who had no magical aptitude and had to choose the military academy over Rosenstark.
But he did not feel particularly resentful or regretful about being assigned the role of bait.
‘Not everyone can be a protagonist.’
Everyone has their own role to play.
Besides, even if they complained about being treated like chess pieces, the suicide squads treated themselves the same way.
No matter how he thought about it, their survival rate didn’t seem likely to be higher than that of the diversionary forces.
‘If we are pawns, they are queens.’
Pawns sometimes survive until the endgame, but queens often die before then.
As he recalled the faces of the heroes, a voice interrupted his thoughts.
“General, the signal has been confirmed. We have received the order to advance from the Grand General.”
A middle-aged lord from a neighboring territory, recently incorporated as an adjutant, approached and whispered.
He was quite an impressive-looking man.
Despite his age, his body was sculpted and solid.
The light in his eyes under his thick brows was intense but also warm and gentle.
A well-worn bow dangled behind his back.
Royce suddenly spoke.
“…I hear your daughter is a member of the Lotus Knights.”
At the same time, an unmistakable pride and longing appeared on the face of the middle-aged man, who had been tensed with nervousness.
“Yes, she is.”
“You must be proud.”
“Hahaha, I sometimes wonder how I managed to have such a wonderful daughter.”
Gazing quietly at the face of Lord Solintail, Royce raised his command rod.
“…I wish luck to you and your daughter.”
Mounted on his horse, Royce took the lead.
The biting winter wind blew harshly.
Everyone held their breath, waiting for his command.
‘Finally.’
The old general took a deep breath.
‘This will be my last battlefield.’
Recalling the stench of all the battlefields he had experienced, he shouted.
“Charge!”
The phalanx advanced forward.
* * *
48 hours before the teleportation.
“All forward units in the operation area have entered the demonic realm!”
Before the report was even finished, Avalon’s control room became twice as busy. Dozens of people ran between numerous holographic displays and control panels.
Clang!
The sound of boots hitting the metal floor was loud.
This marked the beginning of the first phase of Operation Light Bringer.
It meant that within 48 hours, they, too, had to be ready to teleport to the 46th sector of the demonic realm.
It was a large-scale teleportation magic to transport this massive hunk of metal and hundreds of passengers.
There was a lot to prepare for.
Dozens of eyes scanned the various pieces of information being updated.
They were agents skilled in analysing and gathering information, specially selected by the Mother Ghost.
“Currently checking the environment of the target location, the 46th sector of the demonic realm! A strong demonic energy cloud is still forming, making it difficult to set accurate coordinates.”
“However, the density is steadily decreasing! By the time we start the second phase of the operation...”
“By the time what! Just tell me the estimated success rate.”
“It’s 96%.”
“Good! Keep monitoring it.”
Wuuuuuung—!
Larze and Izaro were focusing all their magic on one side of the control room.
They continued their concentration with their eyes closed, seemingly oblivious to all the commotion around them.
Surrounding them were 30 magicians from the Magic Tower, also raising their magical power in the same posture.
Zzztzztzztzzt—
A myriad of images flashed through their minds.
They were using their contracted familiars to thoroughly scan the demonic realm.
All of them were magicians of at least the Maester level.
Each could deploy at least ten familiars, and Larze handled as many as a hundred.
Normally, the dense demonic energy would have made it impossible to operate the familiars, but fortunately, the concentration was low enough to allow for reconnaissance.
‘...We need to confirm if the diversion has deceived the demon army and is advancing west.’
The army’s size, speed, and route were all crucial information.
The accuracy of the information could determine the survival of the western forces.
“Huh?”
Chijijijik—
The images the magicians were viewing were broadcast live on the video panels. One of the agents watching clenched his fist and shouted,
“They’re moving!”
“How many corps are there?”
“So far, we can visually confirm the 4th and 5th Corps!”
“The 6th and 7th Corps are also present!”
“It seems that, as expected, all corps except for Theo and Malekia's are on the move!”
A sigh of relief swept through the entire control room.
If the enemy hadn’t moved, the hero or Larze would have had to personally disrupt them through teleportation, even at the cost of reducing their own strength, so the success of the first phase of the operation was a significant achievement.
“I’ll display the march route!”
Black dots began to appear on the holographic map.
The ten thousand demons slithered from the east like a black fog, moving toward the west like a wave.
The even more horrifying thought was that just as many demons would be densely packed near the 50th sector of the demonic realm.
Kulk—!
Occasionally, some familiars were torn apart by the demons, causing the magicians to cough up blood.
However, they had already prepared solutions for the internal injuries.
The magicians, writhing in pain from the backlash, rummaged through their robes and pulled out ‘Arpheus’s Elixir,’ chewing it vigorously.
“Grr.”
Instantly, the pained expressions disappeared.
The rage from seeing their longtime comrades brutally killed in Theo’s assault, and even worse, reanimated as undead without being able to rest in peace, awakened their latent potential.
...Thus, everyone in the control room exerted their utmost strength to prepare for the second phase of the operation.
The martial artists were also not idle.
“Ahhhhh!”
“Extract more magic!”
“There’s still 48 hours left until departure. You can pass out!”
The large-scale teleportation would consume all the stored mana stones and most of the energy sources they had diligently collected.
To ensure Avalon’s mana was sufficient for the subsequent battles, the martial artists took turns pouring everything they had into the power room.
They were all at the point of losing their dignity, crawling on the floor.
The former Sword Saint leaned against the wall with a pale face, and the Knights of the Dawn, unable to stand, sat down.
Even Cuculli, who boasted nearly infinite mana, eventually collapsed limply.
Meanwhile, the engineers, having already completed checks on the major facilities, focused on inspecting the ‘secret weapons.’
It was a project they had prepared for over three years.
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HELHEIM SCANS
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To prepare for the unpredictable battles in the demonic realm, the hero had ordered various measures in advance, and the engineers had executed them brilliantly.
These were the so-called last resorts.
The engineers were sweating profusely in a space prepared in the lowest level of Avalon.
...And overseeing all these proceedings, the hero watched from the captain’s quarters.
He was resting as everyone was fully dedicated to preparing for the battle.
There was no other choice.
If he tried to do something, the others would stop him at all costs.
“...”
The hero turned his head away from the screen and looked at the dimly lit captain’s room.
Someone, speaking in a strangely intriguing tone, spoke to him.
[How do you feel? Do you think you can win?]
‘It depends on the state in which he is summoned.’
[Hmm... so the key is time.]
The hero nodded.
In 48 hours, they would arrive at the 46th sector of the demonic realm, and the operation would be a race against time.
They needed to break through to the 50th sector before the demons sent west returned and before the Demon King could fully descend through the gathered demonic energy .
The observation team had estimated roughly 72 hours until all the demonic energy was sucked into the 50th sector.
[So, within 24 hours, you have to break through the 46th, 47th, 48th, and 49th sectors swarming with monsters and then capture the Demon King’s castle.]
‘That’s right.’
[It’s a tight schedule.]
‘I think we can manage up to that point.’
The problem lay beyond that.
As the hero absentmindedly stared at the white ring on his finger, he reached out and tugged at the necklace.
The combination of the two was the Peace of Gray.
Unlike Black Hope or White Despair, no power could be felt from this.
‘...Avoiding inevitable death.’
[Are you afraid of death too?]
The hero smiled bitterly.
‘It’s not welcome.’
The hero had a few advantages when facing powerful enemies, including the generals.
One was that the enemy did not know about his existence and abilities, and the other was that he could challenge them after several practice runs using the avatar data in the Iris of Laplace.
However, unfortunately, he could not utilize either of these advantages this time.
Thus, the hero had asked ???:
‘I would appreciate it if you could share your battle experience with the Demon King.’
Of course, he had witnessed them fighting in Zero’s memories, but he hadn’t seen it clearly because Zero had fled in a hurry.
All he knew was that the aftermath of the battle caused the ruined city to crumble into dust from the shock and noise.
[Hmm, how should I explain this?]
“...?”
[No, just give it up. As merely a fragment of the original, I can’t properly show you that experience, and even if I could, it wouldn’t help.]
This was an uncharacteristic attitude from someone who had been quite cooperative recently.
The hero immediately asked:
‘Why not?’
[What do you think the power of demons fundamentally derives from?]
The hero hesitated for a moment.
Even for a doppelganger who could comprehend and replicate all beings, demons were a challenging existence.
‘Because they can’t be replicated.’
Strangely, the doppelganger could only replicate beings from “this world.”
It couldn’t replicate Maktania, spirits, monsters, or demons.
There were special cases, like being able to use part of Enoch’s power, “Despair,” after consuming him in the imaginary world, but typically, demons were beyond the doppelganger’s reach.
This was likely the case for ??? as well.
[Yol’s death, Theo’s loss, Malekia’s pain, Enoch’s despair... they all have one commonality.]
‘...A commonality?’
[It’s simple. It’s the fear humans harbor... it’s fear. And fear is often described as the unfulfilled desire.]
The unfulfilled desire to continue living.
The unfulfilled desire to stop time from fleeting away.
The unfulfilled desire to maintain a state of peace and freedom from pain.
The unfulfilled desire to escape painful reality and achieve sweet dreams.
It was easy to understand.
As the hero nodded, ??? continued:
[The more universal the fear, the more powerful the demon possessing that power is. It’s difficult to resist.]
‘I know.’
But there are always exceptions.
Demons had been hunted down by those who overcame these universal fears.
[Now, what do you think the power of the Demon King, who stands above all these fears, might be?]
His supernatural body, extreme physical strength, and power made the other generals seem like child’s play.
What other unique power did he possess?
The hero’s eyebrows trembled slightly as he thought.
‘Don’t tell me...’
[That’s right. If that power manifests, you will meet the most miserable death, unable to resist. So there’s no need to accept my combat experience.]
??? spoke in a somber tone.
[What you need to focus on is ensuring that he descends to this world in a state where he can’t use that power. In other words, you must capture the Demon King’s castle within the given time. Only then can you conclude the battle with purely physical combat, without his conceptual powers interfering. Understood?]
...The hero slowly nodded.
‘Yes, that was the plan from the beginning.’
[Good, so don’t waste your energy on unnecessary things and focus on how to deal with him using your abilities. He’s a very tough opponent. Well, it might be easier than expected if your gathered forces reach the Demon King’s castle with you.]
??? finished with a cheerful voice.
However, the hero had one more question.
‘Wait a moment.’
[...Do you have another question?]
‘Did Ted and you fall victim to the Demon King’s power?’
??? was silent for a long time before answering.
[Ted Redymer, I’m not sure... But I...]
His voice turned somber.
[Yes, I was definitely a victim of that power.]
* * *
In the depths of the 50th sector of the demonic realm.
Tap-tap.
Tap-tap.
Footsteps and the sound of a staff striking the ground created a strange harmony.
Murky eyes watched the demonic energy being sucked into the 50th sector of the demonic realm.
The highly concentrated demonic energy writhed as if alive and seemed as sharp as a blade.
The demonic energy rushed toward the Demon King’s castle as if drawn by an invisible hand, then suddenly halted at the castle's massive gates.
Zztzztzztzzt—
And then, as if paying homage to the Demon King, the demonic energy laid low to the ground before quickly being sucked into the castle.
It was a pure evil energy wrung from countless souls.
Rumble—!
The castle itself seemed to tremble with delight, glowing with a dark red light.
Watching the endless procession of demonic energy , Theo murmured quietly and turned his head.
“It’s time to prepare for our guests.”
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HELHEIM SCANS
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