Chapter 50 - Geshkafo (2)
"Is that the place?"
Guided by Flame, Geshkafo arrived at a spot where Barungenia was visible.
He split his lips wide in a grin.
"I hope it's not boring."
After Kopetal became one of the Four Heavenly Kings, Geshkafo and the demons in his territory could no longer rampage with brute force as they once did.
This was because Kopetal, despite living in a savage domain, wasn't fond of savage behavior.
While it was true he became a Heavenly King through superior strength, he was more like a knight than a warrior.
Geshkafo was utterly displeased by that.
'Kopetal, I won't forget you.'
But in return, Kopetal recognized Geshkafo's talent.
He had marked Geshkafo as the one to succeed him.
He didn't provide any specific reasons, only saying he had enough power.
'You recognized me, after all.'
Still, that was enough.
Geshkafo had no intention of tarnishing his honor.
'Watch closely, Kopetal. I will reach an even higher place.'
During that time, he continuously trained and refined himself.
He didn't scheme.
He simply ran every day, fought every day, and survived every day.
That was him, Geshkafo.
"Huh?"
Geshkafo, having approached to within sight of Barungenia, met eyes with the Eyes of Barungenia atop the spires.
"What are those?"
Geshkafo, who had never been to Barungenia before, had no idea.
WOOOOSH.
Suddenly, the eyes focused on him and vibrated.
"!"
Geshkafo's body was pressed downwards.
It felt as if gravity had intensified severalfold.
"Ugh, kk, kkkk."
Geshkafo, who had collapsed and put his hands on the ground, groaned in pain but couldn't stop laughing.
"Do you think you can stop me with such a paltry trick?"
CRUNCH!
Geshkafo, stomping the ground as he rose, slowly took a heavy step and grabbed a large rock.
"KRAAAHHH!"
And immediately threw it.
Towards one of the three eyes.
WHOOSH!
It was an instinctive action.
Since the eyes' power only affected his body, the thrown rock didn't fall but maintained its intended parabolic trajectory.
But that wasn't what he was aiming for.
FWOOSH!
Even if it wasn't what he aimed for, the rock rapidly gained speed as it fell, eventually directly hitting one of the eyes.
KABOOOOM!
With a tremendous boom, the eye spun away.
"Ah."
The pressure lessened somewhat.
Geshkafo immediately hurled two more rocks in succession.
The rocks fell onto the remaining two eyes, respectively.
『Intruder!』
『Eliminate him!』
Meanwhile, dozens of gargoyles, appearing to be Barungenia's guardians, flew towards him.
"Gargoyles, huh."
Geshkafo hunched his body.
BOOM!
Geshkafo, pushing off the ground, sprang up and quickly reached high into the air.
『KA-ACK?!』
Geshkafo, who had caught one of the gargoyle's legs, let out a loud shout.
"Come on, you flying insects!"
As the provoked gargoyles approached, Geshkafo pulled his arm back and delivered a powerful punch.
CRACK!
The shockwave created in the air caused the gargoyles to lose their direction and flounder.
"Kuhahaha! Huh?"
But one of them regained its flight path and flew towards him in an instant.
GRAB.
The gargoyle grabbed him and began falling towards the ground.
『Goel!』
『He's too much for one!』
The name called by the fellow gargoyles was Goel.
Geshkafo stretched his arm out to Goel, who had grabbed him with his foot.
"Let's see who wins, shall we?"
Geshkafo also grabbed Goel.
Now, the two were inseparable.
Bound to each other, they fell to the ground.
KABOOOOM!
A hole formed in the ground, and debris exploded outwards.
『KA-ACK!』
『KYAAAAAH!』
The surrounding gargoyles shrieked as they were enveloped by the spreading dust cloud.
『Goel is...』
As the gargoyles murmured, someone burst out of the dust cloud.
"Disappointed?"
It was none other than Geshkafo.
Soon, the aftermath settled, and Goel was found embedded in the hole.
『KYAAAAH!』
Geshkafo only nodded, looking at the other gargoyles who were expressing their rage.
"Is this all there is?"
Geshkafo was slightly disappointed that Barungenia's defensive power was so meager, even if it wasn't the new Demon King himself.
'Perhaps it was just a baseless rumor.'
It wasn't uncommon for bards to spread exaggerated tales.
The Hero was certainly executed.
The possibility of him returning alive was low.
'Perhaps someone is playing a trick.'
But if so, Geshkafo couldn't understand why Beatrice was nearby.
Whatever else was true, Beatrice was undeniably strong.
'Something is definitely being hidden.'
Something within Barungenia.
It was inexplicable why Beatrice would leave Barungenia with such meager defensive forces, but that was something he could go in and check himself.
'Good. I'll confirm it with my own eyes...'
It was then.
He stopped his steps.
SHIIIISH.
An eerie sensation brushed against his skin.
'What was that?'
He looked down at his body.
Goosebumps had risen.
Something instinctive had pierced his nerves.
"!"
As he turned his gaze forward again, Geshkafo saw something.
A man in black clothes, exuding an aura like that of a grim reaper, stood before Barungenia's main gate.
"Impossible...!"
Geshkafo's eyes widened, and he immediately recognized who it was.
The legendary hero of humanity who had driven the previous Demon King to the brink.
The Hero.
'Who is it?'
Geshkafo's eyeballs quickly darted around.
'Who is controlling him?'
Obtaining the Hero's corpse was certainly an incredible feat.
Moreover, if someone was controlling that corpse, they could not be an ordinary person.
Geshkafo kept turning his head, searching for the hidden entity rather than the controlled corpse.
But,
STEP.
For some reason,
STEP.
Every time the man took a step, Geshkafo felt his body flinch and tremble continuously.
'What is it?'
Was he doing something more than just reanimating a corpse?
Geshkafo let out a hollow laugh and walked towards the man again.
"Whatever it is, I'll just smash it."
There was no reason for him to be afraid of someone hiding in the castle with such a flimsy defense.
And so, Geshkafo continued to walk and stood before the man.
"Impressive. It truly looks alive..."
"Not bad."
Cutting off Geshkafo's words, the man spoke.
"It will be useful."
Flame landed on the man's outstretched hand as he spoke.
"Since Beatrice sent you, you must be one of the candidates, but which one?"
Geshkafo tilted his head at the man's question.
"What did you say?"
"Did I allow you to talk back?"
Geshkafo gritted his teeth at the man's words, spoken without even looking at him.
"You bastard...!"
CRASH!
His downward punch struck the man.
"!"
No, not the man.
The ground.
"You're from Kopetal's domain."
At the voice from behind him, Geshkafo hastily turned and punched again.
SWISH!
It missed again.
Before he could even track where he disappeared, Geshkafo instinctively swung his fist again.
After several more swings, he stopped punching.
"What!"
More accurately, he was stopped.
"Just a brute who relies solely on strength."
Someone who looked like a young girl stood beneath his fist.
And his fist was blocked by a wave emanating from the girl.
"Who are you?"
"Me?"
The girl replied expressionlessly.
"Athanasia."
KABOOM!
Multiple layers of waves pushed Geshkafo, pressing him against the gorge wall.
"K-KRAAAAAAAAHHHHH!"
Geshkafo screamed like a beast, his eyes rolling back.
Soon, Geshkafo, with only the whites of his eyes showing, slumped down.
THUD.
The waves that Athanasia had emitted disappeared.
"He seems a bit too unrefined to be an immediate fighting force."
"Athanasia."
The man, Clay, looked at her and said.
"You came forward faster than I expected."
"Hm."
Athanasia glanced away, as if reading the situation.
"We're allies anyway, and I need to find a way to survive quickly too."
"Indeed."
Clay replied calmly and asked.
"Seeing that you still have so much power left, it seems many people still worship you."
"Are you kidding?"
Athanasia let out a bitter laugh.
"It feels like we're being worshipped half and half. They're not brainwashed, but they were accustomed to believing in me. Things ingrained in the body don't easily disappear."
"..."
"Anyway, just think of it as me doing something."
Turning his gaze from Athanasia, Clay looked towards the fallen Geshkafo.
Rin and Golche had emerged and were standing there.
"His body is big, but his power to maintain consciousness is weak."
"Fixing minds is my specialty."
"Don't even think about breaking bones first! I'll be stabilizing his mental fortitude first!"
"Will your ability be enough? My skills will be needed."
"What?!"
Clay let out a slight hollow laugh, watching the two bicker.
'Did he laugh?'
Athanasia, who witnessed it, swallowed dryly and observed him intently, but then the expression disappeared and wasn't visible.
'It might have been my imagination.'
Athanasia dismissed the doubt.
He was someone closer to a being devoid of humanity, filled with malice.
♧
"Yelena, Nael."
Meanwhile, in Iser, Tia had summoned Yelena and Nael and was speaking.
"Please listen carefully to what I am about to tell you."
Tia wore a resolute expression.
"We will wage war against the Holy State Alliance."
It was a shocking declaration, but Yelena showed no reaction.
Leaving the half-lost Yelena aside, Tia looked at Nael.
Nael pondered for a moment, then finally spoke.
"We'll lose."
The Holy State Alliance was a dominant power that had conquered the continent.
There was no way she didn't know that they were a force difficult to defeat with just a few heroes.
"Even so..."
Nael met Tia's gaze.
"We can achieve a mutual annihilation."
What Nael had witnessed was more horrific than her own death.
Even if he died bearing dishonor, Clay was the Hero.
To Nael, Clay was remembered in that form of the Hero.
Until he resurrected and made a different choice.
"Do it."
After seeing that, Nael's sanity was no longer the same.
Something had snapped.
And in addition to the guilt of letting him die, she gained the sin of 'making him that way'.
Afterward, Nael decided not to make judgments anymore.
Whether Clay was a Demon King's pawn or not, it didn't matter now.
Nael just wanted to do something about this feeling.
The easiest way was to find a dumping ground for her emotions.
"I will participate."
That was her answer.
"Yes."
Tia's eyes shimmered with a strange light, looking at Yelena, who didn't need to answer, and Nael, who had just made her choice.
"Everyone will be judged."
Including themselves.