Chapter 68 - Whose is the Bond of the Demon King (1)
Yafenon was trampled.
Yafenon's capital defense forces were helplessly defeated by the Demon King's army, which surged in like a tidal wave.
"Damn it, they're all, all dead!" "We're going to be next!" "Run!"
The startled citizens scattered here and there to escape the Demon King's army, but there was nowhere to run.
Most were killed, and most were captured.
It didn't take long for the capital to fall.
"My Demon King."
With the screams filling the surroundings as a backdrop, Geshkapo approached Clay and spoke.
"Once the cleanup is done, everything will be settled."
A victory beyond victory.
The territory of Yafenon had now fallen into Clay's hands.
"It's all thanks to you, my Demon King."
Geshkapo expressed his admiration.
"I apologize once again for my foolish disrespect towards you."
"That will do."
That was all in the past now. Clay looked around.
The burning city.
A scene no different from the place he was defeated by the former Demon King.
The wailing cries of the people seemed to be scolding him.
'Yes.'
But this was only a small part of what Clay would have to experience from now on.
'I'll get used to it.'
Clay didn't quite know what he was feeling right now. But one thing was clear: walking this path was the only thing that comforted him.
"Geshkapo."
"Yes."
"We are going back to the Demon Realm."
Geshkapo's eyes widened at the words of going back right after a victory had been won.
"My Demon King, shouldn't you stay in Yafenon for a little longer?"
"It's fine."
"But if you leave right away, we might not be able to incorporate Yafenon into our Demon Realm."
He had a point. Still, Clay shook his head.
"I have to leave."
"Yes? Why on earth…?"
"This place is about to be devastated."
While Yafenon was being crushed, Holy Krata did nothing. It wasn't because there was no practical benefit to saving Yafenon.
"Haven't you noticed yet?"
Clay pointed to the square filled with dead people.
"Look closely."
A huge pile of corpses. Geshkapo squinted, not understanding what was strange, and soon realized the situation.
"Surely…!"
"Yes."
So many people had died, yet there was very little blood.
"Something is absorbing the blood."
And that something was most likely a formation set up using the entire city as a medium.
"Emperor Lutan of Krata was involved in most of the construction when Yafenon moved its capital."
He had known this fact since his hero days, but at the time, he had only assumed it was just a matter of forcibly taking on a major construction project.
"He laid a trap in case Yafenon ended up like this."
Clay frowned at the pathological defense.
'He is trying to summon a 'Blood Eater' that requires a nation-level sacrifice to be called forth.'
It was a contingency plan to summon an ancient god whose summoning was difficult.
Clay let out a hollow laugh at Emperor Lutan's madness.
'But will he be able to make that blade point toward me?'
Whether this reckless act was a path to mutual destruction or a near-pristine scheme was something that would be seen over time.
"Geshkapo."
Of course, there was enough time to confirm whether what was happening now was according to his speculation. Clay decided to take what he could in the meantime.
"Tell the Demon King's army to collect as many of Yafenon's soldiers' weapons as they can."
Even with all the spells gone, it was hard to find things as suitable for spells as Yafenon's weapons. They were made solely to contain spells, after all.
"Bring the blacksmiths with you as well."
"Yes, understood."
Geshkapo bowed and immediately left to carry out the mission. Clay walked alone toward the throne room inside Yafenon's royal castle.
Thump.
Sitting on the throne with its overwhelming majesty, looking down on the assembly, Clay rested his arm on the armrest and muttered.
"So this is what it felt like."
When he visited Yafenon during his hero days, Uthor would always greet him in this manner.
"How trite."
Just as Clay unconsciously let out a sneer and was basking in the fading afterglow of victory.
"Hmm?"
A faint blue light appeared in his vision.
'What is it?'
He instinctively got up and walked toward where the blue light had been.
'Is that…?'
Seeing the blue light wandering around as if it were alive, Clay recalled the past. And he stomped on the ground and bent his knees.
BOOM!
Clay, who had instantly shot out from the ground, caught the blue light with his hand in a single motion.
"Kyaaak?!"
At that moment, what he heard from the blue light was undoubtedly a scream.
Part 2
Observer.
In this world, there were beings who lived while watching everything. They were called by this name.
Spirits.
Born from a natural object as a medium, they immediately gained an independent consciousness and did not interfere in the world's conflicts.
They only performed the task of observing and recording everything in the Akashic Record, a shapeless library.
It was almost a rule for them to not step forward and always retreat, but…
"Aaaahhhh!"
There were also some individuals who came out of curiosity.
"What's happeninggg!"
The spirit caught in his grasp was screaming frantically. Clay remembered that voice.
"Naiad?"
Stop.
Then, the spirit's scream stopped.
"...Clay?"
Hearing the bewildered murmur, Clay released his grip.
A blue light.
No, blue water.
On the water overflowing from his palm, a small female spirit with four wings appeared.
"Clay? Clay?!"
The spirit, Naiad, who had been tilting her head in question, finally seemed to confirm who was in front of her and shouted.
"Clay!"
She immediately climbed up Clay's forearm and spread her arms wide.
"I missed you~!"
Naiad wrapped her arms around Clay's cheeks.
Clay responded with a small groan. For him, this encounter was nothing but baffling.
'How did you come out again…?'
Naiad was the Queen of the Water Spirits.
When the former Demon King destroyed the 'Fountain of Eternity,' the sacred ground of the water spirits, the spirits had, in an unprecedented move, helped the hero's party.
Naturally, the ones who lent the most aid were the water spirits, who had suffered direct damage.
Naiad had even become a member of the hero's party, but she had returned to the spirit realm in the middle of the journey to restore the Fountain of Eternity, which was the source of their power.
The spirits had opposed their Queen taking such risks, so she had left, saying it would be almost impossible for her to come out again, and yet…
"Clay! Clay!"
Absurdly, he had just run into her like this.
'This is troublesome.'
Looking at Naiad, who kept rubbing her face against his, Clay lost his composure and his expression twisted.
The reason he had grabbed the blue light as soon as he saw it was to prevent the water spirit who had come out from relaying the current situation to Naiad.
It was a judgment that was close to instinct, as he had no intention of letting Naiad, who was completely unaware of what had happened to him, get swept up in this as well.
"Clay, huh?"
Naiad, who had been shouting Clay's name, seemed to have noticed something was off about the stiff Clay and raised her head.
"Clay?"
Only then did she scan Clay's changed appearance from top to bottom. Then her eyes went wide, and she spoke to Clay.
"What is this outfit?"
"…"
"Why are you wearing such dark clothes? I thought you hated drab things."
Then she raised her eyebrows.
"Did that bastard Lutan get another weird hobby? Making the hero wear clothes like this?"
"Naiad."
Clay finally managed to speak.
"How did you come out again?"
"Oh."
At that question, Naiad spoke as if she had just remembered something.
"The Fountain of Eternity has been restored. Now the spirits can be observers again, like before, so we're having a celebratory ceremony or something."
"A celebratory ceremony, huh?"
"Yeah, yeah. We also fixed the gate to the spirit realm that the Demon King tore open, and everyone wanted to invite the hero to the ceremony. Since we're going to run into the hero again once the spirits start their activities, it's a way to say let's keep getting along. Hehe."
Looking at Naiad, who was laughing foolishly, Clay held his breath slightly.
"Oh, that's right. But did you kill the Demon King? From what you were doing, it seems like the war should have ended and been over by now."
"That…"
"Ah. It's okay, you don't have to tell me. I can tell by that Holy Sword."
Naiad looked down at the demonic sword, Siltnaro, which Clay was holding in one hand.
"You said it would turn dark from the backlash of slaying the Demon King. It looks really dark now. Yep, yep."
Then, Naiad climbed down Clay's body and flew in front of Siltnaro, speaking again.
"Now that I think about it, the Holy Sword used to be so noisy. Did it go silent after you slew the Demon King? Knock, knock. Are you in there~?"
As Naiad knocked, Siltnaro, looking troubled, sent a small trickle of demonic energy to Clay. Clay gave a slight nod, meaning for it to play along.
"Are you in there~?!"
『I-I am.』
"Huh?"
Naiad tilted her head.
"Your voice sounds a little…"
『Changed.』
"Ah, I see."
Naiad easily accepted it.
"It's the aftereffects of slaying the Demon King. Come to our fountain later. We'll hold a purification ritual for you."
『…When I have time.』
"Phew."
Naiad turned her body back toward Clay's face.
"You've been through a lot, haven't you, Clay?"
"It's fine."
"Seeing how your tone has gotten so stiff, it seems like you really went through a lot. Did Lutan overwork you? That damn old geezer. I'll give him a piece of my mind someday."
Rambling on with nonsense was something she did both in the past and now. While Clay remained silent, she suddenly looked around.
"But this is weird, isn't it? I came out here because it was so noisy, but Uthor isn't here and no one else is either. Isn't this Yafenon's capital?"
"…"
"Clay. Where are the others?"
At Naiad's question, Clay fell silent. Seeing him, Naiad tilted her head.
"Clay?"
"Naiad, it would be best for you to go back."
Clay met Naiad's gaze.
"This is not a place for you to be sightseeing. Go back and focus on maintaining the spirit realm. Tell them to stop with the observer and record keeper duties and all that."
"Why are you being so scary?"
Naiad pouted.
"Is it because I haven't shown up for too long? I couldn't help it. I didn't want to go back either, but they told me to act like a queen."
"That's not it."
"If it's not that, then what is it?"
She made a strange expression.
"Did something happen? Now that I think about it, you came running over as soon as you saw me. Like someone who was really surprised."
Clay couldn't answer.
If it had been any other water spirit other than Naiad, he would have immediately silenced them.
But the one in front of him right now was none other than Naiad.
"Naiad, right now…"
CRASH!
At that moment, a noisy sound spread, and a Yafenon soldier covered in blood appeared.
"So you were here, Demon King…!"
Like an awl, that shout pierced through Clay and Naiad.