Chapter 120

Chapter 120
Chapter: 120

Chapter Title: The Star That Pierces Truth (5)

—

Demons were notoriously sly, possessing senses that rarely failed them. Still, those who had recently ascended to higher ranks often succumbed to vanity, leading to fatal errors.

This particular greater demon, however, proved to be an exception to that rule until his final moments.

Wooong…!
Clutching nothing but his dark robes, his living staff, and a few essentials, he utilized teleportation sorcery to vanish from the cavern instantly. Emerging onto a wooded trail, he activated acceleration magic and sprinted without a second’s pause. Rattle, rattle—the severed head of the high mage fixed to the top of his spine bobbed rhythmically like a macabre marionette.

“Gehhek, gehk…”

* Hoo, hoo…

The temptation to turn back and face that savage warrior had certainly crossed his mind.

In fact, even as he retreated at full speed, the urge continued to gnaw at him. That insignificant barbarian is no match for your new power. Is fleeing your only instinct after finally reaching this stage? His internal vanity screamed at him, mocking his caution.

Nevertheless, the demon stifled those voices and placed his faith in his gut feelings.

The pressure radiating from that barbarian was exceptionally perilous. Any being capable of shattering a magical barricade with a lone axe strike was a force to be respected. Furthermore, there was an ominous resemblance between him and that legendary berserker who had caused such havoc three centuries ago. Whether they were truly related or not, there was no benefit in taking such a massive gamble.

Ultimately, the demon’s instinct saved him—at least for a time.

The barbarian was, in reality, the same berserker from 300 years prior, the one who had once laid waste to the demonic planes. Regardless of how desperately the demon might have fought, he would have inevitably met his end by that heavy blade.

Additionally, the act of fashioning a high mage into a staff was a gamble of the highest order. With the Magic Tower so close, any detection by the senior mages or the Tower Lord would mean certain death for a demon. By choosing to run, he had effectively sidestepped an immediate catastrophe.

Rattle, clatter, rattle—

“Gehhek, gehhek…”

* Hooo…

Once he had put sufficient mileage between himself and the cave, the demon paused to steady his breathing. At this distance, even the most relentless hunter would find it difficult to overtake him.

As his adrenaline faded and logic returned, his belief in his decision grew even firmer. His plan was now simple: find a hidden lair, rebuild his operations, and begin the slow harvest of agony and sorrow once more. A thin, malicious grin spread across his face.

However… making the wise choice does not always guarantee a fortunate end.

The cruel hand of fate was currently pulling this intelligent demon toward a sudden and total annihilation.

Rumble, rrrumble…

Suddenly, a vibration reached him. The heavy, rhythmic thrumming of hooves echoed against the sky like a drum, accompanied by a distant, shimmering streak of light.

* …Hm?

In an instant, a sensation like a massive electrical discharge tore through his form, causing his very essence to shudder.

It was the terror of a mouse realizing a hawk is overhead, or a flickering flame seeing a tidal wave—his internal alarms were screaming in a panicked frenzy.

An ancient, primal dread from his previous life washed over him. Shaking with uncertainty, the demon snapped his head upward to identify the threat. In that moment, the multitude of eyes embedded in his skin caught the pale, cold reflection of approaching light.

And then—existence ceased.

💥 CRITICAL HIT! 💥
Kwaaaaang – !!!

A pillar of light descended from the heavens. A magnificent burst of pure radiance. The entire area was simply deleted.

The earth buckled and rolled like liquid. The surrounding trees were instantly scorched to charcoal before exploding into splinters, while the demon at the epicenter was vaporized so completely that not even ash remained. The mage’s skull he had been holding disintegrated into fine dust that drifted away on the wind.

It appeared as though divine judgment had taken the form of absolute physical destruction.

Kooohhh…

As the blinding glow subsided and the debris began to settle, a massive, crater-like hole was revealed in the earth.

Buried deep in the center of the smoking pit was a single, glowing spear. It required little imagination to realize this was the source of the devastation. A majestic, winged stallion made of pure light descended from the sky, landing softly near the weapon.

* Hwoong…

Seated upon the creature was a warrior wreathed in white, spectral flames that acted like a flowing mantle. He dismounted with practiced ease.

“……”

The holy knight pulled his sacred weapon, ‘Lucaon’s Meteor,’ from the dirt—the tool of his “modest” display of power—and turned his quiet gaze toward the edge of the forest.

“Hahk, hahk, hahk… P-please, just a second, a bit slower, hahk… can’t we reduce the pace, my lord?!”

“……”

Despite the desperate cries from Duncan, Kadim didn’t decrease his speed in the slightest.

The creature had even resorted to short-range teleportation magic. For a newly ascended greater demon to choose flight over a fight was rare… this beast was exceptionally cunning. He had to terminate it before it vanished for good.

He had cleared the cave in a heartbeat and was now eating up the forest trail. Fortunately, the ground still held the faint, oily residue of demonic mana. The demon had attempted to mask its path, but it couldn’t bypass the refined senses of a barbarian. Kadim followed the scent like a guided projectile.

“Hahk, hahk, m-my lord! Hahk, my loooord…”

As the merchant’s voice grew increasingly distant, Kadim ignored the exhaustion of his companion and pressed on.

But just as he was closing in on the source of the scent—

Thud – !
Kadim dug his heels into the dirt, coming to a sudden, grinding halt.

“……”

Something… was fundamentally wrong.

The trail of demonic energy had been cut off with surgical precision. It was as if the demon had simply been erased from the world. It couldn’t have been another teleportation; a fresh greater demon lacked the mana pool to chain such high-level spells so quickly.

Furthermore, a suffocating pressure was radiating from just ahead.

This wasn’t the aura of a mere demon. Something far more potent was waiting. It was a sensation he recognized. As he struggled to place where he had encountered this feeling before…

A deep, visceral chill crawled over his skin.

This was a memory stored not in his mind, but in his scarred muscles and mended bones. Though a lifetime had passed, the feeling returned with the vividness of a fresh wound. The harder he tried to suppress the memory, the more it bit into his mind—a lingering trauma.

‘Eek, hwik, heeeek…’

He saw the image of the young mage, her throat ruined so she could no longer weave spells.

‘Ka, Kadim… Please, run away from here…’

The image of the tribal shaman, his skin peeling away like parchment in a fire.

‘Not enough…! This isn’t enough…! Scream louder…! The Lord of Light finds beauty in your pain…!’

And those eyes, burning with a terrifying, holy madness.

Grisly memories surged forward like a breaking levee. But he couldn’t afford a distraction. He forced his mind back to the present. The voice of the merchant, who had finally managed to catch up, panted in his ear.

“Hahk, hahk, m-my lord… Hahk, why stop? Hahk, is there something…?”

“Go, Duncan. Move as fast as you can in the opposite direction.”

“What? Why so sudden—hwehk!”

Kadim grabbed Duncan by his collar and threw him back down the path. After rolling through the dirt, Duncan saw the lethal intensity in the warrior’s eyes and decided that fleeing was better than asking questions.

By now, they had detected him as well. The presence was closing in rapidly. Facing this without a weapon was a death sentence. Without a moment’s delay, Kadim gripped his obsidian-colored axe and began the invocation.

“[God of Struggle and Wilderness, Atala. Cast your gaze upon your champion, ignite the signal fire to guide me to the fray, and bestow the might to crush the tainted…] ”
⟨ Judgment of Atala ⟩

Whoooosh…

A golden-yellow vortex swirled around his frame, a rush of divine strength heightening every nerve and fiber. The eyes of the great warrior, now burning with the essence of the war god, shone like beacons. The rising tide of battle fury drowned out his lingering anxiety.

A moment later, the adversary arrived.

* Hwoong! Hwoong, hwoong…

A holy knight riding a mount of shimmering light, draped in ivory flames.

A radiant golden decagram was etched onto his flawless chestplate. Though a visor obscured his face, his eyes—shifting like light through a prism—were unmistakable. Held in his armored hands was a lance that left a trail of light like a falling star.

Arch Paladin.

There was no mistake. This wasn’t some novice with expensive gear; this was a genuine Arch Paladin, the same caliber of foe that had ended his first life.

The knight’s shimmering gaze locked onto Kadim. A muffled, resonant voice spoke from behind the metal.

“Hm, I was concerned about tracking you without a visual, but it seems I worried for nothing. Your physical presence and aura are quite impossible to miss…”

“……”

“In any case, it is an honor. I am a representative of the Elga Church—”

Kadim dismissed the words and lunged forward in silence.

Shing—clang!
His axe, fueled by pure lethal intent, swung in a wide arc meant to cleave through both the rider and the beast.

* Hiiiing!

Though the spectral horse lacked a physical body, an axe imbued with divine power could cut even the ethereal. The glowing form of the steed was split in two, dissolving into sparkling dust. The knight, forced to his feet, let out a sharp breath of surprise but managed to bring his spear shaft up just in time to block the following strike.

Radiant sparks collided with a tempest of yellow sand.

Ching—clang!!
Against the massive war axe, the slender spear looked like it should have snapped. However, its strength was deceptive. A heavy, bone-jarring vibration traveled up Kadim’s arms upon impact. He shook off the numbness and leaped back.

The knight took the opportunity to find his footing. Kadim channeled more power into his grip and struck again. Closing the gap in a flash, he delivered a crushing diagonal blow from three paces away.

Hoo—woong!
At that precise moment, the spear, charged with holy energy, thrust forward like a bolt of lightning.

A localized detonation occurred where the spearhead met the axe blade.

Kwa—bang!
The resulting shockwave forced the axe back, and Kadim’s momentum was broken. But as he was being pushed away, he spotted a flaw in the knight’s defense and delivered a powerful kick toward the underside of the helmet.

Thwack—!
The knight’s head snapped back violently before returning to center. Grabbing his jaw, the knight let out a pained grunt.

“Khm, quite the kick…”

It was a direct hit, yet the knight seemed largely unfazed. Kadim’s jaw tightened. He realized the knight had been intentionally suppressing the explosive power of his spear.

“……”

Behind the knight, the landscape was a charred ruin from his previous attack.

Kadim spat on the ground, his voice dripping with bitterness.

“That destruction back there—was that your doing?”

“……It was. I caught sight of the demon while traveling and acted quickly. I ensured there were no innocents in the vicinity first…”

“Then why hold back now? If you don’t fight with everything you have, you’re going to die.”

“That is… No, please, lower the weapon for a moment and let us speak—”

Kadim had zero interest in conversation.

Kwa—bang!
He shattered the ground beneath him and threw himself forward, initiating a relentless storm of strikes. He didn’t care about the knight’s motives; he refused to be caught off guard. His first life had taught him a permanent lesson: showing mercy to an Arch Paladin was a death sentence.

Hoo—woong, bang! Hoo—woong! Shwee—ack!
The knight was forced to stop talking and focus entirely on survival. White trails of light and golden dust blurred together as they traded blows. Kadim’s aggression was so overwhelming that the knight eventually had to funnel more divine mana into his spear, causing the explosions to grow in intensity.

That shift alone changed the momentum of the fight.

Kwa—bang! Kwa—bang! Kwararara—!
Bursts of holy energy erupted with every clash, knocking the axe off its trajectory.

Kadim bit his lip. It was as he feared; the Arch Paladin had been pulling his punches. Even these larger blasts weren’t altering the terrain, which meant he was still holding back his true potential.

If the knight decided to release his full power in the middle of a trade, it would be over. Kadim would be caught in the blast before he could pivot, taking a mortal wound.

‘Judgment of Atala’ wasn’t going to be enough. To take down an Arch Paladin, he needed more. The tattoos of the Hydra or the bark-demon wouldn’t bridge the gap; he needed to tap into the strength he possessed at the end of his first journey…

Just as Kadim prepared to trigger the tattoo of Pebylatus—

The knight did something entirely unexpected.

Clang, clank—
“I give up. This unnecessary violence has gone on long enough.”

The Arch Paladin dropped his spear and reached up to pull off his helmet.

He even doused the holy flames that had been shielding his body. With the light gone, his true face was visible: a middle-aged man with sweat-soaked gray hair, a thick mustache, and a face mapped with scars and deep lines.

A heavy, tense silence settled over the path. Kadim stared, unable to process the absurdity of the situation. He remained silent, his eyes narrowed like a predator waiting for a trap.

As the silence stretched, the knight raised his open hands in a gesture of peace.

“There is no trick. No reinforcements are waiting in ambush. Please, put your axe away. I did not travel here to engage you in combat.”

Kadim, however, wasn’t about to take his word for it.

He snatched a throwing axe from his belt and hurled it with the force of a thunderclap.

Whirrrrr, thunk—crack!
The steel blade buried itself directly in the center of the man’s scarred forehead. The handle of the axe vibrated from the impact; a single drop of blood began to roll down the bridge of his nose.

The knight didn’t flinch. He simply reached up, pulled the axe out with a wet thud, and sighed.

“Mm, that actually hurt…”

“……”

“I would prefer you didn’t do that again. My face is already ruined—my younger students start crying whenever they look at me.”

“……Ha.”

Kadim let out a short, disbelieving laugh.