Demon King

‘It’s dangerous.’ It thought it would be as simple as the evolution from Belkena to Belkena Predator, but that was a mistake. The changes that were taking place with me weren’t about to end with just adding one more name to my race. If the evolution ended quickly, you would be able to use that against an enemy. But when it was happening slowly like now, it would just expose your weaknesses. The reaction of the elves and Reraje, who were floating in the air, was intense.

[I have to kill him now!]

The previous arrow fired off was blown away by the mana of Jinma that Solas and I were emanating during our evolution, but the second arrow was able to pierce through it to stick into my shoulder. The evolution continued without heeding it.

[We’ve arrived.]

[We can’t hold on.]

[Don’t let him break free of his bonds!]

Three more angels appeared, pure-white wings extending out from their backs. It appeared that they had decided to kill me today, appearing all at once on the battlefield. Instead of going after me, however, they went after Rain, who was still binding the dragon.

‘That must be the demon who secured them passage to the underground.’ It wasn’t the time to be considering that, however. A let the shield drop, jumping up into the air to intercept the demons.

“Their names!”

“Raum, Balaam, Purkas!” I barely forced the names out while my skin, muscles, and bone were torn asunder. Just as with Barbatos and Reraje, their white wings became tattered and dirty. Rain let out a laugh at the sight.

“Please, break your ugly wings!”

[You…! The Devil won’t forgive you!]

“Don’t put that name in your mouth!” A collided with one of them, crushing their arm without a trace with the mana surrounding him.

[Ahhhhhh!]

[This damn power…!]

They exchanged blows with A, but he wasn’t fazed. His power and skill were enough to manage all three of them at once. If he had been going all out from the beginning, everything would’ve gone a lot better. However, the fort was no longer protected now that he was on the frontlines. The fortress was like my true body on this night, so we would all be slaughtered if it collapsed.

“Quickly!” A shouted in annoyance while holding back the angels. I tried to speed along the changes that were taking place inside of me, mana pulsing around my heart.

[Your life shall end here!]

An arrow hit me dead in the forehead; my head split in half, centered on the arrow.

[Have you done it?!]

Having been frightened by Barbatos’s death, Reraje wouldn’t approach me properly and stuck to firing arrows from a distance. I couldn’t help but laugh at such a funny sight. As he tried to confirm if I was dead, the battlefield below me began to warp. A memory hidden inside me was imposing itself on my vision, revealing to me a castle much larger and more beautiful than the one I was currently guarding. It shone dimly under the black moonlight, and I was facing a handsome man on the balcony of the very top floor.

[Is today the last one we’ll face each other?]

[Stop talking like we were close.]

[Hahaha, you’re still cute.]

[Disgusting.]

The man spoke to me with his hands wide open toward the moon.

[But we share purposes now! We are comrades. Comrades.]

[I can hardly consider you a comrade.]

[Don’t worry. There is no man as trustworthy as me.]

[Do I have to call your name and prove your lie?]

The man turned his head towards me. He was smiling brightly, but a fire burned in his eyes.

[This is an unfunny joke for you. You must’ve wanted to get me out.]

[I don’t want to be disturbed in my last night. Leave the moon and get out.]

[Ha.]

Twelve brilliant wings rose out from his back, so dazzling that didn’t fit the underground.

[I always thought it funny how you always looked up—stuck at the edge of the underground, always desiring more. I’m different. There’s nothing above me, so I’m forced to look down.]

[Go away.]

[It starts now. I look forward to seeing you again. For now, I’ll take my bride.]

The man vanished from sight. I clicked my tongue and turned around. A vague shape stood before me. It was formless, but I knew that it was me. It couldn’t be anyone other than me. Slowly, my lips twisted, and I began to laugh.

“…Hoo!” I unconsciously reached out my arms, my consciousness restored with a violent start. My body was torn apart as pain wracked inside me. I let go of my destroyed parts, letting my mana reconstitute my body.

[Belkatina]

[The Belkatina is the race reached by an evolved Belkena. A Belkena’s evolution is based on their individuality and potential, so no individual can be said to be the same.]

[It’s up to you whether you can relive your past glory.]

[Fate]

[Belkatina Lv60]

[New Magic – 596, Soul Magic – 712, Luck – ?????]

[Skills – Predation Lv5, Reaper Lv5, Lunatic Trickster Lv6, Ubiquitous Lv7, Dominance Lv5, Blackmine Lv6, Magic Lv1, Flame of Destruction Lv4]

The situation was urgent, so I had to quickly go through the status window to grasp what changed. Almost all of my skills had risen, but the most striking thing was magic. Belkena Spell changed into just a skill called Magic. It didn’t feel like it had weakened, however. Instead, it felt like that simple word had countless possibilities for me to reach for.

[No.]

[Damn, he’s regained his ability…]

I stepped through the air as fragments of my body fell off. They were nothing more than trash now. My new body, which couldn’t be recovered through Predation, soon burned white and disappeared. Solas went through a similar metamorphosis as he remained in the air.

[How did you survive?]

“I ate Barbatos. I didn’t get his power, but now I’m strong enough to withstand your attack.” No doubt, if I ate Reraje, who had a corresponding power, I would acquire it. He could sense that, and he stepped back instinctively. But it was already too late.

[Khhhh!]

I rushed to him in an instant. Ubiquitous now felt as natural as breathing. Reraje tried to use a similar ability to flee, but he was being attacked by both Solas and me now. A spider web from behind him tied him up.

[No…!]

The moment he was captured, he tried to exert a strange power. But I was already used to it. I used Predation to swallow up the strange mana blooming around him. The mana was alien to my own and tormented me from inside my body, but I was able to withstand it.

[This is no time to be held by a devil who lost his power! Help me!]

[If you’re going to say that, then deal with it and help me!]

[Ahh, why doesn’t he appear?! The precious power of the Devil…!]

“I told you not to speak that name!” A raised up even more mana in anger. ‘Have you been hiding your power?’ I didn’t think it was possible for him to get any stronger, but there it was. The increase in power from my evolution hadn’t affected only Solas and me. The fortress was also chained, and as a result, all entities connected to it and I were becoming stronger.

[Don’t get excited and focus! The fort is under attack!]

L, who felt no sense of crisis even from the beginning, let out a sharp, clear voice. She spread out her magic to attack the demons and monsters charging the fortress, and the dwarves waiting inside prepared themselves.

[I won’t die…I’ll destroy you…!]

“Thank you for this meal.” Solas imbued the spider web with the flames of destruction as I pressed Annihilation up to his neck. I would devour him whole.

[You have gained 491,039 experience.]

[You have received 310,283 gold.]

[You received Courtship of Death.]

[Level up!]

[New Magic increased by 17.]

[Soul Magic increased by 14.]

[You have acquired the Causal Control skill.]

I acquired a skill with a grandiose name, but I didn’t let it fool me. I didn’t know how to handle it yet, but I knew that developing Ubiquitous allowed me to do similar things. From that, I had a rough grasp of what it could do, but I had to be careful with it. It could let me avoid attacks that couldn’t be avoided or hit with attacks that couldn’t hit. It was the ability to alter cause and effect. No doubt, it had also helped them in reaching the underground. I moved towards the angels harrying Rain, stabbing through one with my dagger.

[You have gained 281,283 experience.]

[You have received 119,283 gold.]

[Level up!]

The other two stopped, forgetting their offensive against A. I couldn’t help but laugh. Before tonight had arrived, I could barely compete with them one-on-one, but now the idea of fighting two at once sounded easy.

[Stronger than Barbatos…!]

Only

[He was right!]

“Have you been restored a bit to your original form?” A greeted me coldly and looked down, seeing how L was struggling against the demons alone. He clicked his tongue and flew straight down towards the wall.

[Damn, we still have the strength…!]

[No…]

I moved towards them. Devil’s Night wouldn’t last forever, so I couldn’t be dragging my feet against these small fries.

“Now…” I pointed my dagger at them.

“Thank you for this meal.”