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Chapter 112: The Invasion of Evil (5)

Boom!

Ashetiar’s body could not withstand the force and burst apart, dissolving into darkness.

Ketal nodded.

“Definitely softer than Butler, that demon.”

“Huh, huh?”

Maximus looked at Ketal with widened eyes.

Like Ashetiar, he hadn’t noticed Ketal approaching.

It meant that Ketal had approached so quickly that they couldn’t sense it.

Ketal turned his gaze.

“Oh, Maximus. You were holding out?”

“Y-yeah.”

Maximus flinched reflexively.

Since being defeated by Ketal without doing anything, his body tensed up whenever he faced Ketal.

Ketal glanced around briefly before speaking.

“It seems you were being pushed back.”

“…There was no choice.”

Maximus defended himself.

It was then that Ketal noticed a woman trembling behind Maximus, clutching a child.

“…Aha.”

Ketal smiled as if he understood.

“You were protecting people.”

“Do you have a problem with that?”

Maximus spoke curtly.

Barbarians despise the weak.

They believe that the weak should be weeded out, and thus cannot understand the act of protecting them.

Maximus thought Ketal was mocking him.

But Ketal shook his head.

“No. It’s impressive. Risking your life to protect citizens. It’s truly the epitome of a knight.”

“R-really?”

Ketal’s voice held genuine praise.

Caught off guard by these unexpected words, Maximus was flustered.

Ketal murmured quietly.

“I’ve seen something good.”

“You!”

At that moment, Ashetiar rose.

She had regenerated a short distance away from Ketal, looking at him in astonishment.

“Barbarian! Why are you here?”

“Ashetiar!”

Ketal smiled broadly.

“Nice to see you again. How have you been?”

“W-what are you talking to me so friendly for? I’m a demon!”

She was a demon.

A being that tramples upon this world.

If they met again, she was someone he should despair at, not be glad to see.

But Ketal was truly glad.

The first demon he had ever encountered.

Since banishing her to hell, he had occasionally wondered how she was doing.

Meeting her like this, he couldn’t help but be glad.

“Reunions are always joyous. Even if it’s with a demon.”

Maximus looked at him like he was crazy.

“Madman!”

And Ashetiar spat out the same sentiment aloud.

She manifested darkness.

Spears of darkness rushed out to pierce Ketal.

The power of a demon that had destroyed countless buildings and half the capital.

Ketal easily waved his hand against it.

Crack.

The darkness shattered and broke.

The power that had pressured the truly superhuman Maximus was shattered by a casual gesture.

Ashetiar ground her teeth.

This barbarian was stronger than her.

He even had the upper hand in terms of compatibility, making it impossible for her to win.

“…You’re strong. Barbarian.”

But Ashetiar smiled.

“I admit it. I can’t beat you. But! It’s different with the other demon who has descended here!”

She shouted loudly.

“You can’t defeat him!”

The demon of severance, Butler.

His power severed all things.

The level of his power was higher than hers.

If she was a lower-ranked demon among those with names, Butler was at least mid-ranked.

There was a clear difference in strength.

“You are strong! But that strength relies on your physical body! It means nothing against Butler!”

Ketal couldn’t handle mysteries.

He couldn’t counter the power of severance.

Butler would finish dealing with the elve and come here.

Then Butler would easily kill Ketal.

There was nothing about Ketal in the prophecies.

It meant he was just a figure to be dealt with in due time.

Ashetiar laughed confidently.

And Ketal muttered as if puzzled.

“Butler, huh. That demon is stronger than you? It didn’t seem that way.”

“…What?”

Ashetiar hesitated.

Her eyes wavered.

Ketal’s words sounded like he had already met Butler.

“…You. Butler.”

“Come to think of it, both you and Butler are quite handsome and beautiful. I suppose it’s only natural for beings meant to seduce humans.”

“You, you!”

Ashetiar hurriedly raised her arms.

Darkness surged and poured out.

Ketal stepped forward, and the darkness clashing with his body shattered.

He charged ahead, crushing Ashetiar’s head.

Grabbing the now headless body, he slammed it into the ground.

“Whatever reason you had for descending here, you have failed.”

Gripping Ashetiar’s leg and swinging her around, Ketal spoke leisurely.

“So why not retreat quietly?”

“Kyahhh!”

Ashetiar screamed and reached out desperately.

She grabbed Ketal’s arm, and darkness erupted, wrapping around his captured arm.

Crunch.

A harsh sound echoed.

The darkness with physical force tried to turn Ketal’s arm into mush.

It was a power that could crush even steel in an instant.

“Oh.”

But it didn’t work.

“So, this is possible too.”

Ketal, with a curious look, lightly swung his hand.

The darkness surrounding his arm shattered just from that motion.

Crack.

Ashetiar’s chest was pierced.

“Eek!”

Though Ashetiar regenerated and swung her darkness again, it was ineffective.

Maximus watched the scene blankly.

A powerful demon with a great name, Ashetiar.

Though he was pushed back due to protecting the citizens, even without that, he couldn’t gain the upper hand.

And such a demon was being toyed with, like a plaything.

No matter how she tried to escape, all her attempts were blocked and shattered.

Eventually, Ashetiar was subdued by Ketal.

“Maximus.”

“W-what is it?”

Maximus hastily came to his senses.

“Could you handle the banishment of the demon? Sadly, I can’t do it.”

“Wait a moment.”

Maximus hurriedly drew his sword.

A thick aura began to envelop the blade.

Approaching, Maximus stabbed Ashetiar’s chest with the sword.

Her body slowly began to disappear from the world.

Ketal watched with interest.

“So, that’s how it’s done. Since it’s not territorial, even aura can banish it.”

“B-barbarian. You… you…”

Ashetiar muttered repeatedly.

Her eyes were filled with confusion.

“What… are you?”

“A mere human.”

Ketal replied lightly.

And Ashetiar was banished.

Both demons that had invaded the surface were sent back to hell.

Ketal stood up.

“Are you alright?”

“…I’m fine.”

“No more attacks?”

“Probably not.”

“Then it’s over.”

“Barbarian.”

Maximus’s expression as he looked at Ketal was filled with astonishment.

“Who… are you?”

“There’s something more pressing to attend to first.”

The demons had all been banished.

They had won.

But it wasn’t without damage.

Debris from buildings could be seen.

The corpses of soldiers were also visible.

Realizing this fact belatedly, Maximus bit his lip.

“…Indeed, now’s not the time to ponder over that. I should report to His Majesty.”

As Maximus was about to leave, he turned around.

After hesitating for a moment, he spoke.

“…Thank you, barbarian.”

Ketal smiled.

* * *

Two days after the invasion of demons.

Barbosa summoned Ketal.

Ketal had a private audience with the King of Denian in the audience chamber.

“You look exhausted.”

“Naturally.”

Barbosa, looking tired, rested his chin on his hand.

“I should have called you immediately, but it took some time to assess the damage.”

Barbosa stood up from the throne.

He descended the steps and faced Ketal.

Speaking with genuine courtesy, he said,

“I express my gratitude. Ketal, thanks to you, we were able to fend off the demon attack without severe losses.”

Strictly speaking, the losses weren’t insignificant.

A hundred soldiers had died, and dozens of knights had perished.

Garura, the shining star of the Denian Kingdom, who was expected to reach the superhuman realm someday, had also been brutally killed.

The capital was half-destroyed, and it would take considerable time and resources to rebuild it.

The damage was immense.

But the opponents were the problem.

The descent of two named demons.

It wouldn’t have been surprising if Denian’s royal castle had been destroyed.

Ending with this much damage was nothing short of a miracle.

And it was all thanks to Ketal.

The king owed him gratitude beyond measure.

Ketal spoke calmly,

“I only did what I had to do.”

“Thank you for seeing it that way,”

Barbosa replied, with a hint of relief, sitting back down on the throne.

He hadn’t called Ketal just to express gratitude.

The sudden descent of the demons, and Ketal’s confrontation with Butler alongside Arkamis, necessitated an exchange of information.

Remembering this, Barbosa looked at Ketal.

A named demon.

One deemed stronger than Ashetiar.

And Ketal had defeated such a demon alone.

‘…Just how strong is this barbarian?’

He wondered, unable to suppress the thought.

But that wasn’t the immediate concern.

Barbosa refocused and spoke with a serious expression.

“You said the demon Butler was targeting the elf?”

Ketal nodded.

“They needed her for their purposes.”

“I see. You and Arkamis drove Butler away.”

Ketal nodded again.

It was now clear.

The demons had descended upon the kingdom of Denian with a clear purpose.

Barbosa bit his lip.

“This is… a big problem. A very big problem.”

“Something unprecedented, I gather,”

Ketal remarked.

“Indeed. There have been instances of demons descending before, but they were all summoned by dark wizards without any clear purpose.”

If there was any purpose, it was simply to invade and corrupt the world, something as natural to demons as eating or breathing.

It couldn’t be called a true objective.

But this time was different.

Demons had suddenly descended upon the kingdom of Denian with a clear objective in mind.

It meant they were moving according to some grand design.

Barbosa sighed deeply.

“The Demon King… What in the world is happening?”

“The Demon King?”

Ketal’s eyes widened.

“Is this related to the Demon King?”

“Hmm? You don’t know?”

“The demon that descended mentioned someone, but they didn’t say it was the Demon King. So, Butler was referring to the Demon King.”

Barbosa was momentarily taken aback.

Ketal’s demeanor had changed rapidly, becoming more proactive.

His expression was tinged with a peculiar excitement.

‘…Is he happy about the mention of the Demon King?’

Barbosa dismissed the thought as absurd.

The Demon King.

The king of demons and the enemy of the world.

Just hearing that name was enough to make most people flinch.

Even a barbarian who loved combat wouldn’t target the Demon King.

He was a being synonymous with fear.

To be happy at hearing such a name.

That would just be madness.