Chapter 100

At the far edge of the vast universe, a black hole connecting to the outer universe was opening beyond the distant darkness.

[A new Gate has appeared!]

[All forces! Prepare for an enemy attack!]

RUMBLE!

At the Rulers’ command, the heavenly soldiers spread their brilliant wings in unison. The radiant energy they emitted clashed with the energy of the Outer Gods pouring out of the black hole.

And at the heart of that fierce battlefield...

“... Am I imagining things? I thought someone called me.”

A man draped in black energy like a curtain—Sung Jinwoo suddenly frowned and turned his head.

[Could it be Beru?]

Army Commander Bellion, who had been straightening the battle lines, appeared abruptly and answered him.

Jinwoo’s brow furrowed at the thought of Beru.

“Now that you mention it, that Beru really...”

He had told him to return quickly, yet there was still no word from him. Where on earth was he slacking off? Had he even properly done what he was told?

[My liege, if something has happened to Beru, then the Young Monarch might also...]

“That won’t be it.”

Jinwoo shook his head firmly at Bellion’s concern.

“I would have noticed immediately.”

If anything happened to a shadow soldier, Jinwoo would know at once. But so far, he had sensed no such signs from Beru. He might have suffered some injuries fighting the remnants of the Itarim’s forces on the way to Earth, but opponents like those could never put Beru in danger of annihilation.

Besides, didn’t Beru have a special ability that the other shadow soldiers lacked?

Gluttony.

Beru was, by nature, an insect-type magic beast with exceptional survival abilities—a shadow soldier who could replenish his own power no matter how far he was from his Monarch.

[If I may...]

Just then, Army Commander Igris appeared beside Jinwoo and spoke. He was always bickering with Beru, but that was precisely why he knew him so well.

[However much of a stupid insect Beru may be, he’s had more than enough time to finish his mission by now. What we should really be worried about is...]

[The possibility that he’s settled down on Earth.]

Thinking of Beru, Bellion and Igris looked at each other and sighed in unison. Even within the shadow army, Beru was notorious for being the most shamelessly doting and overprotective of them all. Once Suho’s sealed memories were restored, he would recognize Beru immediately. Having waited so desperately for that moment, Beru was very likely to simply stay on Earth.

He was more than capable of letting his excessive loyalty run wild, insisting that no one but he could protect the Young Monarch. And that was also part of his instinct as an ant.

‘... Well, that might not be such a bad thing. I did take that into account when I sent him.’

Jinwoo chuckled, took his eyes off the direction of Earth, and glared ahead once more.

This evenly matched struggle had already dragged on for years.

‘This isn’t going to end easily.’

Looking back, even the long, grueling battle against the Dragon Emperor had been easier. That had simply been a clash of strength against strength. But the war against the Itarim was entirely different.

The Itarim delighted in creation and destruction. The apostles they created challenged him each time with bizarre forms and unconventional strategies, continually producing unpredictable situations.

This was a battle of strategy and tactics, not a clash of brute strength. What mattered most in facing them was the ability to assess each situation as it unfolded.

‘So... I’m leaving it to you.’

Jinwoo’s eyes flashed.

Suho, with his seal lifted, and Army Commander Beru, who had transcended his former standing to reach Marshal Grade. Together, those two could surely be trusted to hold the rear.

After all, the Itarim would also find it a considerable burden to pull any particularly powerful fighters from the front and send them on the long, roundabout journey to Earth. Doing so would immediately upset the delicate balance here. In other words, those targeting Earth would only be small fry among the Itarim’s apostles.

But...there was one concern.

‘The truth is, the balance has already been broken.’

And his side had broken it first. The moment he sent Army Commander Beru, one of the pillars of the front line, to Earth, the Itarim had gained the leeway to send someone of Beru’s caliber there as well.

‘Ultimately, the question is when the Itarim will notice.’

The moment they did, they would undoubtedly send an apostle with power comparable to Beru’s to Earth.

Of course, Beru could simply deal with such an enemy himself. But what if, by some chance, he wasn’t in his usual condition?

... That could lead to a rather troublesome situation.

Still, knowing their rear had been breached, he couldn’t have chosen not to send Beru. If he had done nothing, Earth would certainly have been destroyed, sooner or later.

‘... So, Suho.’

Thinking of his only son, who would be struggling alone on Earth, Jinwoo spoke.

“You have to do it.”

Grow stronger.

My son.

* * *

“Arise.”

The moment Suho’s solemn command rang out, Beru remembered the majesty of his great king, Sung Jinwoo, the Shadow Monarch. He remembered the magnificent requiem raised by the shadow army that blanketed the vast, distant universe.

That immortal army, with Beru himself at its core, consisted of invincible warriors who had transcended even death—envoys of hell who would burn their very souls to complete a mission at their liege’s command.

... But the army Suho led—no, the number of soldiers he had—amounted to just one.

Quay, and Quay alone.

As luck would have it, the one-day shadow mercenaries had long since returned to nothingness.

[Ooooh! My Master calls me!]

At Suho’s command, Quay was just rising resolutely from the shadows.

Seeing him, Beru suddenly realized what was happening and shouted at Suho.

[You mustn’t, Young Monarch! If you use your power now...!]

He had to stop him immediately! Their opponent was an apostle of the Itarim. If Suho summoned a shadow soldier now, the apostle would discover his identity!

[You will only expose your identity...! Kieek?]

But before Beru could finish, something unexpected happened.

“Rise up, Quay.”

GRAB!

Suho suddenly seized Quay as he rose from the shadows and pulled him straight out.

At that moment—

[If that is my Master’s command!]

Quay’s body stretched upward with Suho’s hand.

SHWAAASH!

It looked just like...a spear.

WHOOSH!

Quay’s body had already transformed into a single spear shimmering with black energy.

[I am Quay the Lancer! At my Master’s command, I shall become a spear to pierce the enemy’s heart!]

He had taken the shape of the enormous bee stinger he normally held in his hand.

DING!

[‘Skill: Shadow Extraction’ has leveled up.]

A skill window opened automatically before Suho.

[Shadow Extraction Lv.2–Form Transformation]

Shadow power.

No mana required.

Freely alters the form of a shadow soldier.

[Kieeeeeek?!]

Beru was genuinely aghast.

[Good heavens! You’ve turned a shadow soldier into a weapon! Not even the Monarch has ever shown us such an ability!]

“Really?”

Amid Beru’s fuss, Suho’s eyes gleamed as he floated the spear-shaped Quay into the air.

“I just tried copying Esil.”

[M-me?!]

Esil’s startled voice came from inside Vulcan’s Horn.

A demon noble’s Spirit form.

Through it, Esil could turn her own horn into a weapon or inhabit Vulcan’s Horn herself. Having witnessed this several times, Suho had intuitively realized something.

Spirit form might seem impressive at first glance, but shadow soldiers were fundamentally spirits themselves. Just look at Beru—didn’t he change his size and shape however he pleased?

‘So of course I figured I could do it too.’

And he had.

[G-good heavens...]

Beru was deeply moved.

Talent.

Ah, so this was talent.

How admirable, how very admirable.

How proud he was. How very proud.

[Kieee! Our Young Monarch truly is a prodigy! I knew it from the moment you mastered Ruler’s Authority before you could even walk...!]

Sung Jinwoo, the Shadow Monarch who had long since transcended levels, had already reached a stage where he could freely manipulate every shadow. Suho, by contrast, was a novice who had only just awakened his shadow power—an ant larva, in other words. Yet this larva had discovered the next stage of shadow power entirely on his own, without anyone teaching him!

“Oh? Son of Vulcan, I wondered why you had only one horn. So you were hiding another magnificent horn all along.”

The Frenzied Blood Tyrant remained utterly mistaken about Suho’s identity. It had simply assumed that the ‘shadow spear’ that suddenly floated up from Suho’s hand was a demon’s horn transformed into a weapon.

“Surely you don’t intend to defy me with that spear? How many demons do you think I’ve devoured? Stop this pointless resistance and willingly give me your body—”

WHIZZ!

“...!”

THUD!

Before it could finish, the Frenzied Blood Tyrant hastily twisted its head, barely dodging the shadow spear that shot toward it like lightning.

“How dare you!”

But the moment it turned back to glare ferociously at Suho—

WHIIIZZ!

The shadow spear that had flown past wheeled around like lightning, as though it had wings, and drove hard into its shoulder.

“Gah?!”

Startled, the Frenzied Blood Tyrant hurriedly pulled the shadow spear from its body.

“You dare use such cheap tricks!”

FWOOSH!

Ominous flames erupted from its body in its fury.

At that instant—

“An opening.”

Suho began moving in earnest.

WHOOSH!

[The buff effect of ‘Title: Demon Slayer’ activates.]

[All stats increase by 40% when fighting demon-type monsters.]

SHWASH-SHWASH-SHWASH!

Suho’s twin swords whirled—a storm of blades cloaked in Rakan’s mystical winds.

[Using ‘Skill: Storm Slash.’]

Facing him, the Frenzied Blood Tyrant curled its lips into a wicked smile and unleashed its power.

“Hahaha! Yes! Struggle all you like! I may as well see for myself how durable a demon noble’s body is!”

BOOM-BOOM-BOOM!

Its flames collided with Suho’s storm, setting off an immense chain of explosions. But his twin swords tore through even those blasts, relentlessly driving the Frenzied Blood Tyrant back.

“Urgh. Not bad at all. So a demon noble is still a demon noble, however young.”

The Frenzied Blood Tyrant was somewhat taken aback. Compared with the paltry energy it sensed from Suho, his offensive power surpassed anything it had imagined.

In truth, that was only natural. The ominous flames it was producing were all fueled by the blood and flesh of the demons it had devoured. And Suho’s Demon Slayer title provided a buff that was the perfect counter to that demonic power.

“... But that’s all you have.”

An immense power suddenly burst from the Frenzied Blood Tyrant’s entire body as it glared at Suho.

“For the curse of frenzied blood already dwells within your body!”

It reached toward Suho and unleashed its power.

“Run wild, curse of blood!”

ROOOAR!

“...!”

An ominous, cursed mist blanketed the entire area where Suho stood. Before it, the Frenzied Blood Tyrant burst into wild laughter.

“Hehehehahaha! Do you know? The first meal served to every demon here was laced with Frenzied Blood Poison!”

And whenever it wished, it could send the Frenzied Blood Poison within its opponent’s body into a frenzy!

But just then...

RUMBLE...

From within the ominous mist that filled its vision—

WHOOSH!

“...!”

Suho burst straight through the mist without hesitation and drove both swords into the Frenzied Blood Tyrant’s body.