Humanity was exhausted.
They were too busy healing the scars etched over the years from the continuous invasions by the Demon King and the Demon Race, trying to soothe the lives of the devastated populace.
Now that they had driven out the Demon King, they thought they would be fine for the next few decades.
The lives of the people were ravaged, and humanity was divided.
They had barely pushed back the Demon Army, so suggesting an invasion of their land was sheer nonsense.
However, the reason they supported the war nonetheless was that there would be no better opportunity.
There was the Emperor, known historically as the strongest swordsman and hero.
Sitting at the Emperor’s right side was the most sacred yet blasphemous Mangja Seongnyeo.
Although the citizens were unaware, on the Emperor’s left sat the wicked Black Witch, and Menelapie realized this was the only chance to drive out the Demon King.
“Today! I will uproot all of that contemptible evil from this land!”
Thus, ten years after Shia became the Mangja Seongnyeo, a new war broke out in this land.
“I swear to you all today.”
“This land shall no longer be dictated by wickedness and transcendent beings, nor shall we be toyed with by the madmen from outside!”
With the declaration of Emperor Menelapie, humanity pooled all their strength and entered total war.
Descendants of the fallen kingdoms, warriors hiding across the sea, alliances with shadow elves and half-breeds, even desert orcs and the cave-dwelling goblins.
Among the human races, they killed and were killed, those who had never once joined hands in history now clasping together for a single purpose.
“Arise! You are just like me! You too are heroes! Beside me is the most human-like Mangja Seongnyeo who desires humanity, and she stands with you!”
“I am Menelapie Healum! A human descended from the royal blood of the Healum dynasty!”
“Are you trembling in fear? Is the wicked darkness frightening? Are you afraid of the realm of the Demon King where death and nightmares become reality!!”
“Even if you stumble in your own weakness and ineptitude, even if you yield to darkness and fear, it is okay! Stand tall! Stand proudly! You are human! You are the humans who can rise again even after surrendering! I am also a human like you, and if I am a hero, then you are heroes as well!”
“You are the proud children of someone, the parents of someone, the lovers of someone! Those who stand with me are already heroes and idols; you shall be remembered as the most radiant humans in history!”
“And I too shall stand with you, proud as a human, and die together as your hero!”
“With this war, I shall answer the hopes of humanity! I am the Emperor, I am the sword of sworn oaths, and there are no beliefs that I will abandon… My friends, my faithful, my knights, my soldiers, my heroes, my humans!”
From that day onward, humanity and the half-breeds, and all forces standing against the Demon King marched toward the land of darkness.
“This land belongs to humanity!”
War is a pain in the neck.
There is no glorious fight.
There is no war that should necessarily arise.
To kill something, one must also be prepared to be killed.
The rivers flowed red with blood, and the mountains echoed with the screams of soldiers.
Those who should be seeking knowledge, the mages, burned the land with deadly and bombardment magic.
When the stench of rotting corpses rose, someone would retch, but some would have already grown accustomed to the smell of death.
“Kill them all! Here, this sword is yours, Demon King!”
Waaaahhh!
“Glory to humanity!”
However, the war would be recorded as extraordinarily dazzling.
Humanity’s first and last retaliation against the great evil that had suppressed them for thousands of years was a sight that had never been seen in history.
The largest war in the history of humanity and the half-breeds thus began.
The land of demons was a place tainted with poison and darkness, making even entering a difficult task.
The demons who adapted and survived there were, of course, hideous and horrific, far stronger than those who invaded the realm of the half-breeds.
Yet, in the forefront stood Menelapie, beside her the Mangja Seongnyeo Isia, and from the shadows, the Black Witch.
Guided by the Black Witch leading the way, humanity’s army advanced without hindrance.
The greatest Emperor’s sword cleaved through the ranks of evil, while the hands of the sacred and blasphemous Mangja Seongnyeo healed the sick and crushed the wicked.
The massive bomb created by the Black Witch smashed the demon’s walls and lands, illuminating humanity’s path forward. The wicked schemes and traps of the malicious and evil Black Witch forced the demons into a corner, and humanity continued to taste victories.
As they approached the heart of darkness where the Demon King resided, the demons grew even stronger.
But still, humanity’s advance did not wane.
It would have been impossible without the hero revered as the Emperor.
It would have been impossible without the Mangja Seongnyeo who longed to be human.
It would have been impossible without the information, guidance, and schemes from the Black Witch, who wished to atone.
Even the malevolent arch-demons, the sentinels guarding the Black River, and the cruel chair of the Lich Council all fell.
The formidable foes that they thought would be unbeatable were defeated one by one, and the once dark land of the demons began to transform into human territory.
Mapmakers were busier than ever writing down humanity’s newly acquired land every day, and minstrels spread songs in remembrance of the heroes and soldiers who fell in battle.
The most desperate yet simultaneously the most glorious war.
The era of the grand offensive against the Demon King had begun.
—
The final war between the Demon King and humanity proceeded as if they were riding a horse at full gallop.
In just one day, hundreds of thousands of troops clashed, and at the center were the Emperor and the Mangja Seongnyeo, who faced not a single defeat.
No matter how strong the Emperor and the Mangja Seongnyeo were, it was due to the great contributions of Teresa that humanity could still hold the upper hand in a place where countless variables occurred simultaneously during war.
Teresa was still pretending to be a subordinate of the Demon King beneath him; even if she couldn’t provide direct assistance, the information and weaknesses of the Demon King and his subordinates she provided came in droves, tens of messages each day directly to Menelapie and Shia.
Had Shia or Menelapie not received the information Teresa provided, the Demon King’s realm would have been crawling with monsters posing a significant risk.
[Void Palace]
Teresa’s long-studied and created magic, which was close to a form of power, was a dimensional connection point detached from reality.
Once, Teresa had attempted to expel the Demon King from this world and explored the depths of taboo and magic to discover a dimensional hole she named “Void Palace.” It was called a palace because stepping into it led to an endless series of rooms and walls, where same-shaped structures endlessly repeated without ceilings or skies.
The Void Palace was not only larger than the surface area of this world but had an endlessly repeating bizarre structure that appeared mundane and ordinary but felt as though parts of the world had been ripped out and haphazardly assembled into an eerie, infinite space.
Teresa believed that imprisoning the Demon King there would solve all problems, but it required numerous incantations and a long time to breach the Void Palace.
In order to imprison the Demon King in the Void Palace, she would need to subdue or kill him before spending considerable time opening the dimensional hole to hurl him inside; thus, no matter how skilled Teresa was, it was impossible for her to single-handedly overpower the Demon King and push him into the Void Palace.
Eventually, a new use for Teresa’s Void Palace was discovered: supply.
The Void Palace experienced a different flow of time than the outside world.
One second outside could equal hours within the Void Palace, and with the guidance of the Void Palace, near-instantaneous long-distance teleportation became possible.
The Void Palace directly linked to the imperial capital, and when casualties or injuries occurred, they would first be kept alive through Shia’s Great Healing and miracles and sent immediately through the Void Palace to the capital, where they would be treated and rejoined by those who could fight again and reinforcements through the portal of the Void Palace.
The continuous victories of humanity and the maintenance of the front lines amid prolonged warfare stemmed largely from the supply chain facilitated by the [Void Palace].
Thus, humanity continued to achieve victory after victory.
Menelapie’s sword beheaded the heads of hellhounds, while Shia’s tentacles crushed the bones of the Lich Chairmen.
The spears and blades of soldiers persistently hindered the Demon King’s fingers, and the evil creatures entangled in the Black Witch’s schemes fell without a chance to emerge onto the front lines.
Victory seemed to be just within reach.
Everyone believed that they would drive the Demon King out of this land.
In the end, all the demons in the Demon King’s realm were defeated and perished by humanity.
What remained was only the Demon King’s castle, which resembled a pit of hell.
Menelapie, leading the elite forces of the imperial army, decided to charge the Demon King’s castle head-on. Meanwhile, the special forces led by the Mangja Seongnyeo Shia would block the rear to prevent any potential escape by the Demon King.
Lastly, at the right moment, Teresa’s puppet army was planned to join in to execute the Demon King.
Victory was imminent.
[Victory appears sweetest when it is right before grasping it.]
However, after defeating all the wicked beings and entering the Demon King’s castle, what Menelapie first saw was…
“Teresa Kaitlyn…!”
Teresa was impaled by the Demon King’s great sword.
Upon seeing this, Menelapie widened her eyes and drew her sword.
Had she been just a bit faster, she might have saved Teresa…!
No, now was not the time for such weak thoughts.
Grief and mourning could come after the evil was vanquished.
[Did you think I wouldn’t know?]
The Demon King was clad in massive armor.
If that could even be called armor.
[Did you think I wouldn’t hear the chattering voices of you insects?]
All the imperial troops behind Menelapie drew their swords in unison.
The mages immediately lifted their staffs, ready to unleash magic, while flails and spears were aimed at the Demon King.
[Honestly, I hadn’t felt any emotion in trampling you till now.]
The Demon King’s armor writhed as if it were a living being.
[It was only natural. You should die at my hands. Just like a strong beast preying on a weak one, tearing apart your kind is my fate and duty.]
With its black wings, the mask concealed a smirk playing at its lips.
[But thinking of burying you who exclaim victory just before you grasp it back into the pit of stars…]
And with that, the Demon King pulled the great sword from Teresa’s body.
Blood gushed from the convulsing body, staining the Demon King’s body and sword, and it transformed the air around them.
“Ugh…!”
“…Ah, ahh…”
“Is that the D-Demon King…?”
“We have to run. We have to run…”
“Ah, ugh… Aaaah…”
It was fear.
It was nausea, jealousy, and nightmares.
The Demon King, infused with humanity’s most primal fears, shook even the solid minds of unshakable individuals, and Menelapie was no exception.
“Ugh, extreme!”
However, Menelapie bit her lip until it bled, refusing to back down.
Even though nearly all of the imperial forces and allied troops lost their will to fight and fell into fear because of the Demon King’s presence, Menelapie stood alone.
[You’re under some serious delusion.]
“What do you mean?”
[Hero, Hero… do you truly think something like that can exist in this world?]
Certainly, Menelapie was revered as a hero.
As a hero who fought till the end against the malicious beings as humanity’s hope, she was praised and called a hero by many citizens and humanity.
But that was solely because she had been made a hero by her subjects and fellow humans.
She had no hero’s relics, nor hero’s strength or magic.
Menelapie’s strength was simply a result of her own hard work and talent.
[The one who was bestowed with the title of hero was killed by my curse long before they could grow. Haven’t you thought that it’s foolish to allow someone with the potential to oppose me to grow stronger? After that, the title of hero was never bestowed again.]
“Ha, you give your all even against a baby… the Demon King is more repugnant than I thought?”
[Chat as you will. Human standards mean nothing to me.]
As the Demon King took a step forward, golden aura began to envelop Menelapie’s sword.
Golden Hero.
This name was given due to the golden aura blooming from Menelapie as she entered battle.
[You couldn’t possibly be asking if you think you could win, could you?]
Boom!
As the Demon King’s great sword struck the ground, black darkness surged like lava.
The darkness ebbed toward Menelapie, threatening to engulf her, and she fueled her golden aura further in defiance.
But far stronger than Menelapie’s golden aura, the Demon King’s black darkness overwhelmed her.
‘Can I really do this alone…?’
It felt impossible.
The Demon King she saw before her was far stronger and more terrifying than she had imagined.
Did she really need an army to face him?
It felt as if this monster could single-handedly destroy the world.
It’s okay. There are still many troops left.
Even if they trembled in fear of the Demon King, they were slowly rising.
And Shia is there.
The Mangja Seongnyeo is there.
There is a true powerhouse that even the Demon King fears.
[You’re visibly thinking too much.]
“What?”
[Since it’s the last act, let us at least set the stage.]
The smirk on the Demon King’s face behind the mask twisted at that moment.
[I was well aware of this witch’s betrayal long before, and you wonder why I killed her now?]
“…What do you mean?”
[There was no need to kill her. No, I did so to kill her at the most opportune moment.]
The Demon King’s great sword began to glow with a purple light.
“…!”
And the identity of that glowing magic was the Void Palace.
In that moment, realization struck Menelapie; the Demon King had kept Teresa alive until now in order to claim her Void Palace power at the right time.
[Now, scatter!]
Boom!
The Demon King activated the Void Palace, instantly banishing all humanity allied forces and imperial troops scattered across the Demon King’s realm to random places in the world.
Some stayed in the Void Palace, others fell into water or the sea, while some returned to their hometowns in an instant.
Only Menelapie remained.
She stood alone, face to face with the Demon King.
“…………”
She was completely blindsided.
Menelapie thought the Demon King’s passivity stemmed from expending too much of his power.
Perhaps lost in the joy of victory and not seeing clearly for an Emperor who should always remain cold and composed.
She had made a mistake.
She had been foolish.
She had been careless.
And that led to the current situation, which ultimately resulted in Teresa’s death.
[The troublesome one, I’ll kill personally. I can’t even trust throwing you into a volcano.]
Menelapie opened her eyes that she had previously shut.
“Well, that’s good.”
No more reflection.
Then it was time for her to do what she had to do.
[What can you possibly do alone?]
“Ha, isn’t it obvious? Right here, without worrying about my surroundings, I will behead you, Demon King!”
[Ha! Arrogance surely goes beyond the stars. Just a strong human cannot kill me.]
“Really?”
At that moment, the golden aura emanating from Menelapie drove back the darkness.
Just moments ago, she had been pushed back by the Demon King, but now she started to push back her own strength, surprising even the Demon King.
[What… is this?]
“You said before that you cursed the hero who was designated before he even could grow.”
[…..?]
With those words, the golden aura surrounding Menelapie began to slowly transform.
It became a rose.
A massive rose imbued with golden light bloomed, illuminating the dark Demon King’s castle with its radiance.
“Of course, a hero wouldn’t appear again.”
[You can’t be implying…!]
“The cursed baby you spoke of… was me!”
[…!]
“I, I am the one who bore the blasphemy of the Demon King! It was I…!”
[……..]
“As the hero had survived whole and well… it wouldn’t be surprising if a hero should appear again!”
[Ha, this is beyond expectations!]
“Therefore, I hereby declare!”
The golden rose bloomed magnificently.
And at its center stood Menelapie with her sword drawn.
“Demon King! You will die here!!”
And darkness clashed with gold.
—
The Demon King had two weaknesses.
One was the hero.
And the other was the unpredictable variable known as the ‘Mangja Seongnyeo.’
The hero was thought to be dealt with long ago.
But, since the Mangja Seongnyeo allied with humanity, the Demon Army steadily retreated, eventually allowing the human invasion into the Demon King’s realm.
Therefore, the Demon King wished to present the Mangja Seongnyeo with a ‘special’ choice.
“Haaah, where is this…?”
Shia, who was attacking alongside the special forces towards the back of the Demon King’s realm, began to grow vigilant at the sudden situation.
“Ugh, ugh…”
“Where are we?”
“…Ugh…!”
“My, my arm…”
[Miracle – Great Healing]
As the fallen members injured in this realm rapidly healed with Shia’s miracle.
Surveying her surroundings, she saw walls, windows, wooden doors, tables, dirt, rooms, inns, buildings — repeatedly undulating fountains.
An infinite space.
Shia realized this was the ‘Void Palace.’
However, something felt off; this Void Palace seemed far darker, damp, and unsettling compared to what she usually knew.
She could not understand why she and the special forces had suddenly fallen into this place.
Teresa wouldn’t be the one to pull this kind of stunt.
But the control of the Void Palace was with Teresa…
‘No way…’
In that instant, a bad thought crossed Shia’s mind — was Teresa in some kind of trouble?
There was a very probable likelihood.
Indeed, it was strange that Teresa had remained undiscovered as a double agent for so long.
If Teresa had been robbed of control over the Void Palace by the Demon King, she must have faced an ambush, and just like how Shia ended up in this Void Palace, Menelapie could be in trouble as well.
“We must hurry to rescue her! It might be an emergency!”
“Yes!”
“Understood!”
The special forces assigned to Shia were loyal knights and warriors designated personally by Menelapie to protect and serve her.
They had trusted the Emperor and Shia to their very bones, and they would gladly fulfill orders even to the death.
Thus, Shia, together with the special forces, began to search the Void Palace immediately.
Without Teresa’s guidance, it was undoubtedly difficult to find their way.
The Void Palace was seemingly larger than the surface area of the world; unlucky as they were, they might end up wandering eternally in this realm.
Fortunately, a good aspect of the Void Palace was that the flow of time inside differed from outside.
“……..There is nothing here either.”
“How much time has passed?”
“By my sense, it feels like it has been about 48 hours.”
At the words of Yulia, the lady knight who acted as her aide and squire, Shia bit her lip.
Walking endlessly in this infinite, repetitive space was gradually distorting her sense of time.
While a desperate battle might be occurring outside, wasting time here would…
“Saintess!!”
Just then, hearing the voice of a knight in the distance, Shia dashed forward to where the sound came from.
What Shia found upon reaching was a door.
Unlike the repeatedly wooden panel doors, this one had an opening; Shia recognized it as the exit from the Void Palace.
“This place… isn’t the Demon King’s castle?”
“That’s right. This connects to the imperial capital…”
Thank goodness, she had found a way out.
That alone was a blessing.
However, with current circumstances unfolding in the Demon King’s realm, there was no time to reach the imperial capital.
Of course, if there was no other option, they would have no choice but to exit from there…
“Shia… Shia!”
“What is it?”
“The passage is blocked!”
“…What do you mean..?”
Hearing that, Shia immediately reached for the exit, but it felt as if an invisible barrier stopped her; the door refused to budge.
It was a simple story.
The Demon King had modified the magic of the Void Palace, which Teresa originally possessed, to suit his needs.
Even though it seemed impossible, it was quite feasible for the Demon King’s immense power to supersede common sense.
The Demon King had blocked Shia and her special forces from entering.
But there was a being whom the Demon King permitted to exit.
Thud, thud, thud, thud!
At that moment, Shia’s sensory enhancement detected that the infinite walls and doors were opening one by one.
They were all dimensional doors.
Numerous dimensional portals began to open centering around Shia, and in the sudden chaos, Shia and her companions stared around them in confusion.
“There are exactly 89 dimensional holes. All linked directly to the imperial capital and the various bases of the allied human nations and races.”
“We couldn’t pass through any of them. We even tried sending letters or small objects, yet it was all blocked as if it were intentionally designed.”
“…….This is serious.”
The situation was strengthening in its seriousness.
What the hell? Does the Demon King intend for me to starve to death?
Shia bit her lip, sinking deep into thought.
If it was an issue that could be solved with sheer power, she would have had no concerns.
She was Shia, who had defeated the Lich Chair and the Dark Knight Commander.
However, if she remained trapped in the Void Palace without consuming living beings…
‘No, it’s okay. I’ll be fine. It’s premature to think of the worst-case scenario…’
Having entered the Void Palace meant that there had to exist a ‘hole’ that brought her here.
It might take an immense amount of time, but surely traversable dimensional holes were waiting to be discovered.
Thud, thud, thud…
“….!”
Gulps!
Suddenly, Shia sensed the presence of something in the shadows opposite her and swung her tentacle, crashing it down on its head.
A Shadow Wolf.
A monster ridden by the demons, caked in gluttony.
“Why is this thing here…!?”
“It’s an evil creature! Everyone stay vigilant!”
“Lady Shia, over here…!”
This was no solitary monster’s entrance.
Growl.
Oooooo…
Hahaha!
“……..”
Eyes glimmered in the darkness.
Presence after presence—one, two, three…hundreds, thousands… no, more beyond that…
Numerous demons and monsters emerged from the shadows of the Void Palace.
They began to appear as if waiting for this moment, and Shia curled her fingers and spread her tentacles.
Do you think this will stop me?
“Step back!”
“Yes!”
“Lady Shia will cast a miracle! Everyone, sheathe your swords!”
Shia, feeling a tinge of annoyance at the sight of the monsters, pulled in her hands and tentacles to seize the air.
[Awaiting – Holy Body Burst]
Boom!
A white explosion engulfed the monsters that had erupted forth from the shadows.
With a single miracle, hundreds of monsters were obliterated at once, and Shia sent her tentacles and holy power to finish off the remaining foes.
Hehe…!
Hahaha!
Hehehe!
“For the glory of the Demon Lord!”
“What?!”
However, in the next moment, Shia’s expression changed to one of shock.
Instead of rushing towards her, the enraged demons and monsters charged past her, racing toward some destination.
“Watch out! You’re their target—!”
“No! Lady Shia, they’re passing by us!”
What?
The targets weren’t Shia or the other warriors either.
So what could they possibly be aiming for…?
In that moment, Shia recalled the 89 dimensional doors scattered nearby.
Human strongholds and cities, the imperial capital, the great forest of the elves, the camps of the desert orcs, main harbor towns, the gates to the royal palace…
Those dimensional holes recoiled from Shia and the humans.
So, presumably… those monsters and demons were after…?
“They’re targeting the dimensional holes! Block them all!!!!”
“…!”
No further words were needed.
Shia dashed forward with all her might, slaughtering the creatures aiming to escape through the dimensional holes.
The knights simultaneously drew their swords to physically block the portal, fervently pursuing and slaying any fleeing monsters.
Though only thirty minutes had passed, Shia and the special forces felt utterly drained.
“Haah, haah, haah…”
“We stopped them all…”
“We did it, Lady Saintess!”
“And any injured, come to me immediately!”
Fortunately, no one had perished.
Several had been scratched or sustained minor wounds, yet Shia healed each one.
“Lady Saintess, your healing always lifts the mood! I’ve heard that some deliberately get injured just to receive your miracle again…”
“Stop the nonsense and don’t get hurt!”
With a playful smile, Shia began to check personnel again.
There were no missing or deceased individuals.
All 112 members of the special forces, including Shia, had escaped death while they took down the monsters.
“This situation is unprecedented.”
“Being trapped in the Void Palace is one thing, but the monsters targeting the dimensional holes is definitely an anomaly.”
“It seems they’re aware there are more humans beyond the portals.”
“Indeed, they do possess some intelligence…”
Shia, having just finished healing the last injured person, surveyed the surroundings with an uneasy expression.
The Void Palace was far darker than usual.
Shadows loomed everywhere, and it felt like more monsters would jump out at any moment.
Growl…!
“…!”
Just like that, once again, after a moment of quiet, more monsters emerged.
One, two, three, four… five thousand…
Far more than before.
The knights, who had been joking moments ago, sensed something unusual and promptly unsheathed their swords.
“…Damn.”
Finally, Shia realized these monsters weren’t targeting her or the knights.
Those wretched monsters and demons weren’t even looking at Shia, nor did they feel fear.
It was as if they had only been assigned one mission: to pass through the dimensional holes.
“Lady Shia.”
“Indeed…”
Then everyone realized, including Shia and her knights.
Not a single one of those monsters could be allowed to pass through the dimensional holes behind them.
“No one is leaving here.”
“”””Yes!””””
