Dark Nest (3)
“Emergency—! Bisaaang—!”
[Quickly, the barrier···! No, first call in the troops···. Ugh! Damn it!]
“Unbelievable! No one noticed until they crashed right in front of us?”
The forces of Helheim suddenly appeared right in the heart of the Dark Nest.
The unanticipated emergence threw many demons into a panic.
It was only natural for them to react so violently.
After all, the ‘gate’ existed specifically to prevent situations like this.
Wasn’t this place the heart of the faction connected to all territories?
The defenses against external invasions had to be thorough, yet all of that was rendered utterly useless···.
“Huh~ Still, it’s surprising. This is probably the first time for a situation like this, but their movements are more systematic than expected. They truly are the Dark Nest, huh?”
[Ugh!]
The planner of this shocking event, Hela, calmly looked around, feigning ignorance at the glaring marquis-level demon, Serentata.
Although he seemed furious, she was genuinely impressed.
She had expected them to crumble easily in the midst of such chaos, but despite the confusion, they were managing to respond somehow.
It was a level that couldn’t even be compared to the Duke of Beasts’ Abernormal she had previously toppled.
“Well, it’s all meaningless resistance, though.”
A chilling smile lingered on her lips.
From the moment she stepped foot here— No, the moment Davidson first set foot on this land, the outcome had already been decided.
Of course, utilizing Hela’s “World of the Heaven” as a passage to move the troops from the forward base here was quite labor-intensive···.
‘The forward base is located at the central gate, an important point for the Dark Nest. And since I personally intervened in this heart that connects to all realms, there was no way it could fail!’
Naturally, that didn’t mean it was an easy task.
It wasn’t for nothing that she had poured heart and soul into thoroughly preparing for this plan for a long time.
If she hadn’t gotten the holy fragment through Ken, she wouldn’t have been able to pull this off so quickly.
‘Since it was snatched away, it’s no wonder the Duke of Dragons is going insane like that. Of course, that’s not the only thing he lost.’
Hela let out a sly chuckle.
As someone who had knowledge of black magic, she could easily deduce what their opponent was planning just by observing the facilities inside the shrine.
He had intended to modify his body using the remnants of the Demon King, and on top of that, he was planning to use the holy fragment he had been hoarding ever since.
‘Seeing how freely he used the shrine, he might have been destined to become another apostle.’
But just as he was about to start the main operation, a thief suddenly appeared and stole all the key materials, giving her every reason to be furious!
It must have been a monumental undertaking he had prepared for nearly hundreds of years.
Because of that, the Dark Nest and Demoniac were currently fighting fiercely like sworn enemies.
‘Though it’s more accurate to say that the Dark Nest is mercilessly pushing forward, and Demoniac is desperately clinging on by any means necessary.’
But if someone were to ask if she felt a shred of pity for Demoniac and the Duke of Darkness, the answer would be a resounding no.
That was because Hela already had a good understanding of what kind of schemes he was concocting behind the scenes.
‘He seems to think he’s cleared them out… but.’
Her most powerful force.
Everyone was wary of its dangers, yet no one could accurately gauge what it could really do.
Thanks to the abruptly accelerated ‘demon power’ that had grown exponentially, it transformed the executives beneath him.
“Hehehe.”
[······.]
Hela, with a meaningful smile, looked at Serentata, the marquis-level demon, who was on guard.
From the snake-like head with a long neck to the beautifully arched body touching the ground and the long, stretched tail.
Serentata had the form of a giant serpent, with a pair of formidable arms, but he couldn’t bring himself to unleash the vicious axe and large saw blade he wielded.
‘…If I move, I’ll be hit.’
His exceptionally developed instincts rejected reckless actions of the body.
Additionally, the very air around him, the magical energy filling the world, and the surrounding space all weighed down on him, pressing him down with oppressive force.
Preventing him from acting rashly.
That was why, even though he was the chief of defenses, he couldn’t move freely.
Kugugugu—!
Woom— Woom—
While he was stuck and couldn’t move in any direction, the forces of Helheim, advancing from beyond the wilderness, began to stomp their feet, radiating an intense aura.
Arrayed behind Hela, they were already in battle readiness, poised to spring into action and start a war at any moment.
The military spirit erupting like a volcano caused the defense barrier of the base to shake violently.
As the “World of the Heaven” overlapped with the already perfect barrier, gaping holes were being torn open.
Serentata instinctively sensed it.
‘…Damn it, it’s over.’
He realized this was an unwinnable fight.
The defenses hadn’t been set up in anticipation of this external raid, nor did they still have a greater number of troops; the situation had entirely shifted to the other side.
‘But it’s too early to give up. There’s no need to struggle unnecessarily.’
He was one of the strongest among the Dark Nest.
The moment he gave up, the entire base, let alone the Dark Nest, would fall into enemy hands.
He rolled his yellow serpent-like eyes, trying to think of a way out.
‘If I can just buy enough time until the Duke of Dragons returns···!’
Just as he steeled his resolve and reaffirmed his determination—.
“I can hear your thoughts from here. But how long do you plan to keep standing there all dazed?”
That casual voice shook his very foundation.
Just hearing those words accelerated his mental collapse.
And it wasn’t just limited to him.
“Ugh— Ugh—.”
[Ugh… So it was true, the rumors had been circulating but I never thought it would be like this?]
“Ahh, Duke of Dragons…”
Even among those who had gathered according to the designated response system amidst the chaos, agitation began to spread.
Even Serentata, who was a marquis-level, was about to falter, so it was only natural for those beneath him to react similarly.
[No way. How can this be···! When we checked beforehand, it was nothing at this level…!]
“How arrogant.”
Hela, who had clearly thrown him off his guard, coldly crossed her arms and frowned.
How dare he try to gauge her limits with that paltry insight?
In reality, much of this was thanks to the recently acquired holy fragment, but she didn’t care about such trivial matters at all.
After all, that power was now hers as well.
“It seems some discipline is in order. So, for now…”
The piercing red eyes imbued with the power of “Seven-colored Eye” brightened sharply.
The others under Hela’s command, those who were blindly following her even at this moment, resonated with the power of her control.
And that was soon connected to this world called the “Demon Realm”—.
[“Bow down.”]
Followed by a short command.
The subsequent reaction was highly dramatic.
Boom—!
Kugugung!
Woom!
With a rumbling and tumultuous sound as if an earthquake had struck.
The majority of the troops that had gathered to oppose Hela were forcibly slammed to the ground.
Demons of various forms— giant, animal-like, plant-like, and so on— struggled on the ground as they all bowed before her.
Only a few high-ranking demons managed to hold on with difficulty against her overwhelming power.
[······!]
“Wh-What?!”
But even they froze in shock at the sudden betrayal.
No matter how inferior they were compared to the high-ranking demons, they were still the elite combat force left behind to guard the base.
Yet to be neutralized by just a single word…!
“Hoo.”
Hela let out a short sigh.
Thump— Thump—
She could feel it.
From the moment she stepped into the enemy’s heart, to now, seizing the competitive right and suppressing the followers, with every passing moment.
The influence of her authority as a Demon King was growing stronger within her.
‘Now I understand why the position of a Demon King is absolute in the Demon Realm.’
In this realm, followers of the Demon King were akin to apostles.
Having nurtured a few avatars that had nearly reached semi-divine status, she instinctively sensed how to use this power more efficiently.
At the same time, she realized how foolish the 15th Demon King, who succumbed to the schemes of the Duke of Dragons, had been.
If only he had focused on properly managing the power he possessed without greed, he wouldn’t have had trouble during his time in the Demon Realm, even with the Duke of Dragons who had allied with human gods.
‘The greatest enemy of a ruler is none other than greed, that is nothing new.’
Hela slowly took a step forward.
Not to attack, nor was she in any defensive stance, but in an unguarded state.
However, the troops gathered with utmost determination of the Dark Nest couldn’t dare to block her, nor could they bring harm to her.
They could only stare up at her in awe.
“Kneel!”
At that moment, Siana, who had quietly followed behind Hela, shouted vehemently.
Regardless of everything else, she too was a demon of count level.
With the fierce energy contained in her shout, the knees of those who were barely holding on fell to the ground.
“Bow down.”
Next, Ken, who was scanning the area with sharp eyes, coldly murmured.
As his aura, which had undoubtedly grown to marquis level, settled in, the bodies of those attempting to rise were pushed back down to the ground.
[Bow your heads—!]
Turning and changing the flag to a new battle standard, the former marquis-level Balrog Tobares, now finally returned as a conqueror, thundered.
His voice, facing downward against his former comrades now bowed to the ground, carried a certain glee enjoying the turn of events.
““This is the King’s court!””
At the shout of the Helheim soldiers, Serentata, who had been holding out until the end, squeezed his eyes shut.
King. Demon King. The ruler of the Demon Realm.
The one who reigns above all demons, governing the realm on behalf of the gods.
···He had no choice now but to concede.
Here in the heart of the Dark Nest.
A new Demon King had been born— the 16th Demon King.
And that Demon King was not the Duke of Dragons he had supported.
Clang—! Clang!
The enormous axe and saw blade he held in both hands tumbled to the ground.
And slowly, he bent down, resisting the might pressing down on him without a word, placing both hands on the floor.
[“We present ourselves before the new Demon King!”]
Thus.
At long last, when the chief’s head touched the ground.
《The influence of your role as a Demon King expands. The entity’s presence becomes increasingly pronounced.》
The territory of Dark Nest, boasting supremacy in the Demon Realm, came entirely under the control of Helheim.
It was the moment when an incredibly sudden and blitz-like house robbery was successfully concluded while the owner was away for battle.
*
On the frontlines with Demoniac, the basis of Dark Nest.
[···What? What did you just say?]
The Duke of Dragons, Crushair, responded incredulously to his subordinate’s report.
It was only natural.
Anyone would react this way upon hearing such absurd news out of the blue!
“The gate…!”
But with the following words from his subordinate, he realized that he hadn’t misheard anything after all.
For someone like him, who could discern even the slightest sound of an ant’s footsteps, mishearing was utterly impossible.
But what mattered now was that something so improbable had actually happened.
[This is insane!]
Without hesitation, the Duke of Dragons initiated a spatial shift.
To one of the forward bases of the Dark Nest, where he could previously move without issue.
But···.
[······.]
There was no response.
His draconic body remained distinctly left on the frontline.
Even attempts to relocate elsewhere, even to his own den, yielded no different results.
All gates were thoroughly sealed.
Even he, who possessed the free pass authority of all Dark Nest territories, couldn’t move!
He learned the cause of this debacle through his subordinate’s continued reports.
Crack—
During his absence.
His base was suddenly seized by a surprise attack, resulting in all connected realms being plundered away.
By that hybrid from Helheim, who had been quiet until now!
[KRWAAAAA——!]
A roar of fury erupted from the Duke of Dragons.
Twice, he had been blindsided in succession.
Since acquiring the title of Duke of Dragons, he had rarely faced defeat, which made this sting all the more.
[I’ll kill them, those bastards—!]
Of course, it wasn’t that he couldn’t move at all; it was just that spatial shifting through the gates was obstructed.
However, the location in which he stood was the very heart of the territory that had once belonged to the Duke of Darkness.
While the swift advance had been incredibly beneficial, that also meant moving troops without the gates would undoubtedly take time.
It would take a considerable amount of time to return to his base···.
‘During that time, they could absorb most of the territories!’
But he couldn’t abandon his troops and charge in solo.
Faced with that hybrid without any backup, it was entirely possible that something irreversible would occur this time.
Creek! Crack!
“Kyeeeek!”
“Duke··· Ugh!”
To restrain his anger, he indiscriminately devoured the demons around him.
His actions didn’t halt until some time had passed.
That was only because of an unexpected contact from an unforeseen individual. Otherwise, he would have continued for much longer.
[···What is it, Pieta? Have you finally grown tired of fleeing? Or is it that you’re bored of this escape?]
The moment the takeover by Helheim commenced.
A dialogue between the victims who had been hit in the back unfolded.
