I Obtained the Final Boss' Power

Chapter 110 : No Mercy Just Because You're Family (2)

No Mercy Just Because You're Family (2)

After regaining control of his body from Great Devil Duramon, Laika Bisted had a lot to do.

He had to deal with the aftermath of what Duramon had done while occupying his body.

Even though he had been controlled by the Great Devil, all those acts happened with his own body and under his name.

Among those acts was the destruction of several domains and the sacrifice of their residents in demon rituals.

It was similar to what his own family had done to destroy the Seifert domain.

Laika could not avoid responsibility, since so many lives had been sacrificed because of him.

As part of atonement, he dissolved the Bisted family that he had established.

Currently, with the family head Alber and his son Rejir missing, it was being run by an incompetent bureaucrat, so closing it down was easy.

At the same time, he erased all traces of things related to demons that he had created.

The most representative of these was the demon rituals being conducted behind the scenes after the Bisted family obtained immense power.

Only after finishing all this cleanup was Laika able to finally rest.

Now, no one demanded that he take responsibility.

He was even free from "the Sword".

"So this is what it feels like to be at ease."

"What are you talking about? You lost all that monstrous strength you built up through training."

As Laika lay on the sofa feeling at peace, Ferus, who was studying something at his desk, scolded him.

"So you came all the way here just to lounge around? This isn't your sanctuary, you know, it's my lab."

After wrapping up all affairs, Laika dropped by Zodiac to relax and meet a friend.

Ferus, his comrade during the demonkin war, had always been on the same wavelength as him.

"If you want to rest, shouldn't you do it somewhere more luxurious befitting your status as a Hero?"

"I think the lab of the grand scholar who revolutionized magitechnology is plenty luxurious."

Laika replied with a sly compliment, and Ferus looked a bit embarrassed.

Originally, Ferus was actually pleased that Laika had come to his laboratory.

There was just a bit of awkwardness, since they'd parted ways immediately after the war ended.

"I heard the news. I sincerely congratulate you on your liberation."

"I'm sorry for everything, Ferus. If you hadn't devised that spell, by now I would've..."

"I may have developed it, but I wasn't the one who actually freed you. If you want to thank someone, it should be those guys who freed you with their own hands."

Laika recalled "those guys" in his mind and said,

"I already thanked them."

"Well done."

"So now I can really rest easy, right?"

"Just don't rest here. Cleaning up is a pain."

Ferus, diving back into his research, sighed and muttered,

"Poor guy. He can't be called a Swordmaster anymore, and yet he's so carefree."

"To be honest, the sense of loss was overwhelming. If we put it in your terms, it's like losing all the magitech knowledge you've ever built up."

At Laika's apt analogy, Ferus nodded.

"But there's always happiness after retirement. Losing my strength means I'm freed from a heavy sense of responsibility. Now, finally, I can live for myself—not just for the Imperial Court."

"I'm completely different. If I didn't have knowledge, I don't think I'd feel alive at all."

For Ferus, researching new things was the joy of life.

That's why, even in his old age, he remained a magitech scholar and even founded the city of Zodiac.

"There's still so much to learn in this world. Who could've predicted that a monster-like kid would appear? I'm sure you saw it, too."

"......."

Although Silia was the one who separated him from Duramon, it was someone else who had put an end to the academy incident.

Laika knew who that person was.

"Yeah. That really was an unbelievable strength. Even if it was a weakened resurrection, he took down Wigmon, one of the Great Devils, all by himself."

Louis Seifert.

No one could have expected that such a young boy would possess that kind of strength.

"If I'm right, the Hero from the prophecy just might be that boy."

"Keuk keuk keuk... Did you know?"

Suddenly, still buried in his research, Ferus laughed and said,

"I'll tell you because it's you—the Hero in the prophecy is already dead."

"What?"

"There's no longer a protagonist who will lead this world."

It was the most absurd news Laika had heard so far.

He couldn't help but snort in astonishment.

Duramon had turned the academy into a demon realm in order to kill the Hero and Saint he expected would appear there.

"Hahaha...! So what, then? Demons and devils have been wasting their time all along."

Making plans to kill a Hero who's already dead?

Just how foolish could such a waste of effort be?

"Right now, the Hero is gone, one Swordmaster—yourself—has retired, the other, Andrew, is missing, and the last is tied up as the commander of the 7th Legion. In effect, the Imperial Court now lacks talented people who can support it."

Though Paulo, the commander of the 7th Legion, was still around, he, too, had long since passed his prime.

It was unknown how much he could do even if he did act, so it would be optimistic to say there's any reliable talent left.

"So in this situation, who can people trust and rely on?"

"That's why they created that odd Special Task Force."

A unit of the 7th Legion, yet holding immense authority despite being composed of criminals.

Laika could see that His Majesty didn't create that unit for no reason.

"For now, relying on them is probably the best option."

Sometimes, you have no choice but to depend on whatever you can to survive.

Even if its roots came from evil, when truly desperate, there would be no one who'd refuse such help.

"All done."

At that moment, Ferus stood up as if his research was finished, holding up the paper he had been studying.

"That's..."

"It's an item imbued with a bit of a curse. You should wear gloves when handling it."

Laika recognized the paper immediately.

It was the mysterious blueprint that the Imperial Court's knights had retrieved from the spot where Wigmon died.

"Isn't that the strange blueprint the Great Devil possessed?"

"Do you know what it is?"

"Duramon mentioned it before. He said it's a pretty important artifact to the Great Devils."

The torture spell Ferus developed had originally come from some artifact.

This paper was actually the blueprint capable of producing the original artifact.

Ferus was, of course, tremendously interested by that.

"As I thought, my hunch was right."

Up until four years ago, he had been researching just one page, but now with two more, he had learned a great deal.

"This paper is made from the surface of the World Tree."

Beyond the borders of the empire, in the forest of the elves.

The World Tree was an ancient tree that existed only there.

****

"You understand the gist of it, right?"

Summoned to the commander's office, Louis received Ferus's message from Kelian, the Special Task Force chief.

"So, what I'm looking for might be in the Elves' forest."

The blueprint was said to be made from the surface of the World Tree, which the elves managed.

That meant the elves also had a hand in making the artifact.

"Looks like your next destination has been decided. You're not planning to leave right away, are you?"

"No. There's something I want to think about before I go."

After resolving the academy incident, Louis was troubled by one thing.

"Did you notice anything strange with Rio or Pram when they returned?"

"Of course. That girl, who used to wield the blood-sword, suddenly displayed gold aura. And the one who used filthy dark magic began wielding holy magic."

Louis had already explained to Kelian the power of "reversal" that had settled upon Rio and Pram.

The fact that this strength came from none other than the legendary Hero, Frederick, had nearly knocked Kelian off his chair in shock.

Is this kid addicted to surprising people or what?

"But remember—this is the academy. Not only citizens of the empire but people from the Holy Nation can enroll too."

Pram and Rio fought monsters at the academy using their reversed holy powers.

Naturally, a priest from the Holy Nation witnessed this.

"They're bound to be misunderstood—and probably in a good way."

People would definitely mistake Rio and Pram for the prophesied Hero and Saint.

The Holy Nation would go wild at the news that those figures had finally appeared.

"So I'm curious what the Holy Nation will do."

"You're worried about leaving with that wild card unresolved."

The Holy Nation was fanatically devoted to the prophecy.

They might even demand the would-be Hero and Saint be handed over so they can "protect" them.

"Then why not just visit them?"

At that point, Silia, who had been summoned with Louis, spoke up.

"After all, the elves' forest is within Holy Nation territory."

Seeing Silia suddenly react so sensitively, Kelian asked,

"Do you want to go too?"

Silia answered honestly,

"Yes. I believe there's a good chance that Andrew, the family head, is there."

That was something she'd heard from Laika.

As long as he wasn't still being controlled by a Great Devil, there'd be no reason for him to lie.

"Is it difficult for you?"

"Not exactly. But the elves' forest is very hard to enter. If you're careless, just setting foot near the entrance..."

[You may end up lost for the rest of your life.]

Suddenly, a mysterious voice echoed from somewhere.

Louis immediately sensed where the sound had come from.

"Huh?"

When Louis stared at her, Silia was startled.

Though the voice had clearly come from her, she hadn't opened her mouth.

[Ah, forgive me. It takes some time to adjust.]

All at once, a strange liquid squirmed out from Silia's finger and began to speak.

Thinking it was a slime, Silia immediately made to draw her sword.

[Wait a second! I'm not an enemy!]

"You look like a slime—how am I supposed to trust you?"

[Please believe me! I'm not a monster.]

"This is the demon realm—there are plenty of monsters that mimic people to lure you in."

[I really mean it—trust me!]

As the strange slime kept protesting, Louis said,

"Are you... Frederick?"

At that, both Silia and Kelian froze.

"What did you just say?"

It was an unforgettable name, after all.

He was one of the Heroes who defeated the great beast that nearly destroyed the world!

[Boy! You do recognize me!]

Thanks to his supernatural hearing, Louis could easily remember any voice he'd heard once.

[It's good to see you again, boy.]

"Yes. I've made good use of the gift you gave me."

[Good.]

Thanks to Louis, the misunderstanding was quickly cleared up.

****

[Damn it! After all I've planned!]

Having left Laika's body, Duramon drifted about as a spirit.

He was powerless, a ghost drifting along.

If discovered by humans, he would undoubtedly be considered a monster and destroyed.

[I've ended up no different from a lowly monster!]

With even Wigmon, his closest ally, dead, there were no trustworthy figures left among the devils.

All Duramon could do, unable to ask for help from anyone, was hide for the rest of his life.

[I just have to survive first.]

While drifting aimlessly, Duramon suddenly found himself unable to move.

[What's this?]

It was as if something had grabbed him, freezing his movement.

Who could exist that could touch a spiritual body with their hands?

"High Priest! Something's caught in the barrier!"

Duramon finally realized the reason he'd frozen in place.

While flying through the sky, he'd been caught and sealed by a holy barrier on the ground.

Like a fly trapped in a Venus flytrap.

[Gyaaah!!]

Suddenly struck by tremendous gravity, Duramon was hurled down to the ground.

There, countless priests and White Knights stood, led by a single high priest who gazed down at him.

"To think I'd get to see the fabled Great Devil in person."

[Don't tell me...!]

This was the Holy Nation, famous for its hatred toward all things demonic.

Duramon could feel the intense hostility directed at him from every direction.

A White Knight spoke as if he were confronting the one who had taken his parents away.

"Shall we kill it now? If we leave it, it will become a catastrophe."

Letting a target that should be killed go would be madness.

Of course, the man called Seong-ha did not spare Duramon.

"No. Imprison it like this. Though it is a devil, one day it could bring great profit to our Holy Nation."

The priests, following his order, began inscribing a spell to seal Duramon's spirit form.

"By the way, High Priest, it's said that the prophesied Saint has finally appeared."

"Yes, I've also heard that news."

Tyrone, the high priest and son of the Holy Nation's pope, spoke with an expression full of anticipation.

"Be sure to find them."

Yet, his heart was filled not with reverence—but with sinister intent.

-------------= Clacky's Corner -------------=

Of course, there's always someone like that in the Holy Order, if not all of them...

【ദ്ദി(⩌ᴗ⩌)】