I Obtained the Final Boss' Power

Chapter 53 : Ritual (1)

Ritual (1)

"Don't tell me you don't know?"

At Louis's brief reply, Garce's expression hardened.

He had left the Crown Prince's side and come all the way here to find his precious younger brother.

It was an opportunity that would never come again, so Garce shook Louis's shoulders and asked.

"That's impossible! You were there at the scene. Surely you saw my younger brother!"

Seeing Garce's desperate look, Louis fell into thought for a moment.

Then, as if a certain idea came to him, he smirked inwardly and put on an aggrieved expression.

"I don't know. I don't remember what happened back then."

"What?"

"The only things that come back to me are the buildings burning like firewood... the screams of the villagers I used to be friends with, and seeing my parents dying after being stabbed."

Garce frowned at Louis's confused reaction.

It seemed the events of that day were so traumatic that Louis couldn't remember them properly.

The one before him was a child. This would be the natural reaction, but Garce thought differently.

"Is it really that unfair to you?"

His village was suddenly burned down, and his parents were murdered by bandits.

Anyone would find such an event unjust, yet Garce spoke as if to deny it.

"Your father is the one at fault. He committed a grave crime by trying to embezzle the Imperial Court's assets. He only paid for his sins with death. There's no reason for you to feel wronged about your current situation!"

"..."

What is this? Did I hear that right just now?

Louis blinked, his whole body frozen.

"So pull yourself together and remember properly. You have the duty to do so!"

"..."

"Wait! Maybe my brother stabbed your parents himself. Back then, he was the leader of that mercenary group. So, you should be able to remember enough."

Garce pleaded with him to remember immediately, but Louis was getting dizzy instead.

"Excuse me."

"What!"

Unable to stand it any longer, Silia grabbed Garce's shoulder and frowned.

"Could you please shut up?"

"What?"

Who does this wench think she is, suddenly intervening?

Annoyed by Silia for getting involved without knowing her place, Garce's anger rose visibly.

"And who are you? Do you want to die?"

Even in his fury, Garce could sense her mana.

Though surrounded by many 7th Legion officers, this woman stood out.

But even so, she didn't match his level, and her threatening aura seemed laughable to him.

"Did you not hear me?"

Silia, being a seasoned knight herself, could roughly gauge Garce's strength.

Regardless, she remained unconcerned.

"Get lost right now, you piece of trash."

At that moment, Garce lost his temper and immediately drew his sword from his waist.

These people were originally meant to be sacrifices for the demon, but killing one of them wouldn't be a problem.

"Your brother is dead."

It was then. At the words that came out of Louis's mouth, the sword that was about to be swung stopped.

Garce, startled, paused mid-swing.

Louis, who so desperately longed to remember, was now suddenly smiling nonchalantly.

"What do you mean by that..."

"Why? Should I clean out your ears for you?"

From Louis's ominous expression, words Garce didn't want to hear came out.

"Your brother is dead. Like an idiot."

With the laughter that followed, Garce felt blinding rage.

Just as he could no longer control his anger and was about to swing his sword, Louis shouted.

"Guys, start now!"

PUSHUK!-

A sound of flesh being pierced rang out from somewhere.

Garce turned his head and was utterly shocked.

"Family head... I'm sorry."

One of the intelligence squad—Alpher—was stabbing his original master, family head Alber, in the side with a sword.

"Kuhak!"

Alber vomited blood with a dazed expression.

It was because people who should have only obeyed his own orders were now stabbing his abdomen.

"You... Why...!"

Even amidst the pain, Alber couldn't grasp the situation.

It was the same when they met again here just now.

The ones that had only acted mechanically suddenly clung to him with emotion—

Crying, wailing, sniveling.

"Family head. We can't follow your orders anymore."

Now Tyr and Haif approached, speaking fearfully to the man who was once their master.

"Please, forgive us."

"We... we don't want to die...!"

The three babbled nonsense and drew their swords against Alber.

His own intelligence squad almost beheaded him, but Garce intervened in time and saved him.

"Are you alright?"

Just as a sword was about to touch Alber's neck, Garce pulled him into his arms.

Fortunately, he managed to save his life—but Alber had a penetrating wound in his side and urgently needed medical attention.

"Why are you doing this!"

Weren't those the intelligence squad created by the Imperial Court?

Garce couldn't fathom why they attacked their own side, but there was no time to ponder it now.

With the supervising Alber injured, the 7th Legion's soldiers began to show interest.

Since it could clearly lead to a rebellion, a swift decision had to be made.

"Subdue all the soldiers!"

The Imperial Court knights who followed Garce extended one arm.

Just like the 7th Legion officers, they began to control the soldiers using the torture spell.

All the 7th Legion soldiers collapsed, unable to bear the pain.

The officers resisted the torture, but even they seemed stumped by the situation.

"Hurry and begin!"

The moment the next order was given, mages appeared around the ruin, holding staffs.

Those who had arrived via teleportation magic emitted a dark, murky magic power.

"Those guys, could they be—!"

"Dark mages."

As they started chanting, a huge magic array formed on the floor of the ruin.

Just as Louis had said, black mana was apparent from their magic power.

"What's... happening... kuh!"

Perhaps due to the magic array forming, all the soldiers lost strength and began collapsing.

Even the previously unaffected officers lost consciousness before they could question anything.

"Family head! This way, quickly!"

As the soldiers lost consciousness, a few dark mages entered the magic array and carried out Alber.

They talked with Garce as if following a plan.

"How is the family head's condition?"

"He'll need treatment, but with this, our plan succeeded."

"..."

Lure the 7th Legion soldiers here, and use them as sacrifices for the demon.

In fact, a rift that led to where the demon existed was beginning to open.

The plan was successful, but Alber's bleeding only grew worse.

"Quick, heal the family head! If he lives, he'll be of use to His Highness the Crown Prince!"

The dark mages immediately began casting healing magic.

As Garce said, Alber had always carried out the Crown Prince's orders.

Since the Crown Prince had contracted with the Great Devil, supporting him was only natural for the dark mages.

If the Crown Prince considered someone useful, they had no choice but to revive him.

SLICK!-

At that moment, the upper body of the dark mage casting the healing spell was split in two.

Other dark mages also fell, one after another, leaving Garce shocked.

"What's going on!"

"This is what's going on, you bastard."

Before anyone could blink, all the dark mages had been cut down by Louis.

Because of that, the magic array they had cast disappeared.

"How—how did you!"

That magic array would drain the strength from all but the dark mages.

Anyone who stepped foot on it should've lost consciousness.

In fact, all the 7th Legion soldiers fainted—so why was only this boy, Louis, still fine?

"Louis... I'm so grateful."

"You saved us, young master."

Even Silia and her squad members were unharmed.

Actually, it wasn't that they were unaffected by the magic array like Louis.

Just before they could lose consciousness, Louis had used superhuman strength to throw them out of the array.

"Subdue them all!"

The knights from the Imperial Court, who had controlled the 7th Legion soldiers, reached out their arms toward Louis's group.

They tried to take control using spells, but suddenly their heads were chopped off.

The ones who had cut off their arms were the intelligence squad who had previously stabbed Alber.

"Did we... do well?"

As they ran up to Louis to ask, Louis spoke in a grave tone.

"If you want to do even better, see those knights and dark mages around us? Go clean them all up."

"Yes!"

The intelligence squad immediately carried out Louis's orders.

Sensing danger, some dark mages began preparing to escape with Alber.

"You people... What on earth are you doing!"

"Shouldn't I be asking you that?"

Garce, flustered, asked, but Silia responded angrily instead.

"Since when did the Imperial Court get so chummy with dark mages?"

The Saber, the direct unit of the royal family, was conversing calmly with dark mages.

Disgusted by the unnatural sight, Silia pressed the issue, but Garce replied confidently.

"All this is for His Highness the Crown Prince. This process is essential if we are to relieve the resentment of a life lived without magic power."

"Even so, do you think joining hands with demons can be forgiven? Do you think your so-called Crown Prince is some kind of god?"

Once you side with demons, sacrifices are inevitable.

The Crown Prince was making up for that cost with the lives of others.

"Yes, he possesses the vessel to become a god. Unlike the current puppet emperor who lost himself to the demon's power!"

"What?"

Silia's face turned pale at the shocking statement.

Then, hearing that, Louis let out a hollow laugh.

"No wonder a bastard like him can be a member of the Royal Guard."

"Then, as expected...."

"The emperor is probably being controlled."

There's no way the emperor would stand by while the Crown Prince formed a contract with a demon.

Now that the mystery was resolved, Silia's expression twisted with anger.

"I can't believe I belonged to such a group."

Silia, once a member of the Imperial Court's knight order, was overwhelmed by fury, knowing what kind of group she'd been a part of.

"Anyway, thanks to you, the plan is ruined! The rift is still open, so if we kill you all and restore the magic array, it's not too late!"

The magic array had disappeared, but the rift connected to the demon remained.

If they killed Louis's group and recast the magic array in time, things wouldn't be too late.

"But hey, mister, are demons really that great?"

At that, Louis asked Garce.

"If they can turn a magicless impotent into a powerful mage, I'm curious just how great they are?"

"Did you just call me an impotent bastard!!"

"Who else, your precious Crown Pr—"

Louis didn't get to finish.

Garce instantly closed the distance and swung his sword at Louis's neck.

Louis raised his guard and blocked the horizontal slash, but his expression soured.

"You're pretty good, mister."

Blood dripped from Louis's arm.

At the same time, the arm Louis raised to block had fallen to the ground.

"Louis, are you alright?"

"I'm fine."

What do you mean, fine?

Seeing Louis bluffing for no reason, Garce looked triumphant.

"But next time, I shouldn't try to block by raising my guard."

Louis casually reattached his severed arm, and Garce's expression stiffened.

Because Louis's cut-off arm regenerated.

He wasn't affected by the dark magic array. He had a regeneration ability humans shouldn't possess.

He had the reflex speed to even block Garce's blade.

"Just...what are you..."

Just as Garce was about to voice his suspicion—

KUGUGUNG!—

Suddenly, a great tremor came from the center of the rift.

At the same time, the barely perceptible crack widened, and something dark started to emerge.

"No way..."

Garce and the dark mages were horrified at the sight.

Starting with massive horns, a gigantic monster made entirely of bone emerged from the rift.

Its bat-like wings unfolded last, and finally, it came out completely.

"This can't be... Why would it come directly..."

"Great Devil... oh, Palmon..."

The dark mages spoke its name in awe.

But that demon paid no mind to its followers.

[You... the same blood flows through you...]

The Great Devil Palmon approached the bleeding boy.

"What's with this anchovy?"

Louis scoffed at the demon made of those grotesque bones.