Clang-!
White flames poured in all directions.
The sword and fist collided, and a huge pressure tore his hands apart, but that only lasted for a short while.
His divine energy slowly healed his wounds.
"Ugh," He moaned, took a few steps back, lowered himself, and raised his sword again.
Once again, they attacked each other.
Slash-!
A cut appeared on the demon’s arm, and black blood poured out, but…
Paf-!
"Cough!"
The demon ignored the wound and countered, shaking him with a huge impact as if he was being hit by a battering ram.
His vision swirled, he flew through the air, and then he rolled over the ground.
His entire world was spinning, and he coughed up crimson blood.
"Haa, haaa…"
His breath became heavier, and he raised his head to look at the demon who called himself Yogsaron.
They had been fighting for thirty minutes.
His vitality was about to bottom out, the strength in his hands was gone, and his legs were shaking.
His intense light was starting to die down.
He felt that he'd lost.
"Ugh."
He frowned. He couldn’t accept defeat.
The demon in front of him was still moving in perfect condition.
'All demons…'
Had to be killed.
It didn't matter what he had to sacrifice.
—That's what he'd known since birth.
The memories of the past returned to him.
Demons…
Whenever he thought about those disgusting beings, he felt nauseous.
"I'll… kill you," he said in a low voice.
His eyes were full of madness.
He was trying to hypnotize himself.
He put more strength in his trembling legs and stood up, gripping the holy sword with both hands and preparing to fight again.
[Amazing.]
A surprised exclamation left Yogsaron's mouth.
He felt indomitable will, an obsession close to madness coming from him.
He closed his mouth and clenched his fists.
The heat of the battle made his body feel hot.
BOOM-!!
They clashed.
They exchanged rapid blows over the course of a second in midair, and it would have been almost impossible for an observer to make out what was happening.
The holy sword swung at the demon and drew black blood from the hand that blocked it before being deflected away by the Demonic Energy Armor.
He twisted with the recoil and flapped his wings to correct his posture before again swinging his holy sword, intending to crush the demon’s head.
[It’s too bad…]
Yogsaron stomped on the ground, causing the floor to collapse.
His thigh muscles inflated, and the tentacles were torn away.
He swung his fist into the sword’s swing again.
BOOM-!!!
A huge explosion shook the cave, and an intense light swept away the darkness.
Ludwig was pushed back by the impact, and he rolled on the ground.
[This is your limit.]
Yogsaron looked at Ludwig with deep, sunken eyes.
"Cough! Cough!"
Ludwig scrambled around on the floor and coughed out more blood.
He tried to lift himself, but he couldn’t put any strength into his arms.
He collapsed, and his face fell into the dirt.
"Ah, ugh…"
He struggled and twisted his body like he was trying to deny reality, but he simply did not have the strength to stand again.
Ludwig raised his trembling head to see the demon looking down on him.
He subconsciously knew…
'If this goes on…'
It was the end.
He would die in a faraway world without having done anything and without having achieved anything.
'No…'
Ludwig's eyes filled with desperation.
He wasn't afraid of dying—dying in a fight against a demon was something one could be proud of.
It was the most secure way to get to the Heavens, which was what every Light Watcher wanted.
But…
'At least…'
He couldn't die there.
He had a reason for wanting to survive.
'I have to tell Mr. Raphael.'
He thought of the 'seed' he'd found by coincidence before being trapped there.
He’d seen someone trapped in the body of a woman that was living as if she were a human.
He couldn't help but tremble while thinking about her.
He clenched his fists, ground his teeth, and tried to stand again.
His body was trembling and gave out again before he could fully raise himself.
"Ah, aah,” he desperately cried while the demon walked toward him.
* * *
The light around him faded, and darkness fell.
Then…
- Do you want strength?
"What…?"
He heard a familiar voice in his head.
He turned his face, but he couldn't see anything.
- There's no need to speak out loud.
'Who… are you?' he asked the voice within his head.
- I'm death. I'm the end. I'm the father of all those that are angry and anger itself.
Like a singer, like a poet reading a poem, the voice talked.
- I'm Satan.
'Sa… tan…?'
Ludwig frowned after hearing that name.
Anger toward Satan boiled up from within.
- I came here to make you a proposal.
'Get out of here. I'm not going to listen to what a demon has to say.'
Ludwig shook his head.
There was no need to listen to what a demon had to say, especially Satan.
'He's the Demon or Prophecy.'
He was the Demon of Prophecy who would bring destruction to the world.
It wasn't just Earth, he was also worried for Ernor and Hwan.
A god had prophesized that all worlds connected with the Hell of Nine Skies would be destroyed.
There was no need to listen to such a being.
-Hahaha!!
An evil laugh spread through his ear.
- As expected from a Light Watcher.
'Shut up. I won't listen to you.'
- Hahaha.
- Can you really do that in this situation?
'…'
Ludwig remained silent and raised his head.
He saw Yogsaron walking toward him.
It seemed like he thought he'd already won, or maybe it was because he wanted him to feel fear of death, but he was walking really slowly.
Still, there was something he was sure of…
When the demon reached him…
He'd die.
'It doesn't matter.'
- Oh, I'm sure you do care.
Ludwig bit his lips
'I'd rather die than make a deal with a demon.'
- Hahaha! Good! That's a good way of thinking! But…
- Can you still say that despite knowing the truth?
'What?'
- If you don't reveal the truth… Raphael could die.
'What do you mean?'
Ludwig's eyes shook.
‘Truth?’
What sort of truth was he mentioning that could lead to Raphael’s death?
- Didn't you realize something after hearing Yogsaron? Can you not figure out why I’m trying to make you a deal?
'What the…?'
- I'm not the Demon of Prophecy.
'…!'
Ludwig's eyes widened, and his body trembled.
The possibility of the Demon of Prophecy not being Satan…
It was something Raphael had said, so hearing it from Satan's mouth made his body tremble.
'Then…'
That meant Gaia's underlings were being deceived by the real Demon of Prophecy.
"Ugh."
Ludwig anxiously bit his lips.
'If you aren't the Demon of Prophecy… Do you mean that being called the Demon King is the Demon of Prophecy?'
- Thankfully, it seems like you aren't an idiot.
Satan laughed in a low voice.
- That's right. I was trapped by the Demon King and forced to become his subordinate.
'…'
There was a short silence.
A demon strong enough to make an archduke his subordinate…
He couldn't even imagine who such a demon could be.
'Is the Demon King… Baal?'
- No. It isn't Baal.
'Ha…'
His thoughts became even fuzzier.
The demon that the angels were most worried about wasn’t even the Demon King?
'How can I believe what you’re saying?'
- Use the sword.
Ludwig lowered his head.
He saw a sword emanating a white light.
Holy Sword Ludwig… A sword with a sacred energy capable of finding the Sea of Demonic Energy.
"Ugh…"
[What? Are you thinking of putting up some sort of final stand?] Yogsaron said in a mocking voice
He then stopped and crossed his arms.
[Then try to do it. I'll wait.]
"…"
Ludwig bit his lips and raised the holy sword.
In reality, he needed to be in a certain place and focus all of his attention on it to succeed, but he had no other choice at the moment.
He closed his eyes and focused his attention.
He found the Sea of Demonic Energy.
"Ah…"
His mouth fell open.
He couldn't believe what had happened.
Ludwig trembled after he realized the 'truth.'
"The Sea of Demonic Energy…"
- It seems like you've found it.
Satan laughed.
"It's inside Guardian?"
He didn’t know who had the Sea of Demonic Energy, but it was in the Guardian base at the moment.
Then…
That meant…
- What if… There's a demon within Guardian?
He remembered Kim ShiHoon's words.
'Gaia's subordinates…'
They had been perfectly deceived by the Demon of Prophecy.
They'd been deceived so perfectly that they'd even accepted him as a member of Guardian.
No, maybe they hadn't been deceived.
'What if every Guardian…'
What if they had all sided with the Demon of Prophecy?
"Ah, no."
Raphael had told him to collaborate with Gaia's subordinates after receiving a support request.
To think that the Demon of Prophecy would be inside Guardian…
'I have to reveal the truth.'
He had to tell the Guardians, who were being deceived by the Demon of Prophecy.
He had to tell Raphael, who had asked him to collaborate with Guardian without knowing the truth.
He couldn't even think how many lives would be lost if he didn't reveal that truth.
In the worst-case scenario, something he didn't want to think of might happen.
'Mr. Raphael could die.'
There was no way to know if the darkness that had devoured Guardian wouldn't spread to Raphael.
"Ugh, aah…"
Crack.
He clenched his fists.
He widened his eyes and swung his fists like he was trying to grab the air. He desperately stood with every bit of strength he had.
[Ha, is that your last stand?]
He heard Yogsaron's disappointed voice.
Ludwig's eyes filled with despair.
- So, let me ask again…
At that moment, he heard Satan's voice.
- Will you make a deal with me?
"…"
There was silence.
He didn't need to think too much.
"I…"
Ludwig spoke in a firm voice that hadn’t changed.
"Refuse to make a deal with you."
Ting-
[The target has resisted, the Authority of Subordination has failed.]
He gripped his holy sword tighter.
White light poured out of the sword and covered his body.
"Satan, you misunderstand who I am," Ludwig said while glaring at the demon in front of him.
Even if he lost everything…
Even if everything was destroyed…
"I would never make a deal with a demon."
