Belphegor stood up after 'Sloth' covered his body.
A breathtaking amount of Demonic Energy that couldn't be compared to before surged out of him.
Balrog's expression hardened.
'So now it's finally starting.'
While clenching his fist, which was covered with a dark flame, he got in position.
He'd been able to face Belphegor until then because of his fluke.
If he fought with everything he had, the story changed completely.
[Let's see if you really became strong enough to be able to say something like that.]
Belphegor slowly raised his hand, creating more intangible blades.
The number was completely different compared to before.
There were more than a thousand blades.
Crack-!!
Every blade that hit the ground tore the earth apart.
Although it was weird to see the ground being torn apart due to time affecting it, it wasn't that weird if you thought about it.
The Earth rotated—endlessly.
The 'Power of Stopping,' slowed down whatever it touched, so it made sense that the ground would be torn up like that.
'If that blade touches me…'
Even if Balrog had the Demonic Energy Armor, he wouldn't be able to avoid being critically wounded.
He spread his demonic energy and closed his eyes.
He focused on the changing flow of demonic energy and dodged the blades.
Crack-!
[Ugh.]
Even if he did a good job, it was almost impossible to dodge over a thousand attacks.
His skin was torn apart wherever the intangible blades touched him.
[Die, Balrog!]
Belphegor spread his arms wide.
The power of the Authority that tampered with time spread like a curtain.
Crack!
The land that was swept away by the landslide was overturned, leaving a huge crater.
Balrog bit his lips while dodging the blades pouring down on him.
'As expected of an archduke.'
Up until then, he'd faced countless demons that had Authorities, but Belphegor was on a completely different level from them.
Balrog stomped on the ground.
If he stopped even for a second, he'd get devoured by the Authority of Stopping.
If that happened, it would be the end. His body would explode if it got caught up in time.
Balrog kept moving and looking at Belphegor.
'There's a chance…'
The Authority of Stopping wasn't absolute.
Although it was so strong it almost felt like a scam, it had many restrictions.
For example, one couldn't use it beyond what they could see
'It’s slow.'
That was its biggest weak point.
If he moved faster, dodging the Authority wasn't actually that hard.
The archduke had created thousands of them to counter its weak point, which was the slow speed of the attacks.
BOOM-! WHOOM!!
Balrog kept moving endlessly.
Then…
'Now!'
An opening appeared.
Another weak point was that he couldn't move while he used the Authority.
It was the perfect chance to counterattack.
BOOM-!
He lowered his body and launched himself forward. An intangible blade brushed past his body.
His skin was cut open, and his muscles were torn apart, but he ignored the attack and clenched his fist, gathering demonic energy around it in a sort of armor-like gauntlet.
'Wait for the perfect opening…'
He had to attack him successfully.
Balrog shot forward at the speed of sound, and he swung his fist covered with a Demonic Energy Armor.
He was aiming for Belphegor's head.
He didn't put strength in his arms for a brief moment as it reached the protective aura around Belphegor’s body.
The moment he touched the Authority of Stopping, he would make his Demonic Energy Armor explode.
As the demonic energy spread, it would block Belphegor's sight.
The Authority of Stopping could influence the area Belphegor's sight reached. If, the moment the Authority was activated, he could block his sight by making demonic energy explode, he could successfully land an attack.
Crack-!
'Yes!'
He felt a sensation in his fist.
Balrog's eyes shone, but…
[Aah, so you were trying to use a trick like this.]
Belphegor made a sarcastic comment.
The white armor that was covering his body spread around.
It was as if a spider had opened its legs—as if a predator had opened his mouth.
The armor spread and wrapped around Balrog's arm.
Crack-!!
[Ugh!!]
His arm was torn apart, and black blood poured from his wounds.
Belphegor clicked his tongue and crossed his arms.
[Tear him apart and kill him.]
He gave an order to someone, and Balrog soon realized who he'd given that order to.
Crack-!
The white armor that was covering his body changed its shape.
Eight arms appeared that resembled the arms of a skeleton.
The hands gripped Balrog’s body and began pulling him in different directions.
[AAGGHH!!] A painful scream left Balrog’s mouth.
Crack. A fissure appeared in the Demonic Energy Armor that was protecting his body.
The Hell's Equipment, 'Sloth'…
How that Equipment worked was simple…
It wasn't that it could deal overwhelming damage or had some special capability.
Rather than that, ‘Sloth’ could do whatever its owner asked of it.
If he didn't want to use his feet to move, it could become a chair with wheels. It could become armor if he wanted it to protect his body. If he wanted to kill an opponent, it would become a weapon and move on its own.
While 'Sloth' was moving, its owner didn't have to do anything.
[Ugh!!]
* * *
The eight arms pulled him and applied huge pressure on his body.
It was simple, but it certainly wasn’t weak.
'Sloth' was a Hell's Equipment that could perfectly cover for the weakness of being unable to move that Belphegor's Authority of Stopping had. At the same time, it could apply huge pressure on Balrog.
Crack-!
His bones broke, his skin split, and blood poured out.
Balrog's eyes were bloodshot, and his muscles inflated like they were about to explode.
Still, he couldn't free himself from the strength of 'Sloth'.
Belphegor laughed at him.
[Hngh. You bragged so much, yet this is your limit.]
Tsk tsk.
He clicked his tongue and shook his head.
[Did you really think you would be able to beat an archduke?]
It was an unbelievable thought.
Not only that, but thanks to having absorbed the Root of Evil, he'd gotten stronger than before.
He was just the subordinate of the Demon King, so there was no way someone like that could beat him.
Belphegor looked at Balrog as if disappointed, but his eyes soon shone.
[Ah, now that I think about it… Using you might be more effective than using Kim ShiHoon.]
[More effective?]
[For calling the Demon King to where I want him.]
Belphegor laughed at him.
Balrog smirked.
He wasn't sure what they were planning, but it was pointless.
[Do you think a hostage plan would work against him?]
[It will. Balrog, did you forget why the Demon King started a war?]
[…]
[Hahaha. Although he's a crazy bastard, he does really care for his subordinates. Ah, is it because he's crazy? Anyway, if you're held hostage, I'm sure not even the Demon King would be able to do whatever he wants.]
Belphegor smiled.
If they had Balrog as a hostage, the chances of their plan succeeding increased.
They would be able to kill that monster, the Demon King.
[Then… before taking you to the Demon King, should I pull apart your arms and legs?]
Crack-!!
[UGH!! AGH!!]
[Hahaha!! You'll be able to see your owner dying in front of you once again!]
A scream left Balrog's mouth.
The arms of 'Sloth' were pulling his arms and legs.
'If it goes on like this…'
Balrog bit his lips, even while being in huge pain.
'I'll probably…’
His eyes sank.
He imagined the battle against Belphegor, and a chilling fear ran through his spine.
'Lose.'
There was no doubt about it.
The archdukes were beings that were fundamentally different from the normal demons.
It didn't matter how much one tried or struggled, it was impossible for an average demon to be able to beat an archduke.
'Oh well…'
If it were simple, there's no way the position of an archduke would've changed only once since the Hell of the Nine Skies was created.
The archdukes were born as archdukes from the beginning—they were absolute beings that were born to be rulers.
There were only two beings that were able to break through that rule…
'Baal and the Demon King.'
During the long history of the Hell of Nine Skies, only those two were able to break that mold.
'No…'
Balrog smiled.
He clenched his fist and raised demonic energy from inside his body.
Only?
'Already two have won.'
The chances weren't zero.
Archdukes weren't invincible—they'd lost in the past.
It didn't matter how arrogantly they behaved and talked.
'The Demon King beat them.'
KangWoo had beaten them.
Of course, it wasn't that they didn't suffer losses. No, they'd suffered countless losses.
Numerous subordinates died, and there were a few that the Demon King really cared about.
All…
Had died.
- Balrog…
A memory of the past came back to him from when he'd already spent a lot of time with KangWoo.
Just like when he'd met him for the first time, KangWoo also looked like a corpse.
- I'm tired.
It was what he'd said while sitting over countless corpses.
He remembered that time.
They'd gone through numerous, desperate situations, but still…
By overcoming a huge difference, even under the worst possible conditions, he'd stood and stepped forward, and in the end…
He won.
'Then…'
He could also overcome the pain.
No, as someone that served the Demon King, he had to overcome it.
He had to make the impossible possible.
If he couldn’t, he didn't have the right to serve him—to walk next to him.
He couldn't lessen the burden on his shoulders.
- Don't overdo things. I don't need your help.
That's what KangWoo would say if he looked at Balrog’s situation.
He would ask why he hadn't asked for help.
In reality, asking for help wasn't hard—he had the communication device KangWoo had given him and told him to use it whenever he needed help.
He would probably appear in the blink of an eye if he called him.
And…
'He'll probably try to carry the burden on his own.'
Once again, he would walk alone with such a heavy burden on his shoulders, and then he would reach a really high place—just like he always did.
Just like he'd done numerous times over the past thousand years.
He would walk farther and farther.
[I'm tired.]
[What?]
[I'm tired of not being able to protect my owner.]
Balrog smiled.
Crack-!!
The sound of something breaking and tearing apart split the air.
What was torn apart wasn't Balrog's arms and legs…
[What the…?]
A fissure began appearing in ‘Sloth’s’ arms.
BOOM-!
Balrog's giant body fell to the ground with demonic energy covering it.
He resembled a medieval knight with the way demonic energy covered his body.
He flapped the bat wings that were on his back.
Balrog's two eyes widened.
His pupils, which could be seen from behind the full-plated armor, were yellow.
His black eyes were torn horizontally—similar to KangWoo’s
[Now…]
He remembered when he drank with KangWoo.
At that time, a smile appeared on his face—he seemed happy.
It was a smile he hadn't been able to see in Hell.
'I've already failed once…'
He hadn't been able to protect his owner.
That wasn't going to happen twice.
[I'm going to protect my King.]
