Return of the Calamity-Class Death Knight

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Chapter 322: Another Round with Duke Class Demon (3)

***

At the moment when Damien was fighting with Vahel, Balhard was locked in a brutal exchange of blows with Bas.

Both Balhard and Bas had many techniques beyond just throwing punches.

However, as if they had made an unspoken agreement, the two clashed using only their bare hands.

As a result, Balhard was now barely able to stand.

‘This disgusting bastard.’

With his half-swollen eyes, Balhard glared at his opponent.

Compared to his own weakened state, Bas looked perfectly fine.

“Hahaha! As expected of a dragon! To take this many hits from me and still be standing!”

Bas was even more fired up, seemingly ready to charge at any moment.

“You’re quite impressive for a demon. Still holding on, I see.”

Balhard tried to bluff, but his situation was far from good.

In his heart, he wanted to flee the scene immediately. But as a dragon, he couldn’t afford to show such disgrace.

“Hahaha, I\'m glad to see you\'re enjoying this as much as I am! Shall we continue our fun?”

As Bas slammed his fists together causing a heavy shockwave rippled outward.

Balhard’s expression stiffened slightly.

The two monsters glared at each other, and as if they shared the same thought, they both crouched, ready to leap.

Just as they were about to spring into action, Bas suddenly scowled and shouted.

“What? Dorugo escaped?!”

Balhard looked at Bas in confusion. Bas seemingly ignored Balhard\'s gaze and continued shouting into the air.

“What do you mean she escaped...? You want me to come back immediately?”

Balhard immediately understood that Bas wasn’t talking to him.

“Can’t you wait just a bit longer? We haven\'t finished yet... It\'s the Lord’s order? Damn it, fine. I’ll return right now.”

With a displeased expression, Bas withdrew his fighting spirit. The world grew silent in an instant.

“Dragon, we\'ll settle this next time.”

Balhard’s face showed even more bewilderment.

The enemy, who had been overflowing with fighting spirit just moments ago, was now suddenly leaving. Balhard couldn’t believe the sudden turn of events.

“Hahaha! You look disappointed too.”

Bas laughed loudly. It seemed he had misinterpreted Balhard’s expression.

“Sorry about this. See you next time.”

With that, Bas leaped toward a dimensional portal.

Due to his massive size, it only took a few steps before he reached the portal.

As soon as Bas entered, the portal closed behind him, and the night sky returned to normal.

“Sigh…”

A wave of relief washed over Balhard after Bas was gone. He collapsed to the ground and let out a deep and relieved breath.

“Damn it, I’d heard that Marquis class demons were strong, but I didn’t think they’d be this powerful.”

Balhard recalled his battle with Bas.

No matter how hard he hit, swung his tail, or even bit down, nothing worked.

Bas didn’t even bother to dodge. He took every attack head-on and then counterattacked Balhard.

“When we meet again, it’ll be different.”

During the slugfest, Balhard hadn’t used his Dragon Tongue or breath.

Of course, Bas hadn’t used his full power either, but Balhard didn’t feel the need to remind himself of that.

“Right. What happened to Damien Haksen?”

Balhard headed toward the spot where Damien had been fighting. Damien was inside the massive square barrier.

“This is Vahel’s power, isn’t it? Could Damien be trapped inside?”

Balhard swung his fist to break the barrier, but it only trembled slightly and didn’t break.

“What!!!”

He was already frustrated from his fight with Bas, and Vahel’s barrier caused his temper to flare even more.

Balhard opened his mouth and gathered his mana. Then, he unleashed a fiery blast.

The dragon’s breath was the dragon’s most powerful weapon. They unleashed it by gathering all of their mana and expelling it in a devastating torrent.

But even with his breath attack, he couldn’t destroy the barrier.

“...”

Balhard stared at the barrier in disbelief. At this point, he wasn’t angry anymore—he was deeply unsettled.

He had heard that the powers of a Duke class demon were formidable, but he hadn’t expected this.

“How do I deal with this?”

As Balhard was pondering, the center of the barrier suddenly split open.

The barrier shattered like a rock hitting glass. Damien came out from the crumbing barrier and stood with his sword drawn.

“D-Damien? Don’t tell me... you cut through Vahel’s power?”

Balhard shouted in shock.

He couldn’t believe it. The same power that had completely withstood his efforts was cut down so easily by Damien. Even though he had seen it happen with his own eyes, it felt impossible.

“Your tone is a bit too unformal, isn’t it?”

Damien’s voice was dark and cold.

At that moment, Balhard realized instinctively that he had to tread carefully with Damien—or things would go very badly for him.

“I-I was just so overjoyed to see that you were unharmed, I made a mistake!”

“Watch yourself from now on.”

“Yes, sir!”

Balhard shouted loudly. Damien glared at him for a moment before turning his head away.

“What about the demons?”

“They suddenly retreated through a dimensional portal and disappeared.”

“Can you pursue them?”

“With my current abilities, I’m afraid I...”

Balhard’s voice trailed off, showing that he lacked confidence. Damien clicked his tongue in annoyance.

“But if we go to the Otherworld, we might be able to find a way.”

“The Otherworld?”

“I overheard the demon I was fighting. He said that Dorugo had escaped.”

At the mention of ‘Dorugo’ Damien\'s eyes widened.

“Dorugo escaped?”

“Yes, I believe the demons are planning to pursue her. And the only place Dorugo could possibly flee to is the surface. The demons will surely appear there as well.”

Damien listened closely to Balhard\'s explanation.

“The Elders know how to monitor the entire surface. So, it would be best to return to the Otherworld for now.”

“Then let’s head out immediately.”

At Damien\'s command, Balhard quickly began preparing to open a dimensional portal.

But soon after, a look of discomfort spread across Balhard’s face.

“What’s the problem?”

“Well... there’s a thick residue of demonic energy lingering around here. It’ll take some time to open the portal.”

Opening a dimensional portal was no easy task.

If the flow of mana in the surroundings was even slightly off, the portal might not open at all—or worse, it could lead to an entirely wrong location.

“...Time?”

That might be true for humans.

But for higher beings like demons or dragons, controlling dimensional portals was a much more advanced skill.

“Aren’t you a dragon?”

“I’m good at fighting, but not so much at this sort of thing...”

Damien stared at Balhard with a look of utter disappointment.

“Open it as quickly as you can.”

“Y-Yes, sir.”

As Balhard struggled to open the portal, Damien sat down and lifted Erebos.

‘I need to consolidate what I’ve just learn.’

Damien recalled the single sword strike he had unleashed during his fight with Vahel.

Though he hadn’t managed to sever Vahel’s neck, the technique itself had been flawless.

‘With my current strength… I might actually win.’

Focusing his mind, Damien found himself drawn into the Erebos. When he looked up, Ruin was standing before him.

“...”

Ruin still gazed at him with those vacant eyes.

“Good to see you again.”

Damien waved his hand casually as he spoke, but Ruin didn’t respond. He assumed a combat stance.

“Seems I’m the only one happy to see you. That’s a little disappointing.”

With a shrug, Damien also took his stance.

Both stood silently, gripping their swords and glaring at each other.

Ruin was the first to move. Just as Damien had seen many times before, Ruin charged at him and aimed for his neck.

Last time, Damien couldn’t even see the strike before losing his life.

But this time was different. His battle with Vahel had sharpened his understanding of the technique.

Damien bent forward and dodged the slash while simultaneously cutting across Ruin’s waist.

Ruin’s body split in two and collapsed to the ground.

“Hah!”

Damien took a deep breath. Even though it had been just a short moment, the sheer focus it required had drained his energy.

“This time, I won.”

The opponent who had given him so much trouble was now defeated with ease.

Damien realized just how much stronger he had become. A satisfied smile spread across his face.

Ruin’s body dissipated into smoke and vanished completely. In the distance, a new Ruin appeared.

“What are you planning to show me this time?”

Damien asked playfully even though he received no response.

Ruin raised his sword high. Light, darkness, and a swirling blue mist began to converge around the blade.

Damien could hardly believe what he was seeing.

Ruin was merging normal mana, dark mana, and divine power into one.

It was a technique that even Damien had only imagined but never dared to attempt, and yet Ruin was doing it effortlessly.

A shiver ran down Damien’s spine. His whole body trembled.

Then, Ruin brought his sword down. The three energies combined and rushed toward Damien in a powerful strike.

Damien swung his sword, releasing his own aurablade to counter.

The two attacks collided. However, Damien’s strike didn’t hold up for even a second before it vanished.

It wasn’t cut down or destroyed—it simply evaporated, as if it had never existed.

Ruin’s attack cleaved through Damien, and his body completely disintegrated.

***

“...!”

Damien was jolted awake.

He patted himself down with both hands. Thankfully, his body was intact.

“Ha... that was a truly absurd monster.”

He recalled the aurablade Ruin had unleashed.

To think that Ruin could so easily perform a technique that Damien himself couldn’t yet manage.

“Is he still that much stronger than me?”

A bitter smile crossed Damien’s lips as he focused his mind once more.

“I’ll steal that technique too.”

Damien’s consciousness was once again pulled into Erebos.

***

“My lord, I’ve returned.”

The moment Bas stepped through the dimensional portal, he knelt before Vahel.

“Well done. I’m sorry for interrupting your fun.”

“Not at all, my lord. I am but your servant.”

Bas said as he bowed his head down. Vahel grinned, apparently pleased with Bas’s loyal demeanor.

“Take a good rest. We’ll soon be heading to the Empire, and we’ll be causing chaos the moment we arrive.”

“Humans are nothing to fear.”

Bas replied confidently. He wasn’t boasting for Vahel’s sake—he truly believed it.

“You’re always so reliable.”

“Thank you, my lord. But how did Dorugo manage to escape?”

Bas asked with a curious expression.

Dorugo had been guarded by Laria, a Marquis class demon.

No matter how hard Bas thought about it, he couldn’t imagine how Dorugo could have escaped from Laria’s grasp.

“Dorugo’s undead minions attacked Laria and helped her to escape.”

Vahel said casually. However, Bas\'s doubts only grew stronger.

“Laria… lost to them?”

Bas was totally stunned.

Laria was a powerful demon, standing on equal footing with Asthar. Even Bas himself wasn’t confident he could defeat her.

And now, undead creatures had supposedly helped Dorugo escape from someone as formidable as Laria?

“Bas, it seems like you don’t believe me.”

“No, my lord, that’s not it.”

“I didn’t believe it at first either. But after seeing this, I had no choice.”

With a flick of Vahel’s finger, a Count class demon dragged something toward them.

It was Theta.

Theta had once been incredibly beautiful that she was also admired by many demons. But now, her face was so battered and bloody that she was nearly unrecognizable.

“They sacrificed her to help Dorugo escape. Those undead must’ve been desperate. That’s why Laria couldn’t stop Dorugo from getting away.”

Bas finally accepted the explanation. There was nothing more dangerous than a cornered beast.

“Now that your curiosity’s settled, shall we get moving? Migmag, open the way.”

Migmag waved his iron staff.

A massive dimensional portal opened in the center of the ruined fortress and revealed the imperial capital on the other side.

“Let’s go capture Dorugo again.”

Vahel said as he leaped through the portal. The other demons followed closely behind him.

***

“Mom, what’s that?”

The first person in the capital to notice their arrival was a young boy.

“What are you talking about, dear?” His mother asked.

“That, over there.” He said, pointing to the sky.

His mother looked up casually, but her face quickly turned pale.

“What… what is that?”

Monstrous figures were pouring down from the sky.

Although she had lived her entire life in the capital, she instantly recognized how terrifying and dangerous those creatures were.

“M-Mom…”

The boy stammered as he clung to her. She pulled him close and tried to comfort him.

“It’s… it’s okay. The capital is protected by the barrier!”

Just then, the transparent barrier surrounding the capital collided with the demons. The barrier shattered in an instant.

The demons landed on the ground and chaos erupted in the city.

“S-Somebody help! What are these monsters?”

“Where’s the guard? Where’s the city guard?”

The citizens of the capital frantically tried to flee.

Vahel smiled as he watched the fleeing citizens of the Empire.

"Like lambs fattened for the slaughter."

"My lord, may I enjoy a little snack?"

Bas asked eagerly.

"Hmm? Go ahead. You deserve a little fun."

Vahel replied casually.

A grin spread across Bas’s face, and in an instant, his body began to grow.

In the blink of an eye, Bas towered over the Empire’s walls, far larger than before.

"Where do you think you\'re going? Leave your souls behind, even if your bodies escape."

With a sweep of his massive hand, the fleeing citizens’ souls were pulled into his grasp.

“Gah!”

“Ugh!”

The souls of Imperial citizens were ripped from their bodies, rendering them lifeless on the ground. Bas gleefully gazed at the souls in his hand and laughed wickedly.

"Let’s see how they taste…"

Just as Bas was about to lick his hand, a bolt of lightning struck from the sky, piercing his skull in an instant.

"RAAAAH!"

Bas roared in pain. His face twisted with fury as he screamed.

"Who dares!? Show yourself!"

"Up here, you overgrown chicken."

A voice mocked him.

Bas quickly turned his head to his shoulder, where a boy was standing.

"...Who are you?"

Bas asked with a serious tone. The pressure radiating from the boy was unlike anything he had encountered before.

"Me? Even if I told you, I doubt you’d know."

The boy replied nonchalantly.

The boy raised his hand, and a ring on his finger transformed into a spear.

"Listen carefully. I’m the one they call the Mercenary King, and I’ve come here on behalf of the Empire to smash your ugly heads."

***

"Wow, I didn’t know there was another human this strong."

Vahel muttered in admiration as he watched the Mercenary King standing on Bas’s shoulder.

"Not quite on the level of Damian Haksen, but impressive nonetheless. Could he be a Grandmaster?"

As Vahel observed the Mercenary King, the sound of footsteps caught his attention. Two men appeared.

"Hmm? And who might you be?"

Vahel asked, but the two men ignored him and spoke amongst themselves.

"Eos, is that the one you mentioned?" One man asked.

"Yes. He’s a Duke class demon, so don’t let your guard down." Imperial Supreme Sword replied.

"Just when I was happy to hear that Pandemonium’s forces were weakened… now this? What a nightmare."

"Still, I’m here, and the Church’s forces will arrive soon. We have chance." Imperial Supreme Sword reassured him.

"Yeah, that makes me feel a lot better."

The man scoffed.

Both men gripped their swords tightly.

Now the Imperial Supreme Sword and the Sword Saint stood between the demons and the Empire.

***