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Chapter 356: The fierce battle continues - The Demon King’s pawns VS the Demon King’s companions

Vepar, an artificial spirit of water and death that took the form of a beautiful woman with the lower body of a fish.

Tai Sui, an enormous artificial spirit of the earth and death with no head or limbs, only a countless number of eyes.

Pazuzu, an artificial spirit of wind and death that took the form of a leopard with wings on its back.

Gnosis, an artificial spirit of light and death that looked like a goddess with white wings, wearing the smile of an affectionate mother.

And Guduranis Shadow, an artificial spirit of death that looked like nothing more than a white silhouette covered in black clothes.

It was clear that each of them possessed power beyond that of a Rank 13 monster. At the very least, even Luvesfol would have stood no chance against any of them in the past, even when his body was in perfect condition.

“Go! Kill them!” Guduranis commanded.

These artificial spirits had been enchanted by Guduranis’s death-attribute magic. They were certain to be formidable foes.

“‘Heroic God Descent!’ We’re engaging them, guys!” said Heinz, summoning Bellwood, who resided in his pendant.

He charged in, with his companions behind him. When Rikudou Hijiri was still alive, they had been thinking of retreating from this battlefield, but now that Guduranis had been resurrected and Edgar had been killed, they had hardened their resolve to continue fighting.

Rikudou Hijiri had posed a serious threat, but there was no way they could afford to allow the Demon King Guduranis to go free now that he had been resurrected and acquired a Status. And they couldn’t stay silent now that they knew that he was holding the soul of their companion Edgar prisoner.

“Those scoundrels, making it sound like they are leading us into battle!” Isla cursed.

“Calm down, Isla-san. We just need to fight the enemies that those people aren’t fighting,” said Darcia. “And Vandalieu–”

Darcia had been thinking of leaving Heinz and his companions to fight their own battle while she and the others separated the artificial spirits from one another to defeat them individually and Vandalieu fought Guduranis. Given that Guduranis was capable of using Edgar’s Skills, it was highly likely that he possessed the ‘Coordination’ Skill. Thus, she believed that it would be best to create a situation where he could not coordinate with the artificial spirits.

However, Vandalieu was already engaged in a close-quarters battle with Guduranis.

“‘Muscle Art Whip,’” he said, using ‘Muscle Technique’ to make tentacles of the Demon King swell up and swinging them like whips.

“‘Super Rapid Reaction!’” snarled Guduranis, using an ‘Armor Technique’ martial skill to accelerate his movements and parry these attacks.

“The great Vandalieu has asked me to inform you that he will deal with Guduranis, and would like us to deal with the artificial spirits,” said Gufadgarn.

“I’d expect nothing less of him. Thank you, Gufadgarn-san,” said Darcia. “Now then, let’s do our best so that we can help Vandalieu as soon as possible!”

Everyone responded to Darcia with a spirited shout, except for Luvesfol who was still enveloped inside Legion, and engaged the artificial spirits in battle.

Meanwhile, at ground level, the battle was continuing between the monsters, who were coming out of the gates at a significantly decreased rate, and the adventurers and knights that were protecting the city. But naturally, they were also watching the battle that was taking place in the skies above.

“T-to think that Guduranis would be resurrected…!”

“I-it’s over! We’re going to die!”

Guduranis’s declaration of his own resurrection had echoed across the entirety of the city of Orbaume, along with the sinister Mana that he was radiating. Shocked by the Demon King’s resurrection, some knights had felt despair and lost the will to fight.

It was likely Guduranis had declared his resurrection loud and clear with the intent of making the people lose their will to fight in this way.

But there were some who did not despair at Guduranis’s resurrection; in fact, it had only made their will to fight grow even stronger. Godwin and Borkus had a gleam in their eyes.

Godwin roared in excitement. “I can’t resist any longer! Hey, let’s hurry up and join that battle too!”

“Wait! There are some guys who have collapsed to their knees over there. They might be unable to move because they’re wounded! Evacuating them takes priority!” said Vigaro.

He and the others were just as eager to join the battle, but they were prioritizing rescuing those who needed help.

Borkus clicked his tongue in frustration. “You guys over there! You’re injured, right?! Stay right where you are!” he shouted at them as he ran over to rescue the knights, his fighting spirit still blazing strong.

One of the knights let out a terrified shriek. “We can still fight, so please spare us!”

Still trembling, the knights picked up their swords again and rejoined the battle against the monsters.

And from afar, the party of adventurers who were friends of Heinz’s party had witnessed Edgar being killed by the black silhouette that was apparently Guduranis.

“Shit! Heinz, avenge Edgar for us!” one of them muttered.

They couldn’t see souls, and because of the distance, they hadn’t heard anything other than Guduranis declaring his own resurrection. The only things they had seen clearly were the Wyvern turning into an Elder Dragon and Legion suddenly growing to an enormous size.

The only thing they knew was that Guduranis had declared his resurrection immediately after Edgar was killed. Vandalieu had blown off his head with a spell or something afterwards, but they didn’t know exactly what had led up to that. They assumed that Vandalieu had been aiming for Guduranis, but Guduranis had used Edgar’s body as a shield to block the attack.

Thus, even though they grieved their friend Edgar’s death and burned with anger, they continued fighting the monsters, as they couldn’t afford to let the monsters get into the Dungeon where Selen and the rest of the people had evacuated into.

Of course, they didn’t know that Rodcorte was the culprit behind Guduranis’s resurrection. In fact, they didn’t even know Rodcorte’s name.

“I don’t know what’s going on, but Guduranis has been resurrected, hasn’t he?! It’s probably Rodcorte’s fault!” Asagi yelled passionately at the people who were trying to calm him down as he stabbed monster after monster with his daggers. “Rikudou wasn’t the Rikudou that I once knew, but he was always the calculating type! So if anyone’s messed up, there’s no doubt that it’s Rodcorte!”

He destroyed the spine of an enormous Skull Dragon… or rather, a Fossil Golem, a Golem made from the fossilized bones of a Dragon. He delivered the finishing blow, and the monster fell with a growl.

Asagi pointed up at the sky. “That’s why we need to be the ones to end Rikudou’s misery now that Guduranis has done something to him! That’s the last thing we can do for him now, as his former companions!”

But those trying to calm Asagi down had a tired look in their eyes and a bitter smile on their faces.

“Yes, yes, we have taken your very valuable opinion into account, but could you refrain from doing that?” said Simon.

“Yeah. We don’t exactly have a ton of free time on our hands, you know. You’ll only make more work for Master,” said Natania.

The three heads of Fang, who had transformed from an Orthrus into a Cerberus after his Rank increased during the battle, barked in agreement.

They had parted ways with Arthur and the rest of the Heart Warrior Brigade, defeated the monsters between where they were and the Hero Preparatory School where Randolf was, and then they had run around to clear the roads that people were using to evacuate, killing monsters one after another to secure safe routes.

Simon had been riding Fang, while Natania transformed her four artificial limbs to allow her to run swiftly like a four-legged beast.

And then they had continued fighting the monsters while keeping an eye on Asagi, whom they had come across by coincidence. A Demon King Familiar had whispered a rather extreme instruction to them, but they didn’t see the need to go that far yet… though Natania’s irritation was rising.

“… Maybe I’ll break off just one,” she muttered.

“Keep it under control, Natania. This gentleman’s two friends are more reasonable,” said Simon. “There’s no need to turn a one-on-five situation into a three-on-three situation, is there?”

Indeed, it wasn’t just him, Natania, and Fang that were keeping Asagi busy. Asagi’s companions, the ‘Clairvoyance’ Tatsuya Tendou and the ‘Ifrit’ Shouko Akagi were also against joining the battle with Guduranis.

“I understand how you feel, but if Rikudou needs a former companion up there, Kanako’s there, isn’t she? And you always loved to say that Vandalieu was a companion of ours, too. So I think that’s enough,” said Tendou.

“Besides, even if we joined the battle, we wouldn’t just slow them down. We’d probably actually get in their way,” said Shouko.

“I will never recognize that woman as one of our companions!” Asagi shouted.

He resented Kanako for betraying him in Origin, and he was on the verge of an outburst of anger just from her name being mentioned.

“Just because Vandalieu has taken her in–”

He hastily shut his mouth mid-sentence as bloodthirst was directed at him from a nearby gate.

Vandalieu’s Demon King Familiars were still continuing to fight beyond the gates… and although Vandalieu would normally overlook this level of bad-mouthing, it seemed that this time, Asagi had set off his temper, which was already short because he was currently in battle and filled with killing intent.

And even Simon, who had been placating Natania thus far, had started to think: Maybe we should get it over and done with before Master has to get his own hands dirty?

Instinctively sensing this, Asagi quickly changed his tune. “It’s true that joining that battle would be difficult, given our current level of strength. I understand that,” he said, looking up at the sky.

Vandalieu and Guduranis were engaged in close-quarters combat, and Darcia and the others were battling against the artificial spirits nearby.

Their movements were incredibly fast and the quantity of Mana contained in each spell they cast was tremendous. The destructive power behind every swing from the blades, clubs, tails, and tentacles was unfathomable.

If that battle were taking place at ground level, there was no doubt that the shockwaves produced would obliterate the city completely, not even leaving any rubble behind. The city of Orbaume would be turned into a wasteland with nothing there other than rows of Dungeon entrances.

The only ones capable of joining this battle were a handful of top-class individuals among the A-class adventurers. Asagi was a reincarnated individual like Rikudou and Kanako, but he did not possess that level of strength.

This was because he had fully devoted himself to cooperating with the research into sealing fragments of the Demon King, and because the only Dungeons in the Birgitt Duchy were B-class and below.

Asagi and his companions had become as capable as or even more capable than B-class adventurers within just a few years. The speed of their improvement far surpassed other adventurers, and it certainly deserved praise. But if they were to join the battle taking place in the skies above, which looked like a recreation of a battle from the age of myths, their souls would likely return to Rodcorte’s Divine Realm within less than a minute.

“But my ‘Mage Masher’ should be able to stop Guduranis’s magic!” Asagi said, trying to appeal the usefulness of his cheat-like ability.

But Tendou and Shouko quickly shut him down.

“That’s true, but at the same time, it would stop Vandalieu’s magic as well,” Tendou pointed out. “And on top of that, you’d also stop the space-attribute magic of Gufadgarn, the Evil God of Labyrinths, who seems to have left Vandalieu’s shadow for now.”

“And it won’t do much against the spirit-like monsters that Guduranis has created,” Shouko added. “Asagi, have you forgotten that ‘Mage Masher’ only stops magic and can’t stop innately-possessed abilities?”

To begin with, Vandalieu and his companions didn’t regard Asagi as an ally, and they had never considered a strategy incorporating the use of his ‘Mage Masher.’

And Asagi’s ‘Mage Masher’ was only capable of stopping magic of the attributes. Thus, it was powerless against things like the Breath attacks of Dragons and the kind of fire and water that the artificial spirits’ bodies were made of.

If Asagi forced himself into the battle, the only thing he would achieve was causing chaos, and it was possible that this would even work in Guduranis’s favor… and in that case, one of Vandalieu’s companions would promptly dispose of him.

“Th-then the Magic Item that we’re experimenting with, which can forcibly separate fragments of the Demon King from the hosts they infest…!” said Asagi.

“That’s the last thing we need, isn’t it?! We have no idea if it will even work on a resurrected Guduranis! In fact, what will you do if it works on Vandalieu?!” shouted Tendou.

“Don’t bring that thing out! Not that we even have it on us!” said Shouko.

Fragments of the Demon King were the objects that had been produced when Guduranis’s body was separated into pieces. Thus, ‘fragments’ that had returned to Guduranis weren’t actually fragments; they were part of the Demon King’s actual body. The Item that Asagi and his companions had been researching had the effect of forcibly removing fragments from an infested host, but there was no guarantee that it would work on Guduranis.

The situation of Guduranis having been resurrected was an irregular one with too many unknown variables.

“Indeed. So now, can we please have your full attention in dealing with the monsters?” said Simon.

Asagi still looked reluctant, but he was finally convinced by his two companions’ persistent efforts. “… Alright,” he said with a nod.

Asagi’s voice had been loud when he shouted Rodcorte’s name and named him as the culprit behind Guduranis’s resurrection, and as it echoed across the buildings of the half-destroyed city, many of the adventurers of Orbaume had heard him.

All of them felt panic and fear in response to the unprecedented crisis caused by Guduranis’s resurrection, and most of all, they wondered: “Why?!” Although there was no proof that this information was true, it offered an answer to that pressing question, so it spread very quickly.

If it was claimed that the culprit was God of Law and Fate Alda, who was widely worshiped even in the Orbaume Kingdom, or the Five-colored Blades, the S-class adventurer party who were national heroes, nobody would have paid him any attention.

But the people had little resistance to believing that the culprit was Rodcorte, a god that they had never heard of. There were many who refused to believe the rumor that the one behind the Demon King’s resurrection was a god they had never even heard of and didn’t even know existed, but… Vandalieu and his companions were not the only ones in Orbaume who knew Rodcorte’s name.

“What did you say?! The Demon King’s resurrection is Rodcorte’s fault?!” Hendricksen exclaimed.

“What?! So, you’ve heard of this god named Rodcorte, Hendricksen?!” another adventurer asked incredulously.

Hendricksen and the other potential heroes being nurtured by the gods of Alda’s forces knew Rodcorte’s name. The gods they worshiped had previously sent Divine Messages to instruct them to pray to a god named Rodcorte.

The purpose of this was so that Rodcorte could grant them his divine protection and accelerate the speed of their development, but… even the gods could never have foreseen these consequences.

“I have… It’s the name of a god that a Divine Message told me to pray to,” Hendricksen said. “I was suspicious at first, but I had friends who also received the same instructions through Divine Messages, so…”

“I’ve heard of him, too! Not only that, but I’ve received his divine protection! His divine protection is on my Status, right now… So how could it be that this god named Rodcorte is the one behind the Demon King’s resurrection…?” another of the potential heroes said, looking confused.

If it were just the Divine Messages, then a possible explanation for this contradiction was that they had misinterpreted them. But with ‘Rodcorte’s Divine Protection’ displayed on their Statuses, they were certain that the god named Rodcorte did indeed exist.

It wouldn’t be possible for the divine protection of a god that didn’t exist to appear on their Statuses.

“That can’t be! The god that our gods told you to pray to is behind the Demon King’s resurrection?!” one of the adventurers shouted.

“There’s got to be some kind of mistake!” yelled another. “Hey, show us your Guild Card so we can see if you really have the divine protection of this god named Rodcorte!”

“S-stop it! I-I don’t know anything! I’m telling the truth!” Hendricksen protested.

“You’ve received his divine protection, but don’t know anything?! You expect us to believe that?!” another adventurer said accusingly.

Many adventurers were normally not particularly fervent when it came to worshiping the gods. But because numerous potential heroes had gathered around Hendricksen and his companions, their lack of devotion for the gods had created confusion and mayhem, which had quickly turned into anger and frustration.

The evacuation of the people had been completed and the monsters were appearing at a slower rate, giving the adventurers more time to discuss things among themselves, and that only helped the confusion to spread.

“Damn it! Gods! Elk! What is the meaning of this?! Please answer me!” Hendricksen shouted at the heavens, his mind filled with confusion and suspicion towards the gods.

“Is now really the time to be doing this?!” said Miriam’s high-pitched voice, drowning out Hendricksen’s prayer as she reprimanded the adventurers.

“I-is now the time, you say… The Demon King’s been resurrected!” one of the adventurers yelled back at her.

But Miriam was unfazed and continued reprimanding them. “Yes, the Demon King has been resurrected! The world is in danger! Is now really the time to be arguing amongst yourselves? Of course not! There are people who are fighting against the Demon King as we speak!” she said, pointing up.

Hendricksen and the others gasped as they looked at where she was pointing. There was an enormous Elder Dragon, an enormous Dragon-Colossus (?) made of bones, and a mass of flesh – a battlefield that looked like somewhere no humans should be – but there were also people who were battling against the Demon King and his subordinates.

“I don’t think it is a bad thing to doubt the gods. I have asked many questions of the gods in the past myself,” Miriam said.

Because Hendricksen and the others seemed to be on the verge of devolving into a state of panic, she had come over to speak up and calm them down, leaving the monster-slaying to Arthur and the others.

And now, she spoke to them about her own experiences.

She spoke of how she met Arthur and the others, worked with them, became a companion of Vandalieu, then suddenly gained numerous divine protections. She spoke of Vandalieu’s unbelievable actions, which had surprisingly little thought behind them at times, and simply going with the flow at others. She spoke of Gufadgarn, who was always reluctant to leave her place in Vandalieu’s shadow.

She spoke of Kanako’s claims that the adorable songs and dances she performed were hymns, and she spoke of Darcia, the incarnation of Vida, who acknowledged them as such. She spoke of Fidirg, whose tone of speech was overly familiar and friendly, and Luvesfol – the latter of which she had started to think was actually a Wyvern who was deluded in believing that he was an Elder Dragon.

The actions and words of the gods that Miriam knew often made her ask, “Are you really sure about this?”

“No matter what the answer is to that question, even if the gods make mistakes… Precisely because the gods make mistakes, it’s on us to think of the right thing to do ourselves!” Miriam said. “Am I wrong?!”

Even now, she was dressed in her transformation equipment and carrying out the strategy that had been created by Vandalieu and his companions. However, she was passionately telling the other adventurers that she was doing this because she had done her own independent thinking and she had come to the decision that it was the right thing to do.

Hendricksen and the others stood up, knowing that Miriam was someone with a strong and independent will, who continued to trust her own thoughts without blindly believing in the gods.

“It’s as you say. Now isn’t the time to be debating amongst ourselves,” Hendricksen said.

“How embarrassing that we needed someone who’s our junior to smack our asses to get our heads on straight,” another adventurer said sheepishly.

There was no longer any hesitation in their expressions; the light of a strong will worthy of potential heroes had returned to their eyes.

“Who Rodcorte is, what’s happened with the gods – Those questions are on hold until the next time we go to a Church,” said Hendricksen.

“Alright, let’s go! We need to exterminate the monsters so that they can’t go and support the Demon King!” shouted another adventurer.

And so, Hendricksen and the others put aside their doubt in the gods, but Rodcorte’s name was engraved deeply in their minds.

The Five-colored Blades, who were now missing Edgar, were fighting against Malacoda, the artificial spirit of fire and death. Nearby, Darcia, Legion, and Isla were easily destroying Tai Sui, the artificial spirit of the earth and death.

In exchange for possessing no offensive capabilities, all of its countless eyes were Demon Eyes, and each of them had the ability to inflict a different Status Effect on its target. However, Isla possessed the ‘Status Effect Resistance’ Skill, and being Undead rendered her immune to poison and disease. Darcia also possessed the ‘Status Effect Resistance’ Skill, and even possessed a superior version of the ‘Life-Attribute Magic’ Skill on top of that. Tai Sui was badly matched against its foes.

Valkyrie laughed triumphantly. “Petrifying us is pointleeess!”

Ereshkigal laughed maniacally. “Even if you poison us, infect us, or petrify us, all we need to do is cut those parts off and regrow them!”

“I don’t really get what’s going on, but I can’t stop laughing!” said Ghost.

Legion was conquering the Status Effects by tearing out the areas of flesh affected by them and regenerating them rapidly… They had also come under the effects of a Demon Eye that caused madness in any target that came into its sight, but because they were already half-insane in the first place, it didn’t change much.

“Four left! Let’s go, everyone!” said Darcia.

“Yes, my lady! Let us go!” said Isla.

As they moved to defeat another artificial spirit, they weren’t counting Malacoda, the one that was fighting the Five-colored Blades.

Meanwhile, Randolf was struggling in his battle against Pazuzu, the artificial spirit of wind and death.

Pazuzu shrieked at him as it flew around, contaminating the air around it and sending vacuum blades and shockwaves at Randolf from his blind spots.

“A difficult opponent for someone who has retired. I should have had Meorilith come with me,” Randolf muttered.

Randolf was a superhuman who had become an S-class adventurer, so he possessed the ‘Status Effect Resistance’ Skill and was even wearing a Magic Item that blocked poison and disease. But even so, the poison and disease produced by Pazuzu were gradually gnawing at him.

So, his poison and disease are stronger than my resistance Skill. I could cure them with my own magic, but… no matter how I go about it, doing that would leave me vulnerable! But with that said, I don’t really need to defeat this thing. I just need to hold out until Vandalieu defeats Guduranis or his companions defeat the other artificial spirits and come to help me, Randolf thought, checking the current situation of the battle quickly even as he continued to fight Pazuzu.

After defeating Tai Sui, Darcia and those with her had charged towards Guduranis Shadow. Kanako had been struggling against Vepar some distance away, but Knochen and Pete were headed her way to provide reinforcements for her. Pauvina’s group were currently in a back-and-forth battle against Gnosis, but a teleportation gate appeared and two people… or rather, two beings, appeared to back them up. Their appearances were quite peculiar, but they did indeed seem to be allies.

And Vandalieu and Guduranis were engaged in a battle so fierce that even Randolf would be killed by a stray attack if he accidentally got too close.

The Five-colored Blades were fighting as well, but even if they finished defeating Malacoda, they would likely charge towards Guduranis, so Randolf didn’t expect any help from them in the first place.

Nobody seems to be trying to back me up. They may have a lot of expectations from me, since I am an S-class adventurer, but… I’m not like Schneider, who defeated evil gods and Elder Dragons, Randolf thought.

He believed these artificial spirits to be more powerful than the weaker Elder Dragons or evil gods.

Their power came not only from the fact that Moriya’s ‘Shaman’ ability had been affected by Guduranis’s Mana. It was likely that these artificial monsters had been created through the same process used when Guduranis created monsters. Because of this, they had likely gained souls through the Demon King’s circle of transmigration system and gained Statuses. And they were made stronger by the Skills that they had gained – though another reason Randolf felt they were so powerful was that he hadn’t fought against anyone or anything as strong as or stronger than him after he retired.

A small teleportation gate appeared in front of Randolf, and a thin-bladed sword flew out of it.

“What is that?!” Randolf exclaimed.

The sword flew towards him with its handle pointed at him rather than the blade, and as he grasped it, a voice came from nowhere in particular.

“Reinforcements from the great Vandalieu,” it said.

“This voice is Gufadgarn’s… Given the circumstances, I shall gratefully make use of this,” Randolf said.

With this magic sword that had a blade that was clearly made of some kind of bone rather than metal, and a handle that felt strangely comfortable in his hand, Randolf’s circumstances in the battle against Pazuzu improved.

Meanwhile, Pauvina was fighting a difficult battle against Gnosis.

“‘Roaring Club Strike!’” she shouted as Pain flew in, allowing her to swing her club at the artificial spirit of light and death. “Luves!”

“Understood!” said Luvesfol, unleashing a ‘Raging Torrent Breath.’

But Gnosis chuckled in amusement as it evaded the attack and fired a beam of light.

Reinforcements arrived from a teleportation gate. Yamata, the Hydra whose heads had been replaced by the upper bodies of beautiful women, screeched to create a sound cannon projectile that forced Gnosis back, and Rapié?age, the Zombie that had been created from multiple corpses, growled as she used her fists and tail to deflect the beam of light.

Gnosis gave another amused chuckle.

“That eerie laughter… I do not like it!” said Luvesfol, who was currently a moving cannon that fired ‘Raging Torrent Breath’ attacks as Pauvina ordered.

His role in the battle was something that couldn’t be helped. He wasn’t the swiftly-moving type to begin with, and he wasn’t suited to battles that took place in the sky. His true strength lay in fighting underwater.

“Still, you’re surprisingly quick, Luves!” said Pauvina.

“Just now… You ran away from the beam of light,” said Rapié?age.

“You ran awaaay,” sang several of Yamata’s heads.

“I did not… I did not run away! I evaded it!” Luvesfol said indignantly.

He had gained some courage after being returned to his original form, but not enough to behave too defiantly towards Rapié?age and Yamata, who were his seniors.

But he did notice something. He had indeed become quite fast.

Why is that? he wondered. My body is lighter than it was when it was sealed away? Even though my wounds have not healed… Could it be that the Status I gained while I was sealed away is still active, and I am able to use the ‘Rapid Flight’ Skill? If that is the case… The ‘Familiar Spirit Demonfall’ Skill, too?

At the end of that last thought, a pillar of black light rose up from the ground and enveloped Luvesfol’s enormous body.

“You called?” said Vandalieu’s voice, echoing inside his head.

“I did not call you! Return to where you came from at once! I am an Elder Dragon!” Luvesfol shouted, feeling surprised and slightly happy that he had activated the ‘Familiar Spirit Demonfall’ Skill, but also feeling somewhat vexed about it.

“Now, now, don’t say that. Fidirg is able to use ‘Demonfall’ as well, so don’t worry about it,” Vandalieu’s voice said.

He did know why Luvesfol didn’t want to use the Skill, but he couldn’t sympathize with it, so he didn’t allow him to undo it.

“You fool! Summoning you upon my body and gaining strength from that is proof that I, a demigod, am an inferior being to you!” Luvesfol hissed.

In other words, it was not a matter of pride. However, saving face and maintaining appearances was something that Elder Dragons, gods, royalty, and even criminal organizations were obsessed with. It was not something that could be neglected.

“Luvesfol… I am a human,” Vandalieu insisted.

“That is not the problem! At least proudly call yourself the ‘Great Demon King!’ That would at least avoid wounding my dignity!” said Luvesfol.

“May I suggest that you think of a way to gain dignity by playing a role in this battle?” Vandalieu said.

Luvesfol paused for a moment, then clicked his tongue. “That does sound sensible!”

With his Attribute Values increased by ‘Familiar Spirit Demonfall,’ he immediately realized why his attacks hadn’t affected Gnosis so far. And now, he was far more powerful than before his body was sealed away.

Luvesfol flew forward, much to Pauvina and Pain’s surprise.

“Luves?!” Pauvina exclaimed.

Positioning himself in front of Gnosis, Luvesfol swung his tail – not at Gnosis, but behind himself.

“Your main body is here!” he roared.

A scream came from what was supposed to be empty air, and a sphere with a sinister-looking face on it was sent flying by Luvesfol’s tail. At the same time, the form resembling a winged goddess disappeared like an illusion.

Luvesfol’s tail had struck the main body of Gnosis, the artificial spirit of light and death. Gnosis had been manipulating a false image, created by refracting light, from a safe spot.

“Well done, Luves!” Pauvina said proudly as she flew after Gnosis’s main body.

Gnosis was a sphere that was about five meters in diameter, but that size wasn’t a problem for Pauvina and her companions.

“‘Roaring Explosive Heavy Club Strike!’” Pauvina shouted.

“Tornado… Punch!” groaned Rapié?age.

Pauvina’s club struck Gnosis’s main body from the right side, and Rapié?age’s rapidly-spinning fist hit from the left. Unable to withstand these attacks, it broke apart into particles of light and vanished.