[Translator - Pot ]
[Proofreader - Kawaii ]
Chapter 347: A Brother’s Malice
The Dark King was blind?
“…Huh.”
When the suspicion I’d had was confird, I asked in astonishnt.
“So that’s why your title was the Dark King?”
To think that the An (暗, dark) was referring to his own eyes.
[I lived my youth in the light, and the rest of my life in the darkness.]
…If that was the case.
Then fulfilling the centuries-old wish of Exilos and the heirs of the old kingdom might not have been that important to this man.
‘Is that why he was looking for Ereshkigal?’
Ereshkigal, which had vanished with Karzan’s explosive death.
Its purpose, perhaps, was simply to regain his lost sight.
“Do your subordinates know that you are blind?”
[Gulbark. And those who attend to . No one else knows.]
“How is that possible?”
[Because I killed everyone who knew.]
“……”
From that twisted answer, I was reminded anew that this man was a profound villain.
[To , night is day.]
“I’m sure it is.”
[It is rely the difference between whether people are asleep or not. Therefore, to , to rule the darkness ans to rule everything.]
I shook my head.
“That’s too self-centered.”
[Is not the center of the world ‘oneself’ for every human?]
The Dark King said.
[Will you surrender? I will at least grant you an annihilation without pain.]
“What kind of bullshit is that?”
[You have already lost.]
“I have? When?”
[Your strength will wane within this formation.]
The Dark King’s cloudy pupils turned toward .
[Even if we were equal, it is impossible to close this gap now.]
“Is that so? Weren't we both holding back our strength?”
[I knew you would say that. You won’t believe it if I tell you, so would you like to see for yourself?]
At that, aura gathered in the Dark King's opaque eyes.
“!”
From that point on, the Dark King's attacks were truly powerful.
He 'absorbed' my power from within this formation and used it as his own, crushing with imnse pressure and using the ghouls to grab my limbs and obstruct my path.
However.
‘This isn't enough.’
I dodged, parried, deflected, and dismantled all the various demonic arts the Dark King poured out.
[You are enduring well.]
Then, the Dark King stepped in himself.
Kieeeeeeeeeh!
The demonic sword in his hand cried out a shriek-like Sword Cry.
‘This is-’
Its sword path flew in with a bizarre trajectory, as if it were forcibly tearing at my future.
‘No-’
Movents that surpassed my predictions were mixed with unnecessary movents.
‘Feints.’
But I could not read those feints.
Why was that?
‘Because his caliber has changed.’
[In this space, my caliber is higher than yours.]
The Dark King said.
[But you couldn't avoid the True Demon Primordial Formation. Because I ‘calculated’ for you to enter it.]
“…You even calculated for this?”
[Was it not you, rather than I, who underestimated your opponent? You are still young.]
Those words must have struck a nerve sowhere within .
“Shut up.”
I unleashed the Black Fla Dragon, Ashen Celestial Dance, Profound Radiant Heaven Rend, Moon Dance, and the Shadow Flowing Phantom Sword.
[Do not use the sa ultimate technique twice. Have I not seen them all already?]
Every ti the Dark King clenched his fist or swung his sword, those techniques scattered in vain and beca his power.
[Are you agitated? The tip of your sword is wavering.]
I was receiving the very sa treatnt I had given Amilcar earlier.
‘I was agitated?’
Was I really?
I tried to use the large fluctuation in power created by my ultimate technique to aim for the Dark King's opening, but even that kind of move couldn't reach him.
[How desperate.]
Paaaaaaak!
I was struck by an attack I didn't even perceive and was slamd into the black wall.
Squirm...
The black wall then writhed like a living creature and bound .
Chiiiiiiik!
I ignited the black fla to burn it away, but the black wall, which regenerated as fast as I could burn and lt it, finally restrained .
‘…Wow, this is absurd.’
I couldn't even make a joke now.
Just as the Dark King had said, I was in a situation where I had been completely pushed back and suppressed.
‘What did he do?’
It felt as if this entire world was stealing my power to oppress , and acting as a sort of antenna, allowing him to anticipate my movents.
‘In short, this is the Dark King's perfect domain.’
[Allenvert Grunewald.]
The Dark King, his eyes closed once more, walked toward .
‘There must be so trick to him opening his eyes and cloaking them in aura.’
I was still analyzing my enemy’s fighting style and searching for a way to break out of this situation.
“Before I kill and absorb you.”
But the Dark King, as if the fight was already over, spoke again in his own voice.
“Listen to my story first. It is a sign of gratitude to the sacrifice that will beco a part of and complete .”
“…Are you letting your guard down? Don't co crying to if you regret it later.”
“Hahaha!”
The Dark King laughed.
“Perhaps I am ‘hoping’ for that, just a little.”
* * *
“Allen!”
The giant black sphere the Dark King had created leaked no sound, no presence.
It couldn't even be scratched, let alone broken, by any attack.
“Elder, what is this?”
Geninghen frowned.
“I do not know. It seems to be a type of barrier that connects to another dinsion.”
“Hahahaha!”
At that, Gulbark sneered.
“Now that the True Demon Primordial Formation has been activated, it is all over. Allenvert will never return alive.”
He bit his own finger.
Pshuk!
He sprayed that blood into the air and chanted sothing.
His wound healed, and his body began to swell.
“What is that now-”
“A form of contract.”
Geninghen frowned.
“The other party of the contract is probably the Dark King. Just as a god shares power with his devotees, or a demon shares power with his minions.”
The Demon God's minion spoke.
“Amilcar, Cercadis. Raise your swords.”
Those words made the two stand up.
“When the Dark King erges, everything will be settled. Offer your loyalty until the very end.”
Humans are creatures of inertia, and it was a difficult thing to defy that command now.
It was the sa, even if they were warriors whose caliber ranked among the top ten on the continent.
* * *
The Dark King.
He had many siblings.
“It is good you were born, my children. You have been blessed with a combination of the ‘most outstanding bloodlines.’”
The bloodline modification of the Svaltalfar.
They were its origin.
“You will eat the finest food and the most precious elixirs. I will teach you the most powerful demonic arts, the purest orthodox arts, the most diverse martial arts, and all manner of statecraft, strategy, and literature.”
It was the Dark King’s fifth birthday.
His father, no, the ‘Previous Head,’ had gathered the many children he’d had by his various wives, and said this, while chewing a rare steak.
“Grow strong, kill all your siblings, and take the throne.”
From that day on, hell began.
“The fifth child was assassinated.”
“The youngest is dead.”
“Who was the youngest again? I don’t even rember his face.”
“The 22nd son.”
“Ah, that kid.”
“Eldest sister is dead.”
“Is eldest brother not dead yet?”
“Not dead. But he’s beco a cripple.”
“Did soone poison him?”
“No, I heard his brain burned out while learning demonic arts.”
Factions were ford.
The children gathered around those who showed particular promise, those who were particularly friendly, or those who were particularly charming.
They used the power of their families, clans, their vassals, and their own strength to attack, kill, poison, and humiliate the children of other factions.
“You are the chosen children. If you grow up like this, you will defeat all your siblings.”
But they all knew.
Today’s ally would one day beco an enemy they had to kill.
The Dark King hated that.
“My son.”
And his mother could not tolerate such a son.
“The talent you possess is superior to anyone’s. And yet, you would choose death for the sake of re affection, for re loyalty?”
“But I……”
The next day, his mother brought a servant before him.
“This man was a spy. He was passing on our information.”
“Is that true?”
“Would I lie to you?”
“……”
The Dark King looked at the servant.
“Y-Young Master. Please, spare . I-”
Pshuk!
He cut the servant’s throat in one go, gifting him a painless death.
“Well done, my son. But in truth, that man was innocent.”
He glared at his mother in horror.
“Why did you lie?”
“To stain your hands with the blood of the innocent.”
“……!”
His mother was a warrior.
Strong and cruel, she had ultimately been 'chosen' by the Previous Head for her temperant and talent.
“You will experience this often from now on. But do not regret it. Do not let your heart grow weak because of stories. And rember just one thing.”
Fear crept onto his mother's strong face.
“If you die, Mother dies too. My son, do you intend to kill your mother? Even when you could save her? I do not want to die.”
The mory of that day touched sothing within the Dark King's heart.
He realized that even his mother was lying to him, trying to manipulate him for her own purposes.
If so, was there any reason to save such a mother?
…None.
But he did realize one thing: the feeling of being used and deceived by soone was extrely unpleasant.
“In the end, you betray too.”
When their faction had beco the strongest, he betrayed his older brother.
He had been a kind, affectionate, and thoughtful brother.
His talent was outstanding.
The Dark King had been drawn to that warmth.
That was why he betrayed him.
He waited until he could rise to the top with a single betrayal.
“Congratulations, you won. Be the king. But do not forget .”
His dying brother spat poison into his eyes.
“Kuaaaaaaaaaaak!”
That poison took the Dark King's sight forever.
The price of betrayal was a brother’s curse.
It was the malice his brother had shown in his final monts.
“Brother, I'm sorry. I’m really sorry.”
Every day and every night, he had to face the last image he ever saw, in the darkness.
…But even that had dulled long ago.
“Get up. If you have no sight, replace it with your senses.”
His mother was despicable, but her advice was correct.
Thanks to his innate martial talent and senses, the Dark King regained his power to the point where the absence of his sight was not felt, and he rose to the top.
There were no more siblings to stand in his way.
He was the single insect that had survived the solitude.
“Mother, you have worked hard. I will let you live.”
“How dare you do this to ?”
“What, did you plan to live in luxury, pushing your son to the front? You should be grateful your life was spared, as you wished.”
“How dare you!”
The Dark King placed his mother under house arrest to live out the rest of her days.
To conceal the fact that he was blind, he killed all the subordinates who knew his secret and set up a new stage.
“…I will serve you as my foster father.”
And so, he beca the foster father to the King of Flanders, building his power from the shadows.
“Gulbark, find Ereshkigal.”
“I accept your command.”
“After that, I will retrieve the Ebony Oath and the Dragon Heart and beco a Demon God. Before that, prepare a sche to bring down Grunewald and Valkenhain.”
…And so, it had led to this mont.
“And now.”
The Dark King said.
“I will absorb you, reconstruct my body, and break free from my brother's ancient curse.”
[Translator - Pot ]
[Proofreader - Kawaii ]
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