CHAPTER 123

When King Velence and his party entered Fury, what they found was a half-destroyed, desolate city.

Just a few days ago, this grand city, the largest in the Black Snowfield, was a sight to behold, but now more than half of it was in ruins, barely qualifying as a city anymore.

However, the sight of wildflowers blooming amidst the crumbling ruins brought about a strange feeling.

They had heard that General Winter had been defeated, and they had even personally captured the remnants of Fury.

But seeing it all with their own eyes felt entirely different.

A shiver ran down their spines.

Was it fear, awe, or perhaps a deep emotion?

Even for them, it was hard to put this feeling into words.

[Wow! Flowers, look at the flowers!]

[It's springtime, spring!]

[Woohoo!]

[Does this mean we can call others? Is that what this means?]

The gods of winter flowers were still cheerfully floating around in the sky, and upon spotting Elric in the distance, who was restraining the beastmen of Fury, they quickly ran towards him.

Elric, noticing them, couldn't help but smile as well.

"You've arrived?"

[Yep!]

[How did you do it?]

[Yeah, how did you do it?]

The gods of winter flowers were eager to hear Elric's tale of heroism.

They were thrilled by the thought that they could now awaken the other gods of flowers who had been asleep for so long.

"Your help was invaluable."

[Our help?]

[Why our help?]

All the flower gods, led by the God of Daffodils, tilted their heads in confusion. They looked so adorable that Elric burst into laughter.

"You gave me the scent of flowers, didn't you? That's what helped me overcome winter. There's nothing better for bringing a new season than the fragrance of flowers."

[Hmm? Hmm...!]

[Hmmm!]

[I don't understand what you mean!]

[All he's saying is that thanks to you, things went well. If you don't get it, just accept it like that.]

The God of Camellias waved her hand dismissively, as if to say, "Why bother explaining things in detail to these little ones?" Keeping explanations simple was the best approach for them.

And sure enough, after a brief moment of contemplation, the winter flower gods all brightened up and turned back towards Elric.

[Is that it?]

[Is that how we should think of it?]

[Yes.]

[Wow!]

[We defeated winter!]

[Yeah! We helped Elric defeat winter! Hooray!]

[Hooray!]

The gods of winter flowers began dancing excitedly again, their fragrant scent filling the air more intensely than before.

Perhaps because of that…

"Oh, oh! The gods are performing a divine dance!"

"A divine dance…!"

"What are you waiting for? Quickly, offer your prayers!"

The beastmen immediately knelt on one knee, bowed their heads, and began to pray.

Even the remaining beastmen of Fury did the same.

Though they had, under the orders of King Blood Wolf King and Barasen, desecrated the shrines of the flower gods and even committed the sacrilege of burning them down, deep down, the beastmen had always been strong believers in worshiping the sky. Naturally, their reverence and worship for the flower gods were just as strong, and they now showed it through their utmost respect.

Regardless of whether they were enemies or allies, seeing so many beastmen prostrate themselves in worship of the flower gods felt somehow solemn and reverent.

Only the God of Camellias looked at them with a disapproving gaze.

[They treat us with such reverence, and yet they still act so foolishly. Sigh! I really worry about what comes next.]

The God of Camellias sighed deeply. Now that General Winter had been defeated and 'spring' had come, other flower shrines would soon reopen, making the young flower gods even more boastful.

And the more boastful they became, the more the beastmen would fawn over and worship them.

It would be the God of Camellias alone who had to manage these noisy youngsters, making things even more of a headache.

If only she had known this would happen, she wouldn't have put so much care into decorating the garden. This all started back then… But there was no turning back now for the God of Camellias.

Then, she turned her gaze to Elric.

[More importantly, what do you plan to do with General Winter?]

"I've gathered all the elements that make up winter—frost, cold wind, and snow. Now, I just need to complete 'winter,' don't I?"

Elric took out the ice crystal and examined it.

When he first received it from Otto Han, it had been so transparent that he could see through it. Now, it was filled with a milky color.

[Do you know how to complete 'winter'?]

"If I knew, I wouldn't be asking. Do you know?"

[If I say I know, then I know. If I say I don't, then I don't.]

"What do you mean by that…?"

Elric was about to press for more answers from the God of Camellias, who had a mysterious smile, but…

Rumble…!

Suddenly, the ground of Fury shook violently, and Elric instinctively turned his head toward the source of the tremor.

Somewhere nearby… he could sense an Non-human presence.

***

As the beastmen of Fury continued to surrender, King Velence and the Anthromorph Allied Forces swiftly took control of the city.

"…As expected. What a mess!"

Clench!

Andrew—or rather, Judas, who was still possessing Andrew's body—gritted his teeth so hard that his jaw almost shattered.

After barely overcoming General Winter's cold and darkness, stealing the life force of his fallen subordinates just to sustain his body and rush here…

By the time he arrived, everything was already over.

It was beyond disbelief.

How many years had he and his organization spent scheming with Blood Wolf King to gain control of General Winter?

Ten years. Ten long years.

After the Demons' defeat in the Great Demon War, when Gregory barely started to regain his forces, it was here that they extended their reach.

And once Blood Wolf King's beastmen unification was complete, they were supposed to finally obtain the power of 'Northern Wind' and 'Winter Blizzard.'

Yet, in just one day, Melvinger had not only taken everything away but had also overturned everything!

His anger boiled over.

But the biggest problem was that his true body was still too far away to resolve this chaos.

While investigating an incident in the northern fire farming villages, he had gotten entangled with the Inspection Bureau and was now preoccupied with evading them.

'Now that I think about it, getting involved with the Inspection Bureau was also because of that bastard!'

Everything, from start to finish, had been tangled with Elric Melvinger, and not a single thing had gone right.

If he had known it would come to this, he would have dealt with Elric earlier.

Back then, Elric had been suffering from blockage disease and his family had been falling apart, so Judas hadn't seen the need to provoke the Empire by taking action.

But that had been a mistake from the very beginning.

'Now, there's only one option left.'

Judas's eyes glinted with murderous intent.

'I'll awaken the demonic energy I planted in Blood Wolf King.'

The one saving grace was that Blood Wolf King, for some time, had stopped following the path of a warrior and had been indulging in Non-human pursuits, becoming more and more soaked in demonic nature.

By awakening that demonic nature, even if Judas couldn't immediately recover Northern Wind and Winter Blizzard, at least Elric wouldn't be able to use that power.

Having made up his mind, Judas moved without hesitation.

"O Demon God. O Demon King. Hear the plea of your humble servant."

He extended his fingers, his nails growing long, and then plunged them deep into the left side of his chest, where his heart lay.

Splurt!

Blood spurted from his chest, running down to his mouth. As thick red blood dripped from his lips, a black demonic aura began to ooze out and spread.

Not only did it consume the demonic energy Judas had gathered from his other subordinates, but it also burned away Andrew's own demonic energy entirely.

A human sacrifice.

In rituals, the most powerful offering was always a living being, and of all living things, a life was the most valuable offering.

With this life and the seal he had offered, the demon god would surely not refuse him!

"I have heard your plea."

That voice echoed faintly in Judas's mind just before his consciousness was severed. His soul was ejected from Andrew's body and returned to his original body, while the sacrifice was quickly absorbed into the ground.

Sssss-

The ground turned pitch black. A deathly color, entirely foreign to the field of wildflowers, spread rapidly like ink spilled into a pool.

Then, the extinguished fox fire suddenly blazed up, burning the wildflowers and drying up the previously moist earth. Flames rose high from the cracks in the now parched land.

Boom!

The fire, which had been a red hue when Blood Wolf King wielded it, now mixed with the black of demonic energy, spread wildly.

The flames intertwined and began to take on the shape of a massive fox with seven tails, a grotesque creature of unimaginable power.

In response to Judas's plea, Azazel had granted power, and Blood Wolf King's soul had merged with it, transforming into something monstrous.

Kraaaaaaaah!

Blood Wolf King—or rather, the abomination wearing Blood Wolf King's form—let out a primal howl, baring its massive jaws.

A crimson-black flame scorched the earth as it tore through the center of Fury.

"W-what is that…!"

"Wasn't Blood Wolf King dead?"

"I don't know! Just run! Hurry!"

The beastmen, fearing they'd be engulfed by the flames, scrambled to flee in panic.

[Why is that thing acting like that?]

[The stench is unbearable!]

[It reeks like a sewer!]

[It smells like Mephisto!]

The gods of flowers cried out in disgust, more panicked than when General Winter had appeared. The dark mana emanating from the abomination was far stronger than anything they had felt before.

『Those pests…!』

Mephisto glared at them disdainfully, but the winter flower gods frantically shouted at Elric.

[You can't leave that thing alone!]

[The Black Snowfield will freeze over again!]

['Spring' won't come!]

[The land will be parched!]

[It'll end up just like General Winter!]

Elric understood what they meant. Blood Wolf King's soul, like General Winter's, was turning into another abomination that would plague the Black Snowfield for years to come, returning it to a harsh, unforgiving wasteland.

'I had a feeling things were going too smoothly.'

Elric quickly sent a telepathic message to Heize, who had come with King Velence.

[Big sis! Get the beastmen out of here, now!]

[What about you?!]

[I'll handle this! Go, quickly!]

Heize looked at him with concern, reluctant to leave him behind, but hearing the seriousness in his voice, she rushed to King Velence and the city leaders, urging them to flee.

In the meantime...

Whoosh—

Elric dashed toward the abomination, pulling out the ice crystal.

"Seriously, it's one thing after another. First a blizzard, now a drought? Can't we just deal with one thing at a time?"

Despite his sarcastic tone, his eyes were sharper than ever.

'I may have taken down General Winter along with Blood Wolf King, but I can't rely on luck again.'

And somehow, the abomination had become much stronger than it had been in life.

Whether it was because it was burning its soul as fuel or because it had fully transformed into something Non-human, Elric couldn't be sure.

But he knew there was only one way to stop it.

'I wanted to study it further before proceeding, but… I'll complete 'winter' right here and now.'

Without hesitation, Elric shoved the ice crystal into his mouth.

Whoooosh—

At the same time, the Seal of Brutal Cold and the Seal of the Winter Wind shone brightly, resonating with one another.

"[Come forth, Winter.]"

A freezing wind began to swirl around him, centered on his body.

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