CHAPTER 117

Elric's head snapped in that direction.

Azazel has been resurrected?

That was not something he could simply stand by and watch.

Even during the Great Demon War 30 years ago, which shook the continent, the only powerful figures present in the demon faction were those at the level of demon kings.

Of course, upon closer inspection, there may have been a demon king of a higher caliber than what was known at the time, but even so, there was no absolute power within the demon faction to organize them into a unified force.

On the other hand, the human faction had the Empire, a unified system, which allowed them to effectively oppose their enemies.

The defeat of the demon faction was largely due to this very reason.

But now, they're saying the Demon King Azazel, who could rival even Mephistopheles, has been resurrected?

This was something that needed to be reported immediately to the Imperial family or the Hexagram.

In fact, Elric could already sense that the demonic energy radiating from the being possessing Andrew's body was of an unusual nature.

However, since it was only a small amount, he couldn't quite grasp the extent of its power.

That only amplified his shock.

But

『…No, that's not it.』

Mephistopheles, who had been staring at Andrew for a long time, suddenly let out a sigh of relief.

Elric quickly parted his lips in urgency.

[What are you saying?]

『That thing is a copy.』

[A copy?]

『It's a degraded version… it wanted to become Azazel but failed. You could think of it that way.』

Mephistopheles, realizing that the opponent was far weaker than he had initially thought, now added a mocking laugh.

『The four great demon kings, including myself, are either sealed or dead. Azazel, in particular, was torn apart and killed. His existence was erased, meaning he was completely annihilated. But for beings beyond humanity, true annihilation does not exist as long as their true name remains.』

[...You're saying Azazel's true name still exists?]

Mephistopheles nodded deeply.

『I'm not entirely sure, but I've always suspected as much. Otherwise, how could Gregory still exist to this day? And seeing that now, it seems my suspicions were correct.』

Gregory was conducting all sorts of experiments in order to resurrect Azazel—no, to be more precise, to restore the true name of "Insanity."

As Elric's thoughts reached this point, the image of Azazel's totems that he had seen in various farming villages while traveling north suddenly came to mind.

Weren't they filled with a significant amount of demonic energy?

And it was demonic energy of such purity and density that it could be called pure evil.

It seemed that all of those were being used for Azazel's resurrection.

'I had thought they were just sacrificial offerings to gather faith... but it was something much bigger than that?'

This gave Elric even more reason not to leave Gregory alone.

[So, in simple terms, that guy is in the same state as you, Mephisto, right?]

『What?』

Mephistopheles glared at Elric with an irritated expression, as if asking how he could be compared to such a cheap, degraded version.

Elric shrugged.

[Isn't it true? Mephisto, you're also just a remnant of your former self, left as nothing but a spiritual form after your true body was torn apart.]

『But I still hold the identity of Mephistopheles! I retain my memories, my powers—everything! How could you possibly compare me to that fake?』

Seeing Mephisto's quick burst of anger, Elric realized he had gotten the answer he wanted.

'In simple terms, there are probably a lot more of these guys within Gregory.'

How powerful would they be if they manifested physically instead of through possession?

That thought naturally crossed Elric's mind.

It was clear as day that Gregory would become his archenemy in the future.

With that in mind, he figured it would be wise to gather as much information about his opponent as possible.

"So, then?"

Elric decided not to hide his true identity from them any longer.

After all, with the Bureau of Inspection chasing after him so vigorously, it would be difficult for them to harm him immediately.

"So. Then. If that's the case."

Andrew gritted his teeth and snarled, intensifying the demonic energy even further.

"You. Must. Die."

Whooosh!

The demonic energy spread like wildfire, but—

"If you're gonna say something, say it right. Can't even talk properly, huh? Bumbling fool."

Elric mocked him without a trace of fear, even throwing in a derisive laugh.

Flash!

Andrew, his face contorted in rage, took a single step forward. Suddenly, his body seemed to sink downwards before reappearing in front of Elric.

But Elric, already sensing his movements thanks to his Preta Sense, swiftly swung his five claws.

Body Strengthening Art.

Ferocious Tiger Rush.

Boom!

The shockwave sent both of them skidding backwards.

"[Swirl!] And [Bind!]"

Elric quickly unleashed two of the three spells he had created—'Blizzard' and 'Chains of Brutal Cold'—in quick succession.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!

As the demonic energy from the Seal of Winter Wind and the Seal of Brutal Cold seeped into the mana field, a massive snowstorm formed across the area.

"Hmph!"

Andrew snorted, filling his Seal of Violent Gale with even more demonic energy. A whirlwind, far stronger than any Andrew could have created on his own, clashed against the snowstorm, sparking violently as they collided.

Crackle, crackle!

Amidst the chaos, chains burst forth like moles digging through the snow, binding Andrew's arms and legs with force.

Rattle, rattle, rattle!

Boom! Bang!

However, Andrew's demonic energy was so powerful that the chains shattered halfway, unable to hold him.

But during the time Andrew was preoccupied with fending off the magic, Elric swiftly maneuvered into his blind spot, spreading his palm wide and preparing to activate White Hand.

"[Become cold]."

Body Strengthening Art.

Black Tiger Hunt – Domain.

From the center of Elric's palm, a transparent aura exploded, instantly turning his right hand a pure white.

"[Shatter]."

The moment his hand touched Andrew's left side, the concentrated ice poison burst forth, instantly covering half of Andrew's upper body in frostbite.

Accompanied by a short soul speech, the frozen part of Andrew's body shattered into small pieces all at once.

Crack!

Crash!

Like shattering glass, the frozen chunks of flesh exploded into the air with a thunderous sound.

Ice Shatter.

It was the signature skill of the Ice Mountain King, a move that freezes and then shatters the opponent in an instant.

But even though Andrew's entire upper body had been blown away, he showed no signs of pain.

No, in fact, he was leaking even more demonic energy, rapidly regenerating his shattered body. At the same time, he bent his remaining arm into a hook and swung it toward Elric's side.

"[Rise], [Become more solid]."

Elric quickly stomped his foot on the ground. The snow beneath them erupted upwards, forming a solid ice wall to block Andrew's attack.

"[Pierce]."

Ice arrows formed thickly and then shot forward in a barrage.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Crash!

Andrew twisted his body violently on the spot, swinging his fists repeatedly. His punches were so fast that every ice arrow shattered upon impact, falling to the ground in shards.

Watching this, Elric clicked his tongue inwardly.

His opponent was much stronger than he had anticipated.

'If he's this powerful just from being possessed, how strong is his original body?'

A figure of this caliber couldn't have a low status within Gregory.

"Let me ask your name. What's your name?"

"…."

But Andrew merely snorted, as if to say that someone about to die didn't need a name, and launched an even fiercer assault.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Elric, too, responded by using White Hand repeatedly, blocking and deflecting the attacks while countering to push Andrew into a corner.

The fierce battle Elric was engaged in was something he could never have managed if he hadn't mastered Body Strengthening Art in the arrangement and hadn't brought the Seal of Brutal Cold to its peak.

Boom!

Their fists collided once again, sending Elric spinning to the right and Andrew to the left, both of them needing to quickly regain their stances.

With a blizzard swirling between them, Elric stared intensely at Andrew using his Mind's Eye. He could see that even more energy had condensed within Andrew than when they first met.

The longer the possession continued, the more the gap between the body and soul would grow, resulting in multiple weaknesses.

But at the same time, Andrew's assaults were becoming not only more violent but also more destructive as time passed.

'It means he's forcibly consuming the vitality of his vessel... but that doesn't make this any easier.'

Without knowing how much vitality Andrew's body had left, Elric had no clear way to turn the tide in his favor.

『You might scoff at him for being a copy or a degraded version, but he's still an imitation of a great demon king. If he were to fall so easily to someone like you, even that would be humiliating.』

Mephisto's voice echoed, implying that Elric still had a long way to go. And Elric couldn't help but agree.

At this rate, it was a deadlock.

Considering that they were in the heart of Fury's territory, this wasn't a good situation.

And, as expected—

"What's that?"

"Everyone, stop! Didn't you hear something?"

Even though the noise from the freezing storm was loud, the battle between Elric and Andrew was too fierce to go unnoticed by the beastmen, whose senses were keen.

Especially now, when the guards were on high alert for intruders.

"There seems to be something inside...!"

"Evidence of intruders has been found!"

"Squad 2 and Squad 5, move with me immediately!"

Elric could see the beastmen rushing toward their location.

For now, the storm and darkness were concealing him from view, but it was only a matter of time before they were discovered.

'Ah, this is totally screwed.'

Elric's original plan had been to steal General Winter without anyone noticing and slip away quietly. Now, that plan was completely falling apart.

"I. Guess. It. Looks. Like. I. Win."

Andrew seemed to have caught on to Elric's predicament, twisting his lips into a cold sneer.

Whoosh!

Once again, demonic energy rippled outwards, spreading across the ground. Simultaneously, the fierce winds began to change their nature, pulling toward Elric's position.

Andrew's clear intent was to pin Elric in place, making escape impossible.

Elric countered each of Andrew's Violent gale with the Seal of Winter Wind, neutralizing them one by one, while keeping a sharp eye on his surroundings using his Mind's Eye.

He could see the beastmen closing in on his location. Within five minutes, they would have him completely surrounded, and his escape routes would vanish.

The idea of using invisibility or concealment magic, like when he first infiltrated the area, wasn't even an option. Andrew would never allow him to attempt something like that now.

And that wasn't the only problem.

"They've. Come."

Zzzzz-

With Andrew's manic laughter, summoning circles began to form all over the snowfield, and one by one, other demons started to appear.

Each of them carried demonic energy comparable to Andrew before he was possessed.

They were all Gregory's demons.

Normally, Elric wouldn't bat an eye even at a whole set of enemies like these.

『At this rate, you're completely trapped. Got any good ideas?』

But it was clear that they were more than enough to cause him trouble.

Even Mephisto, sensing the situation, seemed eager to see how Elric would get out of this.

[Do I look like I've got any? Nope. If I just had a bit more time, I could drain all his vitality and wipe them out, but right now, that's not an option.]

『So, what are you going to do?』

[You know something, Mephi?]

『What?』

[My family has a really great tradition.]

『…?』

[If I can't have it, no one else can either.]

『…!』

Mephistopheles, realizing what Elric meant, stared at him in disbelief.

Elric swiftly poured all his mana into the three seals.

Whoooosh!

The blizzard intensified, shadow seeped into it, and jagged, serrated edges began to appear within the winds.

"[Gather], [Surge]."

Elric compressed the storm to its limit, creating razor-sharp wind blades even sharper than most swords, and sent them surging toward Andrew.

"Fu. Tile. Attempt."

Andrew scoffed, thinking Elric's desperate resistance was meaningless as he pulled the whirlwind back inward toward himself.

At the same time, the demons, responding to Andrew's signal, drew their weapons and charged toward Elric.

But then, Elric suddenly flipped the outstretched hand he had pointed forward!

"What. Is. This."

Andrew, realizing too late that Elric's gestures were part of a complex magical construct, had a sudden, dreadful realization.

"Wait. No!"

In a panic, Andrew tried to reverse the whirlwind he had pulled inward and send it crashing back toward Elric.

But it was too late.

The wind blades lost their direction and scattered wildly, striking the chains that had bound General Winter.

And then—

They struck the very magic circle etched deep beneath the snowy ground, flipping it completely!

The magical device that had been sealing General Winter was designed by Usdun Melvinger, and Elric knew its flaws better than anyone else.

Ch-ch-ching!

In a single moment, the chains binding General Winter shattered completely.

"Are. You. Crazy…?!"

Andrew's scream was drowned out by the monstrous roar and the bone-chilling cold of General Winter as it broke free.

[T/L: You can read more chapters and support me here: https://ko-fi.com/revengerscans ]