novelKing's Qualification (3)
| ← Ch.186 | Ch.188 → |
Clenching his teeth, Yong-ho looked to the left and right with glaring eyes. Then, he conveyed his intentions to his dungeon spirits.
"Kill him! I'm going to give up Asclepius. Kill him who became a madman!"
Yong-ho grabbed the air with his right hand. Stretching down Aamon that arose from the flames, he stared at Asclepius over the shield. He counted the numbers deep down. He moved his hands with Kaiwan at the same time and deactivated the shields of distortion. Then he pierced in the air with Aamon repeatedly.
There arose a strong wave of green flames. It was not for the purpose of killing him. He planned to block Asclepius's vision with the green flames even for a moment, so his dungeon spirits could rush toward him. He could carry out such a plan because the green flames of greed could identify Yong-ho.
The raging green flames quickly engulfed him like a beast. Eligos and Ophelia also awakened their beast nature. Kaiwan and Catalina threw themselves into the flames without any fear.
And at that moment, the waves of the green flames were split in two. They were scattered into two groups but perfectly united as one as if heaven and earth were separated.
Right at that moment, Yong-ho saw Asclepius splitting the green flames with the sword of the sun. He was a maniac, but at the same time, he was one of the 12 Spirits of the House of Mammon.
The next moment was compressed then another moment came. Asclepius's horse hoofs hit the ground hard. While holding the sword of the sun in his left hand loose, he took the giant spear in his right hand at the same time. Then he charged into the lingering green flames!
It was a tremendous lance charging. Asclepius's giant spear, which reached the highest speed when he moved only three steps, aimed at Yong-ho's chest.
However, Yong-ho wasn't an easy target. It was because the moment he noticed Asclepius rushing toward him, he also started moving.
His giant spear pierced the air. Yong-ho and Kaiwan flew on the left and right sides, not just content with merely avoiding his attack. Kaiwan twisted her body and swung her whip sword. The moment Yong-ho stepped on the ground, he twisted his body hard. Then he fired the green flames with Aamon loaded with centrifugal force, aiming at Asclepius's exposed back.
Kaiwan's whip sword coiled around Asclepius's right arm. The green flames engulfed Asclepius. Then Kaiwan floated into the air. It was Kaiwan who caught him, but it was Asclepius's herculean force that turned her upside down.
Kaiwan did not lose her whip sword. Yong-ho also did not attack Asclepius, who twisted after hitting the ground. It wasn't just Yong-ho and Kaiwan who were here.
"Skullkull!"
Skull riding Bucephalas struck him with a hammer all of a sudden. Asclepius hurriedly lifted the shield on his left arm to block the hammer, but he could hardly stop it in the first place. Not only Asclepius's left arm but also his whole body was pushed back. Seizing the moment, Kaiwan regained her balance. Instead of being thrown on the floor, she climbed behind Asclepius's back and let go of her whip sword without any regret. Then, she pulled out the devil's nail from the back of his waist, which Sitri obtained for her, and stabbed it between Asclepius's armor. Then she twisted the nail inside it.
"Kuuuuuuak!"
Asclepius screamed in pain for the first time. He ran around violently and lifted the crossbow attached to his right hand. But nobody allowed for his next attack. Skull swung the hammer again, and Eligos and Ophelia also charged at him at the same time. Catalina also drew a moonlight sword and ran fast, keeping low as if she was stuck to the ground.
Their attack synced with each other perfectly. When Skull's hammer pushed Asclepius back again, Kaiwan stooped low on his armor and pierced between the armor with the devil's nail. Ophelia's sharp horn broke Asclepius's right hind leg, while Catalina's moonlight sword cut his left leg. Eligos punched his fist toward Asclepius's back, who was losing his balance and collapsing. His punch that passed over Kaiwan's head, who lay flat, showed off its terrifying destructive power.
This time, Asclepius moaned silently. He was thrown toward the wall like a marionette that was completely broken. At that moment, Kaiwan, with her eyes closed tightly, created a wall of distortion between herself and Asclepius then blew herself away. The hand of the black giant, created by Catalina, grasped her floating in the air.
Asclepius, flying nearly ten meters above ground, collided with the wall. The ceiling and floor shook.
Eligos, who just blew a strong punch, let down his arms with a rough breathing. Skull turned around and glared at the wall where Asclepius collided, and Catalina hastily let Kaiwan down on the floor.
Yong-ho took a step. Asclepius's look was revealed as the dust disappeared. Centauros, with both legs broken, was pulling a big bow, sitting halfway down on the floor. Although his body was mangled by Eligos's attack and Kaiwan's devil curse, his arm that pulled the bow did not shake.
Asclepius was a knight of the sun. However, the sun did not exist in the deep dungeon. His various divine powers, which were activated only under the sun, could not exert power.
But he was still Mammon's knight. Even at this moment when he was dying as a madman, he was pulling the bow without any trembling, which testified that he really was Mammon's knight.
Aamon whispered something to Yong-ho. Aamon did not beg Yong-ho to save Asclepius, formerly his faithful friend.
Aamon knew that Asclepius could not be saved anymore. The faithful knight of the sun should have died that day with the king who was his sun. The king's considerations for saving his life rather ruined his life now.
Yong-ho grabbed Aamon. Catching his breath, he focused on the flow of mana.
His dungeon spirits respected his intentions and stepped back.
Asclepius let go of the bow and shot a golden arrow as bright as the sun.
Yong-ho hit the ground. He read the flow of his mana. The moment the arrow left the bow, Yong-ho predicted the path of the arrow and ran without hesitation.
An arrow brushed against Yong-ho's cheek. The tip of Aamon's spear pierced his green armor and then his chest.
Yong-ho did not create the green flames. Asclepius's heart, pierced by the spear, had been already broken since ancient times.
Asclepius felt Aamon and sensed Yong-ho's greed beyond him.
His lips were wide open. For the first time since he met Yong-ho, he began to speak.
He said in a squeezed voice, "You have saved the demon world... my... king."
That was it. Asclepius couldn't say anymore. The knight who lost his master and lived like a shell for a thousand years finally died.
A new light came from the magic field on Yong-ho's left arm. It was a brilliant orange symbolizing "honor", the power of Asclepius.
Asclepius's body collapsed like ashes. Yong-ho saw the images of Asclepius transmitted at the last minute.
The king climbed the stairs alone. No one could follow him. They just had to say goodbye to him for good, who they had always followed.
Asclepius was in despair. He cried at the fact that his king died and that the king no longer existed in this world. Contrary to the king's intention, he died slowly in self-destruction for a thousand years.
Yong-ho's images of him disappeared. However, other memories emerged in his mind one after another.
Gusion called Mammon's name, crying bitter tears. Scathach also cried, next to him.
Sitri said goodbye to Mammon while hugging Elune.
Mammon chose to die alone to save everyone.
Mammon was climbing the stairs.
When the 12 Spirits of the House of Mammon saw the king for the last time, they only saw his back as he climbed the stairs.
What was there at the end of the stairs Mammon climbed?
Why was the last fight involving Mammon and his 12 Spirits not known to the demon world?
'My king who saved the demon world!'
[Just because he possessed the sin and wonder, can he be called a king?]
It was Aamon's voice, not Asclepius's, that came out last.
Yong-ho looked down at Aamon. However, Aamon, the magic spear of the red lotus, still refused to answer. It became a ray of flame and hid itself.
Yong-ho did not pressure Aamon. There were things that he could find out without doing so.
Mammon saved the demon world, but that was it. His action did not affect the present.
That was why Aamon and other dungeon spirits hid what had happened to Mammon from Yong-ho. After all, there was nothing that would harm Yong-ho himself.
Yong-ho thought to himself that he would wait, waiting for the time Gusion mentioned to him.
And he thought it was coming quite soon. It felt that way.
"Skull Skull."
He heard Skull's voice above his head. It was laughing loud, as always. Just by looking at it, Yong-ho felt like he got a load off his chest.
He quietly looked down at Asclepius's relics, the sun sword, the green armor, the unknown crossbow, and the big archery. After a brief silence on the faithful knight, like Gusion said, he turned around.
He saw his dungeon spirits. He laughed out loud on purpose.
Then he clapped loudly and said, "Let's go and collect the booty as much as we can."
Skull chuckled again. Catalina fluttered her tail, and Kaiwan nodded happily.
Eligos and Ophelia opened the door of the armory. Tigrius, who did nothing in the fight against Asclepius, lighted the dark armory with a magic light.
Lucia said, [I will start taking control of the arsenal. ]
Mammon's armory was now taken control of by a new master.
| ← Ch. 186 | Ch. 188 → |