Chapter 302

It was then that an instinctive doubt flashed through her mind.

Tesillid slightly twisted the angle of his Holy Sword. At that moment, the square gem embedded in its hilt emitted a distinctly alien light.

It was a chilling red light, more sinister than any evil eye.

<……!>

Abyssinis flinched, but had no time to be dazed. Over a dozen aura blades fiercely shot towards her.

In response, Abyssinis also erected a defensive line, leading with Deadly Bloom petals.

Kwa-gwa-gwang!

Their respective armies clashed in the center, creating a tremendous roar.

The ground vibrated intensely from the aftershock, and a physical storm raged wildly.

Even in the face of currents tearing through the air, Abyssinis’s posture remained completely undisturbed.

The raging gale, strong enough to uproot ancient trees, was met as if it were a gentle breeze, thereby revealing the Demon King’s true stature.

Meanwhile, Tesillid’s appearance left even Abyssinis inwardly astonished.

‘How can a human?!’

Around him, as if time itself slowed, there was not even a faint trace of disturbance on his entire body.

It was as if the wind itself twisted its direction to avoid him.

Such was the overwhelming presence that prostrated all things, be it living creatures or nature.

It made Abyssinis recall another supreme being she knew.

Indeed. The human before her was like….

‘Identical.’

To the Newly Born Chaos Evil, Reed.

<……!>

A chill crept up Abyssinis’s fingertips from the thought that had unconsciously surfaced.

She tried hard to shake off the irreverence in her mind, but once she started thinking about it, she couldn’t stop.

Swinging her staff wide, Abyssinis pressed.

<Human.>

“…….”

Tesillid returned the answer along with a counterattack.

“Didn’t you say it? I am but an uncivilized, mere human.”

<You, who defy a Demon King, speak of being ‘mere’?>

“And you, it seems, are merely a demon.”

<Nonsense! Stop your idle chatter and reveal your identity, human!>

By this point, Abyssinis felt an endless surge of desire to uncover the true nature of the human before her.

And she possessed the authority to resolve this curiosity instantly.

Just then, Tesillid pointed that out.

“If you’re so curious, why don’t you find out with the ‘eye’ you possess?”

Abyssinis’s left eye turned crimson as the Mind-Reading Eye of Insight activated.

From now on, every word of Tesillid’s would be weighed on the horizontal scales that measure truth and falsehood.

And the veracity of the information he uttered would be completely seen through, without a single error.

“…….”

<Now, go on and tell me about yourself.>

Tesillid willingly opened his mouth, just as she wished.

“Demon King Abyssinis. I am certain I can kill you.”

The verdict of this audacious declaration, right from the start, was… -TRUE- <Hah!>

Up to this point, she could laugh it off as a human’s audacity, not knowing their place. But.

“I have already.”

At the next declaration that followed, Abyssinis’s chuckle was bleached white.

“Killed you ten times.” -TRUE- <……!>

The Mind-Reading Eye of Insight’s judgment is absolute. Therefore, there is no room for rebuttal.

<What…?>

Agitation consumed her.

‘Killed me? Ten times? How?’

It was utterly preposterous. Yet, she couldn’t deny it. The weight of the absolute verdict mercilessly crushed Abyssinis.

More than anything, it made her realize the truth with certainty.

Abyssinis’s eyes, wavering in confusion, met Tesillid’s eyes.

“…….”

<…….>

For reasons unknown, Abyssinis felt that Tesillid Argent’s eyes, at this moment, were deep crimson, like someone else’s.

The gaze that stirred fundamental awe was chillingly familiar. Every sense of the Demon King rang alarm bells.

It was then.

“I am.”

The final declaration. Tesillid finally introduced himself.

“Once, I was the one you called Reed.” -TRUE- <……!>

Abyssinis’s mind became a vacuum.

What did she just hear?

Reed.

Reed!

The being before her, the Newly Born Chaos Evil!

<Im-impossible…?>

The great demon’s eyes shook violently. From her left eye, where her authority was activated, blood tears streamed down.

For the sin of gazing into the jet-black abyss that should never be looked into, she had to pay a corresponding price.

<N-no. That can’t be. But the Mind-Reading Eye of Insight is. But still, it can’t be. How can it…?>

The axis of her mind shook helplessly.

The astonishing truth fueled her confusion, caused self-denial, and ultimately led to the loss of her fighting will.

<W-who am I fighting now…?>

Because the mental weakness that had been exploited was too fatal, the Demon King was rendered useless to a futile degree.

Seizing that gap, a distant and transcendent presence enveloped the battlefield.

<Ah.>

Only then did the Demon King’s eyes, wide open as if tearing, perceive the opponent’s true nature.

A mighty aura, rising like a heat haze above the handsome man’s shoulders.

The image of a distorted shadow, stretching from his feet to where the stained glass was.

She couldn’t fail to recognize the silhouette of the black-haired male figure wielding a demon sword.

‘Lord Reed…!’

It was certain. The being that all demons revered and praised stood majestically before her.

Then the Holy-Demonic Sword cried out its blade song. Amidst two distinct echoes, clear and crisp yet low and mournful, the final strike pierced through a linear trajectory. And it reached Abyssinis.

<Ah…>

The power that swept over her was peculiar. Like holy light, yet like demonic energy, an unknown annihilating force shattered the Demon King’s stature and power, sweeping her away.

<──.>

There was no struggle of resistance whatsoever. The Demon King, having lost her fighting will in the face of the truth revealed by the abyss, was devoured by the radiance of destruction.

It was a docile and gentle end, as if before Reed himself.✠Mount Eltio’s summit was an excellent vantage point for observing the world.

Utilizing this geographical advantage, Aillet and Reed could see the anomaly occurring in the northeast at a glance.

The purple crescent moon, which had been half-melted from the start, was now losing its power to even maintain its form.

A moment later, the surreal celestial body, like a nightmare, vanished from the night sky.

The curtain of darkness, which had seemed eternal, lifted from the world.

This phenomenon signified the successful subjugation of Abyssinis. In other words, the battle at the Pontifical Palace had ended with Tesillid’s victory.

“Tesillid….”

Aillet felt a deep sense of relief welling up in her chest, yet she did not neglect to pay attention to what was in front of her.

Five steps ahead, Reed, too, had briefly lowered his demon sword and was gazing at the fading purple moonlight.

“The 117th iteration has been decided.”

“Indeed.”

“Are you happy, Aillet?”

“Of course I’m happy we won, would I be sad?”

Aillet, who retorted demandingly, immediately pushed off the ground with her toes.

Instantly, she plunged into Reed’s chest, impaling the vertical tip of Holy Scythe Librilly like a spear.

However, Reed’s demon sword did not allow this, deflecting the Holy Scythe’s point of attack.

What followed was a skirmish that distorted sight and sound.

The two blades incessantly cried out, and auras with contrasting attributes drew dazzling trajectories, sparking.

A fierce battle where offense and defense exchanged dozens of times in a single breath.

Despite this, the power of each strike was extraordinarily potent, capable of distorting the terrain.

Given this situation, even if they were equally matched, their bodies were not unscathed.

Wherever sword blades and scythe blades grazed, nicks appeared. Tiny streaks of blood traced long lines in the air, carried by the wild gusts.

The two briefly widened the distance and managed their injuries in their own ways.

Aillet drew upon her healing power to cleanse her wounds, while Reed sacrificed the blood that had bloated his demon sword to restore his own body.

Neither of them had problems with their injuries.

What was affecting them currently was stamina depletion.

Since the start of the battle, they had repeatedly engaged in countless transcendent skirmishes.

To sustain such a Dance of the Heavens Beyond Heavens, immense stamina had to be burned as fuel.

Their bodies were consumed by ragged breaths that felt like tearing throats and fatigue that pressed down on their shoulders.

Most critically, it was the mental strength squeezed out in the process of continuously unleashing skills.

In this regard, Aillet’s situation was worse than Reed’s.

The Foresight of an Instant she used simultaneously slammed visual information from reality and the future.

Her brain, which had to separate and process this, was inevitably overloaded.

“Haaah….”

Aillet, frowning between her brows from the severe headache.

Watching her, Reed, suppressing his ragged breaths, feigned an undisturbed tone.

“Aren’t you getting tired?”

“I’m fine.”

“I suppose I’ll have to make it harder. That way, your resolve will weaken, and you’ll consider losing.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Reed took the initiative this time. Aillet effortlessly parried the horizontally swinging demon sword blade.

Next, Reed, with a fluid motion, lowered his center of gravity and delivered a long upward strike at Aillet from below.

She succeeded in parrying the attack with astonishing reaction speed.

However, she couldn’t shake off Reed, who was pushing her with brute strength.

G-g-g-geuk!

As they inevitably stood off, blade against scythe, their gazes met.

“…….”

The handsome man’s relaxed face pressured Aillet’s tired psyche. But her mind remained firm.

“If I lose, it means I chose you? Does rationalizing the situation with such sophistry make you feel better?”

“Yes.”

Reed was unashamed.

“Don’t you understand, Aillet Rodelain?”

“…….”

“Right now, my past, present, and future are all denied, and I’ve lost all justification and motivation for my actions. Without even that small hope, I might go mad. Even if it’s sophistry, it’s what keeps me alive right now.”

“…….”

As Aillet flinched, Reed sharply exploited her opening.

“Do you pity me like this?”

“…….”

“Then choose me.”

Privilege for Possessors