Chapter 65 – Welcome.

Hagenti. Among demons, he is one of the best when it comes to recovery.

Halphas. A demon with an exceptional talent for absorbing an opponent’s power and making it his own.

Unlike Astaroth, who divided his own power himself, they are completely separate entities.

Neither of them came from the other’s body, and their origins are completely different.

Before Hell was unified, they even served different superiors as enemies.

After Hell was unified by the King, only then did these two demons find their harmony. Which is to say, even by human standards, not demon, their time together was short.

Yet, this duo of demons was renowned even amongst their kind. One perfectly covering the other, amplifying their power even further.

One with exceptional resilience, but a weakness in offense. The other with immense power, but in constant need of replenishment.

For these two, each was an irreplaceable, perfect match.

Even now.

—KWA-aaaNG!!

“Guh-HEOK!”

Suffering, however, cannot be helped. When struck, a scream escapes; when in pain, a shout is unleashed.

But that is all. A moment’s wait, and Hagenti’s body returns to a pristine state, without a single scar.

The weakness of recovery lies in its sluggishness when faced with complete destruction.

Perceiving this, Deus attempted to obliterate him entirely, only to be constantly thwarted by Harpas, whose offensive capabilities were nothing short of overwhelming.

In the meantime, Hagenti completed his recovery, raising his shield once more. Then, Harpas would once again absorb a portion of Hagenti’s power, restoring herself to her former state.

This was an infinite loop. No matter how hard he tried to capture one of them, the situation remained stubbornly unchanged.

‘I’ve run into quite the bothersome pair. Is that b*stard’s recovery truly limitless? And that woman, is she only taking what she needs or is she drawing out his power to the bitter end?’

If only there was enough time. More than enough, perhaps he would’ve pummeled them for three days and nights.

Then, he might have gleaned whether their recovery was truly infinite, or if there was a limit to the cycle of absorption and expenditure.

But time was a luxury he couldn’t afford. More importantly, indulging would risk them fleeing without a second thought.

If he let them escape now, he would have to worry about not one, but two threats. Failing to deal with them here would leave him too uneasy to even exercise properly.

‘And even if I try to target the woman, the man grits his teeth and takes the hits for her.’

In situations like these, a blade, any kind of blade, would have been far more useful.

As much as the body might be the ultimate weapon, tools ultimately make it more efficient.

If he could not only inflict damage but also sever with each swing, perhaps he could have further weakened that irksome recovery ability.

“Kuaaa!!”

Here he comes again. This time, it’s the man. The woman, once more, jams her straw into his back, stockpiling power.

The only time they separate is when the man takes the brunt of every attack and is healing. In those moments, the woman steps forward to impede Deus.

Using his left leg, he plants his body firmly into the ground.

Then, using the rotation to twist at the axis, he struck the man’s side with his right leg.

Immediately, the sound of bones twisting reached his ears, and another pain-filled scream burst forth.

While the outside appeared relatively unscathed, the inside would be a mess. If it were a mere human, they would already be teetering on the brink of death, suffering from severe organ damage.

—Thud.

But his opponent wasn’t human. They were demons, creatures they themselves considered inferior.

Even after enduring the blow, he managed to recover, at least in part, in that fleeting moment, and stubbornly wrapped his arms around Deus’s right leg, refusing to let go.

“Kya-hak! Hak! Harpas!”

The other demon, previously hidden behind the man, surged forward.

Without the usual scythe or dagger, only bare hands were outstretched.

‘So, they realized weapons wouldn’t work.’

As with Zagan, these demons are quick to learn.

In less than ten minutes of fighting, they grasped that their weapons were useless.

And promptly retrieved them, channeling the energy imbued within them into their bodies.

One glance was enough. If those violet-tinged hands were to penetrate his flesh, even he would be in for a world of hurt.

They were taking this seriously, so the other side was charging in just as recklessly.

The man does not evade. The woman uses the man as a shield, right to the end.

One while being two. Two while being one. Their synchronicity is also remarkably sharp.

Attempt to break them, and they feint. Escape the feint, and they force you to break them again.

‘We got lucky with Astaroth. If that woman had committed just a little more, it would have been twice as hard as it is now.’

Annoying. But if you ask if it’s difficult, well, it’s not that either. It’s merely a nuisance.

They aren’t as fast or as strong as Astaroth. Two as one, plus recovery and absorption. That’s all that stands out; they don’t reach beyond that.

He allows the hit, and drinks it in. Almost simultaneously with that thought, the woman’s hand grazes the area near his shoulder.

*Sizzle!* The sound of flesh burning, along with a searing sensation. A graze? Or a burn? More to the point, he welcomes the two demons who’ve entered the gap.

“Gah!”

Just as Hagenti was preparing to defend against Deus’s massive fist surging upwards from below.

Sensing something amiss, he curses ‘You have to be kidding me!’ at the situation that has unfolded.

Harphas, belatedly grasping the situation, also reeled in horror and cried out:

“You monster!”

It was definitely from below. He saw it. He distinctly saw it. And yet, it is not so now.

It is coming from the right, head-on. That enormous fist. To put it mildly, it is like seeing some kind of boulder!

When and how did it twist? Was it a deception from the beginning? Or did it force the path at great cost?

To change the attack route so drastically, and suffer no strain on the body? Is that even possible?

‘It’s too late to dodge. The probability of a successful defense is also slim. Still, I endure.’

After all, there is only one reason he came here with Harphas.

To be a shield, and at the same time, to be a ‘never-drying’ lake that can continue to absorb power.

He, too, is a demon, so it is a matter of considerable pride, but what can he do? Serving the king requires even more energy, but unexpected events keep tearing holes in him.

“Hnnngh!”

Concentrating all his power, he builds wall upon wall where the human’s fist is flying. Constructing a massive castle and enduring, teeth gritted.

However, one thing Hagenti overlooked was that he was so focused on the immediate attack that he failed to properly read the enemy’s intent.

Why would an opponent who knows his defensive and regenerative abilities so well choose a frontal assault? Even throwing in a feint.

If he had just a little more leeway, he would have seen that the castle he had built was the target, but it was too late.

—Thwoom!

The moment the opponent’s fist struck his shoulder, Hagenti finally sensed something amiss.

There is neither the pain he had felt before, nor the terrifying destructive power. There is an impact, but he doesn’t even feel like he’s being pressured by the same person who was holding him back.

What is this, he muttered to himself, just as a sharp scream pierces his ear from behind.

“Kyaaak!!”

Something spatters all over Hagenti’s face. A brackish smell hangs in the air. Blood, it’s blood!

He quickly checked his shoulder. It’s intact. He only feels the sensation of something colliding, but not injured. That human’s attack did not break through him.

Then, why does Harphas, who was safely protected behind him, have a hole in his chest?

Why is he screaming and vomiting blood as if he were about to die?

“Harphas! Quickly, absorb my power!”

“Kuh! Kyaak! Behind… behind! Look behind you!”

Damn it all. They’re not giving me a moment’s rest. Gritting his teeth, he embraces Harphas and curls into a ball, but recalling the attack from just now, he quickly changes his approach.

—Crunch!!

“Guh…!”

No matter how they managed it, he couldn’t hide Harpas behind him any longer.

He needed to create distance. To, in reverse, somehow get himself and that human entangled, creating an opening for Harpas. That was the only way forward for now.

‘But, if that’s the case… Harpas’s absorption ability will be…’

Harpas needed him. To be precise, she needed a dedicated body for absorption, one that could immediately recover from the immense energy drain.

He had been fulfilling that role, but if they were separated like this, she wouldn’t be able to exert her absorption ability any longer.

This meant that Harpas, who had been responsible for almost all of their offensive maneuvers, would no longer be able to perform.

They’d exposed all their cards. The condition that they needed to stay together had been shattered.

All that remained was divide and conquer. Or perhaps, sacrificing one to allow the other to escape.

How could he possibly escape this absurd situation? In that instant, Hagenti furiously racked his brain.

“…?”

The man who had seemed poised to crush him to death at any moment was acting strangely.

To be precise, his eyes were subtly different than before. What to call it… Unease? Worry? Tension?

“I suspected as much. A two-way street.”

Deus muttered to himself. In that moment, Hagenti saw a sliver of hope.

He didn’t know what the situation was, but it was clear that even this human had something weighing on him.