Chapter 93 – So, This is Hell

The reason Belial oversaw the demons in the king’s stead was simple: he was the strongest.

Even Astaroth, said to possess unparalleled brute strength, conceded Belial’s superiority, deciding that fighting him was more exhausting than rewarding. The other demons felt similarly.

He didn’t merely hold the advantage through hidden cards or cowardly schemes, like Beelzebub.

Despite being a demon, his fighting prowess was anything but demonic. Technique, speed, raw power – he possessed a pinnacle of skill in every aspect, never backing down.

Had he harbored ambition, he could easily have coveted the throne.

But he found no particular interest in leading the other demons, and so naturally remained in the position of proxy, holding the fort while the king was away.

“…Ugh.”

Even for Belial, he could only stare blankly at his arm, already swelling from just the impact of the previous exchange.

He hadn’t even registered the attack until the very last instant. He had barely sensed the intent to kill.

Astaroth had deemed him difficult to fight, Beelzebub had acknowledged his superiority, and the other demons had readily yielded the top spot. Even Belial was struggling.

‘I almost died. No exaggeration. I really could have been killed instantly in one strike.’

And you know what was even more chilling? That wasn’t his full power.

While he hadn’t shown any mercy, it wasn’t a strike from his best effort. It was merely a question asked with his body: ‘The last guys died from this. How about you?’

— *hisss*

The silver lining, if any, was that he knew something about this being.

Weapons were useless. The king’s aura meant nothing. Like some kind of established rule, nothing could even scratch him.

So, what if it wasn’t in the form of a weapon? Could he simply overwhelm him with pure physicality and raw power, as the man was doing now?

As all the demons who had faced Deus had done, Belial drew upon his own energy, coating his arms and legs in it.

The difference was that, compared to the others, Belial was far more impressive from Deus’s perspective.

‘Amateur versus professional, maybe.’

The last words of the demon he’d met before coming here suddenly came to mind.

Belial would be able to defeat him. Eventually, even he, as a living being, would become exhausted, and Belial would never miss the small openings created by that.

He’d heard similar things countless times, so he hadn’t given it much thought. Just the last-ditch effort of a cornered beast, or so he thought.

Still, just in case, he had rushed over, and it was playing out as he had hoped. While the other demons couldn’t even last five minutes, this demon, Belial, had been sparring for a good ten minutes already.

Of course, Belial was clearly the one being pushed back. But he was holding on quite well.

Especially the sharp counterattacks that landed now and then, eliciting a brief “Oh,” of admiration from Deus. So this was the majesty of a real boss.

A smile crept onto Deus’s lips. At this level, maybe he could actually go all-out for once.

— *squeeze*

“…!”

A look of alarm flashed across Belial’s eyes. He instinctively knew.

That the next attack would surely kill him if he tried to block it. Flee. Evade.

The massive fist was drawn back. At the same time, the demon abandoned any thought of counterattack or defense and pulled back.

Again, a fist exploded forward. Though he’d gained considerable distance, the demon’s face wasn’t relieved, but still etched with urgency.

— *Kwa-jikk!*

‘This… how is this even possible?’

Spinning in the void, Belial uttered a groan of pain mixed with incredulous bewilderment.

He’d clearly succeeded in deflecting the human’s attack. Yet, the damage had still gone through.

If he’d taken that head-on? If he’d failed to deflect it properly? Then what in the infernal depths would have happened?

“Guess that makes you the final boss. Good. I can end it here. The thought of losing someone at the very end was just too much to bear.”

Belial had no time to ask, *what are you talking about?*

Stop, and you die. Get hit, and you die. But even blocking means death. Only death awaits.

No matter how fast he moved, how fiercely he countered, how flamboyant his techniques, the human washed over it all like an unstoppable tide.

Just moments ago, he’d been holding his own, a semblance of a fight, but now it was all a fleeting dream.

His own actions, the way he’d responded, faded into the distance like a mirage.

Somewhere along the way, Belial’s arms were merely intact on the surface, crumbling from the inside out.

First the muscles, then the nerves. And finally, the very bones. Belial distinctly felt every function, every structure, falling apart.

He was pushed back, relentlessly. Past his own domain, past the neatly cleared spaces of other demons.

Finally, he reached the king’s territory, where no one dared trespass.

Even Belial, who always treated the king with utmost deference, could only grit his teeth and mutter,

‘Damn it. Please! Your Majesty! Even with this place collapsing around us, are you going to remain hidden? At this rate, the hell we’ve so painstakingly dragged to the surface will sink back into the Abyss!’

Again, Deus’s fist flew forward. This time, he endured the damage and somehow deflected it.

But in the very next instant, a colossal foot slammed brutally into Belial’s chest.

“*Keugh!*”

Internal organs, bones – all suffered grievous damage. Blood that should have remained inside burst out, tearing through his trachea and esophagus.

Clutching his caved-in chest, Belial gasped a ragged, fading breath as he fell backward.

— *Kugung! Kwadang!*

He desperately tried to rise, but neither his arms nor his legs were in any condition to cooperate.

Belial collapsed in his attempt to stand, fortunate, ironically, that Deus’s fist was already rising upward, anticipating his movement.

‘Wait. Beyond here…’

He realized then that he’d been driven back to the king’s domain. To the gate leading inside.

And the man’s fist was hurtling towards that gate.

No demon had ever breached the king’s territory by force.

It wasn’t just out of respect for the king that they avoided this place.

They *couldn’t*. No matter how much they pounded, how much they wanted to intrude, they simply couldn’t.

A place that could never be crossed. And whatever crossed it.

The clash between the two must have caused some damage, Belial reasoned, frantically healing his most pressing wounds and pulling himself back.

‘Perhaps…’

Yes. Perhaps. Maybe, just maybe, the king he’d so longed for would finally reveal himself.

He was, after all, the heart of the demons, so he might have an impossible temperament. Maybe he thought he’d earned the right to be noticed after eliminating all the others.

Or maybe he just finally had a reason to fight. In any case, something like that.

— *Kugugu*

As the dust settled and the roar faded, Belial crawled into the king’s territory.

It has been a long, long time since I’ve seen this place. Nothing’s changed from before. Just one thing, that the King’s aura isn’t felt at all.

‘…No, no. It’s not that I don’t feel it at all. Little by little, but I definitely feel the King’s aura.’

Could it be because I broke down the door and came in directly? Is that why the King no longer remains silent?

Belial frantically searched for the King. In this moment, when that terrifying man could approach him again at any moment, the only one he could trust was the King.

—Thump, thump.

Damn it. This is bad. He’s moving. That’s definitely the sound of him searching for me.

Your Majesty. Where in the world are you hiding? Just stop it already and come out. It’s not about energy anymore, we’re all going to be thrown into the Abyss at this rate!

Even as he screamed inwardly countless times, Belial crawled towards the place where the King’s aura was felt. With only the will to live and the single-minded determination to stop that dawn somehow.

The aura is gradually getting stronger. Is it because it’s been too long? It feels a bit strange, but it’s definitely the King’s. If I go a little further, I can reach him.

But at the same time, the sound of his footsteps is also getting closer and closer. At this rate, I’ll be caught in his grasp before I even reach the King.

Just a little further, just a little further. Finally, a look of relief spreads across Belial’s face as he strains himself.

I’ve finally reached him. I don’t know where he’s been or what he’s been doing, but he’s finally returned to where their King should be!

“Aren’t you a little late? Late… Late… -teh…”

What is going on? What is this? Belial had to doubt his very eyes.

In this utterly sudden situation, he couldn’t even speak, let alone think straight.

Then, he arrived at a truth he absolutely didn’t want to acknowledge. But could do nothing but admit.

“…Haha. Hahaha. Hahahaha!”

“Why are you laughing?”

Before him stood Deus, brushing the dust off his fist, tilting his head in confusion.