Return of the Calamity-Class Death Knight

Chapter 192

Chapter 192

Chapter 192: Death Knight (4)

***

Demon.

That was the word used to describe the race that thrived in another dimension, a realm known as the Inferno.

Demons were not simply brutish or wicked creatures.

Their intellect rivaled the greatest minds of humanity, and their civilization far surpassed any human achievement.

But that wasn’t all. Demons were born inherently powerful.

They wielded near-infinite dark mana and possessed bodies of incredible strength.

Their abilities extended even further, encompassing a vast array of supernatural powers.

“A leftover?”

Taken aback by Damien’s words, the demon struggled to comprehend.

“How dare you speak to me in such a manner! Do you have an excess of courage, or perhaps a deficiency of intelligence that hinders your judgment?”

Demons are the source of dark magic. It was through studying and mimicking demonic abilities that humans fumbled their way into wielding dark magic themselves.

In the early days human dark magic lacked proper form. It was considered crude and barbaric.

It was Dorugo who rectified and significantly advanced this fledgling dark magic.

“Even a simpleton like you should be able to sense the immense dark magic coursing through my body. It speaks volumes of who I am, wouldn’t you say?”

Dark mages and dark knights instinctively feel fear when confronted by demons.

The dark magic wielded by demons was on a whole other level compared to their own.

“More annoying than a frightened dog’s incessant barking.”

Of course, this only applied to the weaker dark mages and dark knights. While demons were undeniably powerful, they weren’t necessarily stronger than every single human.

“And you spout such arrogant nonsense again. Do you have no regard for your own life?”

Damien sneered in response to the demon’s threat.

The demon wouldn’t know. It wouldn’t know that Damien had encountered countless demons in his previous life.

During the War of Destruction, Dorugo utilized demonic power to launch his attacks on the empire. As a result, Damien had acquired a rather extensive knowledge of demons.

Their names, their characteristics, the nature of their dark magic – he knew it all.

That’s why he could confidently declare that the demon before him was nothing more than a weak leftover.

“……I was considering keeping you alive as a slave, seeing that you possess some potential with that dark magic of yours.”

An immense surge of dark mana erupted from the demon. It was on a completely different level from what dark mage could wield – far denser and more potent.

This wasn’t surprising. Dark mages could only extract dark magic by inflicting excruciating pain on human souls. Demons, on the other hand, were different. They could innately generate their own dark mana.

This self-produced, high-output dark mana was the true source of demonic power.

“The price for rejecting my mercy will be very steep.”

Unfazed by the murderous threat, Damien simply smirked.

Here was a fragment of a true demon, barely clinging to existence through a flimsy corporeal form, and yet it spouted such nonsense.

Dealing with the clone was child’s play. All he had to do was locate and crush the core that held it together.

‘But where’s the fun in letting him off so easily?’

The audacity of this mere fragment of a demon, barely clinging to existence through a flimsy corporeal form, to attempt to enslave him after daring to descend upon the mortal realm demanded retribution.

Damien summoned his dark mana, extending his hand and clenching it into a fist in mid-air.

A surge of darkness erupted from his hands.

***

“How impudent, you insignificant human!”

Galdor, the crimson demon, thought to himself as he gazed down at the human standing before him.

The human showed no respect, not even a speck, towards the being far superior in existence.

However, Galdor could somewhat understand this bottomless pride. The man before him was a Master class, a realm that only a select few among the so-called geniuses could reach.

The power of a Master class was such that even demons were wary. The Aurablade they wielded could sever even a demon’s life force.

But that was just talk among the weaklings. A count-class demon like Galdor feared not even Masterclass. He one-shotted the master class paladin was proof enough.

“Human, the price for exhausting my mercy will be very steep.”

Galdor spoke with sincerity. At that, the human before him sneered.

Scoffed? A mere human dared to scoff at him? At this body?

Raging fury filled Galdor’s mind. He swung his fist, intending to crush the human’s skull.

Just then.

The human summoned his dark mana and extended his hand. Black light erupted from his empty palm.

The light formed a hilt. From it, a blade emerged, extending straight.

The Aurablade.

The ultimate weapon, only wielded by humans who had reached the pinnacle of their skills.

Even Galdor couldn’t underestimate the Aurablade. But it wasn’t a major issue.

It was like a viper with fangs. There were countless ways to kill a snake without getting bitten.

“First, I’ll cripple your legs to prevent you from escaping.”

As soon as he thought it, his body moved on its own. In an instant, he appeared behind the human.

He swung his blade down to sever the human’s knees.

At that moment, Galdor saw it. The human’s eyes were staring back at him.

How could a mere human read his movements?

Another masterclass paladin couldn’t even react to Galdor’s attacks. Yet, this human was looking at him as if anticipating his every move.

As Galdor faltered, the human raised the Aurablade.

In that instant, a chilling dread surged through him. Fear took root in his entire being.

Instinctively, Galdor kicked off the ground with all his might, leaping backward. He retreated far enough that the human appeared as small as a pea.

“What the?”

The human looked at Galdor with a puzzled expression.

“A demon fleeing?”

Galdor was just as perplexed.

Fleeing? To a mere human?

It was humiliating. Disgraceful. But Galdor had no time to wallow in self-pity.

His instincts were still warning him of the man before him.

It must be a mistake.

He must have been mistaken. There was no way he could feel fear towards a mere human.

As Galdor questioned his judgment, the human raised the Aurablade, uttering an enigmatic phrase.

The distance between them was vast. The human appeared as small as a fingernail.

Yet, somehow, Galdor felt a chilling sensation, as if the blade of the Aurablade was pressed against his throat.

“Damn it…!”

Galdor cursed and summoned every ounce of his dark mana. Simultaneously, he activated his demonic powers.

“I… to be frightened by a mere human…! ”

He was transformed into a monstrous inferno by the green flames that spread from Galdor’s body.

Galdor grew in size, towering over the clouds.

“Human! I don’t know who the hell you are!”

Galdor’s roar echoed through the world, the green flames intensifying.

“Even if it means using every last bit of my power, I will kill you here!”

Galdor hurled himself towards the human, intending to incinerate him whole with his own fiery form.

The human swung the Aurablade down at the approaching inferno.

Compared to Galdor’s immense power, the human’s attack was seemingly insignificant.

But as the blade’s trajectory sliced through the air.

The world was split in half.

***

A black flash split the world.

The halved world shifted slightly. Galdor initially thought he was hallucinating.

Then, he realized.

It wasn’t just the world that was split in half.

His own body was severed as well.

“Kaaak! Quaaaak!”

The moment he grasped reality, a searing pain erupted in his head. An indescribable agony tormented Galdor.

“Kaaaak! Quaaak!”

His fiery form began to rapidly shrink.

“Not possible… not possible… Kaaak!”

Since fire had no form, Galdor’s fiery form was immune to any physical damage.

However, the recent attack was different.

With a single blow, his body was split in two. He had suffered a fatal wound. In other words, Galdor was now dying.

If the flames were to completely dissipate, his clone body would also be destroyed. Then, Galdor’s soul would have to return to his physical body in the Inferno.

He hated the thought of that.

He didn’t want to leave the mortal realm and return to that dreary Inferno. He desperately wanted to maintain his clone body.

“I… I have to recover… I have to somehow seal the wound…”

But no matter how hard he tried, the wounds on his clone body refused to heal.

And so, the flames vanished entirely. Simultaneously, Galdor’s consciousness flickered out.

***

“Haaahk!”

Regaining consciousness, Galdor found himself back in his physical body in the Inferno.

“Impossible… this can’t be… how could a mere human… so easily… sever my power…! ”

In two halves.

With a single blow, Galdor’s clone body was obliterated, and his soul was sent back to the Inferno.

“What in the world… what kind of monster was that… what in the world…?”

Just then.

Something trickled down his face.

Galdor wiped his face with his palm. Crimson blood smeared his hand.

“How did this… happen…”

Galdor turned his head towards a mirror. His reflection was cast in the tall, wide mirror.

A line.

A line ran from his head to his crotch. Seeing this, Galdor mumbled with a dazed expression.

“A catastrophe… even my main body… was affected…?”

Blood gushed from the line. No, it erupted. Like a dam with a hole punched in it.

His abdomen split open, and his entrails spilled out. An overwhelming sense of fatigue washed over him. Galdor sensed his impending death.

“A catastrophe… transcending dimensions… how is this… possible…?”

This swordsmanship was beyond the realm of even Modeus, the so-called Great Demon Lord.

“I… messed with… a monster like that… such a thing… shouldn’t exist…”

His torso split from head to toe, separating into two halves.

Simultaneously, Galdor’s breath ceased entirely.