Episode 609. Revealed (5)
The dizziness wonât go away.
Ttogak.
It was the sound of his shoes that was helping me to barely hold on to my sanity. I wonder if this is how it feels when others hear my footstepsâ¦â¦?
Ttogak.
I didnât know where Grandfell was headed, but I had faith. That even if I looked like this, if Grandfell was there, he could fix any damn situation.
Ttogak.
And I wasnât wrong this time.
Itâs a fucking [Heavenly Demon Reign].
Every time Grandfell took a step.
The rampaging demons fell in unison under the influence of a strange malice.
And then.
Ttogak.
Something is wrong.
Why?
No flames of hell in sight.
âEven if I tell you I canât even see system messagesâ¦â¦.â
Thanks to his training in Akshan, the demon hunterâs instincts and senses were imprinted on his subconscious. Thereâs no way I wouldnât recognize the green flames of hell.
Ttogak.
But no matter how hard I tried to look again, the demons didnât burn in the hell flames. They were falling to the ground, clearly collapsing with every step they tookâ¦â¦..
âWait.â
I realized in hindsight.
Those demons werenât being trampled by the Heavenly Demon Reign.
They had merely been brought to their knees.
Not because of Grandfellâs power.
They were brought to their knees by their own will.
âWhat?â
How can I be sure if I canât even see it clearly?
I told you, even when I felt like I was going to lose consciousness at any moment.
Itâs the demon hunterâs senses, etched into my bones.
The habits of demons naturally appear in my mind.
ãA demon is a being that never gives in. The tears it sheds are merely a means of deflecting a crisis, and the loyalty it offers is merely a way of putting a knife in its back.ã
Even in the presence of the Ten Thrones, there was no exception.
Is the loyalty of the demons who serve the Ten Thrones as their lord really true?
I knew they werenât.
Iâve seen them fall into Hell myself.
Iâd seen the emotions they burned with.
That was a demon.
A race of creatures who would deceive all but themselves, who would take advantage of any opportunity to get ahead. The demon hunterâs senses, which could see right through them, told me.
At this moment.
âAaahâ¦â¦!!!â
The demons kneeling before me were not showing any emotion of âdeceptionâ. No, they werenât exactly kneeling before me, Lee Hoyeol.
âYou are theâ¦â¦!!â
Grandfell.
You were the one they were worshiping.
Damn, Iâm faced with a situation I donât understand.
My headache is getting worse.
âBloody, really.â
It is a new order to do so.
Thatâs the way it is.
To find a reason in this dire situation.
âThink of something, Hoyeol.â
I canât believe I have to recall a dark history from decades ago.
I desperately searched my memory. I tried to recall if there was anything in the Claudi familyâs setting I had written down in my notebook that would truly make even demons obey.
Ttogak.
But as far back as I could remember, there was no such setting.
There might have been a setting that said Claudiâs greatness would make even demons tremble in fear, but at this moment, the demons in sight were not trembling in fear.
Joy.
Excited.
Agitated.
Because the demons were feeling those things at the sight of Grandfell.
I was sure of it.
This must be the 30% of him.
âRight, Grandfell?â
Ttogak.
I knew I wouldnât get an answer.
But do I need to know that?
Your silence makes me grit my teeth even more.
At this point, I also started to feel nauseous.
Iâm going to hold on as long as it takes to break my head.
âWhat the hell are you hiding in that 30%?â
I had to see it with my own eyes to understand.
âOnly then.â
I said with all my heart.
âThen Iâll understand you a little better.â
â¦Donât misunderstand that itâs gross?
As a companion.
As a flesh-and-blood person weâll be sharing for years to come.
Iâm just saying that because I donât want to leave anything behind.
âAnd like I said, itâs unfair.â
You know all my dark history.
And thereâs something I donât know about you.
I have made up my mind.
It is none of my business whether a demon kneels before Grandfell or worships him from the bottom of their hearts. No, I shouldnât be surprised, exactly. Iâm sure, Grandfell, that there are worse secrets than this hidden in the 30% of you.
âBut.â
Whatever it is, I can understand it.
Ttogak.
I donât think youâre responding to me, since you donât even answer.
The timing is perfect.
Your last step completely changed my view.
Itâs a familiar sight now.
Since I rebuilt it with my own hands, I guess I canât help but get used to it.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
Yes, it was Claudiâs territory.
And.
âWhyâ¦..?â
It was Pride.
I rummage through my memory. After following the message and going through the proper procedures to gain the power of the Seven Deadly Sins Arrogance, Pride looked different than before.
âEven from an aesthetic point of view, there is no flaw.â
Normally, he would have spoken up sooner.
I wonder if this is why Grandfell didnât say anything.
While I was thinking, Pride spoke up.
âMy, my worthless brother, this is my last request. Do you not know that the life I have lived has been for you, Grandfell, even if there have been problems along the way?â
Suddenly.
âThat, too, was for you. I became a demon for you, and I sat at the head of the goddamned Claudi family for you, so itâs not too late for you, Grandfell.â
What the hell is he talking about?
I was feeling extremely dizzy, and now I was hearing bullshit.
I couldnât understand a word Pride was saying.
âIt was all for Grandfell.â
You have no right to say that, do you?
âYou tried to hurt a little boy who didnât know anything.â
And if that wasnât bad enough, you destroyed the Claudi family.
You destroyed it with your own hands.
How is that an act for Grandfell?
â â¦â¦ Is that why it seems plausible?â
And you managed to take over the Claudi family?
Head of the Family.
Iâve seen Grandfell up close more than anyone else, and I know that the weight of it is killing him.
I can picture in my mindâs eye how Grandfell would react.
âIf only I knew you.â
He wouldnât even speak to his prey.
But then I realized again.
This is not the Grandfell I know.
âGo back. Leave the Claudi Territory now, Grandfell.â
It was a command.
In Claudi territory, Claudiâs orders are absolute. It was clear that the power of Claudiâs command, held by Grandfell as the only Claudi, had passed to Pride, who had taken the place of the head of the household.
Ssssshhhh.
An irresistible, absolute discipline oppresses the body.
But is it because he was the same Claudi?
Either that, or Iâm holding on by force.
My flesh hasnât broken in the slightest.
Ttogak.
Just one step closer.
Without a word.
Toward Claudi Territory.
Just moving towards Pride.
Prideâs face began to twist.
âDo not come any closer, or I will be forced to use my power. Grandfell, do you really want to watch me use the power of your damned familyâ¦â¦!â
Damn family power.
âWhy do you say that?â
It was the great Claudi family.
In my dark history, there was no reason for Claudi to be treated like that. Does that mean thereâs 30% of Grandfell that I donât know about that also holds Claudiâs family secrets?
âDamn, the whole house is lika an onion.â
As if my headache wasnât bad enough, I had a question that stung my tail.
Because it was like adding insult to injury.
I even muttered to myself for a moment to come to my senses.
Pride said a name out of nowhere.
Suddenly, I looked up.
He looked up at the sky, which was engulfed in dark clouds, and said.
âBael is coming, Grandfell.â
Bael, the First Throne Demon King.
âHeâs coming here?â
I couldnât even see the system messages that popped up, but I knew what was happening. This is dangerous. My instincts were warning me.
âI donât know if itâs one, but itâs two.â
There was no telling how strong the Seven Deadly Sins Arrogance, Pride, would be as Claudiâs head of household, wielding the familyâs power. This meant that it was impossible to predict the outcome.
But if Bael shows up here, itâs a different story.
âPaimon in one fell swoop.â
It was the same Bael who tore Paimon apart with one arm.
Not only that.
Baelâs forearm had been ripped off the red-eyed Dune clan.
It had the power to bring their world to destruction.
I glared at Pride.
ââ¦Was it a trap, after all?â
My judgment was clouded.
Itâs true that Iâve been tempted by Prideâs words.
Why, in the more distant past.
Grandfell and Pride were not always on good terms.
But it seems the Akshanâs iron law must not be overlooked.
ãEverything about a demon is a lie.ã
Indeed.
Perhaps Pride has brought Bael here to kill me. Perhaps he had been waiting, knowing that I and Grandfell, would surely come for Claudi lord.
âNow heâll show his true colors â¦â¦. â
Pride says, reflected in my suspicious vision.
âSo please leave, Grandfell. My brother.â
What are you saying, you?
I feel it even when Iâm out of my mind.
Bael is getting closer.
I could stop putting on this act for Grandfellâs sake.
But why are you doing this?
Why.
âAre you shedding tears over a demon?â
kwadeudeudeug.
It was a moment when I was speechless.
Space began to tear apart.
A giant Baelâs grip appeared.
Pride shouted.
âYou are impatient, Bael. This is not your turn.â
â¦..
Command.
As a Cloudy Spirit, Prideâs words should be absolute.
But it was Pride, not Bael, who was shaking. Although he didnât show it, blood was flowing from the corner of Prideâs mouth.
âHeâs clearly overexerting himself.â
Recoil.
I donât know what the proper procedure is, but Claudiâs true lord is Grandfell. It was clear that Claudiâs power was too heavy for Pride, who was not a proper vessel, to handle it.
âThis is not the time for this.â
I have to respond. Pride has been acting strangely, but that doesnât mean we can let our guard down.
Moreover, Bael is dangerous.
âEven in the [curse] where space and time are intertwined.â
It had recognized my presence and tried to attack.
That was the moment I blinked.
Baelâs grip disappeared from my vision.
âFast?!â
I couldnât see the system message.
The [Natural Enemy] must have been activated.
But is it because my body is not in perfect condition?
I missed Baelâs movements.
The only reason I was able to recognize Baelâs move was because of Prideâs shout.
Prideâs shout was the only thing that alerted me.
âGrandfellâ¦â¦!â
To be precise.
âI know. Didnât you say it was dangerous?â
On my behalf.
He took Baelâs attack with his own body.
Pride.
âMy one and only younger brotherâ¦â¦. â
The demon smiled sadly as he spilled blood.
â