Chapter 323

'Oh my god.' 

Esil, the rightful heir to the Monarch of White Flames and leader of the demon race, was doing her best to hold back Nidhögg, who possessed five Primordial Darknesses. To face such a foe, she used every means available: a sturdy fortress and defensive walls built by the Shadow Dwarves, covering fire from strategically placed magic cannons, and even the webs of Shadow Spiders. The sight of numerous demons bravely fighting Nidhögg with such perfect support was spectacular, yet all this effort only allowed Esil to face one of Nidhögg's heads in a one-on-one battle. That's why she was so shocked and terrified to see Ammut fighting Nidhögg alone.

'He's on a different level. Incomparable to someone like me.' Looking back, Esil's succession ceremony was the worst.

– You… are weak. – Whispered a voice filled with mocking laughter.

– …?!

– You are not qualified.

Even now, Esil shuddered recalling the words she heard when she first attempted the succession ceremony. She was the only demon noble in the entire dimension who survived the war and its aftermath. She was qualified. No… she thought she was qualified, but she wasn't. Even though there were no other candidates in this universe. 

Esil was lacking, her vessel insufficient to contain the Primordial Darkness. Therefore, she wasn't able to inherit the power, and was almost devoured by the darkness. If Suho didn't help her… If he hadn't fought alongside her as the priest…

'…I wouldn't be here now.'

Gulp.

Esil fully accepted that fact, she was keenly aware of her own shortcomings. But Ammut was different: Succession ceremony…? 

Priest…? 

He didn't know nor care about such things.

[Kyahahahaha!]

Thud—! 

Crash—!

Ammut was fighting Nidhögg head-on with his own strength. However the monstrous serpent seemed unfazed by the continuous attacks. Nidhögg, after all, was like a natural disaster, a being beyond the capabilities of a mere creature to affect. Yet, Ammut seemed unconcerned, instead burning with competitive spirit and enjoying the fight, a pure clash of strength against strength. At the end of this intense tug-of-war, Ammut leaped into Nidhögg's mouth, but he displayed no desire or ambition to inherit the Primordial Darkness, which was unsurprising.

'…That's not a succession ceremony.' Esil swallowed.

'He doesn't need a reason to fight….' If she tried to find a reason for Ammut's actions, it was simply that an enemy had appeared before him. That alone was sufficient motivation for him to jump towards Nidhögg, towards the Primordial Darkness, purely for the sake of the fight, even laughing cheerfully as he did so. And at that moment…

Thud—!

One of Nidhögg's heads, the one that swallowed Ammut, suddenly stopped moving. Even against his will the 'succession ceremony' had begun. 

'A succession ceremony without a priest…!' Esil was dumbfounded by the unimaginable situation, but she didn't forget her duty as the Monarch. Thanks to Ammut, the number of Nidhogg's heads they had to block was reduced from five to four, it was an opportunity she couldn't afford to miss.

"Listen, everyone!" Esil Radiru, the King of Demons, ordered all her forces.

"Hold on with all your might until Ammut returns!" She was already looking forward to it. To the moment when Ammut finished the succession and returned safely. If that was even possible without a priest.

"If we endure until the end, victory is ours!"

Oooooooooh—!

A fierce battle continued accompanied by everyone's courageous shouts.

* * *

However the real problem was somewhere else.

[Grrrr! Auoooo!]

Gray, carrying Arsha on his back while running around, found himself in a series of dangerous situations. While the platforms prepared by the dwarves provided ample places to run away to, some time ago one of Nidhogg's heads began targeting only Gray, ignoring all other attacks. Even taking direct hits from the magic cannons firing from all directions in its single-minded pursuit to devour him. It seemed to have realized that Gray was the most delectable prey here.

[Krrrrrr!]

Gray, quickly moving to the side, roared and clawed at Nidhögg's body.

Slash—!

The wind infused slash successfully hit, and scratches appeared on Nidhögg's hard scales.

[The attack worked!] Shouted Arsha, clinging to Gray's fur.

Despite his current appearance, Gray was of the King of Beasts', the Fang Monarch's descendant, and his chosen successor. This was the reason Nidhogg fixated on him, drooling. However, unlike with Ammut, it didn't seem intent on swallowing Gray whole

[He's trying to bite and gnaw us to death!] Arsha realized Nidhögg's intention.

[That's the only way we can become his nutrients! If it swallows us whole like it did with Ammut, a succession ceremony will begin!]

[Grrrr!] Gray growled as if he understood. And as if imitating Ammut, he glared at the creature's mouth.

[No!]

[Grr?]

[Please wait… At least until Suho arrives! We need a priest for the succession ceremony!] Gray, who seemed like he was about to charge, twisted his body dodging Nidhögg at Arsha's firm words. And he attacked at the same time.

Slash—!

Graaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah—!

The serpent struggled even more fiercely, and the fortress the dwarves built began to collapse.

[Repair it now!]

[It's a competition to see who's faster!]

The Shadow Dwarves rode on the Shadow Spiders and repaired the destroyed parts in a flash.

Graaaaaaaaaaaah—!

Thud—!

[Keureuk?!] Gray's body was thrown to the other side from Nidhögg's thrashing.

Crack—!

Fortunately, he barely managed to dig his claws into the dwarves' defensive wall and hold on. But the problem was the head that appeared behind him. The creature's other mouth opened wide like that of a crocodile.

Dash—!

Gray desperately escaped from that spot, but Arsha…

[…Ah.]

When Gray's body collided with Nidhögg, she lost her grip on his fur, which she was desperately holding onto. Fortunately, Arsha had wings and immediately flew up, but…

A bee's flapping wasn't enough to escape Nidhögg's range.

Kyaaaaa—!

[…!]

At that moment, Arsha spotted it. Inside Nidhögg's giant maw filling her vision, the Primordial Darkness was licking its lips at her. The moment she saw that, her survival instinct began screaming.

'I… am not qualified.' An immense despair washed over Arsha.

'Unqualified.'

Not everyone could claim the power just because they claimed to be the successor of a Monarch. Even if she somehow managed to reach the Primordial Darkness, it wasn't a power that one could obtain just by reaching it. Arsha's heart crumbled and she felt even more miserable because of that.

'I see. I wasn't qualified from the beginning.' She knew her own weakness. The title "Queen Bee" only impressed the worker bees; a frog venturing out of its well would be consumed by its natural predator, by a darkness even blacker than the well itself. Arsha, who had advised Gray not to be eaten without a priest, now clearly understood her own precarious situation.

'Even with a priest… I wasn't a vessel capable of inheriting the Primordial Darkness in the first place.'

Kyaaaaaaaaa—

Nidhögg's wide-open jaw closed, dyeing Arsha's vision black. The vast abyss within swallowed her whole.

'Yes, I…' Even at that moment, Arsha only despaired.

'Am just a bug.' That's right. She was just a bug, a flying insect that couldn't even struggle before the giant snake. And a bug that wasn't qualified to survive could only…

'Become someone's prey…' She had no right to refuse. Arsha knew that better than anyone, having lived in that ruthless ecosystem. She calmly accepted her death.

Chomp—!

Just like that, the darkness swallowed Arsha…

"Not so fast."

…Grab—!

[…?!]

At that moment, a strong hand suddenly appeared from behind and grabbed Arsha by the scruff of her neck.

Bang—!

Nidhogg's mouth closed right before her eyes, but it failed to devour Arsha! Belatedly realizing she was still alive, Arsha turned around in surprise, and what she saw behind her was a startling sight…

Flash—!

A small Gate had formed in the air, and a human arm was reaching out from the dimensional gap! Then, with a whoosh, the Gate expanded, and its owner, Suho, stepped through completely.

[S-Suho?!]

"Why are you spacing out? You're usually good at running away." Suho, who saved Arsha by a hair's breadth, chuckled and said,

"A bug should struggle to survive like a… bug." Then he glared at Nidhögg and smirked. He placed the tiny Arsha on his shoulder and sneered,

"Did I take too long? The priest has arrived."

Graaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah—!

Nidhögg, recognizing Suho, roared fiercely. The vicious killing intent struck him, but that didn't make him back down.

"You're asking why I was late…?"

…?

"I was a bit busy. For… various reasons."

Flash—!

Suho didn't come alone. The Gate he came through grew larger, and numerous 'ice elves' walked out. They were Sirka's friends who lived in the Sanctuary of Frost. Countless young elves, led by Sirka, came to this place.

"I thought you didn't like the cold, yet you came here."

Whoosh—!

At that moment, all the ice elves shot their arrows without hesitation.

Towards Nidhögg.

SWOOSH—!

A rain of projectiles, imbued with ice spirits, began to pour down on the beast. And at the center of it all, stood the King of the Snow Folk, the Nightmare Monarch, Sirka.

[Freeze. This is the Sanctuary of Frost!]

Graaaaaaaagh…!

Sirka, who literally became the nightmare of the World Tree, was also a nightmare to Nidhögg. Sirka's Ice Tree Spear extended with a crack and pierced its jaw.

"Good, in the meantime let's start the succession ceremony."

[Suho, I…] Arsha spoke in a gloomy voice at Suho's words,

"Ah, not you. Gray."

[…]

'Ah, as expected.' It wasn't a surprise; Gray had even lunged bravely at Nidhogg in Suho's absence. At his casual reply, Arsha, with a sullen expression, closed her mouth and settled onto his shoulder. She could do nothing else, having already realized her own predicament.

'The Queen of Insects, the Plague Monarch, Querehsha' All the words and actions, claiming to inherit her darkness, were nothing but shame and regret. But then…

"So, Arsha."

Grab

Suho picked up Arsha, who had become incredibly small, with his finger.

"Let's evolve you first."

[…Excuse me?]

He looked into Arsha's eyes and said, "Thanks to your worker bees' hard work, we've gathered quite a lot of materials from all over the world. I was a little late because I was busy gathering them and making something with Harmakan."

[…?] Arsha was dumbfounded at Suho's words.

'Worker bees?' What was it that he had her worker bees do outside? To spread all over the world and gather Elvenwood pollen? And what did he make with that?

'Ah, come to think of it…' While they struggled after jumping into the black pyramid's pillar, wandering aimlessly through the Sea of The Afterlife where day and night were indistinguishable, how much time had actually passed outside?

[S-Suho? What exactly is g…?] Arsha stammered at the sight of a woman standing beside Suho.

'Test Subject No. 47'

That woman's appearance definitely resembled the best toy created by the Apostle of Evolution, which had crumbled and disappeared.

"Thank your worker bees later. They gathered all the scattered cells for you."

[…Excuse me?]

'What did that mean?'

'For whom?'

'What did they gather?'

A beautiful woman with soulless, unfocused eyes. That appearance was very similar to the form she usually transformed into when imitating humans. But for Arsha, who still couldn't understand what was going on, Suho explained with a meaningful smile.

"Avatar No. 1. That's what I named her for now."

[D-don't tell me…?]

"Yes. It's a new vessel to contain your soul."