CHAPTER 179
『This is a gold mine, isn't it?』
Mephisto burst into laughter as he gazed at the mass of demons sprawled beneath Elric's feet.
As a former Demon King, he could feel it clearly.
The minions of Azazel, his old nemesis, filled this place to the brim!
What would happen if he could collect all the seals they possessed?
How much of his power could he regain?
Even just thinking about it made Mephisto's heart race with excitement.
Meanwhile…
Elric, who had successfully ambushed those lying in wait to strike, clicked his tongue.
'Of course, I knew there would be something more.'
When the barbarian tribes had surged toward the barracks, Elric had thought that the Red Lion Army's counterattack wouldn't end just like that.
It was too good of an opportunity for them.
So, after discreetly releasing wraiths to scout far and wide, he had discovered them.
'So, they really did side with the demons. It wasn't just a false accusation?'
Elric easily realized that all of these were part of Gregory, even without Mephisto's reaction.
They had clashed frequently since the Black Snowfield, so not recognizing the unique madness in their demonic energy would have been stranger.
This also made Elric feel no fondness toward the Red Lion Army, who had allied with these demons.
Yet, considering that Claymore Sagnard had remained loyal to them until the end, Elric had briefly thought he might be a good person.
And for a moment, Elric even thought the Red Lion might have been wrongly accused, perhaps framed by Crown Prince Zeraitz.
But it seemed that wasn't the case after all.
In truth, after being declared traitors, they had no choice but to ally with Gregory.
However, for the head of the Melvinger family—whose mission was to eradicate the demons—they were enemies, no matter what.
And now…
Elric was fulfilling that mission, aiming to eradicate Gregory!
Bam! Bam! Bam!
The Winter Storm raged fiercely.
It was as if the General Winter of the Black Snowfield had been transplanted here, sweeping through the area where the demons gathered.
Many demons were instantly frozen in place without being able to put up any resistance.
The power of the absolute-zero wind that chilled the very air was that overwhelming.
So much delicious food!
Kya-kya-kya-kya!
And it was none other than Yu's spiritual form that delighted in it.
Sssssss—
A shadow spread wide along the hillside.
And from various points, saw-like teeth suddenly protruded, devouring the frozen demons in one bite.
It resembled a great white shark snatching seals from the sea, tearing them apart with just the strength of its jaws.
Crunch!
Crunch!
The demonic energy was quickly absorbed into Elric.
Even the demons that barely survived the Winter Storm were exhausted from Yu's persistent attack.
Then…
Swoosh!
A massive wave of energy suddenly surged through the Winter Storm.
Like a sharp blade slicing through the center of a cake, a dark, gleaming light cut straight through the storm.
Crack!
Shatter!
The storm, having lost its center, scattered in all directions. The icy ground cracked, and the snow-covered brush collapsed.
At the center of it all, Judas's eyes flashed coldly as he shouted.
"Mel-ving-er!"
Boom!
His voice echoed loudly. It reverberated through the mountains, shaking them as if they might collapse.
Judas was filled with fury.
And no wonder—throughout his clashes with Elric, not once had he gained the upper hand.
Whenever Judas thought he had prepared a perfect plan, Elric would appear and overturn it.
This time was no different.
He thought he had finally trapped Elric, but instead, Elric had ambushed him.
Half of the forces he had brought were wiped out before he could even use them properly.
But what enraged him the most wasn't that.
"How—how are you controlling the Winter Blizzard?"
The Northern Wind and Winter Blizzard.
These were divine powers he had tried to obtain by subjugating the General Winter at the Black Snowfield, yet Elric was using them with such mastery!
Judas knew better than anyone that this Winter Storm was one of those powers holding him back.
"That—belongs to us!"
"No. You're wrong."
Elric smirked coldly as he looked at Judas, who was yelling like a child throwing a tantrum.
"It belongs to my family."
Elric descended swiftly toward Judas.
"I'll kill—you!"
As Judas's Seal of Frenzy shone brighter, his back split open, and raven wings shot out.
At the same time, a pair of ram horns sprouted from his head.
He now resembled the Azazel Elric had once read about in his family's ancient tomes.
Boom!
Screech!
Judas smashed the ground beneath him and shot toward Elric like a bullet.
The two clashed in midair.
Bang!
Rumble—
Brilliant, jewel-like mana and pitch-black demonic energy collided, creating a tremendous explosion. Energy waves scattered in all directions.
'As expected, he's no easy opponent.'
Elric grimaced as he looked at his right arm, which throbbed painfully, as if it might break.
But that wasn't all.
Some of the demonic energy had attempted to invade his Spell-power Circuits. Though he had quickly torn it apart with his mana, it had been a close call. He could've suffered serious internal damage.
Just from one clash, the situation was this dangerous.
He had thought Judas was formidable when they fought through a possessed subordinate at the Black Snowfield, but facing him now in person, Judas was far more powerful.
Even with the power of the Winter Blizzard, Judas was a beast to contend with.
『You should go all out from the start. Even if he's just a fake, he still possesses a fraction of Azazel's power.』
Mephisto was grinning wide, showing his teeth.
This was no longer the meek old man who had often suffered defeat at Elric's hands. The ruthless Demon King within him was surfacing again, likely because of the shadow of his old rival.
『I could even tell you his weak points, if you like.』
[No, that's fine.]
Elric declined Mephisto's subtle offer.
[I'd like to try fighting him using only my own strength for now.]
『Is that so?』
[Besides, I haven't had a chance to push my powers to the limit yet.]
『Well, if you insist.』
[If it gets too tough, I'll call for backup.]
As Mephisto stepped back with an amused grin, Elric landed on the ground.
Boom!
He immediately began gathering more mana, preparing to face Judas again.
"All Gregory demons—kill Melvinger!"
Fwoosh!
Swish!
The moment the demons broke free from the Winter Storm's grip, they charged toward Elric.
There was no hesitation, only pure malice in their eyes.
No, more accurately, it felt as though their minds were being forcibly controlled by something.
Elric felt a strong sense of déjà vu.
'Soul Speech?'
It seemed that Judas's command was imbued with a power that forcibly controlled the demons.
'I didn't know demons could use something like that.'
It surprised him at first, but on second thought, it made sense.
According to Mephisto, the demon hierarchy meant lower ranks were absolutely subservient to higher ranks.
Since Gregory was a religious order worshiping Azazel, their hierarchy was likely even more rigid. Offering their lives at their leader's command was probably second nature.
'I saw a similar scene at the Black Snowfield.'
But there was a problem.
'There are too many to fight all at once.'
It would have been ideal to face Judas one-on-one.
But, having willingly entered enemy territory, Elric had no choice now.
Not that he was out of options.
Although he had used a considerable amount of mana while wielding the Winter Blizzard, he had hoped to avoid activating his second divine power right away. But it seemed he had no choice.
"[Arise]."
So, Elric immediately activated his second divine power, the Northern Wind.
From the shadows that had spread across the ground, ghostly knights began to rise.
These were the remnants of the heroes who had once followed Winter Sage Otto Han, making the name of Melvinger known worldwide. For the first time, they revealed themselves to the outside world.
This was precisely why Elric had come here alone, far from the main forces.
He couldn't afford to reveal his trump card where too many eyes were watching.
Kyaaah!
Kruooo!
The guardians let out long, eerie cries.
"The… Northern Wind?"
First Winter Blizzard, now Northern Wind. Judas was on the verge of fainting from shock.
But the surprises didn't stop there.
Sssssss—
Shadows climbed up the legs of the guardians, enveloping the weapons they carried.
It was the Seal of Maleficence, the cruel and violent seal once wielded by Demon King Yu, now infused into the guardians.
As a result…
The glowing eyes beneath the ghost knights' helmets now burned even fiercer…!
"Kill them all."
That single command was enough.
The guardians, driven by a fierce desire to protect their master, turned their weapons on the demons charging toward Elric.
Shing!
The harsh, cold wind blew in, carrying with it the lingering traces of demonic energy and mana.
The tide of battle, which had briefly seemed to favor Gregory's forces, swiftly turned back in Elric's favor.
"[Possess]."
Elric reached deep within his Spell-power Circuits, summoning the last of the wraiths that had been lying dormant.
Before clashing with Judas again, he intended to amplify his power to the maximum by attempting a possession.
But this was no ordinary possession.
There were many wraiths left behind by Otto Han, each possessing unique abilities. Among them, there had to be one with the perfect countering ability for this situation—an exact opposite to Judas's fierce and impulsive nature, a calm and steady power that could make handling Judas and the Gregory demons much easier.
Elric had already chosen the wraith who would be Judas's natural enemy.
'That guy, and not just him, but even Azazel, and all of Gregory's demons—they're violent and erratic. If I counter that with a calm, measured force… I can take them down more easily.'
Fortunately, Elric had learned just the right martial art from the Blue Hawks.
This was the martial art taught to him by Haman, and it fit the current situation perfectly.
And now…
The wraith Elric summoned was a master spearman from a bygone era.
Fwoosh!
As soon as the possession was complete, Elric felt his entire world fill with the intricate techniques of spearmanship.
His Preta Sense, his Mind's Eye, and all the paths before him became sharper and more vivid.
He stretched his hand forward.
Crackle!
The moisture in the air instantly froze, forming a long, sharp ice spear.
Grasping the spear firmly, Elric launched himself off the ground with tremendous force.
Swoosh!
He had only four minutes to maintain this possession and divine power.
In that time, he intended to defeat Judas.
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