285

Encounter with the Earth Demon Once More

Forseti had always been intrigued by the diversity among demons. The variations in their appearances were vast and striking.

Among the demons he encountered, some had colorful complexions and humanoid forms, while others crawled on all fours like wild beasts. Despite their differences, they shared one common trait—they were all fearsome.

"Look what we've got here, an outsider," remarked the humanoid demon with a single horn, eyeing Forseti.

"My lord, this one reeks... It's a repulsive smell, I have no appetite for him," chimed in a crawling demon resembling a dinosaur, with exaggerated fangs.

His words resonated among the demons, with several agreeing, "Yes, never seen such an ugly creature!"

In the past, Forseti's presence wouldn't have repulsed demons to such an extent. However, since gaining an affinity for Holy Light, he now emitted a faint aura of Holy Light across his body. While this aura was subtle to most ordinary creatures, it was intensely repugnant to beings inherently incompatible with Holy Light—such as demons.

"My lord, shall we kill him?" suggested one demon.

The leading humanoid demon's eyes glinted with hostility, but instead of an immediate decision, he scrutinized Forseti closely, particularly eyeing the Demon Slayer Sword for an extended moment.

Each time his gaze fell on the sword, an uneasy feeling gripped him...

It was this uncertainty that stayed his hand, preventing him from dispatching an outsider as repulsive as Forseti.

Forseti, in turn, cast a few glances at the demons.

One high-ranking demon and a few lowly minions—nothing more.

The term "high-ranking demon" typically referred to those equivalent to lower-tier gods outside of Hell, slightly weaker than first-order divine beings in other realms. Within Hell, however, due to the realm's unique laws, they surpassed first-order divine beings in strength.

Nevertheless, for Forseti, with his Holy Light affinity and possession of the Demon Slayer Sword, any strength advantage the demons possessed was practically negligible.

Without hesitation, he approached with the Demon Slayer Sword in hand, his steps measured.

"Outsider, what is your intent?" the high-ranking demon demanded warily.

The lower-level demons failed to sense the imminent danger.

As Forseti drew nearer, they couldn't contain themselves.

Suddenly, the dinosaur-like demon roared, leaping forward to attack Forseti with a cry, "Roar—"

Forseti's expression remained composed. As the demon lunged, he raised his hand and slashed.

"Boom!"

Holy Light burst forth from the Demon Slayer Sword. Before the dinosaur demon could even scream, it disintegrated into ash, vanishing into nothingness amidst the radiant golden light.

Witnessing this spectacle, several lesser demons stood frozen in shock, while the higher-ranking demon turned and fled.

Forseti charged forward, slashing his sword again.

"Boom!" Another demon vanished.

The lower-level demons finally reacted, but it was too late. Forseti swiftly dispatched them with two more slashes, leaving none standing.

Close behind Forseti ,with the magic clock fluttering he pursued the fleeing high-ranking demons.

Though the high-ranking demons fled swiftly, they could not outrun their pursuers. Despite putting distance between them, the gap rapidly closed.

Soon, the distance between pursuer and pursued shrank to a mere ten meters.

The high-ranking demon glanced back at Forseti, panic seizing his heart. He cried out desperately, his voice trembling, "Father, save me! Father! Father—"

Forseti was taken aback by the plea. Was this a prelude to trouble?

He wasn't afraid of a high-ranking demon alone, but if a demon lord were to intervene, things could get complicated. After a moment's consideration, he decided to deal with this situation swiftly.

Judgment Sword!

Forseti swung the Demon Slayer Sword, launching the Judgment Sword toward the fleeing high-ranking demon.

However, just as the Judgment Sword was about to strike, a towering figure suddenly burst from the ground nearby, leaping forward to intercept the blow with a fist.

"Boom!"

The impact resounded loudly, causing the ground to tremble.

Beside the high-ranking demon, a one-armed demon bearing a striking resemblance to him stood, gasping, "Father!"

The one-armed demon didn't respond, instead inspecting his fist with a grim expression.

His body was encased in thick layers of rock, particularly on his arms. Yet, after the recent blow, the rock had crumbled away, revealing wounded flesh beneath, from which wisps of blue smoke emerged.

Forseti stared at the demon, momentarily stunned before realization dawned. Wasn't this the old demon from the Battle of Vanaheim? Back then, despite assistance from his allies, Forseti had been bested. Fortunately, Tyr, the God of War, had intervened just in time.

The old demon had lost his arm to Tyr. Forseti had taken the severed arm and repurposed it for a few creations.

Unexpectedly, fate had brought them face-to-face again in Hell.

The old demon seemed to recognize Forseti as well, his expression revealing surprise. After a moment of hesitation, recognition flashed across his face. "It's you, the kid from Asgard!"

"I didn't expect the great Hell Demon to remember me," Forseti replied with a smile.

The old demon snorted derisively. Suddenly, a cascade of rocks surged from beneath his feet, enveloping his body and fashioning a new arm from stone.

"It's been fifteen hundred years since our last encounter. I didn't expect you to come here seeking death. This isn't Vanaheim."

"Whether it's a death sentence remains to be seen," Forseti retorted, summoning Venom and assuming the form of a Light-wielding Symbiote Warrior.

After all, confronting a demon lord equivalent to a second-order divine being, compounded by Hell's own laws, warranted caution.

With Venom assimilated, Forseti's Holy Light aura intensified. The old demon couldn't hide his astonishment.

Forseti brandished the Rivendell Sword once more, combining its power with that of the Demon Slayer Sword.

Sword of Justice!

"Boom—"

Both blades erupted in a blaze of Holy Light.

After the brilliance faded, the old demon was sent hurtling, crashing through the ground and leaving a gaping hole in his wake.

Forseti regained his footing, watching as the old demon struggled to rise.

The Earth Demon bore the brunt of the Holy Light's impact, losing chunks of rock from his body. His newly formed stone arm shattered once more, revealing scorched flesh beneath, leaving him looking worse for wear.

Regaining his composure, he eyed Forseti with newfound fear.

Seeing his father at a disadvantage, the high-ranking demon at his side hesitated briefly before declaring, "Father, I'll summon reinforcements."