Chapter 68 : We Shall Willingly Become Sacrifices 1

Humanity was exhausted.

The people were too busy trying to heal the scars left by the ongoing invasions of the Demon King and his forces, while also tending to the shattered lives of the impoverished masses.

Now that the Demon King had been driven out, wouldn't things be alright for a few decades?

The lives of the people had deteriorated, and humanity had become divided.

Barely managing to push back the Demon King's army, it was unthinkable to suggest invading their lands.

However, despite this, the reason why they supported the war was because such an opportunity would never come again.

There was an emperor, often called the strongest swordsman in human history, and also known as the Hero.

Sitting at the emperor's right hand was the Saintess of the Dead, the most sacred and yet most blasphemous being in this godless land.

The citizens were unaware, but on the emperor's left sat the wicked Black Witch.

Menelapie had realized that now was the only chance to completely drive out the Demon King.

"Today! We shall uproot every trace of that vile malevolence from this land!"

Thus, ten years after Shia became the Saintess of the Dead, a new war began in this land.

"I swear to you all today."

"This land will no longer be swayed by malevolence or transcendental beings, and it will never again be manipulated by the whims of outsiders."

With the declaration of Emperor Menelapie, humanity gathered all its strength and entered into a full-scale war.

Descendants of fallen kingdoms, warriors secluded across the sea, the Shadow Elves, the demi-humans, and even the desert Orcs and the Goblins living beneath stalagmites—all came together.

Even among humanity itself, they killed one another, yet those who had never once joined hands in history did so now for a single purpose.

"Arise, all of you! You are no different from me! You, too, are heroes! At my right hand stands the Saintess of the Dead, who longs most to be human, and she is with you all! At my left hand is the darkest of shadows, and that terrifying shadow now watches your back!"

"I am Menelapie Hailam, a human who bears the bloodline of the Hailam imperial family!"

"Do you tremble with fear? Are you afraid of that vile darkness? Does the realm of the Demon King, where death and nightmares become reality, terrify you?"

"Even if you collapse from your own weakness and incompetence, even if you succumb to darkness and fear, it's fine! Stand tall! Rise proudly! You are human! Even if you fall, you can stand up again! I, too, am a human like you, and if I am a hero, then you too are heroes!"

"You are someone's proud child, someone's parent, someone's lover! Those of you who stand with me are already heroes and icons, and you shall be remembered as the most brilliant humans in history!"

"And I, too, shall stand as a human, standing tall alongside you, heroes, and die with you!"

"Through this war, I will answer the hopes of humanity! I am the emperor, the sword that swore an oath, and there is no faith I will forsake… My comrades, my subjects, my knights, my soldiers, my heroes, my humans!"

From that day onward, humanity, the demi-humans, and all other forces opposing the Demon King advanced toward the land of darkness.

"This land belongs to humanity!"

War is a wretched thing.

There is no such thing as a glorious battle.

There is no war that ought to happen.

To kill something means you must be prepared to be killed as well.

As rivers turned red with blood and the mountain ranges echoed with the screams of soldiers.

Mages, who should have been delving into knowledge, burned the earth with deadly magic and bombardments.

The stench of rotting corpses boiled over—some retched at the smell, while others, having grown accustomed to it, were unaffected.

"Kill them all! Here, this sword is yours, Demon King!"

[Crowd roar: Waaahhh!]

"Glory to humanity!"

However, history would record this war as one of the most dazzling.

Humanity's first and last counteroffensive against the great malevolence that had oppressed them for millennia was something unparalleled in any other record.

Thus began the largest war in the history of both humans and demi-humans.

The land of the demons was so poisoned with malice and darkness that it was difficult for living beings to even enter.

The demons that had adapted and survived there were, of course, grotesque and terrifying, far stronger than the ones that had invaded human lands.

But leading the charge was Menelapie, with Shia, the Saintess of the Dead, by her side, and in the shadows, the Black Witch.

Guided by the Black Witch's navigation, humanity's army advanced without obstruction.

The sword of the greatest emperor sliced through the forces of evil without hesitation.

The hands of the most sacred Saintess, possessing the miracle of blasphemy, healed the sick and shattered malevolence.

The enormous time-bombs created by the Black Witch shattered the fortresses and lands of the demons, clearing the path for humanity's advance.

The cunning traps and schemes of the wicked Black Witch drove the demons into a corner, and humanity continued to claim victory after victory.

The deeper they advanced into the dark heart of the Demon King's realm, the stronger the demons became.

Yet, despite this, humanity's advance did not halt.

It would have been impossible without the Emperor, revered as the Hero.

It would have been impossible without the Saintess of the Dead, who longed most to be human.

It would have been impossible without the Black Witch's information, guidance, and schemes, driven by her desire for atonement.

Even the Archdukes of Evil, the sentinels guarding the black river, and the brutal leaders of the Lich Council were all slain.

Enemies who were thought to be unbeatable were defeated one by one, and the dark lands of the demons gradually transformed into the lands of humanity.

The cartographers were busy every day mapping out the newly expanded human territories.

Bards spread songs to commemorate the heroes and fallen soldiers of the battlefield.

It was the most desperate, yet also the greatest war.

Thus began the era of humanity's grand offensive against the Demon King.

○○

The final war between the Demon King and humanity progressed relentlessly, as if riding a galloping horse.

Each day, hundreds of thousands clashed, and at the center were the Emperor and the Saintess of the Dead, without ever suffering a single defeat.

Although the power of the Emperor and the Saintess was immense, the key reason humanity maintained its advantage in this war, filled with countless simultaneous variables, was largely due to Teresa.

Still pretending to be a subordinate under the Demon King's command, Teresa, as a double agent, could not directly intervene.

But the information she provided—about the Demon King, his subordinates, confidants, and even the toxic miasma and terrain of his realm—was invaluable.

Each day, dozens of such crucial pieces of intelligence were sent directly to Menelapie and Shia.

Without the information provided by Teresa, both Shia and Menelapie would have been in significant danger from the countless monsters lurking in the Demon King's realm.

[The Void Palace]

This was the result of Teresa's long years of research, a magic she had created that bordered on a power akin to divine authority, a multidimensional nexus disconnected from reality.

Teresa, who once sought to banish the Demon King from this world, had explored the forbidden depths of magic and discovered the dimensional tear called the "Void Palace."

It was named a 'palace' because entering the tear led to an infinite series of rooms and walls, devoid of a ceiling or sky, with identical structures repeating endlessly.

The Void Palace was not only larger than the surface area of this world but also adopted a bizarre and unsettling structure, as if a part of the world had been ripped off and randomly reassembled into an eerie, infinite space.

Teresa believed that by trapping the Demon King in the Void Palace, all problems could be resolved.

However, opening a tear in the Void Palace required numerous spells and a long time.

To trap the Demon King in the Void Palace, they would first need to subdue or kill him, and only then, over a long period of time, could they open the dimensional tear and cast him inside.

But not even Teresa could subdue the Demon King alone and push him into the Void Palace.

Eventually, a new use for the Void Palace was discovered—logistics.

Time flowed differently inside the Void Palace than it did outside.

One second outside could be several hours inside, and with the right guide, nearly instantaneous long-distance teleportation was possible.

The Void Palace was directly connected to the imperial capital, so when casualties occurred, they were first kept alive with Shia's Great Healing and miracles, then immediately sent to the capital through the Void Palace for treatment.

Once healed, they rejoined the battlefield with reinforcements through the Void Palace's guidance.

The continued supply through the Void Palace was a major reason why the united forces of humanity could sustain the front lines and advance, even during the long war.

Thus, humanity continued to claim victory after victory.

Menelapie's sword severed the heads of the Hell Hounds, and Shia's tendrils crushed the bones of the Lich Council leaders.

The soldiers' spears, swords, and arrows relentlessly hindered the Demon King's every move.

The vermin under the influence of the Black Witch's schemes were wiped out before they even had a chance to enter the battlefield.

Victory seemed within reach.

Everyone believed without a doubt that they would drive the Demon King out of this land.

Ultimately, all the demons in the Demon King's realm were defeated by humanity.

The only thing left was the Demon King's castle, which resembled a pit of hell.

Menelapie, leading the imperial army, charged directly at the Demon King's castle, while Shia, leading a small elite strike force, took up positions in the rear to block any potential escape routes.

Lastly, at the right moment, Teresa's puppet army was set to join and take down the Demon King.

Victory was in sight.

[Victory seems the sweetest when it's right before your grasp.]

However, when Menelapie entered the Demon King's castle, having defeated all the malevolent forces, the first thing she saw was…

"Teresa Katrin…!"

…Teresa, impaled by the Demon King's greatsword.