Descent of the Demon Master

“T-they are here!”

“Stop them! Sacrifice yourselves if you have to!”

“They are breaking through! We can’t stop them!”

“I don’t care! Stop them! If you don’t…!”

Slice!

Blood gushing out from a dismembered human body dyed the corridor in an unmistakable crimson hue.

“Hiiiieeeeek?!”

“R-run away!”

These defenders had trodden on the path of a knight all their lives. To them, showing their backs to their enemies would be extremely dishonorable as a knight. If they faced a situation where their strength could not save the day… Bravely confronting their death would be the honorable thing to do as a knight.

Dying at the hands of a stronger enemy was an honor. However, was it still honorable to die at the hands of an unstoppable monster?

The nameless knight could only stare in stupefaction at the monster in question. At the monster… No, the devil with its entire body enveloped in jet-black flames that madly swung and chopped down with his two swords!

The thick tar-like black energy had completely covered that individual from head to toe. Those flames burned so fiercely that without concentrating hard, it was easy to miss that those things took on the silhouette of a human being!

Besides, those eyes… Could those two glowing balls of light even be described as eyes?

A pair of crimson light balls burned coldly enough to freeze a man's soul in the general area of the jet-back flames where a person's head should be.

That… was the devil. No other words seemed adequate enough to describe this evil creature.

This devil suddenly appeared in the dark underground passageway and began granting a fair judgment to every single person blocking his path.

The judgment of… death! Not just any, but one that could not be resisted!

People were falling like leaves.

Those who armed themselves with a sense of duty and the code of honor before charging straight at the devil did not welcome an honorable death. How could their death be honorable when a single sword strike cleaved the victim in half from head to toe? Then, got trampled and crushed underfoot by the devil?

“Huk… Heeeeek… Sob…!”

“How… How could something like this happen…!”

Panic descended among the defenders.

These people didn’t know anything, to begin with. All they heard was the order to stop enemies raiding the Round Table. That was it. Since the higher-ups ordered them, these agents would obey. Wasn’t that what was expected of them?

But now, the defenders filling the corridor were bitterly regretting their decision to obey that order. Why didn't they think more deeply about the order? Why didn't they bother to find out more about this attack?

If everyone knew that the simple-sounding order to stop the enemy's advances was actually an order to dance with the devil… How many would have willingly come here to die?

Unfortunately, such musings were pointless now.

Whether they had made the right choice or not was a moot point since they all now stood before this terrifying devil. As a result of their mistake, they were about to receive the exceedingly fair judgment of inescapable death!

However, it seemed some were not ready to accept this result just yet.

“Get back! Retreat!”

“Fall back! Back, I say! We can't fight back in this cramped space!”

The nameless knight went agog just then. They couldn't fight back in the cramped space? Didn't that imply these people were confident of fighting the devil back in an open area? Seriously?!

Even before the nameless knight and his peers could think, they began to fall back.

If their actions were to be repackaged in a more elegant, dignified manner, one could say they were strategically pulling back. However, anyone bearing witness to this situation wouldn't think to describe it so elegantly.

What happened was a scene of mass panic and escape, after all!

Everyone seemingly turned around and fled to avoid facing that approaching devil. If an obstacle got in the way, these once-proud warriors unhesitantly trampled and clawed their way past it… Even if those obstacles proved to be their own comrades!

Some knights crawled on all fours. Some even threw away their swords that only got in their attempt at fleeing.

It was an utter, pure pandemonium! The fear a sheep might feel as its flock was set upon by a ravenous wolf… No, a fear even more crippling than that now ruled over this area.

When was the last time these knights felt this much fear?

Ever since these knights started their martial arts journey, they felt like they could do anything. Even if things seemed tough right now, they still believed a bit more training and lots more effort could overcome whatever challenge life decided to throw in their way.

However, they finally learned their lesson. They now knew that some things in this world couldn’t be overcome regardless of how much training and effort they had put in!

Fighting the devil off was not something a human being could do!

“W-wait! Take me with you! Don’t leave me behind! Nooo!”

Desperate screams coming from behind them failed to stop the fleeing knights. Those words re-energized the flagging legs of the escapees instead. That was because they realized anyone falling behind would die!

“Kkuwaaaaaahk!”

The fleeing knights squeezed their eyes shut at that horrifying scream.

If they could, they would've covered their ears with their hands. But such leeway was not granted to them. Instead of wasting energy covering their ears, they should just focus on taking one more step. To get even further away from the devil!

“W-we are out!”

“H-hey! Get into formation! Hurry up! Hurry the hell up!”

“Finally!”

The large open area at the end of the corridor was quickly filled up with the fleeing knights making hopeful faces. The light here was blinding.

Emerging from the dark corridor with its lights all switched off and entering this open space was similar to escaping from Hell itself!

“Huff, huff! Wheeze!” The nameless knight… No, Rosenior panted and wheezed uncontrollably before sobering up in an instant.

‘N-no, wait a second!’

His complexion paled in an instant. His body reacted before his mind could when someone ordered them to get into formation. Rosenior's brain kicked in to analyze the situation only after everyone had finished finding their spots in the formation!

‘What… What are we gonna do now?’

Stop that devil? In this place? Rosenior’s hands began shaking uncontrollably.

How were they supposed to stop that unstoppable creature?!

Since they couldn't stop the devil's advance in that narrow corridor, it made some sense to get to an open space to attack the enemy simultaneously from various angles. However, understanding the intention and acknowledging how good this plan was… were two very different things, now weren't they!

‘This is sheer madness!’

Could a flock of sheep kill a wolf by surrounding it? Did someone actually think such madness would even work?

‘No, hang on…’

Rosenior grimaced a little. Maybe it was feasible with a wolf. No matter how scary it was, many sheep ramming into it at full power would still hurt it considerably, after all!

‘However, we’re not dealing with a bloody wolf, now is it!’

Even at a conservative estimate, the gap between the devil and the hypothetical wolf was several dozen times greater than that of a wolf and a flock of sheep. So, why were Rosenior and his comrades trying to do something this reckless right now?!

“W-what are we even doing here?!”

“R-right! Shouldn’t we keep running away?”

Rosenior realized that many others were thinking the same thing as him.

‘Well, no sh*t!’

Anyone who didn't have rocks for brains would've naturally thought this way. After all, hadn't they already witnessed the carnage? Didn't they already know what kind of creature was walking through that corridor?!

The flood of dissatisfaction and complaints suddenly died down. It wasn't because these people had accepted their fate, nor did they resolve themselves.

Even so, eerily bone-chilling silence instantly descended into this open space. All because a pair of terrifying glowing crimson balls of light had finally appeared within the corridor enshrouded in pitch-black darkness!

Those crimson light balls wavered ever-so-slightly but gradually grew clearer and more distinct.

Everyone here knew. They knew those lights were actually the devil's eyes…! And those things were wavering because the devil was leisurely walking toward them.

Rosenior's lips didn't want to part, as if someone had glued them shut. He couldn't even squeak out a single sound.

Eventually, the devil cloaked in the black aura emerged from the corridor and entered the brightly-lit open space. And then, he let out a quiet groan.

“Fuu-woo…”

That was when Rosenior suddenly felt a little relieved. Why did he feel this way, though? That was because he got to confirm that a terrifying devil still had to breathe like everyone else.

“...So, you chose to block the way.”

The devil muttered in a language Rosenior didn’t readily recognize. He briefly wondered if all devils used that language, but before he could finish organizing his thoughts, the mouth area of the devil covered in black flames wavered and danced.

“What a stupid choice this is.”

That was English. Rosenior blinked his eyes in disbelief.

‘Did the devil speak English?’

That was when the mouth area of the devil seemed to stretch just a little from side to side. Rosenior instinctively realized that the devil… had to be grinning! Yes, that creature was smiling eerily at them!

“Facing me would’ve granted you a cleaner death, though.”

Just as those words left the devil's mouth, many pitch-black objects suddenly rushed viciously outside from the corridor behind the devil!

“W-what?! Defend your positions!”

“Do not retreat! Fight back, you fools!”

As if the Demon King was summoning its minions to the world of men…! Demonic cultivators, releasing copious amounts of pitch-black demonic qi and letting out bizarre howls, appeared from behind the devil and charged straight toward the Round Table's defenders.

...And then, this open space deep underground transformed into Hell on Earth.

***

“They have broken through, sir!”

Knight Leveaux’s cheeks twitched as he listened to the latest report.

“Sirs! The third doorway has been breached!”

Leveaux asked in disbelief. “Did you say third?”

“Yes, sir!”

“Then, what happened to the second doorway?!”

“S-sir, we’ve already reported to you that it got breached not too long ago.”

Knight Leveaux’s face under the mask finally crumpled unsightly. “The third doorway, you say…?”

“Y-yes, sir.”

“Where are our defenders?! What the hell are they doing?! When the enemy is wrecking our home like this?!”

“S-sir, that is…”

Knight Leveaux growled menacingly. “Answer me right now, or I swear…”

“…! Sir! They were annihilated!”

Leveaux instantly clamped his mouth shut.

Annihilated! That report sent powerful shockwaves in the chamber. Every Knight gathered around the Round Table was rendered completely speechless.

‘Annihilated? How?’

Knight Leveaux loathed Britain. Then again, no Frenchman would hold a favorable impression of all things British. He genuinely despised Britain, and naturally, he hated the Master and Knight Wiggins for being British, too.

However, hating someone didn’t mean Leveaux failed to give credit where it was due.

The British martial artists were acknowledged as some of the very best in Europe. Especially those tasked with the defense of the Round Table; they were the elites of the elites fastidiously selected from the already-excellent pool of warriors. In short, they were the best of the breed!

So, to hear that they were annihilated? How did that even make sense!

Knight Leveaux’s hand reflexively gripped his mask.

‘No, calm down!’

“Annihilated” didn't mean all the Round Table's fighters were dead now. No, it simply meant the defenders up to the third doorway had fallen. That was all!

There should still be more than enough combatants left to throw at the enemy forces!

Leveaux roared urgently. “Knight Chadwick!”

“...I’m here, Knight Leveaux.”

Leveaux’s glare locked squarely on Chadwick. “Do you think you can stop the enemy?”

“Did you just ask me that, Knight Leveaux?”

“Obviously. If it's not you, then who should I be…”

“Knight Leveaux, do not forget that the defense of the Round Table is the sacred duty of her Knights. I advise you to stop insulting my honor.”

“…”

Knight Chadwick got up, then turned around to head toward the exit.

Leveaux falteringly called out to him. “Wait, Knight Chadwick. Before you leave, you must vote for the…”

“I’m abstaining,” said Chadwick while shooting a quick glance at Leveaux. “Even without my presence, we still have the majority of the Knights here. So, please handle this matter without me. In the meantime, I shall stop the enemy’s advance!”

Knight Leveaux subtly bit his lip.

‘You stinking Brit bastard…!’

Even though Chadwick couldn't deal with an enemy group assaulting the Round Table and allowed the situation to reach this state, he dared to run his mouth off like some honorable warrior!

“Well, then,” Knight Chadwick briefly nodded, then opened the door to exit the chamber.

Knight Leveaux sucked in a deep breath as the door closed shut.

‘It’s fine. Yes, it’s still fine! For the time being, at least.’

The British's power was not to be scoffed at. It was unthinkable that they would fail to stop some small group of enemies. Besides, even if Chadwick and his pals did fail… It ultimately wouldn't matter, anyway.

After all, Leveaux would soon acquire all the power he needs!

“Then, let us proceed with this conference,” said Leveaux.

All he needed to do was acquire the Master's position. Then, he'd be able to unleash Hell on anyone daring to invade the Round Table!

“The main topic of this conference will be the selection of the new Master. We shall adhere to the Round Table's sacred laws to select a Knight with the majority support as the next Master. Any Knight wishing to step up as the candidate, please express your intent now.”

There was no problem here. Everything was smooth sailing!

However, Knight Leveaux had failed to notice something. And that was how his speech had gotten a little more urgent than usual. And that there was a strand of cold sweat trickling down his forehead right now.

His heightened perception could already sense it. He could sense an indescribably sinister and icy aura in the distance.

Something he never knew could exist in reality, something darker than darkness itself, was gradually closing in.

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