The Failure Marquis Is A Genius [EN]: Chapter 193

Chapter 22: The Conclusion: The Blocked Wastrel

One week before the Demon King’s appearance.

The Allied Forces’ leaders gathered to discuss countermeasures.

The conclusion was unanimous.

“We don’t know what abilities the Demon King has, or what his limits are.”

It was obvious.

Twenty years ago, Kyle was the only one who directly fought the Demon King in the final battle.

Kyle had passed away.

The only one who could offer advice was gone.

Moreover, Kyle and Baal fought each other all the way into the northern mountains, so even the Seven Stars who participated in the final battle didn’t have much to say.

“Still, if I recall correctly, Baal could open portals connected to the Demon Realm.”

“That’s right. Monsters poured out of the black hole endlessly. It was a hellish moment.”

“He may seem alone, but he’s not. The battle with the Demon King will inevitably escalate into a large-scale war.”

Karina, Lord Lloyd, Tom, Gazel, Orneo, and Johan testified in succession.

“Therefore, we will deal with the monsters and demons coming out of the portal, and the Demon King…”

Gazel trailed off, looking at me.

“Can you do it?”

“It’s not a matter of can I, but I must. Leave the Demon King to me. I will lead this war to victory.”

A one-on-one with the Demon King.

It would be a lie to say I wasn’t afraid.

But having come this far, I couldn’t back down.

Whether it turns out good or bad, I have to face it.

I focused my eyes and ignited my fighting spirit.

The preparations were already complete.

* * *

Back to the present.

The man wearing tattered rags and walking barefoot looked extremely out of place.

Especially considering the freezing weather.

The pale-skinned man with snake eyes licked his lips and struck an exaggerated pose.

“Heh heh, ha ha, heh heh heh heh heh!!”

The man, who was laughing maniacally, hardened his face as if displeased by the numerous gazes upon him.

“Insects, how dare you look at me directly.”

It was just a murmur.

A black wave spread from the Demon King across the snowy field.

The humans struck by the wave felt extreme fear and couldn’t look directly at the Demon King.

Even high-level expert knights naturally lowered their eyes and felt primal fear.

But not everyone was like that.

Those with strong souls, those who reached high levels with unwavering willpower, and those protected by special beings.

They didn’t succumb to the Demon King’s aura.

This included the Seven Stars, Saintess Merian, Elf Chief Sasha, Prime Minister Ilina, Warrior Theodore, and Night Spider.

Sion and Campbell, who stood in this place after much effort, also didn’t avert their gaze, and the Heavenly Demon Grandfather even picked his nose and yawned.

Baal, looking down at the few faces sticking out like bean sprouts in front of the army with bowed heads, smiled.

“Heh heh heh, not all of you are useless. I thought it would be boring since the Lizard is gone, but this will be a brief amusement.”

As the Demon King gestured, rifts began to form behind him.

It was the portal the Seven Stars had mentioned.

Darkness flickered beyond the portal, and soon a horde of monsters rushed out and lined up opposite.

The Demon Realm army was diverse.

Slimes, Ratmen, Goblins, Kobolds, Gnolls, Orcs, Lizardmen, Owlbears, Trolls, Minotaurs, Ogres, Wyverns, and Drakes.

Undead monsters like Skeletons, Zombies, and Ghouls were also mixed in.

Each legion had its own commander.

Unlike the bizarre-looking monsters, the commanders mostly resembled humans.

I had heard about them in advance.

They were the natives of the Demon Realm, commonly called demons.

From lower demons leading dozens of monsters to mid-level demons leading thousands of troops, and upper demons leading entire legions.

They were also enemies we had to defeat.

But an unexpected variable appeared.

A being who seemed particularly outstanding among the upper demons knelt beside Baal.

“Grand Duke Astaroth greets the rightful ruler of the Demon Realm.”

“It’s been a while. Is this the first time since you left for the Interdimensional Game?”

“I was waiting so eagerly that my neck almost broke.”

A towering figure of 2m 50cm [approximately 8 feet 2 inches].

With spiky chestnut burr-like facial hair and orc-like protruding fangs on both sides.

His imposing demeanor and sharply dressed black suit resembled a loan shark coming to collect debts.

Astaroth, wearing square horn-rimmed glasses, scanned our Allied Forces and sneered.

“Elves, humans, fishmen, giants? A pathetic bunch gathered together.”

“But isn’t it fun? They scraped together a lot from here and there to try and stop us.”

“I’m glad if my lord finds it amusing.”

“Twenty years ago, it wasn’t this diverse. It just ended with relying on one Lizard to seal me.”

“But this time, even that Lizard is gone. I wanted to deal with him myself, but it’s a shame.”

Astaroth’s gaze, which had been sweeping over the opposing side, stopped and fixed on one place. It was Saintess Merian.

“Hmm?”

The demon’s face, which had been examining her intently, soon distorted.

“There’s a vessel of Belanus [a deity]. I’ll eliminate that.”

“As you wish.”

As Astaroth, having received Baal’s permission, approached the Holy Kingdom’s camp, Holy Knight Johan drew his sword and stepped forward.

“You villain! Evil demon! By the name of Belanus, I will punish you!!”

“Ah, shut up.”

Snap!

Astaroth’s figure flickered.

He appeared next to Merian.

Johan didn’t even recognize his movement.

“Saintess!! Evacuate!”

“You seem annoying.”

Astaroth’s pincer-like fingers were aimed at Merian’s temple.

A black sphere was created at the tip of his finger.

Electricity crackled from the sphere.

“Die.”

Flash!!

A black laser shot out in a straight line.

Everyone expected Merian’s demise.

Merian herself closed her eyes tightly, bracing for the impending pain.

But she didn’t feel any pain.

Merian, who cautiously opened her eyes, was startled and stepped back.

An old man she had never seen before was slightly lifting Astaroth’s wrist with just his scabbard.

As a result, the misaimed beam only crossed the sky and destroyed a snow mountain.

Astaroth glared at the unidentified old man who had not only kept up with his speed but also blocked his attack.

“Who are you? Your skin color, your attire, everything about you is strange.”

The person who saved Merian was the Heavenly Demon.

I was originally going to save her, but he jumped out first, so I gave up.

If it’s the Heavenly Demon, he can handle even a Grand Duke of Hell.

“Heh heh heh, how can you touch a weak woman in such a disgraceful way? Let’s play with those who are on our level.”

Astaroth’s face crumpled like paper at the Heavenly Demon’s words.

“Arrogant bastard. How dare a lowly human talk about levels? There is no one in the Interdimensional that can talk about levels with me… Cough!!”

The Heavenly Demon didn’t bother to wait for his opponent to finish speaking.

A roundhouse kick struck his side, and thanks to the unprecedented power in his ankle, Astaroth flew far away and crashed into a snow mountain.

The impact was so great that an entire snow mountain collapsed, blurring the vision with white snow.

“Did he get him?”

The hopeful Allied soldiers said what they shouldn’t have said.

After a while, the fog cleared, revealing the situation inside.

Astaroth, who had been kicked by the Heavenly Demon and sent flying, was unharmed except for a slightly crumpled suit.

However, although his body was fine, his flushed face and the prominent veins on his forehead proved that he was displeased.

“Okay, I admit it. You’ll be a toy to play with for a while. I’ll make sure you neither live nor die in pain.”

“A weakling like you has a top-notch tongue. I admit defeat. My tongue is inferior to yours.”

“You senile old man! I’ll tear you apart and kill you!!”

In the end, Astaroth, unable to bear it, charged, and the Heavenly Demon also stretched out his figure and collided with the Grand Duke of Hell.

Clang!

The two superhumans grappled in the sky, and at the same time, a large spherical barrier was created, trapping them both.

Perhaps that barrier is Astaroth’s unique technique, serving to prevent external interference.

Judging from the intense noise inside the barrier, the Heavenly Demon Grandfather seemed to be engaged in a fierce duel inside.

Was the clash between the Heavenly Demon and Astaroth a signal flare? The Demon Realm army and the Interdimensional Allied Forces rushed towards each other without either side acting first.

“Waaaaaaa!!!!”

“Kuaaaa!!!”

The powerful shouts were a bonus.

The two forces clashed on the pure white snowfield.

The war was fierce and brutal.

A human soldier who beheaded an Orc had his head torn off by a Gnoll’s jaws, and an Elf’s arrow pierced the neck of that Gnoll.

The Elf, who was reloading his arrow, was hit by a Troll’s club and died with his entire body dislocated, and that Troll had his eyes pierced by a spear thrown by a Fishman.

There were also undead on the Demon Realm side, who stubbornly got up even when their limbs were cut off and harassed the Allied Forces.

However, these undead were quickly rushed over by the white army and burned to ashes with the flames of the Holy Fire.

“Belanus, grant me strength.”

Flash!!

Every time the Saintess’s light shone, Liches and Death Knights were annihilated, and Holy Knight Johan cut down the monsters approaching her, calling out to God.

“Oh! Belanus!!”

Meanwhile, the Seven Stars were attached to the legion commander-level demons who were mercilessly massacring the Interdimensional Allied Forces.

One legion commander, who was giggling in a drunken state, narrowed his eyes as hot flames blocked his path.

“You are…”

“Guardian of the North, Karina of the Flame.”

“The human race attaches excessive modifiers to themselves. Is it to hide their weakness with empty boasts?”

“Well, you’ll know if it’s a boast or the real thing when you taste my flames.”

Right next to them, Sion and Campbell worked together to face a legion commander-level demon.

The two were in perfect sync, perhaps because they trained together every day.

“You rat-like bastards! I will kill you all!”

“The opponent is agitated. Keep drawing aggro [drawing the enemy’s attention].”

“Damn it, I never thought the day would come when I would listen to a maid’s words.”

Campbell taking the hits from the front and Sion dealing a fatal blow from hiding. The two were already a perfect duo and combo.

On the opposite side, an Ogre was massacring the Allied Forces, trusting in his strong strength and large size.

The Ogre sent a soldier flying, shield and all, who tried to block him with a flimsy shield.

He roared, pounding his chest, when he suddenly felt the surroundings darken.

“Kuwo?”

The Ogre, uttering a question, looked up at the sky and was horrified.

A giant foot was coming down on his head.

Squish! Thud!!

The first human.

Giant Adam kicked the monsters like soccer balls.

Monsters were no match for Adam, who had fought hard against several of the Seven Stars.

Kieek!!

The enemies were smart enough to send aerial monsters like Wyverns flying in the sky, aiming for Adam’s eyes, but

Whoosh! Thwack!!

Amelia’s arrows, flying from somewhere, mercilessly pierced the aerial monsters.

“Protect Adam!!”

“Yes!!”

The Elf archers riding on Adam’s shoulders and head fully utilized the height advantage, using the giant as a spire.

Sasha also talked to Adam, constantly cheering him on.

“Adam, hang in there! You can do it!”

“Uwoooo!!!”

In addition, there was Old Man Orneo shooting water cannons, Night Spider ambushing upper demons from behind and instantly killing them, Sebastian fighting back-to-back with Lord Lloyd, who had an injured leg, and Ilina and Theodore making full use of the Fishmen’s strength.

Everyone was fighting to the best of their ability in their respective positions.

…Except for me.

In the midst of the fierce battlefield, I was standing idly by, doing nothing.

The only reason I was doing that was because the Demon King was also standing still.

My gaze never left Baal.

It was to respond immediately if he made even the slightest movement.

Baal, with his arms crossed, also felt my gaze and turned his eyes this way.

He still had a relaxed expression, and the smile on his face hadn’t disappeared.

[Are you the one who set up this stage?]

His lips didn’t move, but I heard a voice in my mind. It was high-level lip reading.

“What if I am?”

[I’ll give you a compliment. I thought it would be boring since the Lizard died, but you’ve created something to see.]

“Is it good even though it’s a stage where you die?”

[Heh heh heh… What means do you have to kill me? As a reward for amusing me, I’ll listen to you.]

“Why do I need to think of a way to kill someone weaker than me? I can just kill you.”

[Heh heh heh, it’s best not to be too arrogant. The reason you’re alive right now is because I want to see the spectacle unfolding before my eyes for longer.]

“If you don’t come, I’ll go to you.”

The Demon King frowned at my declaration of war and waved his hand once.

[Good. I’ll give you a simple test. If you pass this, I might feel like playing with you a little.]

Crackle!!

At the Demon King’s gesture, a long crack appeared in the sky.

The crack gradually widened to the left and right, and a black aura flickered between them.

And something poked its head out.

A giant rock I had never seen before.

It was a meteorite.

Boom boom boom boom!!!!

The meteorite’s trajectory was the snowy field adjacent to Black Castle.

It was where most of the Allied Forces were gathered, and it was obvious that many casualties would occur if the impact occurred here.

It even seemed to contain thermal energy, emitting flames that made my skin tingle even from a distance.

[Hahaha!!!]

The meteorite exuded a strong presence in itself.

Those who were fiercely fighting on the battlefield suddenly stopped moving and looked up at the sky as the surroundings darkened and their skin became hot.

And then they were horrified.

“Uwaaaah!!”

“What is that!”

“Run away!”

“Is it even possible to escape?”

“Dig into the ground and hide!”

The Allied Forces were confused and disoriented.

The Demon King Baal laughed, holding his stomach as he watched this scene.

“Hahahaha!! What will you do? You tried to kill me without even being able to handle a single rock?”

I let the Demon King babble to himself.

The solution had already come to mind.

[Wind Control]

[Haste]

[Shunpo]

I floated in the air and faced the approaching meteor.

I protected my body with Aura to prevent my skin from burning.

It’s not easy to cut down a falling meteorite, but even if I succeed in cutting it down, great damage will occur if fragments fall.

There is only one way to cleanly deal with it.

“Return to your home.”

Send it back to where it came from.

I held the sword with both hands and raised it high.

The palms of my hands, drained of blood, turned white as I gripped it so tightly.

I took a deep breath and slashed down from the upper left to the lower right in one swift motion.

One-Sword Cut (一刀兩斷) [a decisive strike]

Swoosh!!!!

[Heavenly Demon Swordsmanship]

[Space Cut]

A sword mark was drawn in space.

Soon, the sword mark turned into a crack, and the crack widened into a huge hole.

A black aura flickered beyond the hole.

It was the same scene as when the Demon King summoned the meteorite.

The hole, which had widened enough, opened its mouth towards the falling meteor and swallowed it in one gulp.

Gulp

The meteorite disappeared in an instant.

The crack that had grown also shrank again, returning to the blue sky as if nothing had happened.

The soldiers, who had been momentarily engulfed in the fear of death, screamed with joy from below.

“Waaaaa!!!”

In the middle of the battlefield filled with cheers, the Demon King and I looked at each other.

The Demon King had a surprised expression as his attack was blocked so easily.

“How can a mere human…”

“Is it my turn now? Try to block this.”

Snap!!

The skill is activated at the same time.

[Golem Summon]

Currently, I’m fully buffed after eating Fishman Transformation Pills and acorns. Thousands of Golems summoned from the ground created a magnificent spectacle.

“Golem Legion, charge.”

The wrath of nature was poured out on the monster legion.

The monsters were helplessly trampled.

With a single attack, the war was entering a new phase.