Chapter 805: Ransom

This bastard had destroyed countless worlds.

In the process, when he himself was defeated someday.

It seemed he had resolved himself to the fact that his own world would also be destroyed.

The problem was.

‘I haven’t.’

He may have been prepared.

But I was not.

I had only fought to survive.

I had only defeated the invader in order to stand against the destruction that was approaching.

‘And yet the result is the destruction of another world.’

No.

I was not the only one who had not been prepared.

This Avaritia was an invader.

Certainly, this bastard must have been prepared to cease to exist when that invasion failed.

But.

‘What about this bastard’s people?’

The world that must have been enjoying a peaceful life because of this bastard’s invasions.

The land that had appeared on the other side of our world not long ago.......

A land so abundant and beautiful that I had even felt envious.

The ordinary lives that must have been living upon it.

‘Those lives probably don’t even know what their ruler has been doing outside.’

Those who had merely been enjoying peaceful lives in an abundant world.

Existences that knew nothing and therefore had made no preparations at all.

All of them had now been placed under the fate of destruction before long.

It was peace achieved through invasion in the first place.

Some might say that no matter how ignorant they had been, those who enjoyed that peace should also pay the price.

But even if someone else could say that.

I could not.

Because.

“That’s a little.”

The countless worlds I had seen, destroyed in such a miserable manner.

Another such world would be created.

And I would become the perpetrator of that destruction.

“I don’t like it.”

As someone who had hated this destruction more than anyone.

It was something I could never accept.

=There is nothing that can be done merely because you do not like it.=

Avaritia’s soul spoke while looking at me, even as it continued to be destroyed.

=This is something every member of the Alliance has implicitly agreed upon. A world that has lost its divinity will be destroyed before long anyway, and that destruction will only strengthen that malice.=

If a divinity belonging to the Alliance ceased to exist.

That world would be used as fuel for the Demon Realm.

=Even while joining together in order to survive...... when we ultimately fail and face destruction. May we not become an obstacle to other worlds. May at least the other worlds survive a little longer...... that is our long-held resolution.=

“.......”

=Neither your wishes, nor even mine, will be able to move that resolution.=

Just as he said

Even if the destruction caused by my actions was not something I wanted

I had no right to interfere with it.

The world that had been trying to connect to this Earth, the Demon Realm, had already left.

Even if it still remained nearby, the true bodies of the divinities of that Demon Realm were there.

It would be impossible for me to restrain their actions through force.

“A way.”

Yes, strictly speaking.......

“There is one.”

Through force...... that is.

***

=What?=

In the end.

The reason this bastard’s world was in danger of destruction was because this bastard was in danger of ceasing to exist on this land...... Earth.

But to be precise.

He was only in danger of ceasing to exist...... he had not ceased to exist yet.

In that case.

“Choi Wonjun!”

There was still a method left to try.

“......Yes!”

“From now on, use the sorcery I tell you.”

“Yes, please tell me.”

The demon hunter of our unit.

A person who, because he had once been a follower of demons, knew their methods better than anyone.

I gave Choi Wonjun one order.

“......Legion Commander?”

Then.

“Were you serious about what you said......?”

“Of course I was serious.”

“B, but. This is.......”

Even while spreading a magic circle across the ground according to my words.

Choi Wonjun broke out in a cold sweat with a face that seemed unable to understand.

“Is it complete?”

“Yes. But...... Legion Commander.......”

“Then that’s enough. I’ll handle it from here, so you can step back.”

“Legion Commander.......”

“Well, you probably don’t need to worry that much.”

Despite those words of mine.

He still looked uneasy.

‘Well, I understand.’

Even I thought what I was about to do was not normal.

If it had been anyone else, they would have assumed that my order carried some profound meaning and moved on.

But this bastard, of all people.

Someone who had once entered into a contract with a demon could not have taken this matter lightly.

TAP.

“Thrones of the Divine Realm Alliance, the federation of those who wish to stand together!”

Because.

What I had ordered this bastard to do.

“Demons of the Demon Realm, rulers of the vast Hell!”

The purpose of the magic circle I had asked him to create.......

Was quite simple.

“I request a transaction with you!”

Something far too familiar to every contractor of a demon.

“I desire a contract with a demon!”

Because it was a contract circle for demons.

***

CRAAACK—!!!

The light of the night sky changed rapidly.

It was neither the light of the dark night sky.

Nor the gray-white light of the Legion.

Nor Avaritia’s golden light.

RUMBLE RUMBLE RUMBLE.......

A barren, red wasteland.

The dark crimson light of the Demon Realm filled the sky.

The barriers between worlds were strong.

Even if they were beings of the Demon Realm.

Without sufficient preparation, it was impossible even to approach another world.

=You......!=

If there was only one exception.

=Just what are you......!=

It was when an existence inside.

Invited them directly.

A world that had almost reached this land only a few minutes ago.

But had failed and left.

[Otherworld] appeared once again in the sky above this land.

=.......=

I felt gazes from the sky once again.

Countless existences looking down at me from that place.

The gazes of the divinities of the Demon Realm, the demons.

[You propose a transaction to the demons!]

And at that moment.

[Warning! Warning! Warning!]

A System message appeared before my eyes.

[The demons of the Demon Realm cannot speak lies. Therefore, their words are certainly trustworthy, but that does not mean that demons themselves are trustworthy existences.]

[They cannot speak lies, but that does not mean they cannot deceive the other party.]

[The great demons who have lived for eons are specialized in deceiving others using only the truth, making them no different from the worst possible transaction partners.]

[It is recommended that you cancel the transaction even now.......]

SWAT!

I appreciated the warning.

But I waved my hand and swept away the System message floating before my eyes.

“Legion Commander......!”

At my sudden action, not only demon contractors like Choi Wonjun.

But even one of those mighty demons.

I could feel Avaritia becoming flustered.

“You said your Alliance does everything in its power to prevent the destruction of those who belong to it!”

But.

Leaving behind not only the System’s warning.

But also the questions and concerns of those looking at me.

“You said you do not speak lies. So I believe that too is sincere, and I make this proposal!”

I looked up at the sky and shouted.

“Right now, a member of your Alliance! One of the rulers of your great thrones is in danger of destruction!”

In the memories I had seen.

They had sincerely cared for the Alliance. 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ

If it was for the sake of protecting the Alliance, they had willingly accepted even a certain amount of loss to themselves.

Even if the Alliance had grown larger, and even vile existences had joined it.

Those who belonged to the Alliance protected one another with all their strength.

That premise still remained unchanged.

“With your current power, you cannot overcome that destruction!”

Right now.

The world of Avaritia, a member of that Alliance, was in danger of destruction.

But.

“So......!”

That destruction was not yet confirmed.

Avaritia had not completely ceased to exist yet.

“Make a transaction with me!”

Then.

=......State the contents of the transaction.=

From that enormous world.

From the Demon Realm, countless wills.

The wills of the demons descended.

“The contents are simple.”

Toward those wills.

I answered in a light voice.

Fighting Avaritia and defeating him had been my intention.

But the result of that.

The destruction of Avaritia’s world was not what I wanted.

Therefore.

There was only one way to solve that problem.

“I will keep this bastard, Avaritia, alive and send him back.”

Avaritia only needed to return alive.

The Demon Realm would invade that bastard’s world when the divinity that ruled it ceased to exist.

In that case.

All I had to do was keep that divinity alive and send him back.

=Impossible.=

Then.

The will of the Demon Realm descended once again.

=Our ally. His extinction is regrettable, but...... it has already become something that cannot be prevented.=

Avaritia’s extinction had not happened because I had stabbed him with a knife or anything like that.

When the battle ended, he had already begun to disappear on his own.

The reason was simple.

=He failed to fulfill his Divine Name. That destruction cannot be reversed.=

The path of ‘Perfection’ engraved into his Divine Name.

Because he had been defeated by us, that path of Perfection had been defiled.

=Even if he returns alive to the Alliance, he will cease to exist before long. Therefore...... that transaction cannot be fulfilled.......=

“No.”

I was also well aware of that fact.

Therefore, naturally.

“There is a way.”

Even so, with certainty that it was possible.

I had proposed this transaction.

=How?=

“The details are our own know-how. I can’t tell you.”

=......It is difficult to believe. Even our great Alliance cannot prevent his extinction, yet you, who have not even reached transcendence, claim it is possible?=

“Whether you believe it or not is up °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° to you. But I can say with certainty that it is entirely possible for me to send this bastard back alive.”

Yes.

It was entirely possible to send this bastard back alive.

“There is only one important thing.”

But.......

‘No matter how you look at it, it remains true that this bastard invaded our world.’

No matter how much I did not want his world to be destroyed.

Simply allowing the bastard who had invaded our world to live and return would not satisfy me.

“Whether you accept this transaction or not.”

=......?=

But I also did not like the idea of simply allowing him to disappear like this.

“I will not hold you responsible as the losers of this war, and I will also allow this bastard to return alive.”

As it happened.

While watching that Demon Realm leave, I had thought that I had no idea when they would invade again.

Would we be able to develop enough strength to resist that invasion by then.......

Honestly, I had not been confident.

“In exchange.......”

But now, conveniently.

A way to solve that problem.

No, beyond that.......

A way to gain far more than simply making this bastard cease to exist had occurred to me.

We were the Legion.

Fundamentally, that identity originated from a military unit.

And now, after that military unit had won a war.

We had, in effect, taken the enemy commander’s life into our hands.......

GRIN.

“You’ll have to pay the prisoner’s ransom in full.”

The gazes of those in the Demon Realm.

I had the feeling that the expressions of those countless existences all twisted at once.