Chapter 62: Operation Gehenna

Evileye watched as this insect maneater bared her throat, exposing part of her face from where a human's chin would be. To an outsider, it would look like her jaw had split open.

She watched in horror as this entomancer vomited a mass of swarming flies. "You!" Evileye's breath caught in her throat as she watched the attack. "Is that power related to that Demon God?" She exclaimed in realization as if she had seen this or a similar attack before. "In that case-"

White vapor spread from Evileye to meet the attack. The entomancer didn't seem to be concerned about her attack. However, her demeanor quickly changed once the vapor reached her. The swarm touched the vapors and the flies instantly fell dead to the ground one by one. When the vapor enveloped the entomancer's body, she was instantly wracked by incredible agony.

"Abbbaahhhhh!"

The entomancer's face emitted a cloud of steam and deformed, as though someone had poured acid on it. Evileye's objective had been to negate her opponent's breath attack, but she had not expected it to reveal her enemy's true face...

"Oi, oi, did it work?"

Gagaran, her injured teammate of Bluerose, had her spiked warhammer raised and she was looking for a chance to approach her opponent. As an excellent warrior, she had probably sensed that this was the deciding moment of the battle. Given their opponent's fighting power, they had to take every chance they could. Now would have been the perfect time to follow up and finish the fight.

However, Gagaran couldn't approach the enemy because the ten-meter-long centipede that the enemy was using was thrashing about wildly, preventing her or anyone else from getting close. Despite the danger, it felt like futile resistance from a defeated enemy.

"What on earth was that spell?"

Evileye answered Tia's question, "It's an insect-killing spell, [Verminbane]. There was an insectile Demon God among the Demon Gods 200 years ago. So I invented this spell to wipe out the insects it summoned. Ah, well, it's something like a unique creation."

"Oi! Will this spell harm us?"

"It won't. It's especially effective against vermin, but it's non-toxic towards other living creatures."

"...Her face melted."

"Tia, that's because her true identity is… erk! No, that's not a face!"

As though waiting for Evileye to exclaim just that, the maid's pretty face slid stickily down and thudded to the ground. It looked like the skin had been peeled off her face, but that wasn't the case. The back of the face which had fallen onto the ground was covered in insectile legs.

"To think it was an insect shaped like a mask…"

"Orrgguooowh!"

The maid's throat was exposed. There was a slit in that abnormally hard-looking throat, and a big chunk of something slime-covered fell out of it.

It resembled a wad of vomit, but the deciding difference was the fact that it was still writhing on the ground.

"What the…"

Evileye could not help but hold her breath in the face of this chain of bizarre events. This was the first time she had experienced something bizarre like this in her long life.

"—A Lip Bug."

That was the name Tia used to address the slime-covered, leech-like creature that had fallen to the stony ground.

"This insect devours the vocal cords of humanoids and uses them to produce the voices of its victims."

The front of this pinkish leech-like creature resembled a pair of human lips, and it was gasping in the sweet voice that the maid had been using until just now. As everyone stared at her, the maid slowly removed the hands covering her face. The visage resembled that of an insect.

The members of Blue Rose could not help but back off as they saw that startling face of hers. While they had guessed what was hidden once the Mask Bug fell off and the [Verminbane] had been visibly effective, the horrific sight before them still engendered fear in their hearts.

Just thinking about the fact that an inhuman horror like this had actually set foot into the world of humans sent shivers down their spines.

"YoU dARe… YOu DarE…"

That voice was cold, stiff, and difficult to understand. It befitted her terrifying looks and made the muscles of all three members of the experienced adamantite adventurers tense up.

"Now that's a cute voice. I prefer it when you sound like that!" Gagaran's words were humorous but they were dripping with hostility. Just the knowledge of this monster and all its victims filled the warrior with hatred. The grip on her weapon tightened.

"Pu, puUuNy hUmANsSs!"

During the previous battle, their opponent had always striven to present a calm, composed front. However, that composure was nowhere to be seen now. That being the case, she was probably not going to hold back anymore, and she would launch a furious onslaught.

"The real battle's about to begin," Evileye exclaimed as she watched the insect maid's back swell up, and four long legs like those of a spider sprout from under her clothes.

In an instant she leaped up before spewing out its [Fly Breath], seeking to engulf everyone in it. Evileye clicked her tongue and cast [Verminbane] once more, neutralizing the swarm of flies.

"ONlY yOu! yOU'rE tHe OnLy ONe I haVe tO feAR! IF I CAN jUSt kILl yoU, eveRYThInG Else WILl BE a siMPLE jOb!" The red compound eyes glared at Evileye. It was like the monster said, without Evileye Gagaran and Tia would die horribly.

However, focusing entirely on one person was a mistake. Gagaran immediately approached from the side, swinging her spiked warhammer right at the insect maid's torso. Just as the monster was about to evade her hit, she froze due to Tia's ninjutsu.

[Immobilizing Paralysis Technique]

She might be resistant to it, but she wasn't immune to it. However, the brief opening for Gagaran had given her the necessary help to land her attack.

[Smash] Her warhammer squarely hit the insect maid, but opposite to her maid outfit's soft look, the moment her attack landed, the collision rang out as if metal struck metal. The entomancer was thrown back, while simultaneously spitting out sticky and resilient silk, encasing Gagaran's hand to her armor.

Gagaran had difficulties breaking out of it, making her unable to continue her attack. Just as the insect maid stepped forward. Evileye's spell activated.

[Crystal Lance] A cavalryman's lance of crystal shot out at the monster.

The lance penetrated deep into the monster's body, but it did not seem to hurt her at all. Instead, her arms just swelled up as she summoned more insects.

[Verminbane] Evileye hollered again, enveloping her opponent once more. The insect-maid dodged out of the cloud and flung some talisman as retaliation.

[Explosive Talisman]

Tia stepped forward and used one of her ninjutsu, [Immovable Adamantine Shield Technique] A golden light in the shape of a diamond protectively covered the two, tanking the talisman's explosion.

Tia and Gagaran directly dodged afterward as her shield broke from a swipe of the maid's centipede whip. The three adamantite adventurers knew they couldn't face this monster head-on. Fortunately, they complemented each other and moved to intercept and damage their opponent as best as possible.

Gagaran tanked a few shots and dealt melee damage, while Tia acted as a support with her ninjutsu, helping Gagaran dodge the talisman or restrict their opponent's movements for split seconds. Although the two were barely able to hang on and deal minor damage, with the help of Evileye, they had a clear advantage.

With the spell Verminbane, most of the entomancer's options, summoning insects to swarm them or the insect weapons she summoned were mostly neutralized with this one spell. Not to mention, it also dealt heavy damage to the maid as well.

Tia dodged the insect bullets by moving into the shadows, while Gagaran smashed at the maid's face. The maid dodged to the sky, giving Evileye a clear shot. [Acid Splash]

She didn't watch the result of her attack and instead moved out of the way of a counter spell landing on the place she just stood. The fight was intense and the maid was far too resilient.

However, they weren't newbies. They were veterans already used to high-intensity situations. Even without communicating it specifically with the others. They all knew what position to hold and to not overstep. They had to be patient and use the items they had, to the best of their abilities. This wasn't a fight they could win quickly. It was clear that their opponent was too resilient to die with a single hit by any of them.

However, their numbers were their advantage. While two others attacked and gained the attention of their opponent, the other one could heal up before rejoining. Although they were inferior to the insect-maid, their coordination weighed this fight in their favor. The only way to win was a death by a thousand cuts. She raised her arm again as she saw another opening. [Verminbane]!

...

Several minutes later of intense battle, the surrounding cobblestone and grass were blown up and toxic acidic liquid was still tainting the surroundings. Gagaran heaved heavily as she looked at the downed insect-maid, while still holding her heavy warhammer.

After having cut away the insect-maid's health, their victory was near. The entomancer collapsed on the cobblestone, barely having enough strength to breathe.

"I will finish her off." Tia tightly gripped her short sword in a reverse grip. Her injuries were the worst due to only carrying light armor. She was agile, dodging most attacks she could. Unfortunately, their opponent was equally quick if not quicker.

Tia's arm was still trembling. Evileye guessed it was the fatigue of her muscles getting to her. Evileye wasn't in a much better situation. Her mana was heavily depleted and her expendable items were almost gone. The cost of this battle was tremendous. She glanced at the collapsed monster. Although it was barely alive, they didn't let their guard down in case this monster had another ace up her sleeve.

Just as the assassin wanted to kill their downed opponent, a figure suddenly appeared, standing in front of the insect-maid. The figure looked male, had long elf-like ears, and wore a red suit, which wasn't seen often around this country and was more common in the south. He wore a blue mask with some golden highlights on it. A tail was swishing behind the man, making it clear that this wasn't a human or an elf.

"I believe that will be all for now." He simply said in a polite tone, stating it as if it was a fact.

"Oi, you a friend of Evileye's?" Gagaran asked as she tightened the grip on her warhammer.

'Nonsense.' Evileye wanted to respond, but she couldn't speak. Her breath was stuck in her throat and she felt like lightning had struck her. Her hands clenched tightly, making her awful aware of her sweat.

She looked at this...this demon. The power radiating off of him was overwhelming. Her hair stood at ends and every instinct inside her was overcome with fear.

The man didn't seem to care about them and tended to the insect-maid instead.

"Are you alright? Allow me to take care of things from here. You should go back and rest." The demon spoke tenderly and sounded genuinely endearing. However, Evileye could see past this facade.

She forcefully took a small breath as she looked at her comrades.

"Stop standing here... Run away, idiots! This thing is a monster among monsters. Run away with all your might and don't look back!"

Gagaran gritted her teeth since she knew Evileye wouldn't say something like this lightly. "What about you?"

"I will buy you some time and then escape with teleportation magic."

The insect-maid that was on the verge of dying suddenly wriggled again despite the injuries that should have plagued her. She rose shakily to her feet before an insect rushed over from somewhere and carried her away.

Even though their enemy was getting away, they didn't think about pursuing her. The others despite having been told to run were still rooted to the ground, evidently instinctively overcome with fear as well.

The man rose to his full height again and turned to face them again. In the 250-plus years of life, Evileye had seen powerful beings of all shapes and sizes, but among them, this man radiated a unique malevolent aura that was exceedingly suffocating.

The only being that she could compare this demon to was the Platinum Dragon Lord and he was the most powerful being she knew, comparable to and even surpassing the gods of the past.

"I apologize for keeping you waiting. Now then, since we do not have much time, let us begin right away."

"Run!" Evileye desperately hollered as she took a step forward, ready to throw whatever she had left in her tank to buy her friends some time. The two snapped out of their frozen posture and shot past her, running away from this battlefield as they could.

"For starters, parting right after meeting is most saddening. Therefore, please permit me to interdict your teleportation. [Dimensional Lock]. One ought to say one's farewells before departure; certainly, that would be pleasing from both an emotional and an etiquette-minded point of view, do you not agree?"

He proved what Evileye feared. Extremely powerful and high-level demons and angels could prevent the use of teleportation in their vicinity. Now her only means of retreat had been robbed. However, it didn't matter since she had long thought of this point.

Although she said that she would just try to buy some time, she had already known that the one to remain with this demon would lose their life.

"Death should follow a natural order, with the young spared and the aged facing it first. I believe that is proper"

After bidding farewell to fading figures, the woman, having lived over 250 years, turned toward the adversary in front of her, fully aware of her slim chances of triumph.

"Now, it's your turn. If you won't act, then I'll take the initiative."

Despite his calm demeanor, a surge of intense hostility exploded forth, chilling Evileye. She focused all her strength on dispelling the malevolence before her.

'I am Evileye. I am a woman of legend. No matter how powerful my enemy is — I must fight!'

"Then let's begin! Take this! [Maximize Magic - Shard Buckshot]!"

Her favored opening move unleashed shards of crystal, each smaller than a fist, scattering toward her foe. The crystal shards had pointed tips and would have made the most damage at close proximity, but she didn't dare to approach him.

The masked demon spread his arms as though to welcome her attack. The crystal shards that should have hit him suddenly disappeared without a trace.

'Is this spell resistance only certain species possess?! Is he that much more powerful than me?' The greater the difference between opponents, the easier it is to resist their spells.

The man ignored her attack and grandly swept his hand like he was a conductor of an invisible orchestra.

[Hellfire Wall]

A wave of heat crashed into her back. Evileye could not believe it and hurriedly turned back to look. It was like all air was sucked away in their vicinity, and then it seemed as though the night itself had caught fire. Unnatural black flames surged into the sky like an eternal wall dividing the heavens.

Evileye's eyes constricted as she looked at the fleeing Gagaran and Tia. The flames enveloped them. However, strangely the flames didn't seem to hurt them. They were evidently astonished themselves as they looked at the golden light that enveloped them.

"Hm?" The demon didn't seem to see this change coming either.

Suddenly the flames parted ways as a figure in a resplendent armor stepped through. A titanium black and golden armor with a lion's head engraved in the front of his torso plate armor. With a spear in his hand and a red cape fluttering behind him, a man stepped through the flames without fear.

His golden hair waved gently as he dismissed the flames with a wave of his spear. Powerful. Immeasurable powerful. It was the only thing that came to mind when she looked at the man. He was like the heroes in legends. The power radiating off of him didn't inspire fear but hope.

The power was genuine, gentle, and absolute. It made her feel like he could hold the world in his hands. With every step he took, the fear in her heart was banished and she breathed easier. Her friends had stopped in shock, looking at this mysterious man as well.

It wasn't until he stood next to her and spoke that she snapped out of her trance. "Nightwalker, you should take your friends and leave. I'll handle the rest." Before his words could register in her mind, he took another step before slamming the butt of his spear on the ground. Instead of cracking the stone beneath it, a golden sigil spread across it before disappearing again.

He took another step, making her only able to see the back of his towering figure. It was like this man in shining armor was like a dependable giant that covered her protectively. She felt like one of those princess in the songs of the bards. The knight in shining armor coming to her rescue.

An electric current ran up her spine from between her legs, and Evileye's petite frame quivered slightly. The heart of hers that had been still for over 150 years seemed to beat quickly once more. Placing her hands on her breast, she found that of course there was no movement there. Even so, it felt real enough to her.

"Jaldabaoth, so we meet again. Did you think, I wouldn't know you would attack the capital?" As he finished his words a pair of wings appeared on his back and with it there were illusions of more, though they were veiled by something. Evileye instinctively ignored them.

"Evileye!" Tia called out, giving her the push she needed to retreat and leave the stage to these beings of absolute power. They were gods among monsters, nothing they could interfere with.

"Azazel, do you really think I didn't anticipate your appearance?" The demon, Jaldabaoth, answered nonchalantly, giving away the angel's name. Evileye knew that name, it was something that was mentioned quite often in recent days. She had just dismissed it as rumors and didn't put much weight on this supposedly angel, but now the name would forever be etched into her mind.

Evileye retreated, though, after a certain distance, she stopped, watching them from afar like some humans would watch natural disasters. Although one would know the inherent danger, one couldn't help but look at it. It was as beautiful as it was dangerous. Tia and Gagaran also stayed around a distance behind Evileye as they tended to their wounds and drank their last potions.

The distance made it difficult for her to hear what they were saying, but for some reason, she felt like the demon was smiling beneath his mask. She didn't have a good feeling. As if to respond to the angel's benevolent aura, the demon's malice reappeared.

While she couldn't see it, Evileye could feel the auras clashing with each other, fighting for dominance. They seemed to be equal in strength- no the angel was easily gaining momentum. Despite their powers being so high that Evileye couldn't distinguish the heights of their strength, she could still pick up that Azazel was at an advantage!

However, despite the difference, Evileye had a bad feeling after hearing the demon's words. The demon clearly expected the angel and from the rumors they have known each other for a long time already, which meant-

"It's a trap!" She didn't even realize that she had called out, but as soon as she did another sky-high aura appeared out of nowhere. It was too fast for her eyes and she could only perceive a ball of green energy slamming at Azazel.

A gust of wind surged out like an explosion detonated at their place. An explosion wasn't too far from what had happened. Evileye looked at Azazel's lowered posture with his outstretched spear meeting a fist enveloped by green energy.

The other figure was a petite woman with a mask not unlike what the demon was wearing. Their clash created a crater underneath their figure, but there was no rest as the demon stepped in to strike at Azazel.

The angel stepped back and rotated his spear as he met the sharp claws of Jaldabaoth with the butt of his spear. In the next second, the three exchanged dozens of blows that ripped apart the cobblestone in the way. Each of their attacks was devastating.

Suddenly, Jaldabaoth rose to the sky, and the wings of a bat appeared behind him, carrying with it a darkness that seemed to contend with the light coming from Azazel. "You are as powerful as I remember, but your flaw remains!" His wings tensed and feather-like projectiles were shot out of his wings, hurling toward Evileye and her comrades.

Before she could even blink, Azazel stood in front of them and spun his spear. Metal rang out as his spear collided with the attacking feathers. It formed a protective shield, deflecting the attack to the sides. Each deflected feather penetrated deeply into the ground, showcasing its immense lethality.

After the attack finished, the masked woman and the masked demon watched Azazel, though didn't move as if to give Azazel an opportunity to speak with them. "I'm glad you are alright, but please try to move as soon as you can. The fight will be intense and I can't guarantee your safety."

"Y-yes, we understand. We will try our best not to burden you." Evileye answered, receiving a gentle smile from her savior. His calm and manly voice caused her heart to beat heavily. Her face was hot under her mask.

However, the moment was cut shot, when an explosion sounded out and Azazel was flung to the side. Evileye was shocked as it came from a distance other than where the demon and woman were. Azazel gracefully flipped in the air before landing on his feet again with his spear ready.

He glanced at where the attack came from and suddenly waved his spear at inhumane speed. It was only after he moved that several shots sounded out and then the sound of them being deflected by the spear. Azazel again took a brief look at them, making Evileye realize that he couldn't fight freely and that there were too many unknowns surrounding this trap.

The demon was clearly prepared to kill Azazel. She suddenly felt her instincts flare up as if she was stared at by a predator and it wasn't too far off. The demon was staring at her, though before he could entertain the thought of attacking her, Azazel appeared next to him, slashing at him.

He barely blocked it with his claws but was still sent to the ground. The earth shook from the impact and she already stood up. The masked woman countered Azazel's attack, which he blocked with one hand. The wind fluttered their clothes, but they were already rushing away from the battlefield.

She glanced over her shoulder and saw more demons converging toward the angel, while he was fighting Jaldabaoth, the masked woman, and an unknown assailant who took shots at the most opportune times. He was essentially trapped and soon some minor demons would disrupt his fight. At the thought of this, she wanted to turn around and assist him, but his voice suddenly sounded out in her mind.

"Don't worry about me. Just try your best to get somewhere safe. Your teammates rely on you." She opened her mouth to argue, but looking at Tia and Gagaran's exhausted expressions made it clear they wouldn't last for too long despite already downing their last potions. They needed more time to recuperate.

So, despite it going against her desire to stay back and help her knight in shining armor, she relented and guided the two through the other demons that were wreaking havoc around the city. Just as they turned the corner, they were met with a dead end. Before they could turn around, they were met with demons that walked into their corner.

Before she had the time to kill them, a flashing light cut through them. Their huge body ripped apart, revealing a warrior with two giant swords in hand. Coupled with the dark armor, she instantly recognized him as Momon, the Dark Hero.

"Dark Hero! Azazel is fighting the King of Demon Gods, Jaldabaoth. He is being ambushed by him. He needs your help!" Although she didn't think that he could match Jaldabaoth or Azazel in power, he would be able to assist by taking on one of the demon's minions.

"King of Demon Gods? Where is he?" He asked and she instantly gave him direction before he dashed towards his rescue. Knowing that Azazel would have help soon, she allowed herself to relax a bit.

Many powerful members of a species often called themselves "Lords" or "Kings". That was common knowledge in this world. Frankly speaking, humans were the only species that would crown their weaker members as kings. So she didn't think she was wrong when she called Jaldabaoth a king of demon gods. His power certainly surpassed the gods of the past.

She just hoped that the King of Angels would overcome this demon.