Chapter 66: The Demonic Castle

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“What’s wrong, Scarlet? You look gloomy.” The silver-eyed man sighed. “Are you not happy with what we’ve achieved so far? Don’t worry, we’ll get even farther than this.”

“Heisenberg… No, I am just wondering..." Scarlet sighed.

“Wondering what?” Asked the young, blonde boy by her side. Suddenly, his entire body melted into blue slime and leaped over her head, sitting over it back into his human-like form, and then knocking over her head. “This empty head of yours is always in the wrong places! Just relax for a bit!”

“Ugh, get away from me, Roy!” Scarlet angrily said, baring her fangs and throwing the boy away.

SPLASH!

The boy splashed over the floor and turned back into a slime.

“Gee, you’re so serious sometimes, Miss Vampiress~” He giggled.

“What is it, Scarlet?” A tall, brown-skinned man covered in scars asked. “Just speak. We’ve been together since we were all children. Haven’t we?”

“Yeah, yeah~ We’re like family.” Laughed the violet-haired snake-like woman behind her, patting her shoulder with a devious smile on her face. “Speak your mind, dear."

Scarlet quickly sensed the powerful presence and auras of all her companions. All of them were too powerful for her to win. Provoking them with her thoughtless words would only bring her death.

Despite their talk, they were all savages at the end. They only stayed on equal terms thanks to their very leader, who desired a savage and barbaric world where only the strongest prevailed.

“No, I’m fine, Evelyn, Gustaf. I was just wondering when we will get to drink more blood; I’m growing thirsty.” Scarlet smiled with a devilish smile. “There are so many cattle down there... Will the demonic beasts just take all the food from us?”

“Hahaha, as wicked as ever.” A tall, pale-skinned man whose heart wasn’t even beating laughed, his long black hair suddenly melding into shadows. “Don’t worry, this is only the beginning, I believe.”

“I see…” Scarlet sighed. “Shade… Are you also behind this? The boss didn’t specify to me about this plan.”

“Heh, more or less.” Shade laughed. “In that lab, we were all made special, weren’t we? My special traits are being half undead and half living. Through this form, I can also channel demonic powers; indeed, I was the one who negotiated with the Apostles. Their price was low; we just had to offer them the souls of those we'd already hunted.”

“Huh…” Scarlet nodded, pretending to be in the same mindset as her allies. “But why in Stronghold City?”

“Why, you ask? Well, it is the biggest city in this country right now and the “most secure."  Laughed Shade. “And of course, the boss wants to massacre the political figures living here. What better way to do this than with a destructive massacre?"

“Once this is shown in the news and we reveal ourselves, the world will finally take us seriously,” Heisenberg said, his silver eyes glowing brightly as he looked into the darkened skies. A gigantic, black castle is slowly manifesting further and further. “We’ll make them fear us; we’ll make them pay. They’ll learn… Yes, they’ll learn.”

“What about Annabelle?” Asked Roy. “Is that girl still with Jack’s sister? Or maybe she already ate her? Hahaha!”

“Hm, good question.” Heisenberg nodded. “I might have to check on her later... But for now, we’re a bit busy channeling Demonic Power into the castle above. Thankfully, now that it's here, there’s no stopping it anyway.”

From the castle emerging within the skies, black and purple essence started pouring down into the city of Stronghold’s surrounding outskirts, intensifying the “terraforming” of this world into the Realm of Demons.

Several growths of purple Demonite continued emerging over the ground as the monsters started being mutated by the Miasma. An army of Demonic Beasts was already within Heisenberg’s control, and more were to soon join him.

“More… we need more!” Beelzebub said. “As long as the other Apostles can manifest… Then this dream of ours might truly become a reality!”

Meanwhile, within the Stronghold City, several civilians panicked when the Demon Castle slowly started to manifest within the skies. However, the people were quickly calmed by the local Hunters, as they realized the Demonic Beasts surging from the Castle were, strangely enough, not descending into the city.

“They’re just there? But why?”

“That they’re not attacking only makes it even scarier."

“Oi Hunters! Do something about this! Wasn’t this the safest city in the region?!”

"Mama, there’s a floating castle up there!”

“Y-Yes dear… Let’s go back home for now."

Some civilians showed unrest while others were looking at the scene, relaxing over the entire thing as if nothing was happening now. However, many of the Hunters were talking to themselves.

“Is this some sort of Dungeon Break?”

“But in the sky? How will we even get there anyway?”

“There are some Hunters that can fly, and others have magic that can help us fly, and well, helicopters exist, dumbass."

“But this is not something we low-rank Hunters can do; it should be left to the big shots.”

The news around the entire country quickly started to cover this up, just a few minutes after the floating castle’s apparition in the skies. Many of the people on the streets watched the news on several screens across the big city.

“And in recent news, it has been reported that a strange floating castle has appeared in the skies on the outskirts of Stronghold City.”

“It is said that this castle is emanating a strange, demon-like energy and that there are monsters nearby, but that they have yet to descend into the ground at all.”

“Currently, the castle is merely floating and doing nothing; however, local hunter guilds within the city are concerned about a future monster attack and will soon begin preparations to investigate this place.”

On the news, a blonde and handsome young man appeared, the Guild Leader of one of the strongest guilds in the entire country, whose headquarters were located on Stronghold, the Crimson Knights Guild, Lee Hengyang, a half-Korean American S-Rank Hunter.

“Please, people of Stronghold and people of the entire United States, keep calm. We’re looking to raid this strange castle soon. We’re preparing everything for the safety of our civilians. As long as we hunters exist, we will do everything we can to protect the lives of innocents. Rest assured. However, for now, it is recommended to stay inside your house. Be careful out there.”

The people naturally felt much more at ease when an S-Rank Hunter, often said to be at the pinnacle of strength between Hunters, was talking about preparing everything for the safety of everyone.

“It is Lee Hengyang~!”

“I guess we shouldn’t have anything to worry about.”

“It is good that my taxes are well used.”

“I don’t like his attitude, but the guy’s an S-Rank Hunter… I guess I have to trust him at the very least.”

As this happened, Lee Hengyang, who had already stopped giving his interview, walked away and went in his car back to his guild’s headquarters, as a smile surged on his lips while watching the strange, creepy castle within the skies.

“Lord Uroboros, what a strange sight this is~” He giggled. “Was this something you planned?”

["No, I honestly have no idea what this is. But I suspect it might have to do with the Manifestation of the Apostles of Death. Those bastards.”]

“Hoh, so even the almighty Archdemons have a nemesis that isn’t just constellations?" The handsome man wondered.

[“Nemesis? They’re merely trash that gets in our way. However, whoever is doing this must be planning something big. And I don’t like that these bastards think they can just take over my territory…”]

“Should I mobilize my troops?”

["Organize something first... If we can get to let several other guilds join, including their guild masters or vice guild masters, you’ll be able to easily take down several of the big shots while raiding that castle and then destroy that castle’s Demonic Core; it should easily fall apart after that.”]

“What an excellent idea, my lord Uroboros…”

Lee Hengyang’s eyes suddenly looked like those of a snake as his long tongue licked his lips seductively.

“That’ll let us kill two birds with a single stone. Very convenient. And if Jack and his sister can join, the better."

[“You better make sure to avenge the humiliation I took, slave! Use all of your power to bring those two to that raid! I’ll personally allow you to manifest almost all of my power so you can make sure to crush them!”]

“I shall~”

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(Anna’s POV)

Once Bael was taken down, I felt exhausted, falling onto the floor of the cave as it slowly crumbled apart. My entire body felt limp, and I think several of my bones gained a few cracks. It wasn’t as bad as breaking down like before, but every time I overexert myself by overusing Anubis’ judgment, I get a terrible backlash.

“A-Anna!” Baihe quickly ran to my side, carrying me in her arms.

"Sorry, I am a bit tired.” I sighed.

“Don’t worry, I’ll bring you out!” She nodded. “Everyone, we have to retreat!”

“Sure! There's no way I’m staying here anyway!" Kevin nodded.

“Okay!” Annabelle nodded. “Oh! I’ll bring the loot along. Spiders!”

I saw as Annabelle’s spiders grabbed Belial’s Demonic Sword, Gram, and the black armor pieces he left behind, alongside a big, purple-colored jewel. Her spiders were strange, completely unaffected by the item’s Demonic Energy.

Everyone managed to escape successfully as Baihe gently placed me on the ground and took out one of the potions I had given her, which I had prepared beforehand just for these types of occasions.

“Baihe… The potion…”

“Here it is please drink it quickly!”

She shoved the yellow-colored potion down my mouth, and I was forced to swallow its contents as fast as I could.

[You have consumed the [Yang Essence Potion (B Rank)] x1!]

[Large quantities of Yang Ki are flowing across your body; your physique is reacting positively to it, synthesizing it into vitality.]

[Your wounds are quickly being healed, and your exhaustion is also fading away.]

[Your broken and worn-down Ki points are healing slowly.]

“Phew… Much better than conventional health potions, though it only works well with me.” I sighed in relief, finally standing back up.

“Feeling better, big shot?” Kevin sighed. “You just took down a monster of that caliber like nothing! What the hell?! I was too afraid to even step up." Kevin seemed to have a mixture of emotions, from shock to amazement to frustration.

“Sorry, but I couldn’t let you step into the fight... I wanted to take down that thing as fast as I could so nobody would be hurt.” I sighed. “However, I’ll still need your help for the fights to come, Kevin. I hope you can help me out.” I gave him a sincere smile.

“E-Eh? Sure…” Kevin suddenly blushed a bit, gaining some more confidence. “Of course, I’ll help! Heh, I ain’t no dead weight.”

“That was so cool!” Annabelle said. “Though I wish I could have fought too! Anna, you’re so very strong! I respect you more now!” Her spiders brought the loot to me. “Here, this is your loot! Take it all; you deserve it!”

"Is that so?” I giggled a bit.

Anna ended up being a surprisingly friendly and nice girl; she was not even a thief at all, bringing back all the loot to me like nothing.

"Thought, be careful! I don’t think these things can be worn normally.” She said this, looking at the items.

“I know…” I nodded. “They do look quite dangerous.” I glanced at the Demonic Sword Gram, trying to touch it.

However, immediately after I tried to do so, purple and black demonic essence surged from the weapon as it opened its single red eye, glaring at me with anger. The darkness and demonic energy began to envelop my arm and then my body, attempting to possess me.

[The [Wicked Demon Sword of Destruction: Gram (??? Rank)] is attempting to possess your body and soul and control you!]

[Your Physique and Elemental Attributes are incompatible with the Demonic Sword; you cannot properly wield it!]

[The Heroic Cosmic Throne {Heroic Dark Dragon Slayer} has noticed you’ve come into the possession of a piece of his Legendary Sword!]

Wait, is this Sigurd?

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