Hell Mode: Volume 11, page 21
“I’ve been trying,” Merus grumbled. “They have high Intelligence, it seems.”
Allen did not respond and instead decided to test more of Fish S’s Abilities. I’ve got Royal Aura and Shooting Star left. They both sound like buffs. All right, let’s start with Royal Aura. It’s an Awakened Ability, so I’ve got high hopes.
“Royal Aura! Go!” Allen said.
“Royal Auraaa!” Macris bellowed. His body instantly emitted a beam of white light, blinding Allen.
“Uh?”
Allen was completely baffled, but his vision soon returned, and he felt a powerful surge of power fill his body. What in the world? What effects does this Ability have? He quickly scanned his grimoire to check any change in stats.
Effects of Rank S Summon Macris’s Royal Aura
+10% HP and MP
+5,000 Attack and Intelligence
+30% All Damage Dealt
50% Cooldown Reduction
Allen followed a hunch and checked the battle in the north of the imperial capital. The Allen and Hero Armies had stopped heading south and were battling the monsters. Thanks to Sharing with Bird E, the Summoner could see that the armies had finally met up with the First Imperial Army, and they were successfully pushing the monsters back. When Allen turned back to the battle in front of him, he noticed that the No-life Gamers and Sacred, who had been fighting the three Greater Demonic Deities, were moving more nimbly and confidently than before. All it took was one Awakened Ability to vastly improve our situation. Allen smiled happily and requested that Macris use his last Ability.
“Can you use Shooting Star?”
“Shooting Staaaaar! C’mon, hit them!” Macris shouted.
A hexagram appeared on each of Ramon-Hamon’s chests. It’s like a marker indicating where to hit them. Allen used his Intelligence to its fullest while monitoring the battle.
“Sir Allen, I’ve successfully used Endow Element,” Merus informed him.
“And it looks like we’re locked on, so let’s try using Freeze Cannon again,” Allen said.
“Freeze Cannooon!” Macris yelled.
Ice began to form, with sharp cracking sounds ringing through the water. Thanks to Royal Aura increasing Intelligence, Macris was able to summon a terrifying pillar of ice that shot out toward Ramon-Hamon.
“Ramon-Hamon! Dodge that attack!” Kyubel commanded the moment the ice was fired.
Ramon-Hamon quickly followed that order, with Hamon running as fast as he could to dodge the straight line that Freeze Cannon moved in. The Greater Demonic Deity evaded the attack handily, but when the ice moved past its target, it immediately turned toward them. One could only assume that its absurd trajectory was it homing in on its target. A moment later, the ice struck Hamon’s chest, piercing through him. Hamon quickly tried to remove the ice with his four arms, but they turned to ice. The freezing cold then spread, extending to his chest, shoulders, stomach, neck, and waist.
“No...” Ramon gasped. “We’re the strongest Demonic Deity there ever was!”
“Lord Shinorom said that our power is on par with the Six Great Demon Gods!” Hamon cried. “How can this attack beat us?!”
The two heads screamed, but the frost was relentless. Eventually, the Greater Demonic Deity was frozen completely solid, and they then shattered into a million pieces.
“Whoooooo!” Macris cheered, his triumphant battle cry echoing throughout Patlanta.
“I see...” Allen muttered. “That Ability shaves away at the enemy’s HP and then finishes them off. Well, that’s one down.”
He checked his grimoire’s log.
Damn, I guess I haven’t unsealed anything yet. Allen had gained five levels at once and felt his stats rise considerably, but there was no sign of him gaining access to any new skills. But hey, there’s still Greater Demonic Deities left. On to the next one. He licked his lips greedily, searching for his next target, when he locked eyes with Kyubel.
“The Heavenly Realm sure knows how to meddle,” Kyubel muttered from behind his mask. “That was some impressive power. But, well, it’s too late.”
Kyubel smirked, and Allen realized that the Daemon God’s tail had stopped writhing. It was now curled up on the ground.
Chapter 9: The Demon Lord’s Ardent Wish and the Daemon God’s Tail
The Daemon God’s tail quietly raised its head, revealing a pair of large, crimson eyes that gave off an eerie glow. Then, it opened its large mouth so wide that it practically unhinged its jaw.
“Ahhhhhhh!” it howled, causing the seawater around it to shudder.
Using its four legs, it slowly raised its enormous monkfish body off the ground. It stared at Allen and his allies while lifting its left leg high in the air, and when it swung down, a crack spread through the crystal flower’s style.
“Kyuplus, is that what you wished for?” Falnemes asked.
“It is,” Kyubel replied quietly, no longer dancing. “If I don’t do this, nothing will change.”
Kyuplus... Allen thought, I’ve been the manservant of a noble house, attended the Academy, and traveled the world, but I’ve never heard that name before. Is it Kyubel’s real name? And are those two acquaintances? Ah, crap! My mission! The hundred levels that I can gain!
“We’ll beat the Daemon God before it has a chance to move!” Allen shouted.
“Leave it to me! Hyaaaaah!” Macris bellowed.
BOOOOOOM! Fish S rammed into the monster, and the impact of the two gigantic forces colliding sent shock waves through the water. A second later, seawater began being sucked into a vacuum of space. Everyone aside from Kyubel, Falnemes, and Krena was pulled in by the current, and they all shifted their gazes to the ground, trying their best to brace themselves and fight against the flow of the water.
“Aaaaahhhhh!” The Daemon God’s tail let out an agonized roar.
Allen raised his head and saw that Macris had chomped down on the Daemon God’s tail’s throat. Crack! Crack! The Daemon God’s tail flashed a look of anguish as its dark, red-vein-covered body squirmed and wriggled.
“Bildiga! Bask! Stop that Summon!” Kyubel ordered.
The two Greater Demonic Deities acted at once, moving so nimbly that it seemed as if the shock wave hadn’t affected them in the slightest. However, Bildiga’s jagged front leg and Bask’s orichalcum greatsword barely left a scratch on Fish S.
“Hmph!”
With a single shake of his body, Macris pushed the Greater Demonic Deities away. They regained their balance with ease, still standing atop the flower’s style, but Bask’s left arm was broken, and Bildiga’s metallic exoskeleton was covered with scrapes and cracks. I knew it. These Greater Demonic Deities don’t stand a chance against Macris. Then again, I figured that out when he used his Ability to defeat Ramon-Hamon. I guess this is the power of a Rank S Summon. Allen excitedly opened his grimoire to check Macris’s Status.
* * *
Macris’s Current Stats
HP: 88,088
MP: 90,090
Attack: 80,530
Endurance: 117,173
Agility: 68,900
Intelligence: 95,870
Luck: 65,000
* * *
Fish S’s Abilities and Awakened Abilities were mainly for support, but due to his high rank, his allies’ buffs such as Blessing of the Sovereign of Spirits, and the effects of his own Abilities like Royal Guard and Royal Aura, he was able to easily overpower a Greater Demonic Deity. Furthermore, one of his three Awakened Abilities was sealed, meaning that he was not yet at full strength. This was beyond exciting for Allen.
“That thing’s practically a Minor Deity!” Shinorom exclaimed. “I don’t want to fight that!”
“Ghiiii?!” the eyeball monster cried.
The pair vanished courtesy of a teleportation magic circle, and immediately after, Dverg’s blade swung through the water where they had just been. Damn, Shinorom ran. Oh well, I think our armies can handle the battle in the north now. Allen glanced at a clearly frustrated Dverg while checking on the status of the war. Bird E gazed down at the fight and saw that the Allen and Hero Armies, along with First Imperial Army of Prostia, were being protected by the golems as they methodically took down monsters. Macris’s Royal Aura was helping both there and in the battle against the Greater Demonic Deities.
“Hmph!” Merus grunted as he sprouted six wings. He swiftly dodged Bask’s blade, then punched the Greater Demonic Deity in the stomach.
“Gah?! Hey, you ain’t half bad!”
Groaning in pain, Bask tried to swing his orichalcum greatsword down on Merus’s head. The Angel A expertly defended himself before delivering a roundhouse kick to his opponent, pushing him back.
* * *
Merus’s Current Stats
HP: 72,358
MP: 61,490
Attack: 65,190
Endurance: 96,249
Agility: 55,900
Intelligence: 65,190
Luck: 52,000
* * *
The No-life Gamers’ backliners were able to land all of their attacks thanks to Macris’s Shooting Star.
“What in the world?” Cecil gasped with surprise while casting her ice spells. “I can’t believe it!”
Though Bildiga did his best to swiftly dodge her attacks, the ice followed him as if it were being sucked in by the hexagram on his body. Sophie’s spells, cast with the help of spirits, also chased Bildiga down until they hit their mark.
Effects of Shooting Star
Ranged attacks become guaranteed hits
Targets one enemy
Lasts for a set period of time
Target’s Intelligence and Debuff Resistance affect efficacy
Spells aren’t surefire hits in the world, after all. The speed of the chant, cooldown, and the enemy’s movements all have to be kept in mind when activating one. But this battle was not tipping solely in Allen’s advantage. The Daemon God’s tail used its front left leg to push Macris down.
“Aaaaahhh!” it cried.
BOOOOM!
“Owww!” Macris shouted. “Freeze Cannon!”
The Ability, fired from close range, pierced the Daemon God’s tail’s throat. If we want to crush Kyubel’s plan, speed is vital. The longer this battle draws out, the greater the risk of him trying something funny. But I guess we can’t change the element of the Daemon God’s tail. What element is it, anyway? Allen had ordered Merus to use Endow Element on the Daemon God’s tail, but to no avail. Perhaps it was of the evil element like Bask.
“I want to rush our enemy in one go,” Allen shouted. “Please time your attacks with ours!”
Helmios nodded, then immediately turned to his party and gave out orders. Now was the time for the teamwork they had practiced in the Rank S dungeon to shine. The two parties swiftly got ready, and Dverg was first to attack.
“Guard Break!” he roared.
“Gah?!” Bildiga grunted.
Once Dverg managed to sink his greatsword into Bildiga’s metallic body, Cecil’s and Sophie’s spells homed in on the wound and struck true. Meruru changed Tam-Tam’s right arm into a massive cannon, and Merus, Krena, Dogora, and Shia attacked Bask from four different directions at once. The moment Bask took up a defensive stance, Allen used Bird A’s Awakened Ability, Homing Instinct, and teleported his allies away to a safe distance. Bask was now open for a direct attack, and Tam-Tam fired its void element beam, which had the bare minimum effect on the evil element.
“Gooooo!” Meruru shouted.
“Gaaaaah!” Bask roared, his crimson body staggering as he took a direct hit from the beam.
Right when Macris pounced on the head of the Daemon God’s tail, the monkfish frozen in place by Freeze Cannon, Hero Helmios swung his sword.
“God Strike!” he bellowed.
But the orichalcum greatsword did not sink into the forehead of the Daemon God’s tail. The tip of the blade stopped just short of the monkfish, and Helmios furrowed his brow in confusion. The holy element can’t damage that thing? It’s not even frozen by the Freeze Cannon.
“Looks like you had the wrong read, Allen,” Kyubel jeered.
“What’s going on?” Allen demanded.
“The Daemon God’s tail has the immortal element. I hope you learned something today.”
“Huh...”
Kyubel doesn’t even call that monkfish “Axillion” like Falnemes did. And I’ve never heard of that element before. An immortal element exists?
“Such terrible manners, Allen,” Kyubel scolded. “Since I answered your question, you should thank me and say that you’ve learned something new.”
“But Macris’s attacks seem fairly effective,” Allen replied. “I’ll finish that thing off, if you don’t mind.”
“Oh dear. You really don’t understand what you’ve gotten yourself into, do you?”
Kyubel slumped his shoulders, but Allen ignored him and turned to his friends.
“Let’s go!” he shouted.
The No-life Gamers and Sacred quickly got into formation to attack Bildiga, Bask, and the Daemon God’s tail. Bildiga, with purple bodily fluids seeping into the water and enveloping him like mist, continued to dodge the countless ice spells Cecil hurled at him. However, just as the ice turned to follow him, he suddenly stopped moving.
“I’ve been searching for ages, but I see now... This is the answer...” he muttered.
The shards of ice were crushed by a pair of fists encased in mana that glowed an ominous gold.
“Bildiga, look at the sorry state you’re in,” a voice called. “As a member of the Six Great Demon Gods, you should be ashamed.”
“Supreme Commander Ardoe... Thank you,” Bildiga replied.
A burly, towering Greater Demonic Deity made his appearance. Two horns sprouted from his forehead, and he was donning a black mantle. Allen could not hide his surprise upon hearing Bildiga thank the newcomer. W-Wait, Ardoe?! The Ardoe?! The one who’s in charge of the entire Demon Lord Army?!
“Huh?” Bask grumbled. “Can’t believe the Six Great Demon Gods in charge of attacking the Heavenly Realm are butting in here.”
In a flash, Kyubel moved to Ardoe’s side and personally handed Demon Sword Onuba over to him.
“Does he think that we can’t be trusted to handle this battle by ourselves?” Kyubel asked quietly.
“No, you misunderstand,” Ardoe replied. “This has always been our lord’s plan. He simply did not let you in on it.”
Another magic circle appeared, emitting a dangerous glow, and a man with crimson hair and eyes emerged, standing proudly. He gazed around in a daze for a while, but when Bildiga, Ardoe, and the other Greater Demonic Deities knelt on the ground, he slowly walked forward. With every step he took, the pitch-black mantle he wore over his crimson hair and naked torso gently fluttered behind him. It looked as though he were walking through a quiet, grassy plain, into a gust of wind.
Can demons survive underwater? Or are they wearing gear with Goddess Aqua’s Blessing like Pelomas? Allen knew from having checked Pelomas’s Status that the merchant was wearing a bracelet that allowed him to breathe underwater. Meanwhile, the demon man approached Bildiga, who was kneeling with his head held low, then gazed down at the beetle and parted his lips.
“I’m surprised to see you so backed into a corner,” he said. “I’d heard that the new hero was born recently, but he seems to be quite the opponent.”
“I apologize,” Bildiga replied.
Allen could hear the full conversation, and he nodded along.
“Allen, is he...” Cecil whispered nervously.
“Yeah. He’s probably the Demon Lord. Personally graced us with his presence.”
And yet, the Summoner could hardly process what he was seeing. He barely had any information, and even the Five Continent Alliance knew next to nothing about the man in question. The Demon Lord Army had left the Forgotten Continent, where the demons lived, and so, people had assumed that the Demon Lord was a demon, but that was all. Not once had he ever attempted to contact the Five Continent Alliance or even humanity, and his identity had been shrouded in mystery until now.
Even Merus, the former First Angel, had suspected that the Demon Lord was a demon since, historically, many Demon Lords had been, but that was where his intel stopped. If this man with scarlet hair was truly the Demon Lord, he was the very man who had been relentlessly attacking humanity and the Five Continent Alliance without ever uttering a word, slaughtering tens of millions of people and spreading fear throughout the world.
Allen quietly glanced around, and could tell that the rest of his party, Sacred, and Ignomasu and his royal guards had an inkling of the crimson-haired man’s identity.
“D-Demon Lord!” Kyubel yelped with shock. “May I ask why you’re here? And why are the Six Great Demon Gods with you? What’s going on, my lord?”
Despite his panicked tone, his demeanor was cheery as he approached the crimson man.
“I believe I told you that we’d use all our forces, Kyubel,” the man replied.
“But sire, if you aren’t clear with your intentions, it will catch me off guard,” Kyubel replied. “After all, I am the Strategist.”
“Not all subjects are loyal.”
“Yes! Indeed! As they say, to deceive your enemies, you must first deceive your allies! And I admit, there may be a traitor among us.”
No one could tell if Kyubel was playing dumb or if he was truly surprised that the Demon Lord had come here.
“Tell me the status of this situation,” the Demon Lord ordered. “I...am rather hungry.”
